Umbrella cockatoo Help?

Question

hello all i like to ask a few questions!!

i cook for my umbrella cockatoo but i never bake. what kind of pots and pans are good for the birds? any brand names?

how about toys acrilic what else is good?

any ideas for picky eaters? any recipes?

things i need to know.

i feed my parrots tropican pellets!!

can you name me some pot and pans that are good for me to bake and cook in. i know stainless steal anything else?

how about what to put on the pan? spray, oil what? i never baked only boil so i dont know what to use for the birds!

Answer 1

everyone has covered the baking isues (mainly stay away from Teflon,avacado,and onions) but I have a great site to share with you that tells you how to make your own toys!!!! I have made several and its wonderful...

http://www.cheepparrottoysntips.com/
http://thetoolist.tripod.com/inexpensive_toys.htm

also here are some really nice recipe sites:(seems like everyone has their own versions of alot of recipes but I found that trial and error is you best bet for those picky eaters..smile)

http://www.azzcardfile.com/collections/birdtreats.html
http://www.learnwhatsup.com/prc/recipes/bird/
http://www.birdsnways.com/birds/recipes.htm
http://birding.about.com/library/weekly/aa031300a.htm
http://www.netpets.com/birds/reference/kjohnson/recipes.html
http://www.cockatielcottage.net/biscuitsnbones/maincc.html
http://theaviary.com/recipes.shtml
http://www.quakerville.net/recipes/
http://www.upatsix.com/faq/recipies.htm
http://animalsnackables.com/treatrecipes/BIRDRECIPES.htm


I rescued my umbrella and he had a terrible plucking problem... It was suggested to use cardboard for him to tear up... he now has boxes all over the bottom of his cage(which he crawls into and also chews them apart all the time) and a large box flattened behind his cage that he tears up and a FULL CHEST OF FEATHERS!!! whooo hooo... cardboard is my best freind with him....

Answer 2

Only cook items in stainless steel. Acrylic toys last a long time. I have 2 umbrellas who have not been able to destroy the 2 well made acrylic toys they own. Umbrellas are like 3 year old children. We give ours paper bags, boxes, paper towel tubes, plain brown or white paper, rubber duckies, fast food toys for children over aged 3- and be careful not to give any toys with a battery or computer chips because they have no trouble tearing them up or trying to eat them. Plush animals with no hard plastic parts are great to tear up also.
Our birds are totally rotten spoiled because they eat a lot of human food. They cry if they smell or see what we are eating and don't give them any. Even picky eaters should like to shell and eat corn, green peas, pear, apple, Lima beans, popcorn, noodles, mashed potatoes, boiled chicken, and these are just for starters. Feed your bird a quality pellet diet as well and add many years to it's life. We feed our 3 personal parrots and other pet birds and all store birds the Zu-Preem Maintenance Fruit Blend Diet. Even old birds will switch over to it within 3 weeks.

Answer 3

Do not use teflon around birds. If it overheats, it produces a gas that will kill them.
Take the iniative and go online and read about the care of your pet. They require lots of fruits and vegetables. Some things are poisenous. Some people just feed their birds enriched pellets. Beware of those that are full of sugar (read labels).
Cocatoo's have very strong beaks. Don't give them things like bells where they can break the ringer off and swallow it. Be careful what type of hooks are on the toys you offer. Don't give them toys made for smaller birds. Cocatoo's like to chew so find out about "safe" wood to give them-must not be treated and have no pesticides. You need to do a lot of reading so that your bird will be healthly and live a long life. There isn't room here.

Answer 4

Check out the Bird Channel.com website for recipes. There is also lovely toy advice. They also have advice on pots and pans and lots of other questions that you might have! You can even get advice on training your cockatoo! You will need it with this species!

Good luck! Enjoy your Umbrella cockatoo!

Answer 5

Natural toys made of nontoxic woods (untreated wood), cholla wood, pine cones are cool.Both can have treats stuffed into them. I use empty toilet paper rolls and fill with a few treats and stuffing the ends with newspaper that uses vegetable based dyes or soy based dyes (call your local newspaper and ask). I wrap treats in cut out rectangles of gift wrap leftovers and twist the ends.This encourages foraging and helps stop boredom.Paper rolls for refill of adding machines are great. They love to tear them up. Most people agree to avoid Teflon coated pans. I use cast iron or glass like Pyrex. Make corn bread homemade or from a mix and add sunflower seeds, nuts, dried fruits,chopped veggies including peppers. Most agree to avoid avocados, chocolate, onions and there is a debate over grape seeds, so I just avoid them. Eat foods in front of the bird and act like really enthusiastic. They are flock animals and tend to copy the leader which in this case is you. Go to cockatoo.com and there is a lot of info there. Good luck and have a tweet year.

Answer 6

Anything you fix for you or your family is what he wants!!! No avocados!!! Pans don't matter, it's the fumes from teflon, that is poison, never get the pan too hot, or sit on the stove eye while empty. Ventilate well and just feed him some of what you are eating---He will love you forever!!! Birdman

Answer 7

Do NOT use teflon or anything with a like finish. Don't use air freshener or any sprays. I tried everything under the sun that was native to my Umbrella's country. He pitched it all out for his favorite... sunflower seeds. But keep on trying.

Answer 8

dont use nonstick pans, my ub2 eats everything i do, meat , veggies,raw veggies,fruit, i normaly dont cook just for her.
as for toys well they are expensive store boughten and only a treat now and then, but i give mine alot of dollar store baby toys...like blocks, link rings, small doggy cloth chewy knot thingies,old clean socks with treats in them as a pinyata....cockatoos are known destroyers ..dont expect anything to last long unless its acrylic and if it is , theyll play with it a while and most likely lose intrest.
picky eaters? well if she isnt eating enough you probably know what it likes so id go with that, id hate to cook just for it, experiment ..mine likes raw green leaf lettuce, raw or cooked corn on the cob, apples,cheese!, scrambled eggs every now and then, i just use common sense and good diet ethics as i would for myself

Answer 9

Hi,
You have recieved some great answers, the only thing i have to add is check out www.mytoos.com
It has loads of great information, go to the message board and you will find answers to all your questions!
Good luck, U2's are the most challenging (but most rewarding ) birds, IMO.