# Rescued a Traumatized Tiel



## MrsCoffee (Oct 30, 2012)

Hello everyone,
This is my first post here. I joined tonight because I just rescued a severely abused cockatiel. I have one cockatiel named Gizmo, and she is the sweetest baby ever. She loves pets and cannot stand not being near me. 
On the other hand, I have a second cockatiel now named Disco. He is roughly 2-3 years old. His first owners actually wanted to kill him. They killed his mate with a hammer right in front of him and he has been traumatized by God knows what else. Then, someone stepped up and decided to give him a chance. Unfortunately, she could only keep him for about a year, and while she took care of him he's gotten to the point of being able to "step-up."
He seems to be okay with hopping on my shoulders, but I cannot touch him or else I get bit. I sweet talk with him and he seems extremely interested in Gizmo. I honestly don't know how to really start with rehab for him so he'll become a sweetie like I know he can be.

He did let me pet him for a few moments before biting me, which I thought was a lot of progress, and so did his previous rescuer. He is a beautiful baby, but his feathers seem to not be in very good shape and unfortunately the rescuer did not feed him proper cockatiel food. She fed him finch food. She never bathed him or let him bathe in the year that she had him and she kept him in a fairly small cage. I have introduced Gizmo and Disco to each other, and it seems to be going okay.

Any help or thoughts on how I can slowly start to gain this baby's trust? I know a lot of time is going to need to be put in this, but I was just wondering if anyone had some tips or tricks?

Thank you,
Mrs. Coffee


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## FlippinBirdies (Oct 29, 2012)

Wow thats horrific babe!! Youre doing the right thing and I wish I could offer tips but I just wanted to say how lucky he is to have you


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

this thread should really help 

http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?p=314774#post314774



you really should not have put them together though. you should have quarantined for 30 days in separate rooms with doors closed and washed hands between each bird.... quarantine is important since birds can hide illness for a long time and can make your other bird sick without you catching it in time.


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## nassrah (Feb 27, 2012)

I just want to say that youre a very good person,giving this poor baby a better chance in his little life.Please,keep an eye on the birds for any changes.Hope everything goes well for all of you.Well done.X x


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## Annie (Nov 20, 2009)

Wow, that was horrible! How did you ever find out about all that? That's horrible. Even I am traumatized just hearing about something like that. I'm sure your love will slowly bring Disco around. Don't worry. Love heals all wounds.


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## MrsCoffee (Oct 30, 2012)

Thanks for the link! And thank you for the kind words. I was going to have them seperated but since he has seen her, they're inseparable. It's constant screaming and crying


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## MildlyAnnoyedBird (Jun 10, 2011)

Aw, poor sweet little guy.

Cockatiels, in my experience, are pretty resilient. Once you get him on good quality food, he will molt out the raggedy feathers (I wish I had a picture to show you the difference between what my Sunshine looked like when we got him, and what he looks like now) and they will come in sleeker and shinier. 'Tiels are dusty, and I've noticed when they don't bathe my guys get "splits" in the feather from dust or oils or even sometimes from preening. I might even try putting a bowl of lukewarm water in with him -- my guys love sitting in it when they really want to clean up. (After CC stopped sitting on her eggs, she sat in the dish of water for an hour!! I think she was so happy to be clean.)

Time and patience...but it sounds like he's going to come around again, which is great.


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## MrsCoffee (Oct 30, 2012)

Another quick question, should I clip his wings or not? He usually is clipped from what I have been told. But his wings are fully there. He is extremely flighty and crashes horribly. I'm scared he will break a wing or worse, his neck.


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

i would give it a few weeks first. let him settle into his new home. new birds dont know the home, so theyre likely to crash.

also if hes never flown before, he will be clumsy, but he will learn. i say give him time to settle first and let him learn how to fly properly  it will be rough at first, but he will be a pro  just leave him to settle into his new home for a few days before letting him out of the cage and dont push him


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

> He is extremely flighty and crashes horribly. I'm scared he will break a wing or worse, his neck.


If he's a danger to himself then it's best to get him clipped. You can let his wing feathers grow out later after he's had time to adjust to his new home. If you have someone else do the clipping then you won't be the bad guy. Having an avian vet do it would be a great way to go - you'd get a health assessment and a wing clip at the same time.

