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Cockatiel

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Wigwig

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We just got a cockatiel, we have named him Bik Bok :P he is very cute. I have never had a bird before, so have been reading up on all the care sheets. I love parrots though. Anyone here ever had a cockatiel before or has one currently?
 
I shall take a photo tomorrow. He is asleep now, I dont want to disturb him. I hope he will be happy here, he has gone through several owners who didnt want him, I think he is still young as well. I dont think he stayed very long with any of the previous owners. I dont know how people can get a pet without thinking about the commitment you need to put into having it, its so cruel. He makes very sweet noises, but he is pretty quiet.
 
That is really sad. I hate the way people just get rid of animals like that. Luckily he has a forever home now and will be loved.
 
It is very sad. I wish our house was bigger, we would take in much more animals. Parrots remind me a bit of guinea pigs for some reason.
 
I hope so. I really want him to be happy. He seems happy enough, I talked to him loads and he kept falling asleep lol. But that happens whoever I talk to.
 
Aww he sounds content. Although he has had a few owners do you know if they gave him the correct diet and things?
 
I guess so as he doesn't seem to be sick or look sick at all. We need to buy a bunch of stuff. My sister brought him over this evening, we didn't know if we were getting him as her bf's mother was going to have him but he was distressed at their house (they smoke) and was sneezing and coughing after a few hours of being there, and it was too noisy as its a busy household and they work so he wouldnt get enough attention. I said they should get a cat, as the mother does want a pet. Though tbh I dont think they really should have a pet at all. We got very little info about his previous life, not even what his name was!
 
Aww poor little sweetheart. I am so glad he is with you. I think a cat may be effected by smoke to. I wish him luck in his new home.
 
That's awesome! Cockatiels are awesome! They LOVE fruits and veg and should have it daily- but never citrus or tomato as it's bad for them (some people say it's okay but...) - you can find a suitable safe list of fruits and veggies for them on the internet. I used to give mine a few mealworms as a treat and they LOVE those too! Is he hand tamed? Sometimes they're being given up because if their needs aren't met, they can be VERY loud in their demands. Since you just have the one, I would suggest getting him a mirror or two as they like to have company, even if it's just a reflection- Mine loved to watch out the window. But if you want him to remain bonded to you- don't get a mirror for him but you'll have to take him out to bond and play with you often. You probably already know this, but when you go to sleep at night, put a sheet over the cage as that will keep him more comfortable, prevent draft (which can kill a bird), and keep him a bit quieter when the sun come up :) Lots of toys is never a bad thing but make sure that they don't crowd his cage. You can get supplements in a powder that you can either mix with his water or food that have the extra vitamins he'll need. He'll also molt at certain times of the year- which can get messy with feathers all over. You were good to take him away from the smokey house as birds are SUPER susceptible to air pollutants. If he ever gets sick, the best thing you can provide is heat and quiet for rest as birds are really finicky once they get sick and there is often nothing that can be done for them. I would purchase a bird bath for him as they have lots of grooming requirements that they generally take care of themselves. You'll have to clip his nails (sometimes they require beak trimming too) regularly as well- which is similar to guinea pigs with the length of the quick etc. You may want to have a professional do this for you as cockatiels can give a good nip if they are scared or hurt. Keep some quick-stop (or it's equivalent) nearby to stop any bleeding that might occur. If he is hand tamed- find out if his wings have been clipped lately. With clipped wings a bird cannot fly properly which prevents him from injuring himself if he gets panicked when you have him out of the cage (windows are killers and that's always what they fly straight for!). It doesn't hurt the bird to have his wings clipped but only let a professional do it for you- the feathers will grow back eventually so it is something that has to be done regularly. If you are not comfortable with having his wings clipped, you can remove him from the cage in a safe room that has no windows or things he could hurt himself on. Keep in mind that if he cannot fly- he cannot escape predators so if you have any animals make sure they can't reach him. Aside from that- they are very intelligent birds. They can even be taught to speak with some persistence! I can't wait to see some pictures!

http://www.cockatielcottage.net/tablefoods.html
 
I have two cockatiels duster who is very tame and Bullseye who was an unwanted pet. We got Duster first and then Bullseye as they do love company. Bullseye hates human hands we believe this is because he use to be grabbed by his last owners. But he will whistle tunes and giggle and although he will probably be a bird who will never like human touch he is a really sweet guy. Duster is a very friendly girl who loves to be held and would have us cuddling her all day if she could. Cockatiels are lovely birds.we have nets at our window but you can close the curtains when you get him out (are you sure its a male ?) You just need some barrier at the window .
 
I have never had cockatiels, but I used to breed budgies, which were lovely. A friend who lives nearby has cockatiels and sometimes I can hear them chattering. They are beautiful birds.
 
Got a picture of him today!

