New Parront

[KPL]

Hi all,

I am a brand-new bird mom, and I joined these forums looking for a community of fellow bird parents & companions to ideally find advice and support as I begin this new journey of parronthood. My husband and I recently became the proud humans of Ernesto, a male (presumably, based on coloration and his general noisiness) store-bought cockatiel. His hatch day was October 30th, and we brought him home June 27th.

I like to think that I’ve done my research but given my inexperience I know that there are going to be circumstances and experiences that a world of research won’t help with, so I am entirely open to any advice fellow cockatiel or other parronts have to offer. My ultimate goal is that Ernie & I forge a bond that allows me to handle him and give him the (supervised) time outside of his cage that I know he would enjoy and deserves.

That being said, here are a few pictures the lovely Ernie:

If anyone has any advice on how to hand-tame a store bought cockatiel (it looks like clicker training is the way to go?), how to "deep clean" a bird cage with minimal disruption to the bird (read: not hand tamed yet), or how to encourage a bird not to hang out in his food dish, I am all ears!

side note: these emojis are life

 

[Jen5200]

Welcome to you and Ernie! He is a gorgeous guy . This is a good thread on bonding http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/49144-tips-bonding-building-trust.html. Clicker training works well, there are some great videos online. Just move at his speed and you’ll get there. Looking forward to hearing more about this adventure!

 

[HannahandSunny]

Hello and welcome!
What a Cutie he looks

I haven’t much advice I’m afraid. So will let others reply!
I’d say the best way to tame a store bought bird would be mainly spending as much time with them as possible, sitting next to the cage reading a book? Getting him use to your presence. Offering yummy bits of food, not too often though! Talking to him every time you pass him.
Good luck

 

[Flboy]

Welcome to you and Ernesto! I love the bat pose!

 

[Inger]

Hello and welcome! So glad you’re here. The link that Jen5200 provided is a great place to start. Target training using a clicker (or other bridge-I use my voice) is a great idea. And Ernesto is DARLING!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Cardinal]

S/he looks very inquisitive and cute. I do not know much about training the bird.
But you can keep the cage clean but scraping the dry droppings off, once in 10 days or at least once a month.

You can use hot water in which neem leaves have been steeped in , to disinfect perches and the cage. But don't let the bird ingest this water even by mistake-it can prove fatal.

 

[Allee]

Hello and welcome! Thanks for sharing Ernie’s adorable photos. Take the time to make friends with Ernie, he has a whole new world to get accustomed to, the link provided by Jen5200 goes into detail about the bonding process. Please share the journey with us.

 

[Casper223]

Welcome KPL and Ernesto, love the pictures of Ernesto, Cockatiels are wonderful companions. Years ago, when my daughters were very young, they were given a breeder set of cockatiels, and my daughters actually hand fed the babies, this must have been 35 years ago. The things I learned about cockatiels, because I wasn't familiar with them was a lot. The babies would actually fly around the house with the girls, as they couldn't stand being away from my girls, and my girls just loved the babies. My daughters raised several clutches over the years, and the bond between human and babies was phenomenal. Outstanding companions. I'll look foreword to seeing you around the forums. Lots of great information throughout the forum, let the search bar be your friend.

 

[Cardinal]

Welcome KPL and Ernesto, love the pictures of Ernesto, Cockatiels are wonderful companions. Years ago, when my daughters were very young, they were given a breeder set of cockatiels, and my daughters actually hand fed the babies, this must have been 35 years ago. The things I learned about cockatiels, because I wasn't familiar with them was a lot. The babies would actually fly around the house with the girls, as they couldn't stand being away from my girls, and my girls just loved the babies. My daughters raised several clutches over the years, and the bond between human and babies was phenomenal. Outstanding companions. I'll look foreword to seeing you around the forums. Lots of great information throughout the forum, let the search bar be your friend.

Very charming story! Would love to see the pics! If you have already shared, please let me now the name of the thread and I will look it up.

 

[Terry57]

Hello & welcome to the forum!
I loved the pictures of Ernie, he is beautiful!

 

[noodles123]

Welcome! Your birds are lovely!
Here is a NOVEL of information that I copied and pasted from another "new bird owner" post. Sorry it's so long!!!

When you have a bird, any sort of heated mechanism (anything that heats or is intended to be heated) and contains PTFE/PFOA/PFCs/Teflon will be out of the question (and most things that heat up or are intended to be heated DO contain these chemicals)--This includes things like pots, pans, cupcake trays, cookie sheets, cake pans etc, but it will also things like include hair-dryers, straighteners, curling irons, curlers, rice-cookers, SLOW COOKERS, popcorn poppers, air fryers, microwave meals (including certain types of microwave popcorn), steamers, irons, ironing board covers, electric skillets, griddles, George Foreman Grills, drip trays, toasters, toaster ovens, poaching pans, electric blankets, humidifiers, heat lamps, SPACE HEATERS, Scotch Guard etc etc...Here 2 links about it: https://www.ewg.org/research/canarie...on-kills-birds
To find out what contains PTFE/PFOA/PFCs/Teflon, you have to call and be a bit insistent about it over the phone (and in some cases, you won't get far--but sometimes it is a matter of how you ask). Almost always, it will take a few days (and numerous holds) for them to get back to you and you must provide the full chemical names, abbreviations and brand-names. Shopping when you have a bird is super annoying because cannot visually ID these chemical coatings, as they can be colored, transparent, or mixed into metal/fabric during the manufacturing process. Teflon and chemically similar products have killed birds on separate floors with the doors shut. Similarly, while DuPont claims that off-gassing only occurs at higher heats, there have been myriad bird deaths (even within academic circles) at temperatures well within the 300 degree F range! There is a reason they used canaries in coal-mines and it is because they die very easily due to even low levels of fumes of any sort. Some specific accounts: https://www.ewg.org/research/canarie...-death-diaries
Here are the abbreviations and full spellings of the chemicals you need to ask about when inquiring about a product (give the name, spelling and abbreviation of each):

Teflon= common brand-name using the chemical types in question
PTFE= Polytetrafluoroethyline
PFOA= Perfluorooctanoic acid (sometimes known as C8)
PFCs= Perfluorinated chemicals

Sleep=essential to hormonal and immune function. Different species have different requirements, but 12 is pretty much the average. This means that someone must be there to cover and uncover the bird at the same time each night and that your home must be conducive to sleep.

Make sure you aren't using any unsafe products around the bird. This is pretty much everything with a scent (and some things without).
No perfume, carpet cleaner, flea shampoo, aerosols, solvents, air fresheners, paints, smoke of any kind, vaping, sunscreen, bugspray, candles of any kind (organic or non), insecticides, certain soaps/shampoos, fire-places, burning or heated oil/fat, self-cleaning ovens, gas and any household cleaners (e.g., bleach, windex, lysol, fabreeze, scrubbing bubbles, kaboom, pine-sol etc)...You will seriously have to re-think your entire home and your cleaning routine will change a ton.
NEVER use the self-cleaning oven function or try to season cast iron around birds.
The list goes on. Birds have VERY sensitive respiratory systems. Essential oils are also fairly unsafe due to their ability to be absorbed into the blood-stream and due to a bird's sensitive air sacs.
In terms of safe cleaning alternatives: White vinegar + water (as long as you don't heat it), grapefruit seed extract + water, baking soda (for scrubbing), some (but not all) natural cleaning products sold in pre-mixed formulas, and then avian-safe veterinary disinfectants, such as F10 SC (the yellow/clear concentrate has to be mixed with water but it is super safe and more effective than vinegar at killing bacteria etc).

Fumes make traveling with a bird complicated, as it is very unsafe to bring your bird with you into a location where teflon or chemical cleaners are being used. My bird does travel with me, but it is important to consider the safety of your final destination, as well as car temperature and any stops along the way (if you plan on bringing your bird inside).
I would recommend getting an air purifier (non-ozone producing/non-ionizing) to help with dust/mold etc (which can harm birds). Please note- a purifier will not protect birds from cigarette smoke, vaping fumes, teflon/ptfe/pfoa etc. It will only help increase the quality of the air to some extent. You cannot use unsafe chemicals around the bird just because you have a purifier.

Generally, you should only pet birds on the head/neck and you should not allow any shadowy spaces in the cage (boxes, bedding, crumbled paper, tents, blankets, low furniture, in clothing etc)...and so are tents/huts/hammocks etc. These things are hormonal triggers and they can cause health and behavior problems and snuggle huts can also entangle birds and cause blockages.

Birds hide illness like crazy, so there is nothing intuitive about their diseases. You have to be ready to study your birds poop and behavior daily, because even the slightest change can be a huge indicator. Blood work must be done yearly (at minimum) and should be done soon after you get a new bird. Birds can carry and spread deadly illnesses without showing any symptoms, so play-dates and exposure to boarding facilities etc come with risks of their own. PBFD, ABV and PDD are all very serious and very contagious diseases that can be spread by things like feather dust in the ventilation system. These diseases are also notorious for producing false negatives in infected but asymptomatic carriers (when tested).
Bottom line: make sure that you have a certified avian vet (CAV) near you. Exotics vets who see birds are not the same thing. If you don't have a CAV near you, your life will be much more anxiety-ridden than if you do (and the difference between a CAV and an exotics vet can mean the difference between life and death for your bird in certain instances).

