Perches are an essential part of any cage. Each cage should have two or more perches. Buy perches in different materials and dimensions. This will help exercise your pet's feet and keep the nails trimmed. Make sure you place the perches such that droppings and the bird's tails do not fall into feeding dishes. Cockatoos feel comfortable in well-cleaned cages. Many chores make up a well-cleaned cage. Classify these chores into daily, monthly and bi-yearly must-do. Food and water dishes have to be cleaned. This is a daily job. Hot soapy water cleans well. Dust settles on the bars and perches. Wiping off the feather dust is another job to be done daily. The bottom trays and soiled litter have to be changed twice a week. Whereas, washing toys and perches is a weekly job. Perches Cage Maintenance Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo The total overhauling of the cage has to be done twice a year. The entire cage should be disinfected with bleaching powder. Old items of the bird should be replaced. The ideal diet for your pet Sulphur-crested Cockatoo includes fresh pellets, dark green and yellow vegetables, fresh fruits and cooked legumes, hard-boiled eggs and grated cheese. Food you shouldn't feed them includes: Iceberg lettuce Cabbage Caffeine Avocado Parsley Keep fresh water in the cage at all times. Remove uneaten fresh/cooked food after 3 - 4 hrs. A supplement of vitamins may be necessary if the bird is on a predominantly seed diet. Feeding Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo Diet Breeding: Breeding in Captivity Breeding Season The wild Sulphur-crested Cockatoo feeds on berries, seeds, nuts and roots. They are flock birds and feed with the flock. While feeding, at least one bird will keep a watch on for potential danger. Sometimes, you will see this species chew on small branches. They don't eat the wood but perform this routine to keep their bills trimmed. Suspend a hollow eucalyptus log inside the aviary. This log should be 3.2 feet (1 m) long with a 14 - 16 inches (35 - 40 cm) internal diameter. Supply a mixture of wood shavings, dirt or peat moss as nesting material. The breeding season varies with geographical placement. Sulphurcrested Cockatoos in the South breed from August to January while those in the North breed from May to September. Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo Breeding Age Courtship Display Nest Sulphur-crested Cockatoos reach sexual maturity between the ages of 4 and 5. However, there have been twoyear- old birds that have bred successfully while many have bred only at the age of seven. Unlike other species, the courtship display of the male Sulphurcrested Cockatoos does not take place only until the birds have bonded but is carried on while the bonded pair is preparing their nest. The male struts towards the intended female. His crest is erect and tail fanned open. He bobs his head and emits a low call while approaching the female. This species build their nest in the hollow of trees at least 33 feet (10 m) above the ground. Their nest is built close to a water source with both the male and the female building it together. Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo From Eggs to Fledglings Mutations Buying One to three eggs are laid that are incubated by both parents. |