Can you help me with two cockatiels?

Question

My friend recently gave me her two cockatiels. She is ill and can't take care of them. She really doesn't seem to know much about caring for them. She feeds them parakeet food. Even I know thats wrong. I need advice on everything. I don't even know if they are male or female. Can anyone help?

Answer 1

Buy yourself some cockateil books at the pet store. I'm sure they'll have most of the answer you seek. Talk to the bird manager and get an opinion.

Answer 2

People will suggest who knows what as a response.

OPTION 1) The easiest thing for somebody that hasn't had birds... There's products like Zupreem or .. can't think of the others coz i buy zupreem. They're a pellet or fruit shaped compressed mixture of stuff. People say to switch over slowly.. 10% one day, 30% next day., 50% day after that, etc.

OPTION 2) Or you can buy regular bird seed.. try to stay away from the ones with sunflowers.. that's sorta like us eating twinkies all day long :) If you do buy regular bird seed.. if you want to provide the best, you would want to add daily fruits and veggies to their diet. If they don't take to it quickly, mix it in some homemade cornbread (not jiffy from a box) - birds can't resist it. Eventually they'll eat just the fruits/veg without the cornbread.

Sex doesn't really matter much unless you want to breed them.

FOOD / WATER - Change their food and water every day. Water twice a day if you can. People say to clean the bottom of the cage every day. And wipe down the cage with bleach/water mixture weekly. I don't come anywhere near that close to perfection. But I do clean the paper out twice a week (there's a grate on the bottom... so they can't get into their poop - so I feel it's adequate changing of papers).

TOYS - keep enough toys to keep their chompers occupied.

There's lots more.. just have to research.. or email us. I've had birds and raised birds since I was practically a toddler. Everybody has their own ideas.. so just take them all in and choose what you think makes most sense and works for you.

WINGS - the only other thing I recommend is to keep their wings clipped. Some people say this isn't good idea.. .. but most do agree it's most safe.. so the bird can't fly away. They're pretty much helpless without us - when they've been raised by us. :)

Answer 3

Actually, parakeet food is fine for cockatiels; it has basically the same seeds in it.
Just make sure they have food and clean water, and clean the cage occasionally. Try to feed them some vegetables and fruit too.
Cockatiels like to be around people, and especially like to be where people eat. If it's not inconvenient, keep them in the kitchen or wherever you eat. They are very social birds, and you are part of their flock.
They like to be talked to. They like to come out of the cage now and then. If they are tame enough to handle, play with them. If their wings are not clipped, you can let them fly around but be careful they don't get outside.
They also like to listen to the radio when you are not home, and they like to look out the window.
You really don't need to know their sex unless they start mating. Here is a website about sexing; it depends on the color and pattern of the bird, and most pet cockatiels are not purebred, but you can probably figure it out.
Hove fun!

Answer 4

Do you have any background info on cockatiels? Here's some basic info from my experience of owning one.

1. Male/Female? What kind of cockatiel is it? The grey ones are easiest to tell. If they aren't still babies and have had their first molt, they will have a yellow face if male. Not sure for other ones, sorry.

2. Try getting some proper food for the birds (cockatiel food)

3. Here is a REALLY helpful website that helped me a lot. http://www.cockatielcottage.net/

I could type a whole lot more, but I'm short on time. If you still have unanswered questions, try looking through that website or Google =D

Hope that helped!

Answer 5

first, i don't know everything about a cockatiel. i kept one that died. usually males have less pattern under their tail. females will have stripes under their tail. a male will have a yellowish head and a brighter red patch on their cheek. females remain grey. u can give cockatiel food humans eat but not avocado and chocolate. that will kill them. they can eat sunflower seeds, corn, budgie food and millets. cockatiels are sensitive to dust and dirrt so keep them clean. you can bath them once every week. cockatiels like to play in water sometimes. bath them only on a sunny day as you can sun them after bath. let them out in the day but not too much as they'll be spoilt and demand more next time. and watch out for watery poop! that means something is wrong with it, go to a vet. when the bird puts down its head low, it means it is agitated. it will also make a weird sound while doing this. that's all i know. hope it helps you.

Answer 6

they need to have snacks and cockatiel food, they also will like carrots, baby carrots, you can let them out to play, also, i suggest you get some boks and read up on them. I have raised cockatiels for about 10 years now, they also need to be kept warm as they have very frail bones at night keep a blanket over there cage to get them to go to sleep. Dont let them into too much wind even if it s warm. Plenty of water and food at all times as they like to eat whenever. Just go to your local pet shop or walmart to get them somee toys if they have none and some snacks and food. If you need further advice you can email me. good luck

Answer 7

confident birds can, and do consume rice...uncooked. They consume rice in fields. each and all of the grains that birds consume enhance while moist. Rice is not any diverse than seed, bean, or different dried grain. That entire rice and exploding birds nonsense, is a wive's tale/city fantasy. it particularly is entire BS. confident you are able to feed rice on your birds, even uncooked, yet they often like it cooked and cooled. i'm uncertain if rice will help with breeding. i prefer to recommend you attempt a pellet foodstuff, and/or supplementations for breeding birds.

Answer 8

My room mate has a cockaitiels. GO to the pet store to find out the food to get for them...

Her bird likes broccoli and she has plenty of toys to keep the bird
occupied.

They are very cute and loving birds.

Answer 9

sexing a bird-especcialy a cockateil is damn near impossible with out a blood test. you can sometimes tell by the 'teils color. look up "cockateil sexing" on yahoo for a more in-depth way to do that

Answer 10

well i have one cockatiel and my friend has three. if you put toys in their cages...remember to take them out as often as possible! especially mirrors..trust me. im not an expert.but i found a website http://www.definitive-guide-to-cockatiels.com/
i hope it helps[: