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Post by Phill on Feb 11, 2007 18:45:07 GMT 10
hi i was thinking of getting a sulphur crested cockatoo but i just wanted to ask some questions firs as i never purchase an animal with out researching before it.
what is there best diet>?
what is there avearge life span?
breeder or petshop?
do they scream even if you cover the cage and they are indoors?
thank you just a few questions i hope you can answer for me thankyou.
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Post by Phill on Feb 11, 2007 18:59:27 GMT 10
also is a license required for this species?
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Post by vankarhi on Feb 12, 2007 8:18:07 GMT 10
hello Phil..........I am sure a licence is not necessary for them anymore.........when I owned 2 over 20 years ago the licence was only about $5....... and actually i don't remember ever buying one and they came from a pet shop ... hmmmmm
They eat like most other birds/parrots, they need fresh seed and good quality fresh fruit and veges
I would get a handraised one from a breeder if possible, they usually are a bit cheaper and better looked after, plus the breeder can usually give some background on the bird and advise on diet etc. Lucky you.
Oh and yes they do SCREAM and loudly .... very loudly too. I used to cover mine and it did shut them up.
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Post by vankarhi on Feb 12, 2007 8:19:06 GMT 10
oh and life span................you will need to leave them in your will ;D .......they can live to over 100 years old.  Oh (just remembered this one sorry) breeding season is over for them now.........all our cockatoos breed towards the end of the year, so contact some breeders now and ask to look at their birds and talk to them etc, get to know them and see how they treat their babies etc............most breeders do allow you to look at their birds .......I always ask and only once have I been denied and that person wouldn't even send my pics via the internet and wouldn't allow me on the property to even pick the baby up, he wanted us to "meet" somewhere like on the side of the road..........I thought no way am i buying sight unseen. When you find a breeder you are happy with........order one and then you can happily prepare for the impending new addition to the family ;D |
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Post by silvercloud on Feb 12, 2007 10:21:09 GMT 10
Well Tracey has pretty much covered anything I was gonna say. Just do as much research as possible.
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Post by Phill on Feb 12, 2007 15:11:19 GMT 10
lol tracey thank you all that information was so useful!! heheh leave them in your will  i actually saw 1 in the trading post for $120 hand reared 10wo what is the avearge price for a handreared baby? im actually also looking to see if there is any for adoption as a i no that they live for such a long time that many people wont be able to keep them but so far i cant find anything!! so when you said that you covered yours they did be quite? or did they stil scream? as i dont want my neighbours complainig about the noise as im sure that wont but you no just to make sure. thanks once again! |
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Post by zooyouthben on Feb 12, 2007 15:39:49 GMT 10
A normal price (SA) for a good CAPTIVE bred hand raised sulphur is $300-500
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Post by vankarhi on Feb 12, 2007 16:31:44 GMT 10
Phil that is a very cheap price for a handraised baby. The breeder i bought Skye (eclectus) and Shrekie (alexandrine) sells his handraised 'toos for around $500. I am in Qld too and prices seem to vary from state to state.
Before rushing into buying a bird make sure you can handle it, they are a big bird and can become very very demanding. If I was to buy or aquire an older bird i would want to spend a bit of time with it handling it (if it is handleable) and getting to know it and just sussing it out to make sure it is what I want.
They can make beautiful pets...........but can be very demanding too. Oh and yes when mine were covered they were quiet.........but that is not to say that will work for all birds, it does work on most though.
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Post by Phill on Feb 12, 2007 18:17:14 GMT 10
oh thankyou very much for the information i am not going to rush into anything belive me.
hmmm that is what i was thinking it is so cheap but i dunno i always see them for cheap here maybe they are just chearper him lol
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Post by vankarhi on Feb 12, 2007 21:15:23 GMT 10
you have to be careful of PBFD too. (beak and feather disease) ......... I have been told a lot of breeders do have it in their aviaries.........they just don't tell anyone.
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Post by Phill on Feb 13, 2007 21:02:27 GMT 10
hm... i never knew anything like that what exactly does this disease do to the birds?
what happned to your cockatoo's?
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Post by silvercloud on Feb 13, 2007 22:02:52 GMT 10
Its an awful disease but you can get your fid tested. Here's a link to a site that a member on another forum has made. The site is still under construction as Manau died only a few weeks ago but there's still plenty of info. www.manauspbfdiseasesite.com/ |
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Post by vankarhi on Feb 14, 2007 7:54:57 GMT 10
Beak and feather disease is highly contagious............it is like the aids of the bird world (in simple terms). Not all breeders have it........maybe ask your vet to recommend some breeders. It was the vet I take my birds to that told me that some of the big aviaries have PBFD but don't tell anyone........I guess they kill the suspect birds, but you sometimes cannot tell if the bird has it until it molts and even then it might not show. Apparently PBFD is rampant amongst the wild birds too. Just do a lot of research before buying a bird that is all. Breeding season is over for now too, so there will be no more babies until later in the year. Oh with my 'toos, the first one I had to rehome as my ex husband didn't see the funny side when the 'too chewed on the stereo cabinet. I was heart broken. I got another one and I used to allow them to walk around the yard...........my then German shepherd barked at something outside the yard and the 'too flew into a neighbouring tree...........to cut a long story short.............I never got him back  and vowed I would never get another one. (but things change and you never know what the future holds ;D ) |
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Post by Phill on Feb 14, 2007 15:14:34 GMT 10
thanks for that silvercloud i will go and read the article now. tracey sorry to hear abut your too's i cant belive he made you rehome it just because it chewed the steroe canbinet lol... my tiel has chewed much worse things......antique table....$$$$900$$$$ |
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Post by vankarhi on Feb 14, 2007 17:51:09 GMT 10
PMSLOL............. that is some expensive chewing Phil??? Did your parents get a tad upset.  ;D |
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Post by Phill on Feb 14, 2007 18:16:09 GMT 10
no....  LUCKY I LIVED! |
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Post by vankarhi on Feb 14, 2007 19:51:22 GMT 10
LOL.........does that mean they went balistic. LOL totally understandable. ;D
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Post by Phill on Feb 15, 2007 18:32:51 GMT 10
yep im stil haunted by the memory when they came home and saw the table |
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Post by vankarhi on Feb 15, 2007 20:47:24 GMT 10
LOL............maybe I shouldn't laugh
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Post by Phill on Feb 16, 2007 10:52:50 GMT 10
LOL tracey do you tihnk you cold post some pics of your galah for me ? |
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and vowed I would never get another one. (but things change and you never know what the future holds ;D )
;D
LUCKY I LIVED!