. Cockatoos
|
Give us a try and list your birds for
sale on the "Birds for Sale"
web pages
To place an advertisement, click on "Birds for sale" web page in top
navigation bar then
click on "Place a for sale Advert" web page.
4 lines for 2 months is only $25 |
All cockatoos are parrots.
Although the Cockatiel is a
Cockatoo, it has been placed in the "Australian
Parrots" web page. Their care, housing and husbandry is more closely
aligned to the smaller Australian Parrots.
Only Cockatoos held by private aviculturists will be
listed and for simplicity no hyphens have been used in the common names.
General Information:
-
Some Cockatoos can live for
up to 60 years of age.
-
There are 13 species of
Australian Cockatoos.
-
All have a crest they
can raise when they become excited or alarmed. The Sulphur
crested Cockatoo has one of the most prominent crests which is a
bright yellow colour and curves forward when raised.
- All parrot eggs are white and are generally laid in the
afternoon or early evening.
- One sixth of the world's species of parrots are Australian.
- All Australian parrots will breed in hollow logs.
Large solid logs are preferred for the larger cockatoos.
Success has also been achieved using old wine barrels.
- All the larger cockatoos need a
large steel framed aviary with strong weld mesh wire. Many
breeders having 8 metre long and up to about 1.8 metre wide flights
for their breeding birds.
- In the wild, cockatoos often live
in large flocks. Their beaks have adapted to suit their
preferred food source e.g. the Long billed Corella digs into the
ground to get to roots and other food items where as the Yellow
tailed Black Cockatoo can tear open thick branches to get to the
grubs and insects deep within the branch. All but the
Cockatiel can use their feet to hold food items, such as seed cones,
while they extract the seeds. Cockatoos love to chew on
branches and timber so an ample supply of these items should be
placed in each aviary for them to chew up. This exercises
their beaks and as an occupational therapy to relieve boredom.
The timber perches are usually chewed so have a supply on hand
to replace the chewed up ones as required. Lots of chewed up
perches and other branches is a healthy sign of active birds.
Fresh Eucalypt tree branches with the leaves still attached are a
favourite of most cockatoos.
- In captivity the cockatoos have a
diverse diet ranging from dry seeds, a variety of vegetables,
seeding grasses, live foods such as mealworms and grubs, pelletized
manufactured feeds, and the nuts fruits and berries on the branches
placed in the aviary.
- Australian parrots, with the exception of the cockatiel and
cockatoos, the hen alone incubates the eggs and broods alone.
- Nest box size - rough rule of thumb - The internal length of
each side of the base of the nest box is equal to the length of the
bird minus the tail i.e. beak to vent length. Minimum height of the
nest box to be at least three times the internal width of the nest
box.
- Give the choice of about three logs or nest boxes at the start
of the breeding season to allow the birds to choose the one that
they prefer.
- If you buy birds from the breeder, especially hens, try and find
out what type and size of nest box or log they were bred in and
offer the same type and size to the young birds when they reach
breeding age.
- The larger cockatoos are slow to
mature, generally raise one baby per clutch, but are long lived.
For the larger cockatoos incubation and the time before they leave
the nest can take 4 or more months. The smaller cockatoos
generally average about 2 babies per clutch and can take about 3
months to hatch and leave the nest.
Housing
Cockatoos:
Also refer to "Housing birds" web page
for more information.
There is a huge range of shapes, sizes and designs of aviaries and
cages in use today. If you have a unit that works for you, that is
great and why change. The following is what is generally recommended
but is subject to change to suit the available space and available
resources.
One of the most popular types is the open flight aviary with a solid
shelter at the rear of the unit. A walk way is generally attached to
and behind the shelter section. Access to the flight is from the rear
of the shelter.
In Australia the general orientation of the aviary is to face the
front (of the aviary) north or north-east. Providing there are no
buildings, large trees, etc in the way, the north or north east
orientation should provide good light levels within the flight and allow
the birds adequate access to direct sunlight to ensure proper calcium &
vitamin D uptake.
- Aviary size: As a general statement, the larger the
Cockatoo the larger the aviary will have to be. A large aviary
is required to allow a bird or pair of birds and any fledgling birds
to have sufficient space to fly and maintain optimal health and
fitness. Large birds will need more space so each bird can
have an area to their own so they can get away from other birds if
they choose to do so. Birds do need some privacy and to be
allowed to escape from the pressures of the dominant bird.
- Steel / timber frame: As cockatoos are large powerful
birds and like to chew on timber, it is essential to build the frame
and doors out of steel. Steel frames are easier to clean and
generally provide less places for mites and other insects to hide.
- Wire netting / mesh: General statement = The bigger the
Cockatoo's beak, the harder it can potentially bite. Safe
rule is, "The
bigger the beak the stronger the mesh has to be".
Ensure the wire mesh or weld mesh
is the best you can buy and is very strong. Remember it has to be
up for a long time and in all weather conditions and in the future
you may want to buy bigger and stronger birds. It also has to keep
un-welcome animals out. Within reason, the stronger the better.
For the strong cockatoos, weld mesh will most likely be the
preferred choice. If you want to make the aviary vermin proof an
additional outer layer of mouse proof wire (about 7 mm) can be
added with a gap of about 50 mm between layers. It is expensive to
install initially but can pay its way, when installed correctly,
very quickly. Keeping vermin out is better than trying to kill or
catch the little pests once they get inside. The wire or mesh can
be painted black (with non toxic paint) to make it easier to see the
birds inside the aviary.
