It’s started.. I’ve bought a cage, and maybe a bird!!!

[LaManuka]

Yup that little guy’s hit the jackpot and he looks like he knows it. Congratulations and welcome home!

 

[Rozalka]

Congrats!!!

 

[saxguy64]

Oh Hannah, I'm so happy for you! He's so cute. Congratulations to you and your very lucky little guy! I love cockatiels. My plan was to adopt one back when I went and met Patches, but there were none available at the time. Patches chose me, before I knew what that meant. No regrets ever. He was meant to be. I still adore cockatiels though. So much personality and plain old cuteness!

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[T00tsyd]

He’s home!!
I’m smitten, look at his sweet little face :21:

Still unsure of a name.. maybe either, Percy or pip?

Can’t believe I have a bird!!

Brilliant!

 

[clark_conure]

Yes your new owner will have a lot of fun with you....! Cockatiels have big personalities. You will enjoy trust us! Tell us when they first play the drop the thing off the table so you pick it up game. Also be prepared to have a bird on you all the time, they bond easily.

 

[SailBoat]

Congratulations!!! That be one lucky Tiel you have there! Like everyone is saying, personality over the top!!!

Regarding Pine branches for perches. They can be used, but the pre-work is extensive as the thick, very sticky sap has to be removed. Gloves you no longer want or very inexpensive gloves are required. Select branches currently on a tree and cut them cleanly at the trunk of the tree or where it splits-off. Be mindful of where you cut as they do not fill back in like other trees.

The dirty /messy work starts next as you need to remove all the outer lay of bark. This is where you will find the thick sticky sap. Try not to get the sap back onto the newly exposed underwood as it will increase the sanding needed later. Normally, pine bark will come off in stripes. Once all the bark is off, let them dry in the bright sun for a couple of days. Keep them off the ground as the fresh wood will be of interest to bugs.

With Dawn Dish Soap (Original Formula Only) and hot water, wash the wood surface and rise in fresh cold drinking water. Place the branches back in the bright Sunlight and turn them over the next several hours until dry.

Inspect the branches for any signs of sap or areas that may require use of Sandpaper. You can use an aggressive grit as it only improves your Tiel's grip on the perch. Rounding the ends you had cut them 'may' reduce your Parrots interest in chewing this areas, but no assurances.

Yes, pine sap can be toxic and that is a problem, but the real issue is that the sticky sap gets on your poor Tiel and its feathers and it doesn't come off, you are faced with pulling the feather(s) out. Not what you want to do during the period that you are building trust...

Size matters! variations between 19 and 38 mm (3/4 and 1.5") is a good size range. A lumpy branch is also a great choice as the variation supports good claw health. See the Amazon Forum and the Sticky Thread tilted: I Love Amazons - ... Within that huge Thread is a segment Titled: Getting To The Foot Of The Problem. Check Page 1 for the page number that segment is located for more detail.

Again, congratulations.

 

[Laurasea]

He’s home!!
I’m smitten, look at his sweet little face :21:

Still unsure of a name.. maybe either, Percy or pip?

Can’t believe I have a bird!!

Congratulations on your baby! Gorgeous! I like Percy!!! Looking forward to hearing all about his personality!!

 

[Scott]

He’s home!!
I’m smitten, look at his sweet little face :21:

Still unsure of a name.. maybe either, Percy or pip?

Can’t believe I have a bird!!

I posted right after you and went to bed! So now I see that sweet face and know your heart must be singing! So happy for you Hannah, you made an incredible choice!

 

[Betrisher]

Hannah, we sure do have lots and lots of paperbark in Oz! It's Melaleuca species, so swamp paperbark, bracelet honeymyrtle or any of the papery, peeling bark species will do nicely. You can also use any eucalypt (except for the strongly-scented ones like lemon gum) or bottlebrush or grevillea. Bottlebrush is great for bigger birds: it might be a bit hard for a little quarrion to manage. Just look at the trees when you're out of doors. Anything with stringy or fibrous bark that birds enjoy will do!

