PirateParakeet
02-27-05, 12:12 PM 02-27-05
woo! my birthday is March 19th and I'm about to move in with my boyfriend (right now we're 450 miles apart), and I just found out that he's getting me a COCKATIEL for my birthday. The bird belongs to a friend of his who has had her for just about a year now; she was found in her backyard and was picked up off the ground, biting and squawking. Since then she's been rooming with an african grey (different cages, of course) and they get along all right. My boyfriend's friend wants to get rid of the tiel because of problems she's having with work and school. He doesn't know anything about birds so most of my questions went unanswered (age, sex, vet checked? etc), but I got the story out of him.
Now here's the problem..
Since she managed to catch it in her hands it's almost definitely not a feral bird, it belonged to someone and got out. However, she doesn't spend much time with it and because of that it isn't very friendly. My boyfriend says it's a young girl, but didn't say how his friend knew for sure. I'm used to budgies and I wanted a cockatiel as my next step up (I love finches but wanted to get something tameable). The problem is, I've only held a cockatiel once or twice. I see them all the time in stores, and I've even played with one lutino through the cage bars in Petsmart, but I don't know how to properly handle one, or how to tame. Is everything the same as with budgies? sitting next to the cage for at least an hour a day, talking to him until he gets used to you.. and then teaching "step up" with a perch and then moving to finger? Would that work?
What is the best bird food for cockatiels? I try to give my budgies Kaytee Fusion (pellets and seeds) but only ONE of my birds eats the pellets, and he's more playing with it than eating. Cockatiels are easier to get onto pellets, right?
.. I'll ask more later =D
Now here's the problem..
Since she managed to catch it in her hands it's almost definitely not a feral bird, it belonged to someone and got out. However, she doesn't spend much time with it and because of that it isn't very friendly. My boyfriend says it's a young girl, but didn't say how his friend knew for sure. I'm used to budgies and I wanted a cockatiel as my next step up (I love finches but wanted to get something tameable). The problem is, I've only held a cockatiel once or twice. I see them all the time in stores, and I've even played with one lutino through the cage bars in Petsmart, but I don't know how to properly handle one, or how to tame. Is everything the same as with budgies? sitting next to the cage for at least an hour a day, talking to him until he gets used to you.. and then teaching "step up" with a perch and then moving to finger? Would that work?
What is the best bird food for cockatiels? I try to give my budgies Kaytee Fusion (pellets and seeds) but only ONE of my birds eats the pellets, and he's more playing with it than eating. Cockatiels are easier to get onto pellets, right?
.. I'll ask more later =D