Major Mitchell's Cockatoo?

[PhilK]

Hey all,

Just wondering if anyone on here keeps these beauties? I am doing prac at a bird vet for the week and they have a beautiful Major there. I would love a new bird and am considering these but have heard they don't make the best pets. Has anyone had any experience with them?

Thanks

 

[Rocket]

A friend had one, it was a filthy, noisy, angry bird.

 

[Tsubakai]

They are one of the less suitable for pets of all the white cockatoos (along with Gang-gangs) but some individuals are awesome.

 

[shellfisch]

Probably depends how much you like your neighbours...... :lol: They are a tad noisy!

They are magnificent birds, expensive to buy, and need a bloody big aviary! :lol:

update:
Hmm...not as expensive as I thought. $200-$300 is the last price I heard one go for.
But still screechy!

 

[branca]

if you want them to be a good pet you need to find a breeder that has breeds them, but make sure their blood line is not related because if they are they go spastic later on in the years.
if their blood lines arnt the same you have a better chance off taming the babies.
as ive heard from one of my mates thats an parrot-cockatoo breeder and is very experienced.
branca
good luck.

 

[Sock Puppet]

In NSW you would need a licence to own one (similar to reptile licence, but for birds).
Don't know what the situation is in QLD, but you may want to research that too just in case.

 

[giglamesh]

when you got your licence there would have been an option to have birds on it as well. didnt cost any extra

 

[Sarah]

they dont make the best pets though i do know a couple of people who got them but they got them when they are were very young and put a lot of work into them so it is possible depends how much time and patience you have , most people keep them in aviaries if you want a affectionate Too try a longbill corella, keep in mind any Too is quite destructive.

 

[Kristy86]

hey there,

From what i know they are amazing birds. but a lot of work!
they are very intelligent and can live for around a 80 - 100 years (like most of your large parrots) so a lot of time for one too.
another thing is you have to keep it interested, they can get bored really quickly.
but if you train it well they can learn a lot of tricks, some really cool ones too (i think they have the learning ability of a 3 year old...)
good luck with your choice,
Tanya

 

[PhilK]

Thanks for all the replies guys, appreciate it!

Just wondering if any of you are speaking from experience from owning a Major or just what you've heard?

 

[Kristy86]

for me i work at a zoo with quiet a few, and although i don't work all the time with them i have had the pleasure of working with them often. Intelligent and great fun if trained properly but unforunatly most of ours were handed in when people didn't realise how long they live. some arn't so well trained and can do a lot of damage to property if not carefully monitered!!!
But in saying that they are one of my fav birds, great fun and rewarding if trained properly!!!

Tanya

 

[Crystal..Discus]

I take it you're at the Brisbane Bird vet? :lol:

I know when considering them, you need to understand that you're probably going to have to pass him onto someone after you die. They're very social creatures, and you do need to spend a fair bit of quality time with them. Dietary wise, they need a large selection of things for them to nibble and chew on, which can get expensive over time. In the long run though, they're wonderful animals - if I could afford one, I'd so get it :d

 

[boodie]

I work at a wild animal sanctuary but sadly we have a lot of obviously pet birds which have been either lost, or worse released, then rescued because they cannot survive in the wild.

Some are great, some are destructive terrors. If you were to get one, get one that has been hand reared. Why? The bird will be tame and there is less chance of you taking massive damage from it's beak, and chances are it will be calmer and friendlier. Be prepared to put in a lot of work with it.

My experience with cockatoos in general is they are very destructive, needy birds. They need company because they are used to flocks and they need someone to talk to and interact with. If you cannot be there to provide that for them their entire (very long) lives. It may be a better idea not to get one. They can't just be ignored or put aside for long periods of time or they will turn into a very hard to handle animal. Also if you can't get an aviary big enough for the bird to fly in you have to look at ways of making sure it can get a healthy amount of exercise. Don't clip the wings unless you know what your doing. Get a vet to do it if you want it done.

On the flip side they are very intelligent and will readily learn tricks and to talk. I've heard males are the better talkers but am unsure if this is just superstition. They'll need lots of toys, and a mirror is good if you can't provide them with a lot of company. Don't put a mirror in there if you want the bird to become more attached to you though. They can be great companions if treated right. And the major mitchell's are stunning birds.

 

[PhilK]

Thanks for the advice boodie, though a lot of it is just myth

Yep I am at the Brisbane Bird Vet and loving it.. such a great place.

Thanks for the info guys.. it's a toss up between a Major or an eclectus for sure.

 

[Sarah]

ive got two eclectuses both males and they are a great pet not overly demanding and fairly easy to look after.

 

[Kristy_07]

What part of boodie's advice would you say is myth?

 

[cougars]

Ive got Majors and had a few pairs of Eclectus, Eclectus make better pets, You just need to give them lots of fruit

 

[PhilK]

What part of boodie's advice would you say is myth?

Only a few points

If you were to get one, get one that has been hand reared. Why? The bird will be tame and there is less chance of you taking massive damage from it's beak, and chances are it will be calmer and friendlier. Be prepared to put in a lot of work with it.

Hand reared birds are often overly humanised i.e. they do not know they are birds. This makes them MORE dependent on human interaction etc and more prone to behavioural issues/stress when their humans aren't around. This a bit of a trade off as a completely parent reared bird is not as calm/friendly.

They'll need lots of toys, and a mirror is good if you can't provide them with a lot of company. Don't put a mirror in there if you want the bird to become more attached to you though.

I don't believe that mirrors can really cause parrots to be less attached, though I can't prove this I have just heard it isn't true.

 

[Kristy_07]

I was going to agree with cougar - E's make better pets. They're generally less demanding, but still need heaps of attention, things to do, and things to destroy.

I've had cockies and have always come back to the conclusion that they're like owning a 2.5yo child that never gets any older, is way naughtier, and can scream a hell of a lot louder. They can be great companions, or a serious challenge.

The best set-ups I have seen for cockies (one sulphur, one major, one corella, separate instances) was people whose birds roamed free on their open-plan balcony all day. They'd walk around the balcony rails, plenty of toys and fruit sticks and seeds hung about, they could see into the house and interact with whoever went by, and best yet, didn't have their wings clipped. They could (and would) fly to the trees surrounding the house when they wanted, and back again, when they pleased. They were encouraged back at dusk with treats, and caged for the night for their safety. The corella and the surphur had lived like that for the best part of 20 years each. It was nice to see them living as pets, but not with the usual confines.

 

[Tsubakai]

Thanks for all the replies guys, appreciate it!

Just wondering if any of you are speaking from experience from owning a Major or just what you've heard?

I don't own Mitchell's but have two galahs who are a big enough handful as it is. All the research I have done suggests that they are not that good as pets in general.