HELP! 6 months Cockatiel is confusing me

[Amrsalah]

Hi Guys
I hope you are all well!
I’m quite new as a cockatiel owner and it’s quite confusing me!
Pet store said it’s hand tamed and it’s six months old almost.
i got it home and he is very quite. He is always scared to get out side the cage and whenever i try to get it, he seems scared and wants to bite.

i give him millet and he took from my hand recently in 3rd day, however, i keep the cage open for him to come out but he doesn’t want to.
i tricked him and found himself outside and he started screaming.
when i keep cage away from him, he is very disappointed and keep looking for away to come back.
Any idea ?

 

[LaManuka]

Hello Amrsalah, welcome to the Forums to you and your cockatiel!

I am going to assume you haven't had your birdie for very long. Time moves very slowly for parrots, and you must remember that he has undergone many big changes in his short life so far. Your new bird will need some weeks or even months to become comfortable in his new surroundings, and to understand that you are not going to eat him! Little birds like cockatiels are prey animals and we look like predators to them. It takes time to earn a bird's trust and you should not force him, it's always best to allow the bird to set the pace.

The following link may give you some handy tips and tricks that may help...

Tips for Bonding and Building Trust

Parrots rarely bite each other, because they convey their feelings beforehand or fly off to avoid physical contact. If it feels cornered and frighten then need to bite will be from the natural instinct of self -preservation. The cage is the Parrot safe haven and any attempt to enter, add or...

www.parrotforums.com

Oh and we love photos around here too!

How To Post Pictures

How To Post Pictures. Posting photos along with your posts on Parrot Forums has never been easier, and is virtually identical whether you are using either a PC or a smartphone :) Simply click on the "insert image" icon on the toolbar along the top of the reply box, it's the one that looks...

www.parrotforums.com

Give your birdie some space and some time to settle in, and with patience on your part that trust and bond between you will gradually develop.

Thank you for joining, and I wish the two of you a very long and happy life together

 

[Amrsalah]

Thank you very much for your quick response! You are HERO and released me a lot!
Just two questions,
I keep taking him out during the day to garden to enjoy fresh air and sun and started to take him in night to a semi dark place. Is it good to keep moving him like that in his few days or better to keep him in one place and for how long ?
Also pet store advised to take him out if cage to feel comfortable with surrounding even though he doesn’t want, but it seems you recommend to give him a space to do it him self when required. Right ?
Thanks again!

 

[LaManuka]

I'm not sure that I would be moving the cage around too much in the early stages while you are trying to earn trust. I would think that it would be a bit better to keep things as calm and predictable as possible for a little while at least. Cockatiels can be prone to the "night terrors" at night too, where they become disoriented or spooked by something in the night and can thrash about in their cage and possibly do themselves an injury - it's actually a fairly common trait among cockatiels. My guy Fang used to do it quite a bit so I always leave a good third of his cage uncovered and leave a night light on for him. It doesn't mean that he never gets the night terrors anymore, but has cut the incidence down to only a few episodes per year rather than every week or so.

In terms of getting your bird out of his cage, I would very much leave it up to your bird to make those moves at this point. He is still going through a period of adjustment to his new surroundings so best not to make him leave his cage if he doesn't want to, particularly if you have to grab him to get him to leave his cage. My little lorikeet Lilly was TERRIFIED of me when I first got her, and most certainly didn't want to leave her cage or have anything to do with me for quite a few weeks after I got her. I found that if I sat near her cage, a little nearer every day, and read to her, with some tasty treats on hand, eventually she could not help herself and came a little closer each day for a look, and she has been pretty much a little "velcro bird" ever since It doesn't matter what you read to them, just keep the tone of your voice even and friendly while he becomes accustomed to you and your presence, but don't stare directly at him all the time because that can make them feel uncomfortable in the early stages.

Bottom line is you will need to be patient and take everything at the bird’s pace. Move slowly and quietly around him and try to make each interaction a positive one. You don’t know what happened to your bird before coming to live with you, so you must show kindness and thoughtfulness in your dealings with him. It will pay dividends in the long run. And don't forget to tell us his name btw, will you?

 

[Amrsalah]

He is a boy and we called him “CoCo”. It was my son’s choice!
Thank you very much! Above articles are also quite helpful. I will live in this forum to learn more from experienced people here and of course will upload his photo (may be tomorrow)
Thanks heaps!

 

[LaManuka]

Excellent news! I am very pleased to have you and your son and CoCo on board, and look forward to seeing some pics very soon

 

[Amrsalah]

 

[LaManuka]

Awwwww, what a cute little guy! Welcome to the flock, CoCo, it's great to have you aboard and I'm so glad you found us

 

[Amrsalah]

how old do you think ?