- Shelter section: Usually has a solid back wall and side
walls and a solid roof which if conditions require it can be
insulated. This is generally the area where logs / nest boxes are
placed and the various feeds are located. Personal preference of
ours is to have a vibration free, quiet extractor fan, connected to
a thermostat, and shielded by suitable stainless steel mesh guard,
installed in the back wall and ducted to the outside of the aviary
complex, to remove excess heat especially in summer. The same
extractor fan can be great for removing excess humidity or removing
dust while cleaning the flight.
- Walk way: The walk way should have a concrete floor.
Personal preference of ours is to have a vibration free, quiet
extractor fan/s connected to a thermostat and shielded by suitable
stainless steel mesh guard, installed to a suitable exterior wall of
the walk way to remove excess heat especially in summer. Extractor
fan/s can also quickly remove dust and excess humidity if required.
- Roofing: Corrugated clear or opaque materials are
strong, durable and popular.
- Area of roof covered: Two basic options. 1. The whole
roof and shelter could be covered. 2. Many people have the shelter
fully covered and half of the rest of the roof covered.
- Floor: Concrete floor with a sand cover, although
expensive initially, is often the best option, and easy to keep
clean. Soil floors are cheap initially but require a lot of
maintenance to keep clean and dry.
Diet / Feeding:
Also refer to "Feeding birds" web page
for more information.
All birds in the wild have a diet that changes throughout the year.
Birds generally breed when their preferred foods (including insects) are
most abundant and most nutritious. Captive birds should be educated to
consuming a variety of foods. Some foods like corn on the cob can also
provide hours of activity and entertainment for the birds. Remember,
the wider the variety offered the longer it takes to prepare.
If the birds can accept a variety of foods, then one is able to
adjust or modify the birds nutrition intake to cater for the changing
seasonal requirements. For example, prior to the breeding season the
protein and calcium levels can be increased. Protein levels can also be
increased during the birds moult. If birds start to become overweight,
or even worse, obese the diet can be adjusted to allow the usual volume
of food to be consumed but the energy value can be decreased.
- Seeds: Commercial mixes include seeds such as canary,
millets, hulled oats, safflower, sunflower, corn, Niger, and rape
seed. Budgie mix, finch mix and parrot mix are the most common pre
mixes available. Pine cones provide seeds and the birds like to
chew them to little pieces.
- Corn-on-the-cob. Enjoyed by most parrots especially
around breeding season. A valuable food source for baby birds.
Whether it was purchased frozen or fresh, it does not seem to matter
to the birds.
- Fruits: Most fruits people eat, with the exception of
some varieties of avocado (some varieties of avocado are toxic to
birds), will be consumed by parrots/cockatoos.
- Vegetables: Most vegetables people eat, will be consumed
by parrots/cockatoos. Some vegetables such as silver beet and
carrots benefit from being boiled before being fed to the birds.
- Nuts & berries: Almonds, peanuts in the shell. Most
berries people eat will be consumed by parrots/cockatoos.
- Calcium and grit supplies: Cuttlefish bone, shell grit,
calcium blocks etc should always be available, especially around
breeding season. A supply of grit may aid in the digestion of the
grains.
- Commercial pellets: Becoming more widely available and
may be of benefit as a portion of the diet.
- Water: Clean fresh water must be available at all
times. Some birds bathe in the drinking water. Others like Asiatic
parrots will not bathe in their drinking water so provision may have
to be made for a second water bowl.
- Insects: Some parrots / cockatoos like to eat insects
such as mealworms. The pupae and beetle stages of the mealworm can
be offered as well as the larvae stage. In the wild grubs are often
removed from tree trunks or branches and eaten by the birds. These
grubs if available can be offered to the birds especially around
breeding season. Crickets (preferably brown crickets before the
cricket develops wings) and caterpillars can also be offered.
General rule: Never feed black crickets to any birds,
reptiles, frogs etc. Black crickets have very sharp, difficult to
digest "spikes" on their back legs which can easily cut or
damage the
digestive tract of birds and some animals.
- Treats:
Madeira cake in moderation. Wholemeal or multi-grain bread.
- Seeding grasses: Most birds love to nibble on the seeds
in seeding grass heads including wheat and oats heads. Seeding
grass heads have good nutritional value and provide the birds with a
reason to be very active. Many birds also like chewing the stalks.
- Sunlight & Vitamin D: With aviaries having fully covered
roofs, care must be taken to ensure no deficiency occurs.
- Mineral & vitamin supplements: If used, it is best mixed
into or sprinkled over the soft food. Keep in mind with supplements
that the correct dose rate you should get good results, but, if more
than the prescribed dose is administered it could be toxic or even
fatal to the birds and / or the babies.
- Soaked or sprouted seed: An optional extra that has to be prepared
and stored carefully. Perfect hygiene is essential.
General References: Refer to references listed on "
Book References " web page.
"A Guide to Black Cockatoos
as Pet and Aviary Birds" Publisher Australian Birdkeeper
Publications. Authors Neville & Enid Connors. Published
2005. Cost about $50.
A/A Vol 59 No. 10 Oct 2005 Page 229-230 (Book review-"A
Guide to Black Cockatoos as Pet and Aviary Birds").
A/A Vol 59 No. 10 Oct 2005 Page 229-230 (Book review-"A
Guide to Black Cockatoos as Pet and Aviary Birds").
Specific References:
Top of - cockatoos - Page
|