is cockatiel care different than budgie care ? i need help!

[11bryces]

the title says it all

[sweetrsue]

Well they don't eat the same food. Can you be more specific about what you are asking? Here is a basic care sheet i give to new parents:
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEW BABY COCKATIEL.

Your bird has been handfed from age 3 weeks or younger and is very tame and comfortable around people. It has been abundance weaned and human socialized. The first week or so are a getting acquainted period for you and your new companion, and for the bird and its new surroundings. It is no longer around his/her siblings, has a new cage, new people, new environment and food and water dishes it has never seen before. It's not unusual, given these conditions, for the bird to refuse to eat for a day or two. This would be a good time to offer the bird food from your hand. A bit of seed or better yet some millet. This baby is accustomed to being hand fed so they associate hands with food. This will get them eating faster as it takes a while for them to realize that a bowl they don't recognize has food in it. It's also a good way to build a bond of trust between you and your bird.
The first couple of days the bird should spend IN the new cage. It has to discover where the seed and water dishes are, as well as get accustomed to new surroundings. The first time the bird is let out of the cage, make sure ALL your windows are closed and do this preferably in the evening. Be certain to close the curtains or drapes as this will prevent the bird from flying headlong in to the glass and injuring itself. Make this first time out about an hour or so (less if it seems to stress the bird) and then put the bird back in the cage. Speak softly to your bird and avoid making any quick movements. Your bird has been taught the "Step Up" command. If you put or hand or finger on the birds belly just above the feet and say "Step Up" he/she should step onto your hand. It may open its beak as it reaches towards your hand. DO NOT PULL AWAY, it is not going to bite you, it is simply using its beak to balance itself as it gets on to your hand. Never leave your bird out unattended when out of the cage, there are just too many ways for the bird to injure itself.
To reprimand the bird when it’s been up to a no-no, just raise your voice and say “NO", or "BAD BIRD” . DO NOT HIT the bird, birds can be injured easily and if you don't do serious harm you will at the very least encourage bad behaviour and end up ruining the trust you are trying to achieve. The best way is to distract the bird and turn his attention elsewhere.

CARE and HOUSING

The ideal cockatiel cage is square or rectangular, round ones may look nice but are generally designed for looks and not for the comfort of the bird. A minimum of 18" by 18" is OK for a single Cockatiel. Your bird would however be happier in a larger cage. The basic rule of thumb is buy the largest cage you can afford. It's also a good idea to provide a variety of perch sizes. A rope perch or "Comfy Perch" provides a very comfortable place for the birds to roost.

CLEANING

one half of a cup of household bleach to a gallon of water makes a good cleaner/disinfectant solution. RINSE THOROUGHLY (this is a bathtub job). Clean the cage regularly like this, preferably once a week. In the summer months you can put the cage to dry in the sun, which serves as a further disinfectant. Disinfect the seed and water cups at least once a week.

DIET

Your bird is a seedeater, but that doesn’t mean it eats seeds exclusively. Your baby has been weaned on seed, Zupreem Fruit Blend pellets, vegetables and a mixture of beans. Variety in diet is the key to a healthy and long lived bird. Do not over fill the seed and pellet dishes, the average daily intake for an adult cockatiel is about 2 tablespoons. Start off with this amount and make small adjustments, based on how much or little seed is left among the hulls in the morning, there should be just a few left over. CHANGE SEED AND WATER DAILY. The seed and pellets should be supplemented with FRESH GREENS and VEGETABLES. Be sure to wash greens and vegetables thoroughly to remove harmful pesticides. Sunflower and safflower seeds, as well as peanuts and other nuts, are very fatty and should be fed very sparingly. Excess oil in the diet can lead to liver problems and a noticeable increase in the yellow and orange feathers, both in intensity of color, as well as the quantity. Vegetables your bird may relish include grated carrot, carrot top, broccoli, fresh spinach (not too much), Swiss chard, bok choy, thawed frozen peas and corn, beet leaves, yams and sweet potatoes, cooked pinto beans, garbonzo beans, lima beans, navy beans ,split peas, lentils and if you can find it Quinoa seed is a nice healthy grain (I find it in the bulk bins in the health food section. It is high in calcium and cooks up like rice.

Do NOT sprinkle gravel or grit on the floor of the cage, it is painful for the bird to walk on (you try it), plus it’s wasteful. Also, do not waste your money on sandpaper covers for perches; they are painful to the bird, do not even do what they are supposed to do: trim the bird’s nails, and can lead to a condition called “bumble foot”. Birds that hull their seed (like all parrots, including cockatiels) do NOT need grit. A mineral block and or a cuttlebone should be provided to add much needed calcium to your birds diet. Birds need calcium for a variety of reasons. Feather production and egg production among them.