 

[LaManuka]

how old do you think ?

View attachment 32383

He looks young, probably less than 6 months. Cockatiels go through their first big moult into adult feathers anywhere between 6 and 12 months of age, so when that happens he'll likely lose those patches of grey on his face and it should become brighter yellow.

 

[Laurasea]

looks like a nice big cage, and great to see toys and treats .

You might add a few perches near food dishes to make it easier for him. I like tge short fat perches so they have different spots to hang out.

Welcome to the forum!

You can sit a chair next to cage abd hang out with door open, putting perch on the outsides of cage and top give him easier chances to come out and explore. Keep talking to him abd explain stuff. Try snd create routines

Pet Bird and Parrot Behavior – Pet Birds by Lafeber Co.

Pet bird and parrot behavior information.

lafeber.com

 

[Linda lee]

Hi Guys
I hope you are all well!
I’m quite new as a cockatiel owner and it’s quite confusing me!
Pet store said it’s hand tamed and it’s six months old almost.
i got it home and he is very quite. He is always scared to get out side the cage and whenever i try to get it, he seems scared and wants to bite.

i give him millet and he took from my hand recently in 3rd day, however, i keep the cage open for him to come out but he doesn’t want to.
i tricked him and found himself outside and he started screaming.
when i keep cage away from him, he is very disappointed and keep looking for away to come back.
Any idea ?

It took me two years for my cockatoo to trust me. He probably feels safe in a cage where he has food and clean water. You can't trust people you get birds from. I've had many parrots and have learned alot and been able to heal my own parrots and have learned alot what not to do! 6 months old is very young. You need to put him or her on the right food right away. Millet is not one of them.

 

[Amrsalah]

Thanks a lot Guys!
So please help me to understand
- what is normal and upnormal when it comes to itching. He keeps itching him self form sometime and itching different places multiple times

also when it comes to food, i put him soaked corn, beans and fresh broakly. I have tried cucumber, carrots and almonds.
He never touch any of it. It doesn’t matter how long, he waits for the seeds!

can you help me to understand what the good food look like, how to get him to eat it, do i need to give other vitamins or anything else ?

thanks

 

[LaManuka]

Thanks a lot Guys!
So please help me to understand
- what is normal and upnormal when it comes to itching. He keeps itching him self form sometime and itching different places multiple times

also when it comes to food, i put him soaked corn, beans and fresh broakly. I have tried cucumber, carrots and almonds.
He never touch any of it. It doesn’t matter how long, he waits for the seeds!

can you help me to understand what the good food look like, how to get him to eat it, do i need to give other vitamins or anything else ?

thanks

Do you know what food he was eating when you bought him? If it was me, I would be allowing him to keep eating that for a few months at least until he has settled in. You should not be making him "wait for the seeds".

Parrots can take a very long time to adjust to a change in their environment or in their food, so you are probably rushing things a little I'm afraid. I would just give whatever food he is accustomed to for now, and maybe add some bunches of fresh leafy greens like broccolini (baby broccoli on the long stem - not sure if you can get that where you are but my guys LOVE it!), tender young celery leaves, bok choy, things like that which you can leave in the cage for a day and allow him to discover them on his own. There will be plenty of time to introduce him to new foods once he has settled in and is more comfortable in his new home. Vitamins should not be given unless there is some kind of deficiency diagnosed and they are recommended by your avian vet.

As far as the itching goes, he is very likely heading into a phase of growing new feathers and/or shedding old ones, and the "itching" or scratching you are observing may be part of this. If however he is constantly scratching at one spot, or if you are noticing any irritation and have concerns, it may be a good idea to visit an avian vet. Personally I think it's beneficial to have any new bird checked for wellness fairly soon after you get them, in order to detect any potential health issues nice and early, as birds are unfortunately very good at hiding signs of illness from us, sometimes until it is too late. If you advise me where in the world you are I can help you to find an avian vet close to you. It's important to go to a bird specialist as their physiology is so very different to cats and dogs etc. A good bird vet is also an absolute gold mine of information as far as diet and behaviour as well

 

[Amrsalah]

I agree

Do you know what food he was eating when you bought him? If it was me, I would be allowing him to keep eating that for a few months at least until he has settled in. You should not be making him "wait for the seeds".

Parrots can take a very long time to adjust to a change in their environment or in their food, so you are probably rushing things a little I'm afraid. I would just give whatever food he is accustomed to for now, and maybe add some bunches of fresh leafy greens like broccolini (baby broccoli on the long stem - not sure if you can get that where you are but my guys LOVE it!), tender young celery leaves, bok choy, things like that which you can leave in the cage for a day and allow him to discover them on his own. There will be plenty of time to introduce him to new foods once he has settled in and is more comfortable in his new home. Vitamins should not be given unless there is some kind of deficiency diagnosed and they are recommended by your avian vet.