Food bribery is a very useful tool for winning the confidence of nervous birds: http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=28661


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

but if he was always clipped before he may not have learned to fly. clipping an unfledged bird can still cause crash landing and can be equally as dangerous and she will still be in the same boat when he starts growing them in again and clipping would have been pointless. a few days to settle and get used to his new home now is easier. he will learn fast  clipping an unfledged bird leads to uncontrolled flight and crash landings and he can badly hurt his keelbone.


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## MrsCoffee (Oct 30, 2012)

I will wait a week or so with his wings and see what happens. Unfortunately, food bribery does not work with Disco. He does not take food from the human hand. I am hoping to do some interactions with him through music because he seems to really love music. Maybe singing to him will help him calm down too.


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## cilenez (Oct 24, 2012)

MrsCoffee said:


> I will wait a week or so with his wings and see what happens. Unfortunately, food bribery does not work with Disco. He does not take food from the human hand. I am hoping to do some interactions with him through music because he seems to really love music. Maybe singing to him will help him calm down too.


if he will not take food from a human hand, try a target stick like they use in clicker training.. you do not need to clicker train to use a target stick to offer a treat.. it is worth a try..


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## Loopy Lou (Jul 26, 2012)

My cockatiel was in much the same situation when i got him, only being fed finch food, not allowed out of tiny cage, covered up all day whenever he opened his beak.

Strangely, he can't be tempted with food either. I've had him since may and it's been very slow going with training, but we are getting there so it can be done  With Smokey i use a mirror as his "treat". I hit upon going into the bathroom away from his cage to do some training and he kept trying to see in the mirror to ogle himself. To get to see the mirror he had to trust me, learn to step on a perch to see himself and then moved from the perch up onto me.

It could just be that Disco might not have tried other foods so doesn't know what he likes and so isn't tempted by them.


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## Bird Junky (Jul 24, 2012)

Hi I agree with all the previous posts. But suggest you don't pet him
until you have gained his trust with lots of treat foods & he invites
you to do so....B.J.


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

DallyTsuka said:


> but if he was always clipped before he may not have learned to fly. clipping an unfledged bird can still cause crash landing and can be equally as dangerous and she will still be in the same boat when he starts growing them in again and clipping would have been pointless. a few days to settle and get used to his new home now is easier. he will learn fast  clipping an unfledged bird leads to uncontrolled flight and crash landings and he can badly hurt his keelbone.


He won't necessarily learn quickly. Roo hasn't learned in almost a year and a half, and still crashes horribly when I let her be fully flighted. In this case I think I'd be in favor of clipping his wings now, for his own protection. If the clip isn't severe, he shouldn't be in danger of hurting his keel. Even if he still doesn't know how to fly when his flights come in again, he should be a lot calmer a few months from now.


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## MrsCoffee (Oct 30, 2012)

Loopy Lou said:


> My cockatiel was in much the same situation when i got him, only being fed finch food, not allowed out of tiny cage, covered up all day whenever he opened his beak.
> 
> Strangely, he can't be tempted with food either. I've had him since may and it's been very slow going with training, but we are getting there so it can be done  With Smokey i use a mirror as his "treat". I hit upon going into the bathroom away from his cage to do some training and he kept trying to see in the mirror to ogle himself. To get to see the mirror he had to trust me, learn to step on a perch to see himself and then moved from the perch up onto me.
> 
> It could just be that Disco might not have tried other foods so doesn't know what he likes and so isn't tempted by them.


I hope we can keep each other updated on our cockatiels! I've made it so the mirror is his treat also. He loves to talk to himself but unfortunately won't let me near him if it is there. 

I am going to get his wings clipped and as for a morning update, we seemed to have bonded in the shower  He allowed me to pet him and was extremely happy to see water!! He hasn't been able to bathe in over a year


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

I'm so glad you were able to take this tiel in. What a sad story. How can people be so cruel? It sounds like Disco is settling in nicely with you and very well considering all that he's gone through. I'm glad his story has a happy ending.


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## meaggiedear (Nov 20, 2011)

He is going to fiercely defend the mirror bc he sees it as his mate. Once quarantine is up, his treat can be to see another bird. It also helps for him to see your other birds trusting you.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

There are other ways to use food bribery besides having him take food directly from your hand. The food bribery sticky tells how to start from where you are and gradually work up.

