I might get a "rescue" cockatiel...

[Atwee921]

So heres the story:
My aunt, who knows nothing about birds, got my cousins grandma and tiel. The grandma knows nothing about birds either. Im guessing the bird was from a pet store and wasn't hand fed... Im also guessing the bird is in a small cage with very few toys and perches... Her grandma isnt happy with the bird so I might take it. My cousin said it bites and im not sure if it is tame. I guess maybe ill meet it and see how it goes.... Just throwing that out there lol.
So if it isn't tame and it bites how long would it take to tame it and fix the biting problem?

 

[andrea.faerie]

I'd say with some dedicated target training, patience, and compassion and understanding it shouldn't take long... but then again, it all depends on the bird...

 

[Atwee921]

I'd say with some dedicated target training, patience, and compassion and understanding it shouldn't take long... but then again, it all depends on the bird...

Quick response lol. Yeah I guess but Im not sure if Im ready for the commitment. Idk I guess if I fall in love with the bird then ill take him and take on the commitment of taming a bird

 

[andrea.faerie]

(i'm at work and bored to pieces.. it's this forum and facebook on constant refresh all day everyday lol)

It's all in your determination and what you think you can do and what you're comfortable with! it also helps if the bird bonds to you. They can sense if you're scared or have negative feelings, so maybe that's contributing to the behavior

 

[Atwee921]

(i'm at work and bored to pieces.. it's this forum and facebook on constant refresh all day everyday lol)

It's all in your determination and what you think you can do and what you're comfortable with! it also helps if the bird bonds to you. They can sense if you're scared or have negative feelings, so maybe that's contributing to the behavior

Ohhh i see.

 

[Amps]

First thing you need to do is open the cage in the room the cage is in and let the bird explore or just watch you and see that you aren't there to kill it. Then, its best to get some Miley and give it to her whenever she gets close. Make sure not to make too many quick movements, Orkney people do anything that might send her back to hostile behaviors. After a short time, she may begin to warm up to you and fly to you and enjoy your company. My Lilly was completely untamed just three weeks ago, but now she flies right to me when I open her cage, she will give me kisses, and will even let me stroke her like a cat on some occasions. If you put in just a little time and effort to an untamed bird, it will usually pay off extremely well.

Edit: please also note that my birds wings were not trimmed, so she did like to fly around the room. If the birds wings aren't trimmed, after awhile, get her to fly around until she gets tired. Don't let her land on anything, and after a while she will land on your hand or shoulder. Don't try and get her off, she will recognize this as a safe place hope this helps you out!

 

[Nakiska]

Well, if it's any consulation to you, we got our Chicken Little from the pet store, he was wild as sin! He wouldn't sit on our finger for nothing, flap crazy all over the cage and drew blood on my husband the night we brought him home.

In three weeks he was no longer hissing or biting at all, stepping up on my finger to get him out of his cage, he sits on our shoulder while we watch TV or play on the computer or read a book, he's talking, saying pretty pretty pretty pretty pretty birrrrdieee and wolf whistling, kissing and I think he's now trying to say "Him a good boy"

I was a bit more forceful in teaching him to sit on our finger as I took a cloth and got him out of his cage the first time, I spent a couple hours with him in the dry bathtub where I knew he couldn't get hurt and he really couldn't get away from me. I kept my finger under the cloth so he wouldn't draw blood when he bit at me. By the end of that day, he was stepping up and starting to relax some.

The next day, I offered him to step on my finger, he flipped out, so I grabbed him with the cloth and after a few minutes of being out, he was doing well, the 3rd day, offered finger, stepped on it, but as soon as I moved he jumped off, so I again grabbed him with the cloth and released him onto my bed for treats and "play time" I did this for a week, he got to get out and be with our other Tiel, Chiquita.

He LOVED his "tiel walkabout treat time" And after about 8 days, he saw that it was his "walkabout treat time" and he jumps on my finger and comes out no problem. He's such a sweet boy now...and talk...this boy is getting good! He's only about 5 months old so, I'm betting he's going to develop quite a vocabulary over the years.

We took on 2 rather untammed cockatiels one in February and one in March and now 3 months later, you'd never know that they were ever not very nice. We love them to pieces!

You sound like the type of person who will win any bird over no matter what it thinks of you! You'll just be soo happy to have one.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Toni

 

[Atwee921]

Okay, I will definitely keep you posted about my bird!

 

[CATWOMAN0918]

i thought i read not to ever use a cloth to grab a cockatiel out of the cage? i would so love to do that now with my biting male to get him out of the cage with the new female i got and he is biting like crazy after she came, i may take her back to the rescuer, even though i really love her already. she wants to come to me but he won't let her. darn bird. and they say not to ever use a glove either, but this little sucker drew damn blood on me bout 5 times already and it don't tickle either. and i try not to say ouch but damn it hurts! i keep telling him no bite "softly" i don't know how much longer this will take him, it's only been 4 days since i got her. i hate giving back any of my pets but i miss my lil buddy coming to me and playing with me...

 

[Atwee921]

Just take the male and put him in a different room when you want the female out. I've never read that toweling birds is bad.

 

[Katkoota]

Well, if it's any consulation to you, we got our Chicken Little from the pet store, he was wild as sin! He wouldn't sit on our finger for nothing, flap crazy all over the cage and drew blood on my husband the night we brought him home.

In three weeks he was no longer hissing or biting at all, stepping up on my finger to get him out of his cage, he sits on our shoulder while we watch TV or play on the computer or read a book, he's talking, saying pretty pretty pretty pretty pretty birrrrdieee and wolf whistling, kissing and I think he's now trying to say "Him a good boy"

I was a bit more forceful in teaching him to sit on our finger as I took a cloth and got him out of his cage the first time, I spent a couple hours with him in the dry bathtub where I knew he couldn't get hurt and he really couldn't get away from me. I kept my finger under the cloth so he wouldn't draw blood when he bit at me. By the end of that day, he was stepping up and starting to relax some.

The next day, I offered him to step on my finger, he flipped out, so I grabbed him with the cloth and after a few minutes of being out, he was doing well, the 3rd day, offered finger, stepped on it, but as soon as I moved he jumped off, so I again grabbed him with the cloth and released him onto my bed for treats and "play time" I did this for a week, he got to get out and be with our other Tiel, Chiquita.

He LOVED his "tiel walkabout treat time" And after about 8 days, he saw that it was his "walkabout treat time" and he jumps on my finger and comes out no problem. He's such a sweet boy now...and talk...this boy is getting good! He's only about 5 months old so, I'm betting he's going to develop quite a vocabulary over the years.

We took on 2 rather untammed cockatiels one in February and one in March and now 3 months later, you'd never know that they were ever not very nice. We love them to pieces!

You sound like the type of person who will win any bird over no matter what it thinks of you! You'll just be soo happy to have one.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Toni

I know it is an old thread, but I am doing a little of research to help my lovebirds at taming. they don't bite at all, but they are scared of my hand. An inspiring post. Thanks for sharing

 

[MonicaMc]

Not to be negative, but I don't find that post inspiring. Saying "a bit more forceful in teaching" is putting it lightly. The bird was force trained via flooding and taught that no matter what he did or how he felt, he was going to be forced to endure something he was terrified of.


Sure, it worked, but I don't agree with it.