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Hi,
I am new to the forum. I have had birds most of my life. Mostly smaller birds ...conures and cockatiels mostly.I have now decided to go with a larger bird.I have done a lot of research and even found a breeder I will be buying from. Won't be until probably April or May when the babies are weaned.Have also found a really nice cage. I know they require a ton of attention I know they are loud and can be destructive. This is why I waited...I know I now have the time to devote to such a bird. The breeder is Camelot Aviary near the Austin Texas area. and this is the cage I want to get
HQ 14022 Corner Bird Cage Large
It is a Pentagonal Bird Cage which fits into any corner easily
●Bar Thickness:4.0mm ●Bar Spacing:5/8 in.
●wide:40" deep, 40'' length
●5-sided cage with 2 sides 40'' and 3 sides of 22''
● Inside Height:58" ●Overall Height:68"
● Front drop down door above main door
● 2 hard wood perches.
● 4 stainless steel feeder bowls
●Slide out tray and slide out grate for easy cleaning
●Seed guards
● 5 easy rolling casters.
My biggest question is ...knowing they do tend to get heavy.what diet would you suggest for it.
You should get a mixed parrot diet of seed, kibble, dried fruit but fresh fruit and vegetables are a must. You could also use a pellet diet but if you do, don't instantly change the diet, do it incrementally until the bird gets used to the new diet.
I have the same cage you posted for my 2 Amazon Parrots, good choice.
I am jealous of you, I have hand-fed and handled Rose Breasted Cockatoos but never owned one for more than a few months. Fantastic birds with incredible personalities and smart as a whip.
I put a ton of hours into researching the right bird.I called tons of breeders...very few actuallt breed rose breasteds...most just do umbrellas or goffins. Once I had done my research it was a rosie or nothing so I searched and found a breeder ot to far from me. I asked questions about their personalities and was told the same thing. He said this is the bird he recommends for families because they are #1 very loveable and #2 don't bond to justone person but the whole family....and he says they love to learn and learn quick
Rose breasted cockatoos, (also called Galah cockatoos), are beautiful birds. It's great that you took the time to research the type of bird you want, before getting one.
Your link didn't work for me, but I found a pic of the cage here. I'm personally not a fan of corner cages, simply because if you want to relocate the cage to another spot or if you move, you may not have another appropriate corner for it. Also, many birds like to make "parrot stew", where they dump their food into their water bowl and some then playfully fling it out of the cage. If your bird chooses to do this, you may want to move the cage further from the wall than originally anticipated, (so the wet, flung food doesn't adhere to the walls), and it's easier to keep the cage from looking awkward in the room then if it's not a corner cage. With that said, the cage you chose has the proper bar spacing and will be a nice, roomy place for your new friend.
I recommend birds be weaned directly onto a pellet, fresh fruit and vegetable diet and not a diet mixed with seed. Seed is like candy to a bird and they will naturally pick out the seeds first, like a child would if you put candy on their dinner plate, leaving some of their more nutritious food behind. I use seeds/nuts as hand-fed treats and training rewards instead, since they should be used sparingly. Additionally, most seeds/nuts are high in fat and rose breasted cockatoos are prone to developing fatty tumors, so you want to minimize the amount of them it eats. Your bird should also be able to enjoy almost anything healthy you eat, with the exception of avocados - which are toxic to them. They should never be fed onions, garlic, coffee or anything with caffeine, sugar or moderate amounts of salt, (ie regular potato chips). Also, they should never, ever be given chocolate. Sharing oatmeal for breakfast is always fun, (without sugar and without milk, since birds tend to be lactose intolerant), sharing room temperature vegetable soup, a tiny piece of pizza, a very small amount of plain brown rice, a little bit of pasta, etc. is also good. My birds call out for pizza as soon as they see a box come in the house and there would be no peace here if they saw me make sweet potatoes and I didn't give them some.
Please post a picture when you get your new friend.
Yes, That was what I had read is that they are prone to fatty tumors.Seeds of any kind will be treat only. I had thought about a on corner cage. Still not 100% sold on a corner cage. But I have not really found anything that is as wide. The breeder told me to go wide rather than tall because these guys like to fly rather then climb like many other cockatoos do. I am still looking I have plenty of time yet. The breeder said the earliest that they would be available is late april. If you know of any cages that are wider please let me know...send me links etc. Also is there any particular band of pelleted food you suggest?
thank so much
Robin
As far as pellet diets, I am found of the Zupreem Rainbow pellets. They are a well balanced diet and most birds take to them fairly easy. I suggest the bag with the picture of an African Grey parrot. The pellets come in a variety of sizes depending on the size of the bird. Hope that is helpful.
As for the cage, while it is large, if you have the room for it then it is a good choice. The cockatoo would have plenty of room to stretch his/her wings and could make short flights inside.
Your breeder will probably wean your baby onto a pelleted diet. If so, you may simply want to continue using the same pellets. Otherwise, I recommend using something that is readily available both online (at the best prices) and at most local stores (for last minute, emergency pick-ups), such as Kaytee Exact. Some birds become picky and once they get used to one pelleted diet do not easily switch to another, so it makes sense to use something that is always available. All of my birds get Kaytee Exact Rainbow. (The "parrot/conure" size is the right size for a Rosie.) The Zupreem mentioned above is also a good pellet IMO, but I don't see them everywhere which is why I don't use them.
I am adamantly opposed to allowing pet birds to have flight. (You will find people believe in both ends of the spectrum on this issue.) To be able to safely glide to the floor - yes. To have lift - no. Therefore, having a cage wide enough to allow short flights is a non-issue to me. There should be plenty of room to play, climb around, fully stretch & flap their wings though.
Kaytee Exact is also an excellent pelleted diet. I agree with your suggestions, CheyDee. I buy the Zupreem diet from Petsmart, but I know that not all cities/areas have those stores locally.
CheyDee...I have given a lot of though as too flighted or not...I was kind of going off what the breeder had said...That they like to fly across the cage...that being said...Not so sure I want him to be flighted...That does scare me. None of my Tiels or conures were flighted and they were happy as could be.I am thinking maybe I could go with a different style cage to. I have seen some really pretty ones.As for food. First I will see what the bredder has him on and if it is something I can get locally...Great! if not then I will have to switch hime to something I can find anywhere.
If you can't find the same diet locally, you can probably buy it online and sent directly to you. Don't forget to keep us updated. I am happy for you and I expect you and your Rosie will be longtime companions. Happy Thanksgiving.
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