Gizmo can be a big help too by setting a good example. Pay lots of attention to her right before you try to work with Disco, so he can see her interacting with you and loving it. Have her eat treats from your hand to help show him how its done. Then see what you can do with him. If he's shy or nervous, keep it brief and then turn your attention back to her.

Since he's interested in Gizmo he might get jealous of her interactions with you, and if he feels bold enough he might try to break up your little lovefest. So keep a piece of millet spray handy and keep an eye on him, and if you see him approaching with hostile intentions you can stick the millet spray between him and everyone else. No harm is done if he bites the millet spray, and if he decides he'd rather eat than attack, it can transform his initial negative action into something positive.


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## LadyLuvsHerBRDS (Oct 30, 2012)

FlippinBirdies said:


> Wow thats horrific babe!! Youre doing the right thing and I wish I could offer tips but I just wanted to say how lucky he is to have you


Hi Ms. Coffee, I think you're doing great. It seems you have a lot of patience (that is one of the key factors) in training and rehabilitating your new Cockatiel. Most books I have read concerning Cockatiels and their training, their behaviors, mannerisms, care etc. have always stressed that a Tiel owner has to be gentle and have lots of patience, allowing the bird to work at it's own pace rather than trying to force them to do anything. You may want to advise someone you know and trust (or a certified professional ) with a large degree of education, and experience on this subject to help you. I believe your new Cockatiel is in the right hands . Best wishes to you and your babies .


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## Clair (Jul 31, 2012)

I'm not big on cuss words, but as soon as I read about the hammer I wanted to post all sorts of bad words on here. I'm so upset I'm near tears. I'm so glad you took the little guy in. I hope he has a wonderful long life with you and the rest of your flock.


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## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

LadyLuvsHerBRDS said:


> Hi FlippinBirdies, I think you're doing great. It seems you have a lot of patience (that is one of the key factors) in training and rehabilitating your new Cockatiel. Most books I have read concerning Cockatiels and their training, their behaviors, mannerisms, care etc. have always stressed that a Tiel owner has to be gentle and have lots of patience, allowing the bird to work at it's own pace rather than trying to force them to do anything. You may want to advise someone you know and trust (or a certified professional ) with a large degree of education, and experience on this subject to help you. I believe your new Cockatiel is in the right hands . Best wishes to you and your babies .


It's actually MrsCoffee who started this thread and rescued the bird. FlippinBirdies was only commending her.


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## LadyLuvsHerBRDS (Oct 30, 2012)

*sorry.. *



bjknight93 said:


> It's actually MrsCoffee who started this thread and rescued the bird. FlippinBirdies was only commending her.


Sorry lol I misunderstood the way in which the thread was going obviously . Please be patient with me, relearning how the post and threads are read and posted .

Thanks again for your understanding bjknight93 . Have made corrections with regard to the addressee (Ms. Coffee) thanks


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## moonchild (Jul 29, 2012)

What a horrible story, but at least it has a happy ending. Everyone's suggestions have been good so far. I hope he learns to trust again soon.


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## MrsCoffee (Oct 30, 2012)

He seems to be doing pretty good. I had a friend come over to see how he is with males and he actually LOVES males. He hopped on my friend's arm right away and even let him pet him for a second. I've been slowly working on pets with Disco, but unfortunately halloween is not providing to be a very good time for Disco. Barking dogs and constant doorbell ringing is really stressing him out.  I'm playing some music for him to hopefully calm him down. He's hanging out on my shoulder right now.


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## meaggiedear (Nov 20, 2011)

I have one that prefers males.  it's good he is doing as well as he is. Keep it up.


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## moonchild (Jul 29, 2012)

Amazing that he still likes people after what he's been through! What a sweet boy.


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## MrsCoffee (Oct 30, 2012)

I hope so much that his personality will shine through totally!  I love being able to document his progress so that I can see how hes progressing through the months (once I get to the months part, anyway.)


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## Amyy (Apr 23, 2011)

killed a beautiful bird with a hammer! 
i so wanna go and hit tat person with the same hammer! :wacko:


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## MrsCoffee (Oct 30, 2012)

Right!? Is it that hard to just rehome a bird? Honestly :/ and disco sang to me today! Unfortunately I still can't pet him but i am hoping its a good sign?


