Een agressief gedrag van de kaketoeman is een serieus probleem. Wat vangen we ermee aan?
Onlangs stelde ik op een internetforum voorgaande vraag. Het is nu eenmaal zo dat kaketoemannen hun pop dusdanig toetakelen dat de dood er op volgt. Zelf zijn mijn volières zeer ruim: 4 tot 5 meter lang, 2 tot 2,5 meter breed en 2, 2 hoog. De nestblokken zijn voorzien van twee invlieggaten zodat de pop aan de eventuele grillen van de man kan ontsnappen. Bovendien zijn bij mij de mannen gekortwiekt wat meteen betekent dat ze moeilijk kunnen vliegen. Ook zorg ik voor voldoende afleiding in de volière: er zijn knaagtakken, er is speelgoed en een zeer gevarieerde voeding. Maar toch gebeurt het nog dat de man dusdanig driftig is dat hij achter de pop aan zit. Opvallend: na zijn driftbui is hij hierna poeslief … Uiteraard is de man apart plaatsen een oplossing maar dan komt er van kweken ook niets terecht. Nog meer opvallend: dit agressief gedrag zou enkel voorkomen in Europa en in de Verenigde Staten maar niet in Australië. Misschien komt dit wel omdat in Australië er slechts weinig kaketoes in volières gekweekt worden. Zelf stoor ik mijn vogels slechts minimaal en steeds weer worden ze op hetzelfde tijdstip verzorgd. De voeding is zeer uitgebalanceerd en wordt aangevuld met groentenmix, grit, sepia, jodiumsteen, water, knaagtakken enz. Mijn vraag nu luidt: kunnen kaketoes samen in harmonie leven zonder agressie?
Reactie 1.
Bij mijn koppel kleine geelkuif kaketoes had ik ook last van agressiviteit. Ze bevolkten een volière van 3 meter lang op één meter breed. Door omstandigheden moest ik ze tijdelijk in een kleine kooi plaatsen: tot mijn verbazing was het agressieve gedrag direct afgelopen. Ik heb dit later ook bij een koppel Salomon kaketoes gedaan en het werkte ook. Besluit: we willen onze vogels zoveel mogelijk ruimte geven maar dit werkt niet altijd goed.
Reactie 2.
Twee Australische kwekers reageerden dat het agressieprobleem wel degelijk ook in Australië voorkomt. Bij alle soorten kaketoes, door deze liefhebbers gehouden (liefst 14 soorten), is de man agressief tegenover de pop. Bij de helmkaketoe is dit evenwel merkelijk minder. Ze reageerden verder dat mijn volières ruim groot genoeg zijn. Het storen van de vogels heeft volgens hen er niets mee te maken gezien de kaketoes bij hen agressief zijn wanneer er niemand in de buurt is. Wel zou het kunnen dat de voeding dusdanig sterk is dat de vogels hierdoor te broedlustig worden. Ook hier wordt als oplossing gesuggereerd om de mannen te kortwieken.
Reactie 3.
Wereldwijd zijn er al heel wat onderzoeken gedaan naar de oorzaak van het moorden bij kaketoes. Er zijn mensen die jaren zonder enig probleem deze vogels houden tot op één of andere dag de man de pop ineens aanvalt of zelfs doodt. Er werden verschillende proeven gedaan met mannen die in het verleden al een keer hadden gemoord. Zo werden ze ondermeer geknipt en bij een pop gezet om te zien of zij kans heeft om tijdig te ontsnappen. Wel, proefondervindelijk is komen vast te staan dat dit nooit een goede oplossing is. Ook werden er testen gedaan met kaketoes in grotere groepen als bvb. één man met drie of vier poppen. Zelfs dan blijkt de man geen ander gedrag te tonen. Ook nu weer worden de poppen zonder enige aanwijsbare reden afgemaakt.
Reactie 4.
