Cockatoo Diet

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Silverrose

Silverrose

Chinnie kisses!
Joined
Jan 30, 2009
Messages
589
Location
Los Angeles, CA
So now that I am back near my parents, I am trying to help them care for a Goffin cockatoo. I had him since he was just hatched and he used to be mine, but I left him here when I moved out of state. Anyways, I am back and want to get him healthier again. He is a little over 14 years old now. And like most cockatoos, he is super picky with food. But lately, I think his pickiness has made his diet deteriorate and his breast feathers have started falling out and/or he's plucking them. We've done skin scrapings and nothing has turned up so its not fungal or bacterial. I don't think it's behavioral either because he has plenty of toys and outside time. And he has gotten even more attention now that I am around. Right now he is on Lafeber's pellets, a little bit of Kaytee Fiesta seed mix, and various fresh fruit and veggies every day. Is there anything else (in specific) that I could add to his diet that will make him stop losing his feathers? Or is he just getting old, senile, and stubborn? lol. Any advice would be great. Thanks!
 
If he is not molting, he may be plucking. This could be due to boredom or stress. Soemtimes, giving birds lot of new toys (challenging toys) and things to shred helps occupy them so they don't pluck their own feathers. My avian vet also said making sure they get a good nights sleep with their cage covered the entire night can help with their behavior as well.

As for diet, I feed my 'too LaFeber parrot pellets and Roudybush Low Fat Maintenance pellets. She also gets a variety of greens (dandelion and mustard are some of her favorite but she also likes collard, kale, wheatgrass, argula and sweet baby greens). Does your 'too get greens in his diet or just "veggies?" My girl loves corn but we have to limit it because of the sugar content. We also give her foods rich in vitamin A a few times a week such as sweet potato, carrots, bellpeppers, or pumpkin. She isn't too big on most fruit but will eat it if we give it to her. Other than that, she gets cooked beans for the protein as well as cooked whole grain pastas on occasion. Oh, and I have a galah (rose breasted cockatoo) which are prone to fatty tumors and we have to keep her on a low-fat diet. She gets seeds VERY rarely... as in a reward maybe a couple times a month. I don't know how similar the dietary needs of Goffins are to Galahs but that's what we do with our girl!
 
It's definately not normal molting. I'm pretty sure he's plucking them. A typical day of fruit and veggies consists of nectarine, apple, cooked beans, spinach, and then whatever else is going to be cooked for the day (usually carrot, celery, peas, peppers, etc. ). He's not too fond of other dark greens besides the spinach. Although, I don't think I have tried dandelion. I also haven't fed him much whole grain pastas as he likes beans and peas, but I guess the additional protein and variety wouldn't hurt him. I will look into Roudybush as I have heard good things about it. Maybe changing out and rotating toys more often will keep him stimulated?
 
I am in the exact same situation as you. Except mine is a white-capped pionus. My mother had been taking care of her while I was in college. Now that I have her again, I am finding myself having to re-educate myself on birds.

We are making progress though.

I don't really like them much but Petsmart does have Roudybush. I don't know if all stores have it, but they have it online, and my local store had it. I am still looking for a place online to order it where the shipping wouldn't make it more expensive than the petstore.

Good luck!
 
My lovebirds love broccoli so maybe you could give that a try. I've noticed with birds that you sometimes have to offer new things for long enough time for them not to be new before they try it so I'd keep offering greens in the hope he eats it.

At lot of my bird friends recommend a product called Avi-Culture that is a probiotic and I think that my birds handle stress and molts better when they are given it.
 
I don't have any recommendations on food, but I do have a recommendation on an on-line bird supply place. I've been ordering from Bird Supply of New Hampshire for 5 years. They consistently stock a food I need that I can't find anywhere else and ship out quickly. If you sign up for their newsletter, they often include discount codes. To start, you can get 10% off your order of $25 or more by using TJOS10.
 
With my Goffin I used zupreem pellets, seed mix, and fresh stuff. If she/he doesn't like greens... make muffins! I always made Kitty zucchini muffins and other veggie muffins and she loved them.