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## meaggiedear (Nov 20, 2011)

making noise means he doesn't think you are predator so that's good! 

i have bird who i have had for almost year and refuses head pets, so it might not ever happen. it doesn't mean you won't form a bond, but don't be disappointed if it never happens. some birds are just that way.


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## xNx (Jun 6, 2012)

Wow, wonder how the old owners would like having their teeth taken out one by one with pliers in front of each other.... P****S


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## RedQueen (Feb 21, 2012)

xNx said:


> Wow, wonder how the old owners would like having their teeth taken out one by one with pliers in front of each other.... P****S


I thought something along the same lines when I read what happened... I decided against posting at first because it was hard to control my rage at this. If only I had the ability to exterminate such people... it's also absurd that there aren't stricter regulations and laws that would allow punishment or complete elimination from society for such cruel abominations.

On a happier note, it sounds like Disco is doing well  I'm also glad there are good people to take these poor animals and provide them with care and love.


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## LadyLuvsHerBRDS (Oct 30, 2012)

People can be so cruel..animals are kinder, but we call ourselves human..this is very sad, very sad.


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## moonchild (Jul 29, 2012)

Animals are not always kind, but when they aren't they are acting out of instinct. Human beings have no excuse. I don't care if it makes me a terrible person, I too wish harm upon the monster that would take a hammer to an innocent, defenseless creature. Let's hope karma will take care of him.


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## MrsCoffee (Oct 30, 2012)

So, just another update. I went to "Birds Out On A Limb" yesterday, which is a locally owned bird shop here where I live and I told them Disco's story. I came back in to get a free wing clipping, and she also clipped his nails. Along with that, she took out all of the old toys or ones she deemed "unsafe" and I ended up with about 45 dollars worth of new birdie toys for both Disco and Gizmo!  I was so thankful I almost cried. It's nice to know there is some support here in my own town and they were very welcoming and spent lots of time with Disco.


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## Nicci_ (Aug 28, 2012)

Wow! 'Mum & Dad' bird/pet shops always seem the best. It looks like Disco found the perfect owner in you  I admire all you guys that take in these birds!


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## moonchild (Jul 29, 2012)

That's fantastic MrsCoffee. Disco so deserves to be spoiled after what he's been through.


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## LadyLuvsHerBRDS (Oct 30, 2012)

Awww.. so happy to hear that this once gruesome story is having a healthy & happy continuation of life. Disco is a very blessed bird to have you . Thank you for keeping us updated on his progress. I love hearing stories where people like you with open hearts of compassion , faith, and courage prevail in such sad situations. GBU*


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## MrsCoffee (Oct 30, 2012)

Unfortunately, Disco has decided he now hates me. I do not know why. We went into the shower together like usual this morning. He LOVES to shower. I put him back in his cage, went out for a bit, came back and he's decided that I am not even allowed NEAR his cage. I have to open it slowly to allow Gizmo to come fly to me on her own because he'll jump up to the cage and try to attack me. I've tried calming him down and I now have a mutilated, bloody finger.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

He's probably in a bad mood or going through a brief phase. The best thing to do is to ignore him when he behaves like this, and interact with him when he's in a better mood. When your relationship is better established, you might be able to sweet talk or bribe him out of cranky moods - I frequently do this with Vlad.


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## MrsCoffee (Oct 30, 2012)

Alright, thank you for the input!


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## Loopy Lou (Jul 26, 2012)

My Smokey does that too. He's about 50/50 on what mood he's going to wake up in i think lol. Sometimes it's best to just leave him for a while til he decides he's in a better mood


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## hanna (Apr 14, 2012)

Even the best tiel can be miffed off for whatever reason or no reason, they can be moody sometimes. It happens here with Joe too. Could be before and during a heavy molt, or when they get hormonal.

Disco is a gorgeous tiel and lucky to have you. But it takes a lot to get a traumatized lill fella back to a loving and trusting tiel. Patience is the key word. Tiels are very forgiving birdies too. Chinn up, sooner or later you'll be rewarded with returning love.


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## Artagiel (Oct 23, 2012)

Is it possible he is having a hormone issue from being with Gizmo? Have they mated? 