You can buy sisal rope *really* cheaply from the Sydney Rope Company. Check them out on Ebay for great bargains. They sell by the 100m roll, 25m hanks or by the metre. I buy the inch-thick rope for the big birds and the 1cm one for the little guys. A rope strung across the cage makes a much better perch than dowel and it's more forgiving and playful than most wooden perches. Rosetta just adores hanging and swinging from her rope and she chomps it until it's unrecognisable. I'm just getting ready to re-rope her cage, since she's all but destroyed most of her cage furnishings.

What else? Oh yes, you can often get cheap seagrass mats at two-dollar shops. They make great climbing toys or you can roll them up and hide stuff in them. I do worry that the rolled mat might make a 'nesty' place for some birds, but mine just like to chew them until they're gone. Bamboo cooking utensils are good and pizza boxes are great for chewing on. I'll often cut one into strips and weave it through the cage bars so the birds can chew it on it.

I'm so excited for you! Can't wait to see pics of your new arrival.

Edit: Huh! Just saw the photo! He's *gorgeous*! Looks like a Pippin to me. Or maybe a Poppet? It's going to be fun hearing of your adventures as you get to know each other.

 

[Inger]

I LOVE HIM!!!!!!!!! Oh my stars he is the cutest. My heart is full of joy for the two of you.


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[HannahandSunny]

Hannah, we sure do have lots and lots of paperbark in Oz! It's Melaleuca species, so swamp paperbark, bracelet honeymyrtle or any of the papery, peeling bark species will do nicely. You can also use any eucalypt (except for the strongly-scented ones like lemon gum) or bottlebrush or grevillea. Bottlebrush is great for bigger birds: it might be a bit hard for a little quarrion to manage. Just look at the trees when you're out of doors. Anything with stringy or fibrous bark that birds enjoy will do!

You can buy sisal rope *really* cheaply from the Sydney Rope Company. Check them out on Ebay for great bargains. They sell by the 100m roll, 25m hanks or by the metre. I buy the inch-thick rope for the big birds and the 1cm one for the little guys. A rope strung across the cage makes a much better perch than dowel and it's more forgiving and playful than most wooden perches. Rosetta just adores hanging and swinging from her rope and she chomps it until it's unrecognisable. I'm just getting ready to re-rope her cage, since she's all but destroyed most of her cage furnishings.

What else? Oh yes, you can often get cheap seagrass mats at two-dollar shops. They make great climbing toys or you can roll them up and hide stuff in them. I do worry that the rolled mat might make a 'nesty' place for some birds, but mine just like to chew them until they're gone. Bamboo cooking utensils are good and pizza boxes are great for chewing on. I'll often cut one into strips and weave it through the cage bars so the birds can chew it on it.

I'm so excited for you! Can't wait to see pics of your new arrival.

Edit: Huh! Just saw the photo! He's *gorgeous*! Looks like a Pippin to me. Or maybe a Poppet? It's going to be fun hearing of your adventures as you get to know each other.

Thank you so much Bertrisher for all those great tips! Very helpful, I’m going to wonder around the farm today to find some more branches

He is gorgeous isn’t he!! I THINK I’m settled on the name Percy..but still have pip in the back of my mind..

 

[fiddlejen]

He looks like a Percy to me.

When I first got my budgies, in my first post on a parakeet forum I was immediately told to get rid of the perches that came with cage. Nope that didn't work. Instead I got a whittling knife. I put in alternating, irregular divots round about the perches & then smoothed them out, until the original (relatively thick) dowels had been transformed into more irregular, vaguely natural-branch-like perches.

(Based on the description of work needed to use natural pine branches, I think my solution was probably easier.)

In my case, as I went forward & with my Sun Conure having some balance issues, I found the rope perches to work best. I do inspect them, keep them clean, but so far have not had any issues with loose threads etc. Also I have a variety of perching options, include thick store-bought natural branches. IF there is a variety of perches then, as I understand, it is okay to leave in the dowel perches too as just another option he will use occasionally.

I'm so glad you got him!!!

 

[HannahandSunny]

He looks like a Percy to me.

When I first got my budgies, in my first post on a parakeet forum I was immediately told to get rid of the perches that came with cage. Nope that didn't work. Instead I got a whittling knife. I put in alternating, irregular divots round about the perches & then smoothed them out, until the original (relatively thick) dowels had been transformed into more irregular, vaguely natural-branch-like perches.

