Cockatiel at Petsmart

[Maria_Metropolis]

I was looking around PetSmart today for a couple of bird toys, and I saw a Cockatiel with a dark grey beak. He was a normal grey male, and very cute, although his feathers looked a little ruffled. He stood in the back corner of his cage with his face feathers up around his little dark beak and he reminded me of a Cockatoo.

I am wondering if he is much older because of the dark beak. At least his cage was clean, he had ample toys, clean food (pellets) and water. I have to say at the two PetSmarts I've been too, they do a better job than most regular pet stores retaining a decent environment for their birds. I just always hear such awful things about those places though.

 

[Featheredsamurai]

If the tiel recently arrived at Petsmart it will be a young bird, all the birds are under a year upon arrival. The conures usually arrive as soon as they're(usually force) weaned.

 

[Maria_Metropolis]

So a dark beak on a Cockatiel can be on a bird younger than one year? I only see Conures, Cockatiels and Budgies there, but at least they're not in terrible conditions. It's nice that they actually use the toys, dishes, bedding and food in the store to take care of the animals. Some pet stores don't bother, and that drives me crazy.

I guess where they come from and how they are raised is questionable though.

 

[cassiepengo]

okay, i dont know anything about cockatiels.... but im glad they're taking care of their birds. most places dont do that..... anyways, hows muffin doing?? im really fond of that bird!! ive seen all the pics of muffin you put up. im sorta getting lovesick

 

[MikeyTN]

IF it is a grey tiel or grey whiteface, they will have darker grey beaks.

 

[Maria_Metropolis]

okay, i dont know anything about cockatiels.... but im glad they're taking care of their birds. most places dont do that..... anyways, hows muffin doing?? im really fond of that bird!! ive seen all the pics of muffin you put up. im sorta getting lovesick

He's doing great. I just stopped hand feedings yesterday since he's doing a great job eating solid food. We'll see what happens. I posted a new pic of him in my "New Baby Cockatiel" thread. Thanks for asking.

It's easy to get lovesick over that bird.

 

[cassiepengo]

haha!! is muffin ur first bird?? bamboo is my first. ive never had birds before

 

[Maria_Metropolis]

haha!! is muffin ur first bird?? bamboo is my first. ive never had birds before

No, I had an umbrella cockatoo for ten years. They're very hard to keep in captivity, so we had to rehome him because I got unexpectedly pregnant with our third child, and both my husband and I worked full time since we didn't have time to be with him

I wish people would stop breeding U2's, and just take the ones in rescues. I'm so pissed, my local exotic bird store has two baby U2's up for sale.

 

[cassiepengo]

the pet store should know better!!

 

[crimson]

Maria- I am curious to know how much you paid for your beautiful bird....we never get cockatiels into our pet smarts up here.

only certain stores will carry, conures, and the odd quaker, then mostly tiny birds.

 

[Maria_Metropolis]

Maria- I am curious to know how much you paid for your beautiful bird....we never get cockatiels into our pet smarts up here.

only certain stores will carry, conures, and the odd quaker, then mostly tiny birds.

Crimson,
I didn't buy my bird at Petsmart, but through a local breeder. I was just browsing Petsmart for toys and perches, and comparing cage prices, and I was pleasantly surprised at the fact that at least they take care of their birds. Could they have more toys and bigger cages, sure, but at least they give them far more acceptable circumstances than these horrible pet stores we hear about.

I paid $130 for my bird. I noticed PetSmart is extremely expensive for birds, so they unfortunately languish there forever. They wanted $150 ($140 on sale) for a normal grey Cockatiel. I thought that was outrageous, although if you love a bird, the price is inconsequential IMO. I would have paid more for my "Muffin."

 

[Kiryon]

Yeah, pet stores charge outrageous amounts of money for pet birds. The local breeder I'm planning to purchase my next bird from sells green cheeks for 370$ while my favorite petstore sells them for over 700$. A cockatiel there is easily over 200$ too...

For Oz, I paid 100$ and I get what you mean about paying more for muffin if you'd had to. When I laid eyes on him, it was love at first sight and the price became inconsequential.

 

[Maria_Metropolis]

Yeah, pet stores charge outrageous amounts of money for pet birds. The local breeder I'm planning to purchase my next bird from sells green cheeks for 370$ while my favorite petstore sells them for over 700$. A cockatiel there is easily over 200$ too...

For Oz, I paid 100$ and I get what you mean about paying more for muffin if you'd had to. When I laid eyes on him, it was love at first sight and the price became inconsequential.

Kiryon,
Do you have more pics of Oz? Very cute.

PetSmart also sells Black Capped Conures for $500. Even the sales person told me that was expensive.

 

[Megapixel]

PetSmart also sells Black Capped Conures for $500. Even the sales person told me that was expensive.

Yikes! I paid $100 for mine.

 

[Maria_Metropolis]

Well, the one bird store I go to that is small, but hand raises their own babies with lots of love, sells them for more too. They even sell Budgies for $50/each, but they're hand tame/hand fed.

 

[cassiepengo]

properly branded and worlwide kinda places ( like petsmart) will obviously ask for more. they have their reputation anyways, so people who dont know much about the prices will definitely pay how much ever the store says. thats the bad thing about huge stores