Housing your pet Cockatoo
April 10, 2009 by admin
Filed under Bird Breeds
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Being rather large parrots, approximately 30-67cm(12-27in), cockatoos do have a relatively long lifespan of 25-45 years, although some have lived considerably longer. The substantial size and strength of these birds does not make it easy to control their destructive and vociferous nature. If housed outside, they need a well-built, resilient aviary with mesh that will withstand constant attention from their powerful beaks.
Perches will be rapidly destroyed and will need replacing about every two weeks. Cockatoos become hardy once acclimatized and will only need locking in when temperatures fall below freezing point.
Cockatoos are commonly kept as pets, the smaller species being more appropriate because of their less boisterous
nature. All cockatoos are intelligent and should be treated as such. The larger species really are excessively noisy and you must take this into account when siting their aviary. Make sure it is not too close to your house, or your neighbour’s for that matter!
A cockatoo diet is very similar to that for macaws – a good parrot mix of large seeds and nuts, such as sunflower seeds, pine nuts and peanuts, with additional fruit and vegetables. It is important not to curb a cockatoo’s destructive inclinations, for this is natural and instinctive behaviour. The best policy is to provide plenty of suitable materials; if you do not, the bird will simply chew up any material available, and this can prove harmful. Cockatoos produce an excessive amount of feather dust, and are therefore unsuitable for anyone with asthma or any other lung-related disorders.
You can keep cockatoos singly or in pairs. There are few external differences between the cock and hen birds.
Cockatoos are often bred successfully in captivity. When breeding cockatoos, it is essential to use a nestbox of the correct size for the size of the bird. You may find it necessary to line the nestbox with sheet metal or wire mesh. This is because cockatoos do not stop chewing, even when they are breeding. In some cases, they dismantle the nestbox to such an extent that they are discouraged from rearing their young. Wire mesh or sheet metal will prevent them from destroying the nestbox, hilt offering additional chunks of wood will help to divert their attention.