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Pre-release: Meet Blizz the umbrella cockatoo

We met Blizz at a masterclass... part two will be posted in a few days. Stay tuned! 

Pre-release: Meet Blizz the umbrella cockatoo

Comments

I think if you could have a meeting talking about goals of better nutrition overall for the birds. First step to me would be going from Supreme Fruitblend to Zupreme naturals. And seeing if you can get everyone on board with that and making a plan for how to implement. In a sanctuary setting usually if one bird eats it, they all will because it's competition and observational learning and all that. And then next meeting chat about trying to implement our pellets and maybe we can ship large batches to you (we offer 25lb bags) and do a 'diet conversation efforts fundraiser' maybe lol where we send a lot in the efforts to help the initial switch. But small approximations and goals basically...

BirdTricks

I work at a parrot sanctuary in RI. We have over 300 resident parrots as well as 20-30 adoptable birds. Currently we have 2 cockatoos that are adoptable (a female umbrella and a female sulfur) and they are very heightened everytime we take them out of their cage. They tend to bite other staff and unfortunately our adoption birds have large cages and not aviaries due to quarantine set ups. When I started working at the sanctuary they were on zupreem fruity pellets, a mixture of nuts, and seasonal salad everyday. I have worked with my supervisors to cut down the nuts we give them, and to use them for training only. But unfortunately the sanctuary has mostly the zupreem fruity pellets, so I am struggling with how to accommodate their needs with our available diet (since most of our birds are flighted in large aviaries, the diet does not seem to be an issue except with the adoption birds who have cages). But I still feel like their diet is making these cockatoos extra neurotic. Their heightened behavior causes them to have to spend more time in their cage out of safety for some staff and volunteers. It also has made it hard to find them forever homes. I was wondering if you have any tips on extra diet changes we can make for them? They are still less receptive to nuts/treats (and therefore training) since they were in the two cockatoos diet for so long.

Emily Stacey

This video has got to be one of the best things I have ever seen 😂

Nyree Williams

Perpetual motion parrot, LOL! Good luck 😊

H Cornejo

I have had my umbrella cockatoo since 1981. She has gone through many diet conversions as different styles of feeding cockatoos became popular. I did not have the expertise of bird tricks way back (which I greatly appreciate now). The first conversion was from fruit and sunflower seeds to pellets. I had her in her cage but she could go inside and out. I figured she wouldn’t starve herself to death. And I was right. But she ate all the wood in her room before she ate the pellets. The closet doors, the wood trim boards, etc. and finally the pellets. Since then she has changed from multi color pellets to green pellets and now finally to the seasonal feed for breakfast and the organic pellets for dinner. Each food change got easier and easier. Her most favorite treat is cashews. I don’t know if this is good or dangerous advice but it worked in my birds case and I did it before bird scales were even available. I have had other species of birds and always wondered why lucy was so difficult. I now realize it is a cockatoo thing and not just her. I have now adopted a second citron cockatoo who is scared to walk on the counter top and thinks it’s deep water. It’s really funny. But desensitization has been a long and very slow process and the information from bird tricks has been invaluable.

Kim Robbins

Jamie - Blizz successfully confirmed everything you have ever said about Umbrellas! Although I could watch an entire video of his craziness (and everyone’s reaction to it)! A successful diet conversion for him could quite possibly make him the POSTER CHILD of WHY proper diet is so essential.

Ali Stergas

lmao Dave almost like "Jamie, i think he likes women... THE TASTE!!" xD also, dang... your eye makeup for the in-the-trailer shots was amazing.

tzxazrael

I will definitely be upgrading my tier for access to that! Thank you!

Anthony and Doug

It’s been available only to my Rocko and Morgan tiers and we hope to have it available to the public sometime in June!

BirdTricks

It’s been available for the Rocko and Morgan tiers and will be available publicly sometime in June we hope.

BirdTricks

Ok, freeze dried got my attention for sure! When will it be available?

