I am gonna start saving up some extra money to take in another fid possibly. It wont be for some time though. (around 4-5 months) I have been considering a Goffin. I have always wanted a 'too and I thinks Goffins are so cute Does anyone here have a Goffin or have experience with one? Are there any big negatives about this breed that would discourage one from getting one? Any and all input is very appreciated and welcomed!
Thanks

TIME would be the only thing I'd consider as a "down" to cockatoos... If you think quakers are social you are in for a whole new league with a cockatoo. They are usually considered the most affectionate members of the parrot collection - they snuggle, they burrow, they lean, they just plain NEED physical contact on a regular basis to stay happy and healthy. They are the most common birds you'll find develop a screaming issue if they don't get the stimulation and attention they need. The feather dander is also a bit different - the birds evolved in areas with sudden torrential downpours common. They have a light coating of powder on their feathers designed to "waterproof" the feathers so that the birds weren't caught out in the rain and unable to take flight while they waited for their feathers to dry. If you have a good vaccum and a good filter on your furnace (and you sweep daily anyway for seed and stuff) it's not a huge deal unless you have asthma or allergies in the house. If anyone has any breathing problems at all, a 'too isn't going to be the best choice.

They are AMAZING "let's go out and DO STUFF" birds but make horrible "I'll hang over here and play while you go do stuff" ones. I know that there are exceptions to every rule and I'm sure somewhere there's an abnormally anti-social cockatoo. *grins* But if you're looking at a breeder you're probably going to get a very common sucklet. If you like a the idea of a leech with feathers... get a 'too!

I had a goffin cockatoo named Goofy who I adopted from Andie a few years ago. He was cagebound and very phobic, also a plucker. He hated people. I had him two years and he never got over it, his plucking began turning into mutilation and I gave him to an outdoor cockatoo sanctuary near the coast with a flock of 18 goffins that he has been living in for the last 6 months. He is very happy living with other birds and having almost no contact at all with people.

He was the exception to the rule, however, and for the most part they are clingy, noisy and needy like most cockatoos. I'd definitely recommend visiting a few before you dive in. Cockatoos can be overwhelming birds to care for

My parents have an Umbrella Too' and we love him to death now but it was a very rough road haha!
Cacophony put it very well - leach with feathers.

Snowman is such a good bird though, he just has to be every where with someone - he hates to be left alone. My mother will cover him with a blankie and take him to store with her and pretend he's a baby and he just lays there with his head on her shoulder. They are also very funny birds haha atleast our snowman is, back when I lived with them he would put up his umbrella and chase me while barking at me, then when I stopped he'd say "CAUGHT YOU" and laugh hysterically.

The scream of a too' is unlike any other! haha We do not put him in a cage unless we leave the house because it's awful, he has a sleeping playstand that he sleeps on next to the bed.

Overall - they are great birds, just veryyyyyyyy needy and very jealous of other animals unless you raise them the right way.

I loved visiting the Toos at the aviary where I got Frost. When they were out, they were all over everyone in the store! I've never seen anything so soft and cuddly -- and loud! That big cockatoo beak around a quaker would worry me, though. And you do have to take a look at your life and think about what you might be doing 5 or 10 years down the road. Will you still have adequate time to devote to a bird that's a total attention hog?

I'm very familiar with cockatoo's And very familiar with different Goffins. Tara's former Goffins Goofy started out being the sweetest most loving wanting to be held bird, Then there was a break in at the shop where he was living and from then on it was down hill. We don't know what happened that night of the break in but what ever it was so totally affected him that he was never the same sweet loving bird he started out to be.

I've seen several other goffins do the same thing just go kind of schitzoid and pluck and mutilate...none were related to hime either...

I've also seen some very sweet and loving adult birds, but its been my observation that while they can be sweet and loving, just the slightest little change can send them over the edge.

Cockatoo's as others have described are a leech with feathers. They would stay on you 24/7 if they could but remember they don't do well with change. Cockatoo's seem to be worse than any other bird in that respect. What happens is; because they are so sweet and loving and want your attention when they are young and really really cute, we humans have them out and are holding them every possible minute, then the new wears off or your schedule changes...life happens...and then the bird starts getting less attention. They start doing what ever it takes to get the attention they were used to getting...and it doesn't matter to them if its negative or positive attention...attention is attention. Also as they mature males can become pretty agressive...females too. They get louder and louder with flock calling and I'll tell you right now, just because a goffins is small doesn't mean it doesn't have a loud scream... Also while they may have one of the smallest beaks of any cockatoo they can still do a lot of damage. Both to human flesh as well as anything else they decide looks interesting.

If you haven't already, you might want to visit this site http://www.mytoos.com/
Make sure you turn your volume all the way up...so you get the real effect of a cockatoo...Yes, even a Goffins can be this loud. Not generally but it is possible.

I'm not trying to talk you out of a cockatoo...I just want you to go into it as well educated as you can possibly be. While I think they are amazingly beautiful birds. Very intelligent birds, they are very very emotional and needy birds. And honestly, Of all the birds I've ever owned or come in contact with, I feel cockatoos of any subspecies would have been far better off being left in the wild. I truly believe that as a whole cockatoo species has been so messed up by the involvement with humans. It truly does break my heart to see what happens with so many of them because people don't take the time to research and learn what there is to know about these beautiful creatures BEFORE they get one.

I'd bet I could safely say that for every 1 sweet and "normal" pet cockatoo's out there, there's 1,000 that are so totally messed up that it isn't funny.

If you can, go visit a sanctuary or cockatoo rescue, and see what can and does happen with these beautiful creatures. And if you think that "This won't happen to/with my bird" think again,

As I said, I'm not trying to talk you out of it...I'm just wanting you to do Lots and LOTS of research before jumping in with both feet.

Good luck with your decisions

Thank you all very much for your great advice! I knew they were very affectionate birds but I never knew that if they didnt get that affection what would happen! It sounds like right now a 'too is NOT what would be best for the birds sake. I also did not know that they were very anti-change. Now that I know that and the fact I will be going to college in a couple years I know a cockatoo isnt right for me at this time. I know my fids will be cared for and loved by my family when I do go to college (if I go away) it sounds like if the 'too was very bonded to me it would be very bad when I left. I still would love a cockatoo very much but I dont forsee it until Im out on my own with a stable job. I will still do my research cause it never hurts, and in general I love learning more about different breeds. I think if I get another fid another quaker or something along those lines would be better for me at this time

Thought I would add that when I played that link you gave me Andies Mom my dogs went NUTS!!! My poor little Boston Terrier tried to jump ON the desk to figure out what on earth that HORRIBLE noise was! lol

Have you thought about maybe a blue QP? I know a lot of people that start out with a green, and later add a blue to the family...

In fact someday I will do the same. It won't be for at least five years in my case though. Two cats, a cockatiel, a parrotlet, and a green QP makes a pretty full house for me right now...

Yes I have actually. If I got a quaker it would be a blue or a yellow face.

Have you been able to locate a yellow-face? I still have not seen one of those yet. (My local breeder is having enough trouble trying to breed the blue's. So much so I think she's given up on anything except green QP's!)

A local breeder her breeds greens, blues, and yellow-faces so I guess im in luck