Raising Our Baby Toco Toucan Rocko: Making the Early Stages of Training Fun


Photo by Dave
Location: Nampa,ID
Playing and learning: Baby Toco Toucan “Rocko”

 

There are tons of reasons for playing with your bird with things such as towels, blankets and clothing. The biggest reason to do so is so that you can towel your bird to hold it still in the event of an emergency. The other reason is so that your bird is not fearful of being covered up by a blanket or towel whether it happens on accident or happens on another account.

 

While our birds were babies, ...

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Raising Our Baby Toucan Rocko: Addressing Early Signs of Aggression


Photo by Dave
Location: In the RV
Pictured playing with his ball: Toco Toucan “Rocko”

 

When our baby toucan Rocko started showing signs of aggression every once in a while, most of all when he appeared to be bored, Dave and I looked at each other like, “What do we do to stop a toucan from biting? This isn’t a parrot we’re dealing with…”

 

Rocko’s bite is a completely different type of “bite”. He has two different ways of hurting someone or something. In the wild, toucans ...

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Raising Rocko the Baby Toco Toucan: Why Parts of it Are so Easy

 


Photo by Nathan Slabaugh Photography
Location: Centralia, WA
Pictured: Toco Toucan “Rocko”

 

There are lots of things that make raising a bird super complicated and scary, just like raising a human child. You worry they won’t turn out right, or that you didn’t do a good enough job in a certain area over another.

 

As long as you know how to properly raise a bird (you can learn these steps from our Total Transformation Course which also covers flight training indoors and fixing behavioral problems with your current ...

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Anti-Plucking Products

Q: Do any of the anti-plucking products available actually work?
Gary M., New London, CT

A: There are two types of products on the market that address the issue of plucking: one approaches the problem medicinally, the other physically prevents access to the affected areas.

The following is my opinion. It is based on research of the ingredients in the herbal products and on the opinions of trusted sources who have used them and other products:

Ingestible remedies:

There are a few varieties of these products available, but there ...

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The Best Thing You Can Do in Preparation of Getting a Pet Parrot

Photo by Dave
Location: Zazu’s House Parrot Sanctuary
Pictured: Volunteer with blue and gold macaw and Amazon parrots

I love parrot rescues that make you volunteer first so you know exactly what it will be like to have your own parrot. That’s right – no surprises. You’ll be working it all out ahead of time, no excuses either! Though some parrots may act totally different once you get them home for the first time but that’s pretty normal.

 

Volunteering at a local parrot ...

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Getting Your Bird To Eat A Proper Diet

 

Q: Why won’t MY bird eat fruits and vegetables?

  – Peter L., Minneapolis, MN

 A: Getting your bird on a proper diet is the single biggest challenge faced by bird owners. The challenge itself is two-fold: 1) getting the owner to understand the meaning of the term “good diet” – to which there are many parts, and 2) getting the bird to cooperate. Neither is easy.

To begin with, the owner, especially the new owner, might only have an awareness of a seed and/or pelleted diet. Most people only learn ...

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