Anthony and Doug

Diet is absolutely critical to parrot behavior. I'm pretty consistent with feeding my Hahn's just sfs, pellets, and nuts as treats. Occasionally he gets a blueberry. If I stray from this we pay for it. My husband has early morning cuddle time with Oscar. If I let Oscar eat even a tidbit of cracker or cereal before bed, my poor husband complains about how Oscar was so nippy and NOT cuddly the next morning. Interested to see if Jamie and Bliz will become good friends.

Holden Kendrick

Can't wait to see how this turns out. The Dusty conure I was working with only ate zupreme pellets. So I smothered his pellets in sfs and I was worried because he would dip every pellet in his water dish before eating it. The next morning he picked all the sfs of the pellets and around the dish. His weight was staying pottery equal. The next morning I gave him a scoop of sfs with just a few of the pellets on the side. He ate all the sfs!!!I was so excited. The lady that has him now says he is still eating really well and starting to eat more of the Bird tricks pellets.

Wendy Cottingham

He could have a 3 hour dance party and just keep on going lol, I would love for him to do flight training, but one thing at a time.

Krystelle

You mentioned the freeze dried food in your video. Is it available again?

Renee Vaughan Goertz

I couldn’t agree more about the diet conversion experience creating a bond like nothing I could have expected. It has taught me so much about her personality and moods related to her weight. I have had to be”Present” to help her to trust the process. She never ate anything if I didn’t first. It’s definitely a real commitment but what you learn about your bird and the communications It brings about are unreal. We are becoming so in tune to one another that I can tell where she wants go while on my hand. I call it driving her around! We are getting so dialed now she tests my ability to feel her feet instead of her looks and leans! Guys she’s smart! All because of diet conversion! I’m a true fan. Even though it’s taking me 7 months so far with the possibility of victory soon to come. That said my girl will take progress back and it’s your move again just like in chess. I love it though! We are at barely wet green pellets that have slight crunch. This is huge. My wife wants to go on vacation and we can’t untill we get this done. Be prepared to fully commit. I planned on winning from the start! And already have but some how she manages to still control the situation even though she eats the food I want. Everything good in my life has come at great difficulty… I have always called it Dave’s Dilemma. This has been no different. But I see the reward in how she behaves and how we communicate now. It’s really epic.

David Gray

While he’s dancing on the table you need the cotton eye joe song playing. It would be nice hilarious! I can’t tell you why that came to mind!

Lisa Osmar

I wonder if flight training would take the edge off that crazy manic energy? It looks like he's capable of flying, based on the "falling off the table" incident. Or having an hour-long dance party? Get all that energy out and then work with him when he's calmer?

H Cornejo

She is not kidding about diet conversion and Military’s. I’m at 7 months and she is just starting to eat the green pellets wet. Coolest part she shakes her head to tell me to wet them if I try and trick her with dry ones. She’s smart! Also she hasn’t had a shelled nut or a whole nut for 6 months. This is probably the most important part. My girl was addicted like a crack head! Not kidding! She’s finally just now getting over the withdrawals. Took us awhile to realize it. I will approach using nuts way different moving forward after diet conversion is over. I have figured out ways to train her without using nuts! So believe me don’t let them put you on Q for the nut.

David Gray

I’m glad my Military Macaw Shiloh wasn’t the only bird to bite Dave.

David Gray

This was hysterical to watch. I’m sure not as hysterical to be in. I can see how it would be so distracting in a funny way until Bizz is over heightened. I just love you guys.

Connie Muttart

Sometimes it seems like Umbrellas just should stay in the wild, as if they’re not really meant for homes at all… I didn’t mean this statement to come off so radical and absolute, I know some umbrellas are incredibly mellow gentle and just sweet, I wonder if it has to do with human breed genetics or completely wild genetics…

Guy Goldstein K

Blizz reminds me of my self in elementary school when I had a phase where I insisted on getting a specific store bought Lunch Bundle of extra sugary cereal and sweetened Shelf Stable Milk bundle for lunch at school and I would just PACE all over the backyard for HOURS, had lots of fun, glad that phase didn’t last for too long lols I went bonkers.

Guy Goldstein K

Oh I missed the pre release videos

Guy Goldstein K


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