Attention 'Too Owners!

[Astrid660]

Can you briefly run me through a day in your life with your cockatoo?

As in, what time you wake up, how much time they come out of the cage (and what time), when they are most vocal, and anything else that may be interesting.

I am adopting a 16 year old Female Moluccan, almost for sure, on the weekend. I'm nervous, because I feel like I've done too much research and scared myself. I know they are a ton of work, and I am prepared, but I am feeling like I still might not be able to handle it. Especially on certain sites, they make you feel as though it takes a REALLY special person to take on a rescued 'too.

I want to hear about other people's routine, and the best/worst aspects of owning these birds.

Also, if you could post whether or not you agree with them being pets at all, that would be great.

*waits patiently for responses*

[Muchi]

I wake up about 7am-8am, make myself a coffee, uncover Luen's cage and then sit preparing his food next to it. He's much more enthusiatic about what he's fed if he has to spend a bit watching me make it. Generally he gets Passwell pellet mix (until I can get some Roudybush), a few small slices of apple, a few cheerios, a small amount of seed mix (a lot of my time is spent picking out the seeds I don't want him eating - like sunflower) and occasionally a crushed weetbix. He also gets one small water bowl of organic orange juice, and one of water. I give him about half an hour to eat that before taking out the apple before it browns.
Once he's done eating, I change into bird-friendly poop clothes and he gets about an hour and a half to exercise and wake up properly, including some flight-training. Then he goes back into the cage while I eat my breakfast. I used to let my bf handle him while I ate, but I've found I can't go ten minutes without Luen landing on my head, so he has to wait. After I'm done eating I place an old towel on the back of my computer chair and Luen sits on that while I briefly go online, then I go to the living room and presume the flight-training. I offer pieces of dried fruit as a reward for something done right. Currently we're working on teaching him not to land on my head We usually get bored of training and sit down to watch tv/play video games and scritch. He's become particularly sooky since he started his moult, so apart from just scritching him, we also check for loose feathers that Luen finds annoying. About four small feathers fell out of his crest while scritching his head yesterday. We basically keep him out until he lets us know he wants to go back to the cage, then we take him back and change his water, removing the orange juice and checking the food. While he's in the cage again, I clean and change the tray under his cage and sweep up any food he's flung out of the cage. Occasionally, I leave cleaning the cage 'til later in the day so I can take the cage outside and clean him at the same time.
I then do a bit more computer work, or go to work. Nowadays it's the former, as I quit my old job due to a conflict with my supervisor. Luen often complains rather loudly, as my computer's not in the same room as the cage, but I ignore the screaming, only going through to check up on him when he's quiet. Often all he wants is to play tug-of-war for a little while, then will let me go.
At about midday I change his food and water again, and he generally gets more veges in the lunch. He's quite fond of cooked corn and carrot. If he's been particularly quiet, he gets some millet or a few peanuts with the rest of his food. He doesn't much like water, but it's about this time every second day he gets a bit of a spritz from the water bottle. If it's one of the days I've taken him outside (in the cage) this would also be the time I clean his cage. He is then either lightly towel-dried or allowed to sun-dry.
He's generally allowed to wander about the house while wet as he doesn't tend to fly (might be too heavy?) and I often find the soggy pink chicken on my head preening. He goes back in the cage to destroy some of his toys then, while I continue my work. Usually I go out in the afternoons or at night, but whether I'm there or not someone in the house (my bf, mother, brother or I) will change his food at about 6pm, but he only gets a very small amount, because he tends to fall asleep at about 8pm.
I'd estimate he gets about 4-8hrs out per day, depending on how moody he is. Lately he's been going through withdrawal from the sunflower seeds, so it's probably more like 3-6hrs. He seems to be getting better though.
Most of the time spent with him is in the morning, as he's most active then. I'm not really a morning person, but he's well worth it.
Generally, RB2s/Galahs are a lot less work than other cockatoos... It'd be interesting to see how much more work other 'too owners put in!
As for whether or not 'toos should be pets, I think it depends on the 'too. Many seem to genuinely enjoy the interaction with humans. I don't like the idea of wild-caught birds becoming pets, and I don't think more 'toos should be bred as pets until the number of 'toos in rescues drops drammatically, but I am not for nor against keeping them as pets. I would just prefer more people researched them before they even considered getting one.

Sorry if this is long-winded or has any typos... it's 3am here

[huntress]

I have a cockatoo but moluccans are different and I have a sulfer crested so I cannot help you much. She gets loud for about five to ten minutes every evenig depending on what we are doing. If hubby and i are trying to converse across the house at any given time of the day we will not be able to hear each other as she must put in her two cents worth as well. She is out on her cage play area each night and on weekends when its warm she gets to spend time in outdoor cage or on a stand if we are there. She LOVES shredding branches outdoors and rain showers are her most fun. I just push her out in it. They are not allot of work if you just include them in your daily life and take a little time for scritches and stuff each day. it depends on how spoiled they are. Lizzy plays real well by herself because I taught her that early one. Some days evwen when we are home (about once a week) all the pet birds stay in the cage in the evening to keep them OK with it in case we have to do stuff away from home