IMG_1237.JPG

No idea if the cage is big enough for him, its just what he came in. We bought some new toys for him, he seems to like the bell on the red thing.
I was reading about mirrors, lots of people seemed to be against them. He was pecking a fair amount at his and not really doing anything else so we took the mirror away and he seemed to get more active. He sang abit too, sort of like a car alarm.
I have no idea if he was ever tamed or grabbed at or anything. I am guessing that he probably was not hand tamed at all as he hisses abit if I bring my hand up near to him and sometimes pecks at it. I try to just talk to him lots, I don't want to upset him, but I do hope he trusts us enough in the future to lets us hold him. He does come over though and was ringing the bell or making little noises to get our attention, so he is friendly.
I am hoping to get him out the cage, I dont think his wings are clipped, they dont look clipped at all, but I havent seen him try and fly anywhere, he likes to climb. Hopefully he will gain confidence and come out the cage, of course with all the windows and doors shut ;)
We have a spray bottle and he loved being sprayed today, so he will be getting that every day. He did alot of grooming, his feathers are looking much better. We also got a vitamin supplement thing to put in his water, I think he needed it!
We have a spare room thats very well insulated and heated which he gets put in to go to sleep. I read they can get night frights so I put a little nightlight in there for him, its a really gentle one, just enough for him to see by but dark enough to sleep by too.
I think his claws need clipping, they look pretty long to me, but as he is still settling in, I think we will wait at least a week or so before attending to those.
Gave him some grape, some broccolli but he ignored both (left it on the side for him). I don't think the previous owners ever gave him fruit or veg, so I guess thats why he ignored it? We will keep trying with other things, it might be he still needs to settle down too.
I really hope he will be happy and come out of his shell more. I remember friendly parrots at the little zoo near me when I was little, I would stroke them for hours, they just loved it. I would love to be able to do this with him.
I am pretty sure he is male cause of his markings and he did sing earlier. I read females are much more silent.
 
I hope so! Never had a bird before :( I worry but hopefully time will be kind.
 
Got a picture of him today!

View attachment 25115

No idea if the cage is big enough for him, its just what he came in. We bought some new toys for him, he seems to like the bell on the red thing.
I was reading about mirrors, lots of people seemed to be against them. He was pecking a fair amount at his and not really doing anything else so we took the mirror away and he seemed to get more active. He sang abit too, sort of like a car alarm.
I have no idea if he was ever tamed or grabbed at or anything. I am guessing that he probably was not hand tamed at all as he hisses abit if I bring my hand up near to him and sometimes pecks at it. I try to just talk to him lots, I don't want to upset him, but I do hope he trusts us enough in the future to lets us hold him. He does come over though and was ringing the bell or making little noises to get our attention, so he is friendly.
I am hoping to get him out the cage, I dont think his wings are clipped, they dont look clipped at all, but I havent seen him try and fly anywhere, he likes to climb. Hopefully he will gain confidence and come out the cage, of course with all the windows and doors shut ;)
We have a spray bottle and he loved being sprayed today, so he will be getting that every day. He did alot of grooming, his feathers are looking much better. We also got a vitamin supplement thing to put in his water, I think he needed it!
We have a spare room thats very well insulated and heated which he gets put in to go to sleep. I read they can get night frights so I put a little nightlight in there for him, its a really gentle one, just enough for him to see by but dark enough to sleep by too.
I think his claws need clipping, they look pretty long to me, but as he is still settling in, I think we will wait at least a week or so before attending to those.
Gave him some grape, some broccolli but he ignored both (left it on the side for him). I don't think the previous owners ever gave him fruit or veg, so I guess thats why he ignored it? We will keep trying with other things, it might be he still needs to settle down too.
I really hope he will be happy and come out of his shell more. I remember friendly parrots at the little zoo near me when I was little, I would stroke them for hours, they just loved it. I would love to be able to do this with him.
I am pretty sure he is male cause of his markings and he did sing earlier. I read females are much more silent.
Awwww He's adorable! The cage is small but it would do until you can get him another. The bigger the bird the bigger the cage obviously. I think the recommended minimum is 24 inches by 18 inches for a cockatiel... I like to go for height myself rather than width and as long as they have horizontal bars of some sort it'd be good (they like to climb up them!). Yeah, my birds had never had fruit or veg before I got them and most of them still won't touch it :( a few of them learned to like it! My canary LOVES banana :) Mirrors are just a good option if you aren't able to spend a lot of time with your bird- most people are against them because the bird spends all his time with the mirror! lol! I put mirrors in for my canaries but they're much less interactive than cockatiels. Sounds like he has a good home with you :) I hope he warms up to you and you can hand tame him! I wish you were near me as I have lots of spare cages since I built the aviary that I would give you for free lol!
 
Awwww He's adorable! The cage is small but it would do until you can get him another. The bigger the bird the bigger the cage obviously. I think the recommended minimum is 24 inches by 18 inches for a cockatiel... I like to go for height myself rather than width and as long as they have horizontal bars of some sort it'd be good (they like to climb up them!). Yeah, my birds had never had fruit or veg before I got them and most of them still won't touch it :( a few of them learned to like it! My canary LOVES banana :) Mirrors are just a good option if you aren't able to spend a lot of time with your bird- most people are against them because the bird spends all his time with the mirror! lol! I put mirrors in for my canaries but they're much less interactive than cockatiels. Sounds like he has a good home with you :) I hope he warms up to you and you can hand tame him! I wish you were near me as I have lots of spare cages since I built the aviary that I would give you for free lol!

Aww that is so kind of you! Thank you for the offer anyway :)
Thats reassuring to hear, I was worried that if he didnt like any fresh stuff that he would get sick. I read that they can get frustrated that the image they see in the mirror isnt responding like a bird should and they can get aggressive, or they can get obsessed with the image and work themselves into a hormonal frenzy. I don't know how true that is, but he did seem more engaging with us once we took the mirror away. He shouldnt get lonely as me and my mother are at home all day, we have been carting the cage around to whichever room we are spending the most time in so he can be with us.
He seems to like eating with us, he started eating when he saw I was eating lunch, and he again went to his food when he saw me eating some cake at tea time (lol so british i know).
 
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