im getting my cockatiel in 6 days??

Question

any more advice from people with experience???trust me i have read sooo much about care/food/etc. but i just want to know of any more experiences/warnings/etc of owning a cockatiel??

Answer 1

Cockatiels are great! Your bird will be especially social and friendly if you can spare the time to hand-feed him when he is young, but I expect you alreayd know htat.

Answer 2

Here are some things a made on MS Word from a very good cockatiel book. Also i added some links:




Available At All Times:
* Half seed, half pellet mixed together
* Egg and Biscuit Dry Mix (with a very tiny bit of hand rearing formula mixed in)
* Cuttlefish bone

Breakfast:
Cooked brown rice, Cooked pasta, Cereal (Just Right, VitaBrits or Cheerios), Apple, with any of the following that I have at the time:
* Green peas
* Carrot
* Banana
* Grapes
* Broccoli
* Cucumber
* Green Beans
* Canned apricot or pears
* Spinach (only a little bit)
* Orange (only a little bit)
* Tomato
* Pineapple (only a little bit)
* Corn
* Dandelion Leaves
* Grass
* Lettuce (only a tiny bit.. mostly there just to encourage them to eat all the other veges mixed with it)

Dinner (about 5:00pm):
Dog biscuits (little bit), Grated Cheese (little bit), a little bit of a vegetable with any of the following I have at the time:
* Eggs (including shell)
* Cooked Meat (red, poultry, or fish)
* Whole wheat toast



Food Dos
Mangoes- Peeled & diced
Blueberries
Cranberries
Sweet Potatoes
Corn-on-the-Cob
Carrots
Peas
Pomegranates
Sprouts
Broccoli
Kale
Bananas
Cooked Pasta
Cooked Beans
Cooked Eggs
WELLCOOKED Meat

Donts
Chocolate
Avocado
Rhubarb
Pickels
Prossed Meat
Fried Foods
Milk or Milk Products
Mayo
Onions
Garlic
Uncooked Meat or Fish



When To See a Vet
1] If your birds toenails are very overgrown and curling
under. This could be a sign of mites, foot deiese or nutritional disorder.

2] If your birds beak is widely overgrown and is curling
in on its self, or is strange looking and bumpy.

3] If your bird is over grooming.

4] If there are bald patches where feathers where
before.

5] If molting last more than a month or two.

6] If there is a big color change.




LINKS:

http://www.cockatielcottage.net/...
http://fischerlovebird.top-site-list.com...
http://ca.geocities.com/[e-mail]...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0z4zom8x...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffqf_tnxa...
http://cockatieltalk.com/
http://www.birdtricks.com/training_parro... [safe]
http://www.pet-parrots.com/cockatiels/co...






PLEASE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT ANYTIME JUST GO TO MY Q&A AND EMAIL ME!




As you will read may places tefflon pans are very dangerous. Also cadels.


Here 2 great books:


The Cockatiel Handbook
BY: Matthew M. Vriends, Ph.D.

&

Cockatiels: A Complete Pet Onwer's Manual
BY: Thomas Haupt



Both published by BARRON'S

Answer 3

congrats on reading up on your new addition to your family. If you haven't already pick up a species specific book, sometimes there's things in there that you may not have read on the internet.

When first bringing him/her home it's going to be a bit nervous and maybe even a nippy. There's a phrase that most bird owners use for this new home expierence. It's called the "honeymoon phase" Your little one is going to need time to gt use to you, it's new cage, surroudings and other pets people and schedule. It can sometimes take up to a month for a bird to become fully comfortable in it's new home.

I'm not sure how old your little one is but if he/she doesn't knwo start the step-up training right away. don't ever force your bird into doing anything. it can make them shy away from you. Practice for a few minutes at a time and if the bird seems to be uniterested then stop and wait a few minutes and try again. Always use a soft, soothing voice and with the praise make your voice sound excited and happy.

I would reccommend having the wings clipped if not already, when coming to a new home and with the different surroundings if he/she gets scarred and takes off, not knowing the area can potentially fly into something and hurt themselves.

I hope this advice helped. Good luck with the new addition!

Answer 4

First of all Cockatiel Expert's post totally ownz so ill share my cockatiel experiences.
Ive had cockatiels all my life .Well right now i have alot of cockatiels in a big cage which is always open so they can roam free around the house , you should try it they love it and you will love it too, yes they do leave droppings but when they dry they turn to dust dont worry about that , for starter cockatiel owners clip the wings before letting them roam free , mine all have their wings intact and fly around the house wherever they want , 2 of my cockatiels sadly but also funny refuse to eat their "bird food" instead they Join me and my family for Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner or any other eating time and BEG like a little dog for food.They Eat What We Eat. They can eat alot of different foods just remember AVOCADO IS A BIG NO NO!!!! thats instant-kill bird poisin . They love breads n crackers , cereals etc. , Heck my birds have eaten chicken nuggets before and liked it lol. One of my cockatiels loves me practically , he follows me around , whistles in nice tunes to me , whenever im lying down on the sofa he climbs up to "shave" me and he loves when i blow air at him. As You Can See They Are Great Companions If You Treat Them With Love And Care. Good Luck

Answer 5

i have had a cockatiel for a little while and he is soooo sweet. he is never loud (unlike my dad's blue and gold macaw- i would highly recommend NOT getting a large bird if you don't have time to spend with it, because otherwise they will not be friendly and they will squawk you until you are border-line annoyed!) - but my Cockatiel, Rocky, can talk and it didn't take him long to learn at all. He says things like - good boy, pretty boy, rocky, pretty boy rocky, (tries to say) water & millet, and does a reeeally good wolf whistle. and when i start a wolf whistle he finishes it immediately. its realllly cute! and he likes to sit on my hand or shoulder and be pet. these really are great pets!