Birds are very sensitive to temperature changes and drafts. Any temperature change of 10 degrees or more puts significant stress on their systems. If you have to take your bird out in the cold, make sure you carefully cover the cage and pre-warm the car. Also, make sure you don't have any air-fresheners in the car or vents blowing directly on the bird. Extreme heat can also be harmful. Over time, birds can adjust to a wide ranger of temperatures, but this adjustment has to take place over a long period of time. Anything too quick is going to shock their systems.

Dowel perches that are smooth/even in texture lead to a disease called bumble-foot. Textured perches prevent this---look into dragonwood, manzanita and pummice perches. There are numerous guides to appropriate sizing online.

Birds move in slow motion and especially and establishing real trust can take many months.

A baby bird will generally be friendly to all (much like a baby human), but teen and adult birds experience significant hormonal changes which impact their personality and preferences. Puberty is particularly bad in many cases. Although it passes, an adult bird will never be as nice as a baby and it will come with a whole new set of preferences, desires and rules.
It is very important not to engage in behaviors that will eventually be inappropriate for the bird as an adult, as this sets an unsustainable precedent. You must teach independence, refrain from allowing the bird to graft itself to you all day, do not spend excessive time with your bird due to the fact that they are a new and exciting new pet (because you will be expected to keep it up long-term), pet on head/neck only and do not provide your bird with access to fleece huts, huts in general, tents, boxes, blankets, pillows, bedding etc, ignore screams for attention and attend to the sounds you will be able to tolerate long-term, ignore biting when it happens and do not scold/react.

 

[Scott]

Welcome to you and Ernesto, lovely pictures! We have a large cockatiel community eager to share advice.

 

[GaleriaGila]

Look how you're already fitting right in!!

I'm so glad you are here.

Ernie, you're a good-looking little rooster, you!

 

[KPL]

Wow, thank you, everyone, for your kind words and advice!! I am so thrilled to have found a community with such a love, knowledge and appreciation for birds and bird owner/companionship.

@Jen5200 I’m probably going to read and re-read that article and invest in a clicker. Ernie seems pretty friendly so far and enjoying the attention that he gets despite not even being here for a week. He ate millet spray from my hand while he was chilling on his comfy perch, without flinching or backing away, and I am so jazzed about that. Small steps, right?

@HannahandSunny That’s the plan so far, it’s just finding the self-control and ensuring I don’t push him too far because of what I want instead of what he’s ready for. We’ll see; parent ownership/companionship is a whole new ball game lol. Your Sunny is stunning, btw.

@Flboy Right?? He does it regularly now, but I’m pretty sure it means he’s just having a good time.

@Inger Thank you! That article seems like it’s going to be incredibly useful and I can use all the help I can get. To hear that the voice can be used as a bridge is very encouraging too.

@Cardinal I will definitely do that – he seems more comfortable with me putting my hands in the cage now that I don’t think it should be too big of a deal for him when I clean it.

@Allee Yes, you’re absolutely right even if that’s easy to forget. He seems to be adjusting well so far, and he is already so talkative and friendly. <3

@Casper Omg that’s absolutely heart-warming. Do your daughters still have cockatiels? It sounds like having them in your lives was a really influential experience, for both you and your daughters. Thank you for the warm welcome.

@Terry57 Thank you so much!

@noodles123 Thank you so much for this information! Honestly it makes me feel good that my research covered a lot of these points, such as non-stick/Teflon, artificial scents, etc. However, I hadn’t actually heard about slow cookers?? I’ve used my slow cooker twice since Ernie’s arrival and -thankfully- haven’t had an issue (to be fair, he is on the opposite end of the apartment with a few walls between him and the kitchen). I am definitely going to look into that. I am also going to take him to an avian vet, hopefully as soon as I can get him comfortable with being handled.

@Scott Thank you! Yes, I’m seeing that now! There seems to be a wealth of knowledge here.

@GaleriaGila It’s so funny that you called him a rooster because he’s been making these adorable clucking-ish sounds and when he does I ask him if he’s a chicken lol.

& because I love this goofy bird so much, I can't help but take a million pics of him (even if they're mostly the same). SOS.