# RRRGH! Help!



## tightrope10 (Apr 1, 2012)

H will eat only the millet on a stick from my hand now, I just need to get him to like me enough to let me hold him!! It is a very frustrating circle. I need to be able to give him baths, also he is plucking his feathers and I want to make him happy by playing with him, and it is hard to get him out of the cage. I need to be able to hold him to do these things, so how do I do that!?

Also, what is a better way to get him from his cage? Right now I have to bang on the side to get him out the open door, Which I'm sure if stressful for him.


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## meaggiedear (Nov 20, 2011)

Are you man handling this bird at all? Or pushing him to train or bond when he doesn't want to? If he is plucking, that means he is stressed. If the bird isn't ready to be your friend, you will have to wait on him. You can give him mist baths in his cage if he needs a bath.


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## tightrope10 (Apr 1, 2012)

No, I don't touch him, I wait for him to come to me. The only thing I've accomplished so far is having him eat from my hand =/


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

But you bang on the side of the cage to get him out? That's teaching him to be afraid of you.


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## tightrope10 (Apr 1, 2012)

I know, thats why I need to find a different way to get him out =/


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

How long have you had your tiel and how old is he? I think you should stop banging on the side of his cage. I'm sure that's scaring him which probably is making him be afraid of you. You may need to start at step one and just spend time quietly sitting and talking with him while he is inside of his cage. At the top the training and bonding section is a taming stickie. Try the suggestions there. Patience is key and try to move along at his pace, not the pace you want him to be at. And like meaggiedear said, you can give him mist baths in his cage until he is more comfortable being out.


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## tightrope10 (Apr 1, 2012)

I think about 9 months.


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

And how long have you had him?


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## tightrope10 (Apr 1, 2012)

about 6 =)
I just went up and talked to him quietly. I came up with an idea, tell me if you think this will work. I give him a little taste of millet, and then put it in the air right out of his reach. I then stick out my finger, and bridge the gap, so the only way for him to get the millet is to step on my hand. Will it eventually work?


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Try leaving the door of the cage open and just let him come out on his own. Also, you can mist him in the cage, you don't need to take him out to give him a bath. He may even like the misting after a couple of tries. Where is he plucking at? This could be a sign of illness or stress (the banging on the cage could be the source of stress). Try setting the millet right outside the cage and see if that will tempt him, but don't force him out of the cage, let him get out on his own.


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## tightrope10 (Apr 1, 2012)

His new cage doesn't come off of its stand, so what do I do? =/
I'm sorry about the banging, I thought that he needed to come out, and that was why he was plucking. He is plucking behind his wing.


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

Try some of the suggestions in this thread: http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=22073. Tiels do need out of the cage time but they have to be comfortable coming out of the cage. It doesn't sound like your tiel is yet. If you take things slowly, I think he will come around.


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