Answer 6

I live and work with over a hundred of these guys so let me give this a shot.

Diets:
Fresh fruits
Fresh veggies
Cooked (and cooled) grains such as rice, barley, etc.
Cooked (and cooled) pasta
Hardboiled eggs
“Cockatiel” seed mix w/pellets

Avoid at all costs:
Onions
Avocadoes
Chocolate
Grit (Despite myths, "hookbills" (parrots) don't need grit to digest seed. They shell them in their mouth before they swallow)

Not healthy but not outright deadly:
Fried foods
Salty foods
Dairy/Milk products

Good bonuses for occasional use:
Garlic (fresh, not powdered – provides additional immunity boost and helps with circulation same as it does in people)
Aloe Vera (added to water – helps various internal organs and also soothes cuts, scrapes and scratches if used as a shower)
Nuts (as treats but not as a dietary staple – too many nuts can increase fat, lead to malnutrition and become addictive)

Some do’s:
Socialize your bird with people as often as possible. Make sure they (the people) know proper handling and behavior around a bird though.

Allow your bird to explore, sit with you, ride with you, etc. Always make sure you’re keeping an eye on him while he’s out, especially while he’s getting used to you and his environment.

When he first arrives, don’t over-stress him. Allow him a few days to sit in his cage and get used to his new home before taking him out or reaching in the cage. Let him get adjusted with who’s who and what’s what on his own without forcing things on him.

Offer some treats when you see him, every time you approach him (might take a while figuring out what he likes as treats). Bribery works well :)

Some don’ts:
Don’t keep your Cockatiel in a kitchen area or space near an open kitchen. Birds can be severely injured and/or die from landing on open flames, pots of water, frying pans, etc.

Teflon is toxic at high temperatures (over 500 degrees F). To be extra safe, never cook with a Teflon pan/pot/grill in the presence of your bird (I’ve actually tossed all of mine out)

Don’t allow your Cockatiel out around cats, dogs or other animals unless you can guarantee they won’t touch him and until he’s used to them.

Cockatiels may tend to bite, as do many birds. Don’t let this deter you from approaching though. Once a bird realizes biting won’t get them their way, they’ll refrain from it a bit.

First thing to teach is “step up”. This simple command helps with trust on your end and theirs. It can also be used to stop or avoid a certain bad behavior or cycle of behaviors (such as screeching and/or biting and attacking) once they willingly “step up”.

Answer 7

It sounds like you are ready...Its a good thing that you know alot about it BEFORE you get it...When you get it, it may be shy,
he will get use to you, it just takes time...I hope its hand-fed bird, because they are alot easier to train...if you have a cat or dog
just be careful with the bird...and make sure the birds wings are cut, this makes training easier..if they can fly, he won't pay any attention to you and will fly away...some can really turn into brats if they can fly...
Good luck with your new pet...
You can email me if you have any trouble..

Answer 8

all animals can get lonely once you're away. verify it has toys. a lot of them. in case you have different pets around it, it probably wont get as bored as everyday. my mom is homestead whilst i'm in school, and my mom performs with them whilst i'm away so in the journey that your moms and dads or all of us else is homestead whilst your long previous then ask them to in step with danger examine up on your cockatiel a pair of cases. get it a replicate. replicate replicate replicate. they love observing themselves. they even think of their mirrored photograph is a various cockatiel and that they had even attempt feeding it. in case you do not have a thoroughly tamed cockatiel then in step with danger it could delight in its on my own time. in case you're fairly in contact some human beings even leave the television or music going. to me thats form of loopy inspite of the undeniable fact that it fairly is effectual... in step with danger crack the window open so it could have clean air and hear the different birds exterior. or perhaps have the cage up against the window. merely verify this is not in direct solar. in case you're fairly wanting to verify it won't become bored, get 2 cockatiels fairly of one. they're absolute to maintain one yet another occupied 24/7. in spite of the undeniable fact that they could variety an excellent bond to a minimum of one yet another than you. desire this enables.

Answer 9

tiels love to climb - even upside down - for exercise. you need 5/8 inch spacing on your cage wire although 1/2 inch will also work. if you cant let them out in your house to fly, get the BIGGEST cage you can afford and can fit in your house. i have six white wrought iron cages i got on ebay for the price of ONE in retail. five are 30inches wide and five feet high. (the other is for my amazon and is 40inches)

dont leave your tiels out of their cage unattended. (my stupid brother had one drown in the fish bowl, another impaled on a sewing needle, another flew out the inscreened window. )DONT LET ANY OF THIS HAPPEN TO YOU OR YOURS !

Answer 10

well be very carefull! if u plan 2 have it loose all the time be aware that they can be kinda messy and a little destructive.