Talk to me Goffin owners!

[TheHolisticNanny]

I am considering re-homing a 7.5 yr old g2. Her current owners sound like upstanding parronts, and are going to great lengths to make sure they have the right fit for their fid. So much so that they would like to do a "trial run" with her and my family.... Great Idea I think..... what do you all think>?

I have heard mostly horror stories about toos, but a few good ones and of course how lovey dovey they can be..... PLEASE PLEASE every one tell me about your g2's, the good the bad and the ugly and what you REALLY wish you knew BEFORE you started with one.

Thanks every one!!!!

[LovelySydney]

Although I havent had one, I know people who do and I know they are wonderful birds, cuddly and fun but they DO have some attitude problems!!! However, i think that with proper training these things can be taken care of in a lot of the cases. I LOVE the idea of the trial run, thats great because than you dont have to worry about becoming overwhelmed and it keeps the communication open with you and the G2's family.


Good luck & keep us posted, Im interested to hear what happens!!

[LinAndDan]

I just adopted my G2 about 3 months ago and have been in love ever since. The only complaint I would have is that they can be noisier than other birds if they don't receive all of the attention they desire, but my G2, Rocky, isn't even as noisy as my little green cheek conure.
The trial sounds like a great idea, especially with one that age. Toos tend to cling on to people, and she may not react too well to being away from her previous family. I did a trial with Rocky and it turned out wonderfully. His previous "mom" was certain that Rocky had never found anyone but her that he liked, but as I said, he and I hit it off beautifully.
Best of luck!

[RLKBLK]

What exactly do you mean when you say a "trial run", do you mean that the g2's owner will be coming to visit, and still be a part of her life? or is the option open to return her if things dont work out? I ask this because about a month ago we rehomed a 14yr old u2, and the lady we got our u2 wanted to do a trial/ visit where she would bring her over for awhile then get her back, she wanted to do this for about a week or so,to "get her used to us".( I think it was more for her then for the birds)
To us that was not a good idea at all, we wanted a clean break, (we still keep in touch with updates and questions) but have the option to let her go back if its to much for us. Sorry i dont have any experience with g2's, but I think having the option of returning her IF things dont work out will take alot of stress out of a new bird, i know it did for us and i believe it made it easier for us. I didnt really tell the whole story, when we rehomed we had a 2fer,
the u2 and a blue crown conure this lady was trying to rehome both together (we do have both)they were also from a very good family that had a change in life and couldnt keep them, and is very willing to take them back if things dont work out. remember it will take a few weeks for the g2's real personality to come out, then you will have a better idea of what you are dealing with
good luck with you decision

[Joel]

I have Goffins and they are the only bird I have ever kept that will make noise in the dark even. Some of mine are more quieter than others but still as a species, they are the noisest parrot I have ever kept so far. I have kept MaCaws & Umbrellas also, even a Moluccan once but they all quieted down for the night after their early evening or late afternoon calls. None of my G2s are babies that I bought as babies but all are rejects from someone else's home, so maybe that is why they are noiser after dark. Maybe they were kept up all hrs. and are used to spouting off at night. I am currently working to change this undesirable behavior.

I also suggest that the current keepers of the Goffins should be willing to take them back if they do not worl out well in a new home.

[Lindsey]

Hello! I've had my rehomed Goffin who's 3 years old for about 5 months now. She came from a great family who loved her, however their kids developed allergies and they had to rehome her. I am not sure how much out of the cage time she got at her prior home, however when she came to me, she didn't know how to step up, and she would fluff up and hiss when anyone came near her cage. We've been working with her daily, and we now have the cuddliest, most loving bird ever. She stepps up, loves her scratchies and just is fun to be around. I feel bad, as her cage has tons of toys in it, but she never plays with them. I am hoping that will come in time. Now, a word of warning. My Goffin screaches. Most people would find it very annoying. In fact, I find it very annoying. However, she only does it in the evening, when she is left in her cage, and she wants to be with you. There are ways around her screaming, such as letting her sit with you while you do whatever it is your doing, or if you put her on the play gym. I think having other flock members around helps her, as they demonstrate good behavior (haha...sometimes). Another bad part- my other birds now know how to screach like her. They don't do it often, but it is now part of thier vocabulary. My girl prefers men, but is very tolerant of women holding her, so long as they scratch her head. She's slowly coming out of her shell, and I really do like having her company.

[TooDust]

Goffin home here. Noisy, like a guard dog. She lets out a noise----not a scream----probably a flock call, when anyone gets up in the night or after she goes to bed if she hears the dogs playing or company arrives. I just call out "night, night, love you, you're okay" and she calls back in a sweet little voice; "night". And then all is quiet.
The U2 is so very quiet compared to the G2 and the G2's I have baby sat are not at all quiet.

[TooDust]

Dust. Wish I had known about the DUST. I do not think I could have begun to understand the amount of Dust these beautiful creatures flitter into the air. Shower every day=====just helps.
Just bought new filters for two of the air purifiers costing 76 dollars. I need a couple of more air purifiers. Each room needs one. Just amazing.
But I do not have horror stories regarding the beautiful Too family members in my home. They are so very special. Dusty, but special with deep souls.

[FoxersArtist]

Goffins pack a big punch when it comes to physical energy and personality. They can be hyper, easily excitable, & suspicious but there are still plenty of hours in the day to cut loose and act totally radiculous! They are the perfect combination of serious and silly. Goffins can be extremely loud and I agree that they can top the scales for frequent vocalizations whereas a lot of other cockatoos will call only during certain hours. These guys need loads of space and constant supervision when they are out of their cages. Foot toys and obnoxious pop music is a must to keep them entertained. They can be very affectionate but are often very choosy about who they like. Buttering up a goffins is difficult if it has already decided it does not like you as they are very stubbornly set in their ways, however some goffins are suspicious of everyone at first and will warm up slowly. Others don't care who gives them attention, just give it to me now! They almost always get the final word and will bite you if they disagree with your "plan." Goffins are just as enthusistic with their aggression as they are with their love and I have worked with birds that will literally dive into my lap for a head rub. I have also seen them launch themselves off of perches to attach to someones face. Some goffins are exceptionally calm and mellow and those are nothing but melt-your-heart sweety pies - little bitty umbrellas with a short stocky body! These do not seem to be the norm but those individuals seem to be extra wonderful by enjoying a variety of people in their world. Typical goffins are choosy and more frequently prefer one person over an entire family. If you enjoy low key activity, are relatively introverted, your goffins need to be a social butterfly could become ovewhelming or irritating. Goffins typically think they rule the world and do so with an iron fist. It is almost certain that if you own a goffins, they think that they are number one in your world and that their needs should come before another flock mate and are prone to screaming whenever anyone else is being lavished with attention! Goffins are fantastic but require parronts with a lot of patience as they do not seem to have much of their own. :)
-Anna

[TooDust]

Well said FoxersArtist. I was led to believe that a Goffin would be much easier to care for than any other of the Toos and could easily adjust to my working. I work, work, work, at thinking of new things, adventures, hunting, pillaging, etc to keep "shorty" happy and she is but she is noisy and hyper and requires so very much more then the little U2 who shares my home. I live with the quietest of all U2s.