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New Tiel - a flock of queries for your advice your advice please

901 views 10 replies 4 participants last post by  Janalee 
#1 · (Edited)
Hello Dear 'tielers!

We got home Yohi, our new Lutino Cockatiel chick, when it was only about 3 weeks old. Presumably the eldest of a clutch of three. The intention is to hand feed it in order to and raise it to make it a member of our family and also an active part of our 9 year old daughter's daily life.

1.
Over the week, Yohi seems to have completely fledged and is flapping around the new wings. It even hopped yesterday. I am quite curious to learn about the opinions and reasons regarding the "first flight", what it's significance is, the whether to or not, and clipping wings, etc.

2.
Also, Yohi's appetite is increasing. We have been hand feeding with zupreem formula and fruit Cerelac, using a medical syringe (without the needle of course), usually 3 times a day, on almost empty crops (to a full tight crop) until it stops gaping.

3.
Yohi presently lives in a nest made inside a ventilated basket with a lid and lined with shreded newspapers. It goes back to it on its own or perches on its side wall when the lid is left open. I do have a few questions regarding training and housing.

My queries are:

1.1 Should it be let to fly? What is the significance of the first-flight?

1.2 In either case, is clipping wings a good idea? Best age for it?

1.3 Is there any way that I can tell the gender of the beautiful beast?



2.1 Ehat frequency should feeding be done at the age of 4 weeks onwards?

2.2 Why is Cerelac (fruit and grain) not advised? Baby hand feeding formulas are not easily available in small quantities locally so alternatives have to be considered.

2.3 When do I introduce other foods and how must I approach the bird with this transitioning?



3.1 When should it be moved to its own cage and what are the minimum requirements?

3.2 What age can I start to train it to mimic/talk?



Looking forward to your comments and valuable advice. Thanks in advance.


Yohi after a mini-bath today
 
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#2 ·
Yohi looks lovely!

Sorry, I don't have much experience with your questions because I am not a breeder and I bought my tiel when he was fully weaned (actually I think that in Australia breeders are not even allowed to sell babies who are not fully weaned).
Regarding clipping or not clipping opinions vary and I have seen threads where people discuss vehemently pros and cons.
In my particular case I prefer to clip my boy's wings (although right now his wings are not clipped) because he is a plucker and very lively and I am afraid he can hurt himself sometimes if he flies too high. He is also a small tiel, very light, and can fly low even with completely clipped wings, so he can come to me and have as much fun as he wants.

The first flight? Oh, I was so scared the first time he took off!!! I didn't expect it and suddenly he started to fly very high and didn't want to come down and I was really afraid he would hurt himself, but it was only a mum's anxiety. Actually he did very well. Again, it is individual, as some tiels are very good at flying around in rooms without hurting themselves while others are clumsy...

I am sure Yohi will give you and your daughter a lot of joy!
 
#3 · (Edited)
Oh, as for gender I think it is difficult before the first moult, and even more difficult with lutinos. Only a DNA test can tell you the gender at this stage, but DNA tests are expensive and probably not available everywhere. Males in general talk and whistle more.

And as for talking, I have learned his language instead of teaching him mine. :) In general boys are better than girls if you really want your bird to talk. I think some people use clicker training to teach their tiels tricks.
What he likes mimicking the most are kisses. He just loves blowing me kisses and he also understands the word. When I ask for a kiss I get it. :)
 
#9 ·
1.1 Should it be let to fly? What is the significance of the first-flight?

He will fly when he is ready. He might have already started flapping his wings while perching: that's him strengthening his flight muscles.

1.2 In either case, is clipping wings a good idea? Best age for it?

Don't clip his wings yet. Learning to fly is the most important thing a baby bird can learn. Clipping his wings can severely affect his confidence in flying, and even cause him to be a bad flyer in the future!

1.3 Is there any way that I can tell the gender of the beautiful beast?

Do you know the parent's mutations? If not, wait for his first molt. If it still has barrings on the undersides of his tail feathers, its a girl. If not, he's a boy

2.1 Ehat frequency should feeding be done at the age of 4 weeks onwards?

You should feed him 2-3 times a day, but start lowering the quantity of food in the afternoon. Start giving him millet, pellets, and veggies on the bottom of his weening cage

2.2 Why is Cerelac (fruit and grain) not advised? Baby hand feeding formulas are not easily available in small quantities locally so alternatives have to be considered.

Do you mean actual fruit and grains? He is too small to completely survive eating on his own.

2.3 When do I introduce other foods and how must I approach the bird with this transitioning?

You should put him in his weening cage and line the grate with paper towels. Put millet, cockatiel seeds, pellets, veggies. He will get curious and put some in the mouth.

3.1 When should it be moved to its own cage and what are the minimum requirements?

When he is fully feathered. Cage should have low perches, paper towels covering floor, and food on the floor. Be sure to change the paper towels daily to prevent food rot and bugs

3.2 What age can I start to train it to mimic/talk?

Mimicking and talking is mainly for male cockatiels. Females CAN learn, but it's rare. You can start by saying short phrases when you enter and leave the room. Try calling him by his name too. He should pick it up.


I kept my answers really short. If you need more clarification, I'm here.
 
#10 ·
Thank you for your answers. He's honing his flying skills and flying every where. He flies when my kids say "fly" every time it hears the command word.

Im going to make his future permanent cage his weaning cage now. Will line it as you said.

It's not eating as much as it did before.

It has fully feathered.

Still being hand fed exclusively.



Sent from my SM-J200G using Tapatalk
 
#11 ·
yohi

What an adorable picture! It sounds like you're doing great with him! as far as clipping wings, I have had it both ways. Right now, Bennie is fully-flighted and loves to do laps around my apartment! Sometimes he lands on my head :).
Yet, I am terrified of losing him. I lost my first cockatiel to an escape after I'd had her 5 years. It was awful. Bennie had his wings clipped earlier, but I love to let him fly. But I do worry about an escape; I even dreamed about it the other night. It's up to the individual.
Best wishes for your new little friend!
 
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