# new cockatiel 2nd day not drinking water eats very little



## riviera123

Hi I have a male cockatiel brought home yesterday from pet store .
They told me at pet store he was born in July 2012. I named him Booter . I have not seen him drink
any water yet . His water is in plastic box that hooks on cage. He doesn't want to eat anything either I put some different foods on a flat plate in cage. He did eat a little lettuce and Lima bean when he was outside cage sitting on my finger.
He seems to be picking at himself or grooming not sure what it is. He seemed happy when out of cage on my finger he didn't want go back in cage. Is this all normal behavior for bird in new surrounding ? He is very quiet too.


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## mouseb

This is normal for a new bird but it could also be due to the placement of the food dishes. Are they located by a favorite perch or the bottom of the cage?


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## riviera123

*food dish placement*

Hi the water and food dish is not near any perch located sort of towards bottom


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## MeanneyFids

here is a good sticky to read 

http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=33313


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## tielfan

Here's a sticky on getting a new bird to eat: http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=27080


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## marty10f

This is very normal for a new bird. When I brought Jasper home he did not eat or drink for about five days until he got used to everything around him. He was also extremely quiet, which made me question wether he was actually a male. But after about a week he was eating normally and chirping his little heart out at 6 o'clock in the morning. 
Also the 'picking' at him self is called preening, cleaning them selfs. Jasper will spend most of his day doing this. You should leave them in their cage for the first couple of days so that they have enough time to take everything in, but it is still ok that he seems happy and not frightened of you.


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## tweety2012

It took my newest adition banana a week to eat offer him millet that's all banana would eat...


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## half-moon

*Give it time*

Saying that he is a new bird this is a very normal reaction. He needs time o adjust to everything and cockatiels dont usually consume that much water either.
My cockatiel Solo got me really worried when I first got him... he weighed 84 grams, a normal weight for a young cockatiel. But after to weeks he only weighed 66. This worried me because I didn't want him to get sick and die, but soon after we bonded ,ore i worked hard giving him fatty foods and now he id a growing srong 91g cockatiel!

So moral of the story....ust give your new friend some time


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## Codyandme1

Very normal. Birds, like most animals, know where the water is. But in new surroundings and with new people it may take some time for them to become comfortable eating and drinking, in 'public'. If you get what i mean 
Eating and drinking for non domesticated birds, are times that the cockatiel is quite vulnerable. So as you can imagine, it will be more cautious at first, until he knows that you are a member of his flock.


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## rashid100

my tiel did not eat or drink thr first 2 days i got him.. also was very nippy..but he got used to and friendly in about a week


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