The Basics:

A friendly bird with a sweet disposition, the Goffin’s Cockatoo makes a loyal pet who loves nothing better than to be included in activities with its human companions. Their coloration and features make them one of the most attractive Cockatoos, and their small size makes them one of the easiest to keep. However, they can also be demanding, and may become difficult to manage unless they’re given adequate attention. These highly intelligent birds have complex emotional demands, and their busy minds never stop working, so they become bored easily and must be provided with steady mental stimulation and human companionship to maintain their mental health. 

Cage:

Their little size not withstanding Goffin’s need a lot of space, since they enjoy jumping about in their cages. They should be provided with cages that are at least 24” long, by 36” wide, by 36” high. It is a good idea to have a cage with multiple or extremely secure locks, since the Goffin’s is one of the avian world’s best escape artists. The spacing between the bars should be no more than 5/8”.

CAUTION
In most cases, more space is more desirable for birds. However, when increasing the size of a Goffin’s Cockatoo’s cage, the bird’s human companion must be careful to maintain a safe (narrow) space between the bars. The bars of a cage have to be narrow enough to prevent a bird from sticking his head in between. Bars that are spaced too far apart for the bird’s size can result in serious and even fatal injuries.

Positioning The Cage:

A Goffin’s cage should be positioned in an area where there is plenty of family activity to keep this intelligent parrot mentally stimulated. However, the cage should also offer enough privacy to provide the bird with a sense of security. So, it isn’t a good idea to put the cage in the middle of a room, or by a heavily traveled walkway. Instead, it can be in an alcove or in area that has a wall on one or two sides of the cage. As a good rule of thumb, no family member should be able to walk all the way around the cage. The cage should offer him a private secluded area. For the sake of the bird’s health, his cage should never be in drafts or direct sunlight.

If there is a lot of night-time activity in the room that houses the cage, such as a TV going after 9 pm, the Goffin’s should be provided with a small sleeping cage in another, quieter room. Another alternative is to have a cage on wheels, so it can be moved to a quiet area at night. It is critically important that the bird be provided with at least 10-12 hours of quiet undisturbed sleep time each night. The cage can be covered at night. This cover should be washed weekly, since it will accumulate feather dust.
A Goffin’s cage should never be placed in the kitchen, since fumes from cooking can prove fatal. The cage should also never be placed in direct sunlight or draft.

Playthings:

Keep plenty of chew toys in the cage, since Goffin’s Cockatoos are enthusiastic chewers that love to work things over with their beaks. Being very smart birds, they can also keep themselves amused with puzzle-type toys. All toys should be made for cockatoos or large parrots for safety. Goffin’s should also be provided with toys made with an array of different (and safe) materials since they thrive on variety. Toys should be rotated in and out of the cage to keep them interesting, and they should be inspected and cleaned regularly.

Perches:

Goffin’s Cockatoos should be provided with a variety of different perches made of different materials and of different diameters. Perches should be at least 9” long and around 1” in diameter, plus or minus ¼”, for variety. Natural wood perches not only provide a perch, but also a safe thing to chew on. A perch should be placed in front of, but not above, food and water dishes.

Play Time Outside The Cage:

The highly active little Goffin’s needs a lot of time outside the cage every day under the constant supervision of their human companions. They also need to interact with human members of their family. The bird’s wings should be clipped by a professional and checked regularly. Play gyms are important since Cockatoos will be spending ample time outside of their cage, but still need to remain entertained and amused. Even outside of a cage, Cockatoos still require many toys and activities to keep them occupied.

Grooming:

Consult veterinarian or literature about trimming nails and possibly flight feathers.

Provide a shallow bowl of chlorine-free water for supervised bathing. Use chlorine-free water when misting bird too. Bath and mist water must be lukewarm to room temperature. Avoid drafts. Remove bath bowl when finished. A lukewarm bath or shower on a regular basis will contribute to a Goffin’s health and well-being.

Diet:

Pellets should make up 65-80% of a Goffins diet. Fresh and washed vegetables should make up 15-30%, and less that 5% fresh fruits. Produce should be rinsed, dried and cut into appropriately sized pieces before being offered to this bird. Seeds, grains and treats can be offered only on rare occasions. Food should be offered to the bird two to three times a day. Provide additional calcium i.e. cuttlebone during egg laying. Fresh chlorine-free water should be made available at all times. On average Cockatoos will consume about 10 to 15 teaspoons of water daily.