(Based on the description of work needed to use natural pine branches, I think my solution was probably easier.)

In my case, as I went forward & with my Sun Conure having some balance issues, I found the rope perches to work best. I do inspect them, keep them clean, but so far have not had any issues with loose threads etc. Also I have a variety of perching options, include thick store-bought natural branches. IF there is a variety of perches then, as I understand, it is okay to leave in the dowel perches too as just another option he will use occasionally.

I'm so glad you got him!!!

I’m leaving the dowel ones in for now just until I’ve found some better more natural ones. I cleaned and put 2 in yesterday, in fact he is always choosing to sit on one of them. I’ll definitely get some rope asap!
Thanks for the suggestions

 

[HannahandSunny]

I don’t feel like he’s eaten anything since I bought him home. I currently only have the plastic feeders that the cage came with, but I’ve also put some on the floor (I’ve put newspaper on the grid). He just went down there and had a drink from the bowl with is good. But I’m yet to see him eat seed, I’ve also put in a slice of banana, apple and a bit of capsicum. He hasn’t touched them. As I’m writing this he just had a few pecks of the millet. But not much.
Anything I can do to encourage him to eat? Or just leave it be, and he’ll soon start eating?

I think I’m going to get him a friend sooner rather than later, he looks quite lonely on his own.

 

[fiddlejen]

I don’t feel like he’s eaten anything since I bought him home. I currently only have the plastic feeders that the cage came with, but I’ve also put some on the floor (I’ve put newspaper on the grid). He just went down there and had a drink from the bowl with is good. But I’m yet to see him eat seed, I’ve also put in a slice of banana, apple and a bit of capsicum. He hasn’t touched them. As I’m writing this he just had a few pecks of the millet. But not much.
Anything I can do to encourage him to eat? Or just leave it be, and he’ll soon start eating?

I think I’m going to get him a friend sooner rather than later, he looks quite lonely on his own.

My Sunny Conure did not eat the first couple days I had her, or only a few bites. So I kind of think it's normal? Loose their appetite while adjusting to new locale?

Anyway I'd suggest putting pellets in there with his food right away, or as soon as possible, since this transition period is your best chance to get him to see pellets as part of his normal food options.

 

[wrench13]

Hannah, getting a second parrot is going to slow down his bonding to you, very likely. Why not wait a few weeks at least to see how your relationship with him plays out, before adding to the flock?

 

[HannahandSunny]

Hannah, getting a second parrot is going to slow down his bonding to you, very likely. Why not wait a few weeks at least to see how your relationship with him plays out, before adding to the flock?

I’m in no rush to get a second teil, and I would like to wait until one becomes available for adoption. Which I’m guessing will take months anyway!

 

[T00tsyd]

Much as he likes the look of you his natural instinct is on overdrive because he has been totally uprooted. He is assessing you to see if you really are going to eat him. Once he gets his head around all the changes he won't look so lonely and no doubt you'll be relieved you haven't got twins.
Going slowly often feels like stop - but it's such fun on the way. He looks adorable.

 

[HannahandSunny]

Percy is settling in okay, me and OH have been home today doing a big tidy up which means Percy has been watching us all day, hopefully during his observations he realised we weren’t parrot eating monsters. In fact if he watched us empty our fridge out into the new one he would have noticed there isn’t a peace of meat in sight lol!

I was pleased that this arvo he went and had a long (and messy) pick at his seeds/pellets. I have a water dish at the bottom of the cage which he prefers drinking from rather than the one on the side for now.
He gets excited when he hears the cockys flying and screeching outside, he calls back to them. Naturally, I find it a little sad. But it’s just the way life is for him, Percy and ME will just have to deal with it. It was a cool day today, hence why I had the blind up so he could see out, but on hotter days I will keep it down. I think it made him happier with seeing out the window.

I still have the dowel perches in there, just until I get a couple more suitable natural ones. He tends to sit on the one I put in for him anyway rather than the dowel which is good.

 

[Flboy]

Awesome! Such a sweet one! For ropes/perches, don’t be afraid of larger! Good size differences promote exercise and skill development!
In looking at rope, be very aware of any off smells!
FYI, bottlebrush is great! The more knots the better!