Elvis is the sweetest boy in the whole world BUT when Abby gets him riled up with thoughts of eggs he becomes a regular piranha. This may be something that will pass, just keep up the good work!


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## Payton Leeroy (Sep 10, 2012)

I know not everyone will agree with me, but maybe one of the reasons he's upset is that you had his wings clipped. Lets face it, flight is huge for birds, and for one who already doesn't feel secure having that taken away could end up being a big step back. I know that Little Dragon has made great strides with me because he has the choice of flying away if I become too much for him, and he doesn't has to feel forced to interact.

As for being afraid of your hands, how is he with other body parts? LD was terrified of my hands, but had no problem with me rubbing his head with my nose or giving him kisses, so I started with that, then with having a finger touching my nose, and slowly had my nose farther and farther away. Now, less than two months after his rescue, he usually lets me reach up to pet his head without me even having to touch my nose first. Once he figures out I want to pet and am not trying to pick him up he crouches and bends his head down for me to give him his pettings.


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## daverohmfeld (Oct 26, 2012)

They say brewers yeast is good with stressed birds.


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## MrsCoffee (Oct 30, 2012)

Artagiel said:


> Is it possible he is having a hormone issue from being with Gizmo? Have they mated?
> 
> Elvis is the sweetest boy in the whole world BUT when Abby gets him riled up with thoughts of eggs he becomes a regular piranha. This may be something that will pass, just keep up the good work!


I'm not sure because Gizmo is just a baby. She's only at tops, 9 months old. Gizmo just kind of ignores him, he's a bit of a meany to her when it comes to feeding time. He's letting me do step up now, though! I can get him to do it four or five times until I get my skin torn off. I was playing piano last night and just screwing around with the keys and he's decided to sing that over and over and over again.



Payton Leeroy said:


> I know not everyone will agree with me, but maybe one of the reasons he's upset is that you had his wings clipped. Lets face it, flight is huge for birds, and for one who already doesn't feel secure having that taken away could end up being a big step back. I know that Little Dragon has made great strides with me because he has the choice of flying away if I become too much for him, and he doesn't has to feel forced to interact.
> 
> As for being afraid of your hands, how is he with other body parts? LD was terrified of my hands, but had no problem with me rubbing his head with my nose or giving him kisses, so I started with that, then with having a finger touching my nose, and slowly had my nose farther and farther away. Now, less than two months after his rescue, he usually lets me reach up to pet his head without me even having to touch my nose first. Once he figures out I want to pet and am not trying to pick him up he crouches and bends his head down for me to give him his pettings.


I actually feel the exact same way you do, but his safety was number one for me. I'd rather him hate me and not die from getting caught in something or hitting himself too hard on a wall, because the only time he'd fly was when he was absolutely terrified, it was like he was blind.

He is terrified of my entire being. I don't dare put my face near his because he would do some serious damage. One time he got close to my face and lunged for my eyes. My glasses stopped him, thank God. He definitely knows how to defend himself. The only part he is okay with is shoulders, but he won't hop up there on his own. Another safe time for him is in the shower with me. He will actually let me massage his neck in the shower but as soon as that water turns off, he freaks out and wants nothing to do with me again. Gizmo gets miffed if I turn it off. She seems to be more duck than Cockatiel.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

> I'm not sure because Gizmo is just a baby. She's only at tops, 9 months old.


That's an undesirably young age to start laying eggs, but it's definitely old enough for sexual activity. Some of my babies started mating with each other at 5 months, and I've heard of them doing it as young as 3 months.


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## billabong (Nov 22, 2012)

MrsCoffee said:


> Unfortunately, Disco has decided he now hates me. I do not know why. We went into the shower together like usual this morning. He LOVES to shower. I put him back in his cage, went out for a bit, came back and he's decided that I am not even allowed NEAR his cage. I have to open it slowly to allow Gizmo to come fly to me on her own because he'll jump up to the cage and try to attack me. I've tried calming him down and I now have a mutilated, bloody finger.


My heart goes out to you; it would not be easy rehabilitating a traumatized bird. But as for his sudden behaviour, I wonder which hemisphere do you live it? Here in Australia, it is spring time. My 7 year old male tiel, