cockatiels.?

Question

am planning on buying one today.will you please tell me about them.what to feed them.our they loud.can they talk.what to watch out for .or they loveing type birds.that sort of thing.Thanks

Answer 1

i have had cockatiels b4 and they can be really loud and need attention or they will squak all day. i would recomend getting two so they have eachothers' company. some things to watch out for are mirrors! when/if u let the bird fly around (u should atleast a couple times a week) they should b put up or covered w/ sheets cuz they will fly straight into them! i dont know if they can talk but mine would whistle different tunes. make sure its something u really want bcuz they bond very well and live like 15+ yrs, Good luck!

Answer 2

Your bird should be fed a diet of 80% pellets, 15% fresh foods and 5% seed. My vet reccomends either Harrisons or Roudybush. My birds like Roudybush the best.

No matter what the pet store says, cockatiels DO NOT need grit. It causes crop impactation and death. You CAN feed them mineral blocks and cuttlebone for calcium.

Do not immediently make this conversion though. Follow the directions on how to convert a bird from seed to pellets. They don't always recognise pellets as food.

Don't give them dairy products, caffiene, chocolate, alcohol, lots of salt, or sugars. Basically if it isn't good for you, it isn't good for your bird.

There are several healthy human foods that also should be avoided, avacado and asparagus are deadly. Lettuce, while okay, has a high water content and little nutrition.

I will attach some links for you to take a look at. Please read through them! You can always email me with questions too. I have three cockatiels, the oldest being 19 this year.

Make sure you have the biggest cage possible for your bird. Make sure that he has toys to play with that are appropriate for his size.

Males are more likely to talk than females. There is no garentuee that they will talk though.

http://www.cockatiel.org/articles/index.html - Cockatiel articles

http://www.cockatiel.org/petquestions/index.html - New pet

http://www.cockatiel.org/petquestions/index.html - Nutrition

http://www.cockatielcottage.net/ - more great cockatiel articles

http://www.roudybush.com/ - Roudybush pellet company. They have a GREAT pellet conversion article and will send you a free sample.

http://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/ - Harrison's bird food

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/Shop.cfm?N=2003 - Great toy supply place

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/category_home.cfm?dept_id=0&siteid=5&acatid=157 - Dr's Foster and Smith bird reading room. Great articles here too!

Answer 3

if you are planning on buying a cockatiel i suggest you get one that is well socialized with humans, that way they will be a loving pet instead of one who will bite you every time you stick your hand in the cage. they come in a variety of colors though the most you will find in a pet shop is either a cinnamon or a gray. every now and then you will find a pearl or a pied. and yes, they can be very loud when they see something they like, feel threatened, or just want to make themselves heard. most birds will take good care of themselves, just watch out for when they get lethargic or dont move around much from the bottom of their cage. they eat the standard cockatiel bird food that you can buy at any petshop or even walmart if it comes down to it. and yes they can talk, although most people dont know what to tell them to say. they dont talk in human words though, only parrots do that. they will mimic sounds with great accuracy even to mimicing the birds they hear outside. hope this information helps you.

Answer 4

Cockatiels are the sweetest little birds ever. They can learn to talk, whistle a toon, etc... The more time you put into your tiel, the more he or she will learn and do. You can feed them a tiel mix of seed and stuff and also some pellets. You'll see all the different food in the pet shop. Just remember to give them lots of fruits and veggies too, as this would be more like a natural diet in the wild.

Can I please ask you to do one thing though? Please check your local shelter or bird rescues and try to adopt a bird instead of buying a bird? There are so many birds, especially tiels, out there who need loving homes. Please see if there's one in a shelter who needs you. One advantage to adopting an adult bird is that you pretty much know what it's personality will be, so if its a sweetheart and it falls in love with you, you've found your best friend. Good luck to you and enjoy your tiel!

Answer 5

Cockatiels are wonderful birds! There is a special cockatiel diet you can buy at the petstore. You can teach them to talk and they are very loving. Mine really likes sesame sticks for a treat stuck between the cage.

Make sure you handle it a lot - The more you do, the more loving the bird will become. If you just leave it in it's cage and don't pay attention to it, it will get mean, hiss at you and bite at you when you try to hold it.

Answer 6

I do agree with checking the shelters first...but if there are none there....then get a hand reared one. you will pay more, but it is worth it. I suggest the cockatiel mix made by Kaytee, some suggest pellet diet, but the bird may not take to it...it never worked for me. Seed is good, make sure there is not too much sunflower seeds in the mix, they are really fatty.

they can make great pets, if you are male, I suggest getting a female and vice-versa. They do bond to their owners as a mate would. Females tend to be quieter, and more affectionate...but that has been my experience, some males can be skittish around their male owners. The trick is to make sure the bird is still rather young under a year..that makes it easier.

Look for one who seems happy, bright, and clean. if you stick your hand in or look closely at the cage, get the one that comes to you. If it shows interest, that is a good sign, it tells you they are not shy and is inquisitive.

males can talk so can females, but males tend to do it better, but you need to weigh the variables, do you want a chatty talker and screamer, or do you want a quieter, more hand-held cuddly pet? that is the difference between boys and girls.

yes, i said cuddly my 2 girls are 22yrs and 13yrs....very cuddly :)
my male is 4yr...not so cuddly...very noisy :)

yes, i said 22yrs old. If you take really good care of them they can live up to 35 yrs. It is rare, but my sunshine (22) looks like she's 5.

any other questions drop by my 360 and leave a note :)

love to help...good luck.

oh one more thing most important...don't name it tweety...they hate that ;)

Answer 7

Cockatiels are a native Australian Bird, Originally coming in the common Grey varieties. It was only in captivity the lighter colours, the Lutino, Cinnamon and White were bred.
Cockatiels love fresh fruits, seeds and grasses and most small parrot mixes will provide their basic needs.
Cockatiels also love to splash around and bathe so a small bird bath or being sprayed down with water occasionally is appreciated.
Cockatiels are great mimics, I have heard them mimic the sounds from his PlayStation, phone and the washing machine.
They are very loving and gentle. Great for a first pet bird as they are very patient, easy to train and have a very light nip in comparison with other parrots.

Answer 8

best thing is to go to the libary and get as many books on cockatiels. always remember that you will never stop learning with your new bird. we had 13 at one time and 2 of them were breeders. if you want the bird to be your best friend don't get it another bird, but spend lots of time with it.