Enkele jaren terug werd in een Duitstalig magazine het verhaal gepubliceerd over het houden van de Filippijnse kaketoe in kolonieverband. Wanneer vastgesteld werd dat een koppel zich had gevormd werd het stel in een aangrenzende volière geplaatst. Dit experiment is min of meer mislukt en leverde absoluut niet minder agressie op. De vraag die zich hierbij opdringt is of de kaketoes in de natuur wel monogaam leven. Misschien gebeurt het dat ze rondtrekken en meerdere poppen hebben. Het zou dan best mogelijk zijn dat meerdere mannetjes op gescheiden tijdstippen voor de broedende of kroost grootbrengende poppen zorgen?
Reactie 5.
Mogelijks ligt het probleem in het feit dat de man eerder broedrijp wordt dan de pop. De afwijzende houding van de pop ligt dan aan de basis van de bekende problemen. De kunst bestaat er hier dus in om de pop iets eerder of minimaal gelijktijdig broedrijp te krijgen. Van zodra ze open staat voor de avances van de man lost het agressieprobleem zich vanzelf op. Het spreekt voor zich dat de voeding hierin een belangrijke rol speelt. Het is zo dat de lichamelijke veranderingen bij het broedrijp worden bij de pop meer tijd vergt dan bij de man.
Reactie 6.
Scheid de man en de pop en plaats ze pas samen wanneer de pop in broedstemming komt. Slechts zelden komen er dan problemen voor.
Reactie 7.
Persoonlijk denk ik dat het gaat om een combinatie van factoren. Enerzijds stellen wij, liefhebbers, het koppel samen. Wel: een koppel is lang nog geen kweekpaar! Een tweede punt is dat de man een vrij groot territorium verdedigt. Dit verdedigen wordt te vaak in mensentaal vertaald naar agressie. Als derde factor is er ook het feit dat wij, mensen, bepalen wanneer de vogels zouden moeten gaan broeden. Wij hangen als “stimulans” de broedblokken op en gaan de voeding wat versterken. Wel, zo werkt het geenszins. In het wild is het zo dat de kaketoes pas gaan kweken als er voldoende voedsel is, en bovendien hebben de vogels een enorm grote partnerkeuze.
Reactie 8.
Een mogelijke oplossing ligt in de combinatie van de man te kortwieken en de nestkast te beslaan met iets glads. De man kan op die manier niet op of in de nestkast en het biedt de pop een veilige vluchtplaats.
Reactie 9.
Een mogelijke oplossing kan zijn om én de man te kortwieken én de nestkast heel hoog te hangen zodat de man er niet bij kan. Wanneer de pop wil eten kan zij gewoon naar buiten en kan ze zelfs gevoerd worden door de man. Daarna kan zij alleen terug naar binnen en de man niet omdat hij niet omhoog kan vliegen. Het spreekt voor zich dat de nestkast dan wel hoger moet hangen dan de hoogste zittak.
Hieronder de tekst in het Engels over de beksplitsing een methode die ook vaak gebruikt wordt in de VS en die zeer veel negatieve terechte kritiek krijgt. Ik ben hier absoluut geen voorstander van meer info vind je op internet www.pacifier.com/~birdart/galah/solutions.html
Solutions or Mutilation?:Mate Aggression of Male Cockatoos
by Shauna Roberts
Update: Since this article was written, I am happy to say that the procedure of beak splitting is now frowned upon by the AAV, thanks to many people who voiced their opinions. It should be a thing of the past!
Cockatoo male aggressiveness towards their mates in captivity can be a serious problem in aviculture and in some cases mean life or death to a cockatoo hen. Hen abuse is a perplexing problem of which I feel questions need to be asked as to why it occurs and answers sought. Unfortunately I have read or heard from some angry and tearful breeders lashing out at the male cockatoos, blaming him for his rage towards a hen and not continuing to seek humane solutions to the problem. It should not be forgotten that male aggression towards the female has not been observed in the wild. Males need hens to pass on their genes and in turn males protect hens. Is it really correct to assume that the captive male is the one at fault when abuse takes place in aviaries? or should we be taking a look at what is wrong with aviary environments and seeking solutions? These male cockatoos are not naturally aggressive but aviary environmental problems are making them aggressive… These problems can be solved and have been solved for the most part in several countries, such as the UK and Australia. Many US breeders have also worked out solutions and are no longer seeing mate aggression, by using some or all of the suggestions that follow.
Regrettably, some breeders in the US, who claim to have tried all known options, (not realizing they have not gone to the needed extent), to stop mate abuse, have turned to a medical procedure labeled as beak alteration. This is a procedure where the veterinarian splits the males lower beak and mandible down the center from top to bottom. This procedure is viewed as being unethical in the UK and in many other parts of the world. Prominent Australian vets view the procedure as being barbaric. There are also several, avian vets in the US who, when asked their opinion, stated that they thought the procedure wrong and if asked to perform it, would refuse….further stating that they felt that any type of procedure that disfigured an animal or possibly could effect its psychological being was wrong unless there was a medical reason to justify it.
his is Alexander, a wild caught male ducorps cockatoo. Alex NEVER showed any aggression towards his mate. Another Ducorps in the same breeding facility had killed its mate, so shortly thereafter, Alex and all other Ducorps males lower mandibles were permanently split. Other alternatives were never tried. The nextboxes at this particular aviary only had ONE opening…leaving NO escape for the females. The aviaries were also very small, hardly giving the birds room to fly other than to hop a little from perch to perch. It is also my understanding they were not given wood to chew or anything else, to help to keep themselves occupied and to help burn up some of that hormonal energy.
Surgical beak altering is a permanent procedure, leaving the males beak mutilated, unable to crack nuts, and certain seeds as testified by owners of beak mutilated birds. Think about how these males would have to drink water, using two separated lower beaks. Cockatoo males feed and nurture their babies, can a male with an altered/split beak ever feed babies again? Once the lower beak has been split, the now two new beaks will grow upwards like tusks and must be filed (or left to eventually break off on their own) for the rest of these birds lives. I have heard this procedure justified time and again by people, saying “If you have EVER held a mutilated hen in your arms, then you would understand” or a dead hen”, or a hen with its beak ripped off, bleeding to death”. I personally think that all we need to feel this heartache is to know what has happened to these hens. This is a deeply sad and heartfelt situation. It is not something that anyone wants to happen BUT in good conscience, should the male be mutilated for life because he is not acting correctly in a caged environment? I feel that we must step back, assess the situation and look for the real causes of the problem, taking the blame and responsibility upon ourselves. We need to ask questions and find out, why would a male cockatoo be driven to act so differently in an aviary situation, than his wild cousins?
In the wild, cockatoos grow up in flocks, getting to know each other. Learning each others communications and the excepted socialization behaviors within their flock. They also have numerous other cockatoos to choose whom they might want to pair up with. If they do not like each other or have had enough of each others company, in the wild they have ample room to fly away and get their own space for a breather.
Once cockatoos pair up, they begin searching for their nest site. This site will be used year after year but first they will look perhaps at several possible sites before deciding on just one. After finding the perfect cavity to nest in, the male starts to work, chewing out the cavity to the pairs exact liking. He is also busy defending the nest and hen from other creatures and especially from other male cockatoos. The pair then raise their young and once the babies are fledged they rejoin the flock. When the pair rejoins the flock, if for some reason they no longer get along, they are free to seek a new mate…although cockatoos do for the most part stay with the same mate for a lifetime they can occasionally change bonds.
Breeders around the world have given the following suggestions to stop mate aggression. Following is a list of what has worked for them. Some of the same suggestions were given by avian vets. I would also like to urge cockatoo breeders for the pet trade to consider what seems to be a crisis of older cockatoos, over the age of 2 being passed from home to home, before breeding any more babies that could possibly end up in this sort of cycle. Also for the optimal health of breeding pairs consider limiting breeding to one clutch per year. Please put the birds first, parents and chicks, above all else and take responsibility for their lives.
The most important step to stopping mate aggression seems to be aviary size….more information is below.
