We have a white umbrella cockatoo and we recently tried to color him with avian-safe food coloring. One person coloring and one person holding him. He began to fidget and become aggresive making it close to impossible to color him. Any advice?
2007-01-30 09:31:50 · 16 answers · asked by Chubarek S 1 in Pets ➔ Birds
Yes, my advice is "LISTEN TO YOUR BIRD!"
He doesn't want to be colored.
Did it not occur to you that food coloring is food coloring. Have you ever read what they are made of. Obviously your bird has a natural instinct to know that avian or not, is not good for him, or he'd sit still and allow you to spray him.
Everyday your bird cleans his feathers, many times a day. Now, look what you are doing to him, and he is being subjected to having to clean up your mess, at what could eventually take his life.
What was so important to you, then the life of your bird, that would make you take a chance like that?
2007-01-30 09:49:06 · answer #1 · answered by Lizzy 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Listen to the Vet and the girl who said you're painting a big fat target on him.
I'm not going to patronize you with all the BS. Plain and simple, your bird is not a poodle. While you can get away with it with a poodle, you shouldn't do it to your bird. Birds have serious trust issues. You do this to your bird, and your bird more than likely won't get over it.
Some of the issues you may cause are as follows:
Biting
Screaming
Feather Plucking
Serious Mental Problems and Trust Issues relating to human contact
If you decide to do this, make sure you write down my email address: sdkramer76 at yahoo.com You'll need it because you're going to have a lot of questions about how to get this bird's trust back, if in fact it lives through the ordeal. Surely, if you don't care about your bird, you'll care about the money you spent on it enough to not flush it down the toilet.
You want something you can color and carry around in a purse...get a poodle. It will love you no matter what you do to it. A bird won't, and that's just the way it is.
2007-01-30 14:48:52 · answer #2 · answered by sdkramer76 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Two things are at work here: 1. Cockatoos are among the smartest birds there are. and 2. Birds see in color. You are probably terrifying him. He clearly recognizes that by coloring him some other color than his natural one, you are marking him as different. In the wild a different colored bird would be attacked by predators or even his own kind. You are painting a big target on him and that makes him nervous.
If he gets really upset by this he will probably begin yanking all the colored feathers out and he will be bald. This could lead to permanent feather plucking behaviors. You really don't want that!
You really need to get over this idea. It is supremely selfish of you to turn a beautiful bird in to your own personal fashion statement. And it could mean major health and behavior problems for your bird.
2007-01-30 11:47:03 · answer #3 · answered by Robin D 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Interesting idea. The problem that can arise is the bird over preening as a result of the dye. Some birds can get so strung out that they pluck themselves into mutilation. Use your good judgment as to what you decide to do. Have a tweet day.
2007-01-30 10:20:51 · answer #4 · answered by firestarter 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Use a SPRAY BOTTLE then simply spray him like a bath. I can understand wanting to dye your bird for shows and special events you take him to. Halloween and easter are the best times to dye your pets.
2007-01-30 11:05:18 · answer #5 · answered by reasonable-sale-lots 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
why would u do that and i think its weird to color the bird but if u want to hold the bird use gloves thats what i used when i had to cut their wings
2007-01-30 11:51:57 · answer #6 · answered by Orlinda K 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
what the heck? you can color birds? that doesnt sound safe. are you sure you arent supposed to use that FOOD coloring for FOOD?
2007-01-30 13:27:00 · answer #7 · answered by george 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
dont listen to thies people i am a vet u should never ever spray it only with water if u color it you will kill or or he/she will get an infection and its feathers willfall out
2007-01-30 14:19:20 · answer #8 · answered by ivorie 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Why are you coloring him? He probably can stay still very long, like most birds.
2007-01-30 09:48:38 · answer #9 · answered by Gertty 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
If he is fidgeting and aggressive, it is because he's upset at what you're doing to him. Keep it up and it's called abuse.
2007-01-30 14:19:20 · answer #10 · answered by zandyandi 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