How often do you change toys? I would try doing it a little more often, and include a lot of shreddy stuff. Plain pine is soft and easily destroyed by goffins. Also if you don't have one get a binky ring, or make one. They are fleece covered, they are cheap to make, but take time, if you need help on instructions let me know. They don't "destroy" them per se, but they will preen them and such and that helps keep them occupied. Sometimes it's not actual plucking, it can be over preening, from boredom or other nervous habit. Make sure they have a "safe" quiet place as well, and somewhere to get away like a birdie tent or something.
 
I have a 15 year old african grey that has never plucked *knocks on wood* One of his favorites is sweet potato (excellant for the skin and feathers). After microwaving, I let it sit until just warm and sprinkle a little parmesan cheese on it. I moosh up. He loves it!

Birds are hungriest in the morning. I make sure that no seed in in the cage after bedtime and offer birdie muffin ...muffin loaded with veggies...and/or pellets. My grey is fussy and will only eat his pellets after they have been soaked in water and mixed with "something" such as a healthy, organic cereal (Kashi etc) or soft, mooshed up food fruit/veggies or even a bit of cooked eggs. He loves eggs! Seed is given at night. Birds do need some fat in their diet so some seed is o.k. Just make sure it is a good quailty, fresh, no pesticides seed.

Variety is very important but stick with the healthiest fruits and veggies. Dark, leafy greens are excellant.

Don't forget frequent bathes. Daily bathes alone will make his skin feel better if he is feeling itchy.

Edit to add: While toys are very expensive and we hate throwing money away, birds do need to destroy sometimes LOL It is o.k to offer the durable, made for parrot acrylic toys but make sure you also offer something they can shred and take apart. This will keep their mind off their feathers.
 
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My parents actually grow a type of sweet potato in their garden. It's purple tho, so I think it's a Japanese species? Do you think this would be ok for him? Or should I stick to the orangey kind at the store?

Yes, he gets baths regularly (and loves them!) He loves to spread his wings while getting misted. And it's too funny when I only aim for one side and he raises one wing at a time hehe.

I was looking into making birdie bread, but am worried about all the oil that people tend to add into it. Does anyone have a version that doesn't use oil or at least uses a minimal amount of it?

He actually doesn't have a binky ring/fleece toy, so I am going to get one of those for him too. It never occurred to me it could be over-preening.

Thanks for all the replies everyone!
 
Silverrose said:
I was looking into making birdie bread, but am worried about all the oil that people tend to add into it. Does anyone have a version that doesn't use oil or at least uses a minimal amount of it?
Click to expand...
You can substitute apple sauce for the oil, just like in human recipes.
 
Ok so I attempted to make some experimental bird bread today, and my 'too is just not havin it. Mind you it was an experimental batch, but it couldn't have been THAT awful... :hair: I used 1 box of jiffy corn muffin mix, 1 cooked carrot, a handful of cooked green peas and black eyed peas, half a banana, half an apple, some lafeber's "pellet dust", a handful of oats, and 1 egg with crushed eggshell. I made 24 mini muffins. Maybe he'll feel like eating more of it tomorrow? Or do I need a better recipe? Maybe I should've added more of a sweet fruit?

On a brighter note, his chesticle feathers are coming back in which makes me super happy! Even my mom is noticing that the color is a bit brighter in them as well.
 
Silverrose said:
Ok so I attempted to make some experimental bird bread today, and my 'too is just not havin it. Mind you it was an experimental batch, but it couldn't have been THAT awful... :hair: I used 1 box of jiffy corn muffin mix, 1 cooked carrot, a handful of cooked green peas and black eyed peas, half a banana, half an apple, some lafeber's "pellet dust", a handful of oats, and 1 egg with crushed eggshell. I made 24 mini muffins. Maybe he'll feel like eating more of it tomorrow? Or do I need a better recipe? Maybe I should've added more of a sweet fruit?

On a brighter note, his chesticle feathers are coming back in which makes me super happy! Even my mom is noticing that the color is a bit brighter in them as well.
Click to expand...

Your muffin mix sounds delightful! I've had good luck with my grey by pretending I was eating the food and smacking my lips and saying mmmmmmmmm... so good.... get down to his level and close to him. Make him WANT that muffin LOL You'll feel strange but it just might work!
 
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