# Out of cage time



## tammyk1972 (Jun 1, 2013)

Hello, I just got Keeta yesterday and was wondering how soon should I let her out of her cage? I'm a little nervous about her getting hurt and not being able to get her back in her cage. She is a little nervous and when I put my hand in she goes to the back corner so I feel if I let her out, I will never get her. I have been putting my hand in her cage almost every hour for about 10 minutes and talk to her, hoping she will get use to my voice and my hand. She has gotten up on my finger a couple times but I don't think it was really because she wanted to, was thinking was getting away from me. Last night while I was just talking to her, it seemed my voice was soothing her because she kept closing her eyes like she was going to sleep. Also, she didn't eat all day yesterday until I put the cover over her. Is this normal for a bird?


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## cheery (Nov 15, 2012)

Is she an aviary bird? Was she weened properly? If she is very young she cold be missing her parents. Birds go into corners for safety and she may still be uncertain of her new environment. The fact that she goes to sleep says she isn't too scared of you. 

If she is a young bird and the food is on the bars, try a few bird safe bowls on the cage floor so she gets used to eating different food from when she was raised and that she has to feed herself. After a few days she will associate the food on the side of the cage with the food on the bottom and will use them more and more until you can remove the ones off the floor.

That is how we did it with Oscar, mind you he was hand raised and we could handle him as much as we wanted to. At first he would only eat if we held a bowl up for him.


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## tammyk1972 (Jun 1, 2013)

Cheery, Keeta was hand raised. When we went to pick her out, breeder had cage door open, holding a baby, and had like 10 others. We have her perches close to the bottom of the cage by her food dish. Like I said, she ate once she was covered. She seemed to like the food and didn't bother her when I "Peaked" under the sheet to see her eating. She is 6 weeks old and was in a cage with like 6 others. I am very new to owning a tiel and just want to be sure I do everything right and have a great bond with her where I can get her out of her cage without her being scared or getting her because she is flying away from me.


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## Haimovfids (Sep 19, 2012)

If you recently got her you need her to adjust into her new house, it's normal for cockatiels not to eat on the first day home but she will eat later, it seems she is a litte bonded which is great start! Keep doing what your doing and make sure to post pictures


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## tammyk1972 (Jun 1, 2013)

Thanks Baruch. So are you saying we shouldn't let her out of cage yet? When should we start that?


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## Haimovfids (Sep 19, 2012)

You can leave the door open and if she wants to get out then she will you should take a perch and put her in with her stepping on it


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## tammyk1972 (Jun 1, 2013)

Thank you for all the info. Now, how do I post a picture? :bare eyed too:


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## KahlaAndLeia (May 22, 2013)

Hi!

I know with my birdy pal she was very much the same! I got her when she was 6 weeks old and she was incredibly nervous when I came near her. The first day I let her be, the second I left the main cage door open and she VERY slowly made her way closer and then just sat on the edge of the door... but every time i moved shed back up. The forth day I ended up just biting the bullet and pulling her out very gently, and once she was on my shoulder she seemed to calm down (must have realised i wasnt going to eat her!) And after that day she hates being IN her cage and always begs to come out!

Good luck!


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## tammyk1972 (Jun 1, 2013)

I thought about just leaving the door open also, but I'm just so nervous she will fly away and I won't be able to retrieve her  She did however, come up on my finger today....twice  I was so excited. Then she actually took a few bites of millet too! So maybe she is warming up to me  I think maybe next weekend I will start with the door open, once she gets even more use to me....


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## hanna (Apr 14, 2012)

Yes, just slowly start to get her out, but make sure doors, windows are shut and nothing dangerous is in the room.
Are her wings clipped? If yes she won't be able to fly much.
Give her time, I see you are doing the right thing.
And when you start to leave the cage door open ( but please ONLY when you are at home ) she will come and go as she pleases. This is what we do with our Joe. She may like to spend some time on your shoulder or on your head too which is very cute and sweet and she'll let you know when she wants back ( most likely with a constant chirp )


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## Vickitiel (Oct 10, 2012)

When I have acquired new birds I haven't let them out of their cages until they are visually comfortable with their surroundings. A bird adjusting to a new environment is likely to hurt itself if it is let loose too soon.. my Honey got a fright flying around one day and lost about four blood feathers. It was not nice, there was blood


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