[donnakris]

I wake up about 6 am, fix coffee, and start fixing breakfast for the fids. Morgan, my U2 wakes up about 7 am and wants to sit with me for about 30 minutes before her breakfast. Then she goes on top of her cage while I take a shower, or she goes on her stand in the bathroom with me. Then I get dressed, play with her for about 30 more minutes before going to work. I come home at lunch and play with Morgan and Casey for about 30 minutes before going back to work.
I get home about 5:15 pm and play with Morgan for a little while, play with Casey, then fix thier dinner because Casey is ready to eat. They play while I fix dinner and then, possibly, I get to eat without birds on my chair. After dinner, I play with Morgan and then Casey. Morgan ges to bed about 8 pm and she gets a little loud when she gets tired. I sing her a song and tell her nite nite and then play with Casey for about an hour before he goes to bed.
Morgan is out of her cage about 90% of the day.
Now I'm tired just thinking about it...LOL

[garenburkus]

During the week i wake up around 7 7:30ish and grab miley take her into the shower, bring her down and my mom blow drys her while i get ready for school. Around 7:50 i come down and heat up her rice mash cut her some fruit then put it in her cage and then my mom takes me to school at 8/8:05ish. My mom comes home gets ready then goes to work for 9. Then miley is left alone with toys and such til 2:30 then i come home and take her out for about half a hour or hour depending on if im busy or not. My dad comes home at 5:30 and takes her out at 6 and makes her dinner and then we all eat(shes got a tabletop playstand now) so she can eat in kitchen with us then shes out til 8 and goes back in her cage to play for a bit then at 9:30 i clean her cage every other day, sweep around her daily change her water and give her pellets for tomorrows lunch. Then at 10 take her into my room where her sleeping cage is.

[GlendaNS]

I have a U2, they are a lot like a M2.

I get up at 3:45am to go to work. The birds are still covered and asleep when I leave. Hubby uncovers them in the morning and gives them some treats. (veggies, bird bread or something along those lines) I always keep fresh water and a pellet-seed mix in front of them.

The birds spend the day with birds. I get home around 2:30pm. At that time Maxie my U2 comes out of her cage. She spends the rest of the evening out unless I have to leave. We snuggle, play on the perch, eat, shower, fold clothes, what ever. She is spoiled rotten and hollers if I leave the room without her. I just holler back at her.

I think Too's are great for adults. I don't think most young children should have one. They have a tendancy to be a one person or one sex bird. That beak can do some damage if the bird chooses to bite hard.

Each bird is an individual and not all fit the "BAD BIRD" label. Talk to the people that have the bird now and see what she is like. She will probably be the same or better for you! Just give her time to adjust and get to know each other.

I LOVE my U2 and would not sell her for any amount of money!!! They are not like any other bird. I loved how Lee used to describe them..... "I had no idea, not a clue...WOW"

[Astrid660]

Thanks for all the quick responses!

Glenda - Thanks, good points.

Garenburkus - Rice mash? lol care to explain that one?

Donnakris - "Now I'm tired just thinking about it...LOL" hahaha I know what you mean! It sounds tiring She sounds well behaved, to stay on her stand while you shower :)

Huntress - Thanks Does Lizzy have a flight harness, or ? Apparently Peaches likes to sit outside in 'the apple tree' at their house, and doesn't fly away although she is not clipped. I would never do that, of course.

Muchi - No worries about being long winded, it's all relevant to me!


In regards to Peaches, I think she has been kept with other birds in the past, although she is handfed. I hope that doesn't mean she wants little to do with people now.

[sassie]

Wake up, put hop on his play stand. Make breakfast, put hop back up on the stand. Feed breakfast, put hop back up on his stand. Watch some TV, put hop back on his stand, --- and so on & so on!

Too's should keep you very active!!! :)

[donnakris]

[quote=Astrid660;934894][font="Microsoft Sans Serif"][size="3"][color="SeaGreen"]Thanks for all the quick responses!


Donnakris - "Now I'm tired just thinking about it...LOL" hahaha I know what you mean! It sounds tiring She sounds well behaved, to stay on her stand while you shower :)

LOL...she's only well behaved because she is apparently afraid of the shower. I don't think her previous owners ever gave her a bath and we're still working on it. She is pretty good though and I love her dearly. I had wanted a Cockatoo for a very long time and I haven't been disappointed one bit. She makes me laugh and is just so sweet and snuggly....to me anyway. She had gotten my husband a few times pretty good.

[huntress]

Lizzy has a strong show clip. Two outer flights left uhclipped and her inner flight primaries are clipped real close one at a time a soon as the blood has receded. She is in an outdoor cage during the day if we are home and I dont usually let her out on a stand outdoors unless its pitch dark black out. She has no desire to leave the party lights for the blackness. She can prevent a crash land but cannot fly at all due to her weight and the fact that her feathers are clipped regularly. I also will clip each feather as it grows until its done and do the last clip. She is trained to stand on a special perch and be real still while I clip each individual feather with a sharp cat nail trimmers. (the only thing she will cooperate on,lol)