As far as the itching goes, he is very likely heading into a phase of growing new feathers and/or shedding old ones, and the "itching" or scratching you are observing may be part of this. If however he is constantly scratching at one spot, or if you are noticing any irritation and have concerns, it may be a good idea to visit an avian vet. Personally I think it's beneficial to have any new bird checked for wellness fairly soon after you get them, in order to detect any potential health issues nice and early, as birds are unfortunately very good at hiding signs of illness from us, sometimes until it is too late. If you advise me where in the world you are I can help you to find an avian vet close to you. It's important to go to a bird specialist as their physiology is so very different to cats and dogs etc. A good bird vet is also an absolute gold mine of information as far as diet and behaviour as well

i agree! I am always rushed quite new to bridies so learning a lot and thanks God i have you guys!

i live in Auckland, New Zealand!

 

[Amrsalah]

Do you know what food he was eating when you bought him? If it was me, I would be allowing him to keep eating that for a few months at least until he has settled in. You should not be making him "wait for the seeds".

Parrots can take a very long time to adjust to a change in their environment or in their food, so you are probably rushing things a little I'm afraid. I would just give whatever food he is accustomed to for now, and maybe add some bunches of fresh leafy greens like broccolini (baby broccoli on the long stem - not sure if you can get that where you are but my guys LOVE it!), tender young celery leaves, bok choy, things like that which you can leave in the cage for a day and allow him to discover them on his own. There will be plenty of time to introduce him to new foods once he has settled in and is more comfortable in his new home. Vitamins should not be given unless there is some kind of deficiency diagnosed and they are recommended by your avian vet.

As far as the itching goes, he is very likely heading into a phase of growing new feathers and/or shedding old ones, and the "itching" or scratching you are observing may be part of this. If however he is constantly scratching at one spot, or if you are noticing any irritation and have concerns, it may be a good idea to visit an avian vet. Personally I think it's beneficial to have any new bird checked for wellness fairly soon after you get them, in order to detect any potential health issues nice and early, as birds are unfortunately very good at hiding signs of illness from us, sometimes until it is too late. If you advise me where in the world you are I can help you to find an avian vet close to you. It's important to go to a bird specialist as their physiology is so very different to cats and dogs etc. A good bird vet is also an absolute gold mine of information as far as diet and behaviour as well

Thats what i always get! He keep itching and then shake his body and get these small white things out

 

[LaManuka]

I agree

i agree! I am always rushed quite new to bridies so learning a lot and thanks God i have you guys!

i live in Auckland, New Zealand!

That's OK Amrsalah, I know you are trying these new things because you only want what's best for your little birdie!

The little white bits and pieces that you are seeing are very likely bits from feather shafts, either older ones or new ones coming through, and/or just general dander or bits of feather that cockatiels shed every day. So again, unless he is constantly picking at one area in particular there's probably nothing to worry about on that front.

You are so lucky to live in NZ, it is a very beautiful part of the world and I have visited there many times There are a couple of vets that I can suggest in Auckland - I recommend calling them to ensure that they still have an avian vet on staff because they do tend to move around a bit between clinics sometimes. They are as follows:

Pet Doctors St Luke’s
5 Wagener Place
Mt Albert, Auckland NZ
09 828 4031

Pet Doctors St Lukes & Exotics Centre - 5 Wagener Place

Our vet clinic offers comprehensive and affordable pet care services. Discover our wide range of vet services tailored to your pet's needs.

petdoctorsstlukes.co.nz

Peninsula Bay Vet Hospital
689 Whangaparaoa Rd
Auckland NZ
Phone: 09 428 7017

Peninsula Bay Veterinary Hospital (Whangaparaoa) | Veterinary Hospital Group

We offer a wide range of treatment options and therapies | 689 Whangaparaoa Road, Whangaparaoa | Phone us on09-428-7017

www.vethospital.co.nz

I think a wellness check would be worth your while, both for your birdie and for your own peace of mind. Please keep us updated and let us know how you go!

 

[Linda lee]

Thanks a lot Guys!
So please help me to understand
- what is normal and upnormal when it comes to itching. He keeps itching him self form sometime and itching different places multiple times

also when it comes to food, i put him soaked corn, beans and fresh broakly. I have tried cucumber, carrots and almonds.
He never touch any of it. It doesn’t matter how long, he waits for the seeds!

can you help me to understand what the good food look like, how to get him to eat it, do i need to give other vitamins or anything else ?

thanks

Put spiralina on his seed for vitamins. I mix the spirilina into harrisons mash usually.