VITAMINS

A water soluble vitamin supplements can be used as well as a product called Ornabac. Ornabac is a beneficial bacteria which aids in the digestion process. It can be sprinkled over moist foods. The water has to be changed daily with water soluble vitamins and the water cup should also be cleaned daily. Be careful not to overdo vitamins.
Some solitary hens can become chronic egg layers, something which is very hard on their system. Should this happen to you best thing for you to do is to allow the bird to keep and brood her eggs, which she will do after 4, 5 or 6 eggs, or whatever number she determines makes her clutch complete. If the eggs are removed it will prompt the hen to lay more eggs. Laying eggs draws a lot of calcium from her system and it is imperative to provide her with an adequate amount in her diet so that she doesn't become eggbound. It is even more important than usual for your bird to have access to a mineral block and or cuttlebone for the calcium content. Make sure she gets adequate exposure to unfiltered sunlight (NOT through the glass in a window) or a full spectrum light to allow her to synthesize vitamin D3, which she needs to properly absorb the calcium.

BATHING

Some cockatiels really like to bathe, so from time to time provide a bath, like a ceramic plant saucer or shallow cassarole dish with some water, but do not leave it in for more than a couple of hours or so, as it soils quickly and the bird should not be allowed to drink soiled water. Most birds prefer to be sprayed with a plant mister filled with lukewarm water.

WARNING
Be very careful with non-stick cookware (Teflon, Silverstone etc.) when there are birds in the house. When overheated, usually by accident, these non-stick items give off a highly poisonous gas which will kill the bird very, very quickly. PLEASE BE CAREFUL.

[11bryces]

thanks so much im sure that will help me a lot !

[atvchick95]

there isn't much difference in taking care of budgies vs. tiels

my budgies eat the same foods the tiels eat. including pellet size (not all the time but they have and have no problems doing it, Just like the tiels have ate the parakeet sized pellets and had no issues sometimes i think they prefer the budgie sized to their tiel size)

toys are about the same, What ever my budgies play with so do my tiels. Size wise on toys they get the same sizes in toys. all my birds have cockatiel sized swings, The budgies even have 1 cockatoo sized swing

cages are about the same BUT bar spacing is different, tiels can go up to 5/8th inch but as with any bird size wise bigger is better A lot of the cages labeled "cockatiel" size isn't fit for a cockatiel but works great for a budgie

Maintenance is the same... well that's the same with all birds lol clean food and water daily, clean cages clean toys etc.

to me other than size and temperament there is no real difference between how the two are taken care of and raised

[11bryces]

i know im asking a lot but im not sure i will be allowed to buy a cockatiel from a breeder and will probably buy one from someone or petstore ..

how tame are cockatiel from pet store? will they allow me to touch or make the bird step up before i buy it ? will they know the sex of the bird also ? and what kind of behavior a cockatiel should have ?

i have seen cockatiel in petstore with wounderfull personalities and very playful and alive but had feathers in bad condition (like messed up tails and stuff) .. and i have seen beautiful cockatiel but with a depressed attitude, not playfull , lack of movement etc... what about the age ?

[11bryces]

Originally Posted by atvchick95

there isn't much difference in taking care of budgies vs. tiels

my budgies eat the same foods the tiels eat. including pellet size (not all the time but they have and have no problems doing it, Just like the tiels have ate the parakeet sized pellets and had no issues sometimes i think they prefer the budgie sized to their tiel size)

toys are about the same, What ever my budgies play with so do my tiels. Size wise on toys they get the same sizes in toys. all my birds have cockatiel sized swings, The budgies even have 1 cockatoo sized swing

cages are about the same BUT bar spacing is different, tiels can go up to 5/8th inch but as with any bird size wise bigger is better A lot of the cages labeled "cockatiel" size isn't fit for a cockatiel but works great for a budgie

Maintenance is the same... well that's the same with all birds lol clean food and water daily, clean cages clean toys etc.

to me other than size and temperament there is no real difference between how the two are taken care of and raised

thanks for helping your kind!

[atvchick95]

I've never gotten a Cockatiel from a pet store, but i've seen them and interacted with them some were kinder then others

the tail issue has a lot to do with how they're housed at the breeders and or the pet shops their self

Some pet shops do allow you to handle a bird first , but not all, but it never hurts to ask

but if you handle any bird or even touch cages at a pet shop(or a breeders). and you have birds at home scrub your hands well specially under the nails before interacting, or doing anything with your bird(s) at home. if you are allowed to handle a bird at a store/breeder and it climbs on your clothes Change those as well before interacting with your own birds

You never know if a bird at a breeder/ pet shop is sick and you don't want to bring a illness home to your birds unknowingly

[11bryces]

okay thats some great tips thanks ... ill look for that and wear a suit ! haha

[tielfan]

The condition of the tailfeathers can also be related to the age of the birds. Baby cockatiels are notorious for breaking their tailfeathers!

[11bryces]

oooh i didn't know that ... good to know !