One tool to fight mate aggression is to have an observation camera, enabling you to observe the cockatoos without being present. This can sometimes help to alert you to problem behavior in the earlier stages. It can also give a false sense of security, missing tell tale signs of trouble. You may observe obvious aggression by the male or less obvious flying to the ground by the hen to escape a male. Without a camera you can see if two cockatoos are sitting on opposite ends the perch, things are not right, they are not good, separate the birds.
Diet is important. If a cockatoo is not feeling well, due to a nutrient poor diet, he could become aggressive. Birds should be fed a variety of foods, including some fresh foods on a daily basis.
If possible let the cockatoos do their own mate selecting. They may not all pair up, but it would be better if they did not pair up than to have mate aggression occur. If for some reason you are unable to allow birds to choose mate themselves, then try pairing like personalities such as aggressive males with aggressive hens, layed back males with sweet hens etc.
Communication skills can be vital. Since these skills are learned from parents and flock groups, using hand-raised cockatoos for breeding should be avoided. Communication skills of parent raised birds can be better but they still lack the education of a flock language. Wild caught birds would make the best breeders.
Supply multiple wooden nest boxes initially, to let them establish their nest the way they want it to be, and the location they want it in. Australian aviaries provide two nest logs to breeding pairs.This way if one log is rejected, they have a second choice which helps to avoid frustration which could lead to aggression. Also supply toys, fresh branches and chewing materials at all times, to help keep the male busy. A wild cockatoo would never have time to become bored and a bored male in captivity with nothing but time on his hands can turn into a frustrated and aggressive male.
Some breeders have had success leaving same species cockatoos housed side by side (in large outdoor flights), giving the male an outlet for his aggression, but this seems to only work, if cockatoos pairs have a hidden area, when their nest hole is located. A secure and hidden area away from and seemingly out of sight of neighbors.
Make sure that after a nest box of their choice has been selected, that it has an escape, essentially two entrances so that the hen cannot be trapped inside by the male. Although a two entrance box, does not do a lot to assure a hens safety from a ranting determined male. Also do not add perches to the nest box, to encourage a male to hold a hen captive.
If the males wings are kept clipped and the hen is left flighted, then she can escape easier. Use good judgement in this case though…if the male is so aggressive that he needs his wings clipped, ask yourself if he should be in a breeding situation at all. This will not help to prevent aggression in the case of a male attacking a female in the nestbox. ALL nestboxes should have escape holes. Some male cockatoos have been known to be infuriated when clipped, not easily being able to approach a hen. A few of these males have taken the tactic of clipping off the hens primaries, leaving her unable to escape him.
Provide at least two feeding and water stations to avoid a situation where the male will not let the hen access food.
Aviary size plays perhaps the most important role for stopping mate aggression! Some aviaries have been expanded to 20 feet long on average but a higher success rate, at avoiding male aggression has been achieved in aviaries that are 30 to 40 feet long by 15 to 20 feet wide. I read one recommendation that simply stated cockatoo aviary flights need to be large enough to provide *some* flight. Obviously whatever size of cage this is referring to, it would not be of adequate size to stop mate aggression. Companion bird owners are told that if they cannot provide the needed space to provide a large enough cage for a cockatoo, then they should not get one. This also should be applied to breeders, if you cannot provide adequate aviary space to avoid mate aggression, then you should be looking into a different species. It has been noted by some breeders that if the aviary is to large, then their birds will not breed. This is because the male can no longer catch the hen. If the male is having to chase the hen, chances are that the pair is not paired up properly OR the male is to aggressive to be in a breeding environment and should be removed. He is not adjusting to a captive environment and the question might be asked, if he remains aggressive, is this the type of bird that should be passing on his genes? Is he actually capable of producing even tempered/pet quality babies or will his babies be aggressive later in their life to their caretakers and end up being passed from home to home? Another question about large aviaries was about whether or not they would be suitable in cold northern climates. There are breeders up north in cold climates who have provided large aviaries and the birds do very well. These birds also have a sheltered area within the aviary.
If you feel that a pair is not getting along, that they seem to squabble a lot, then IMMEDIATELY separate them, please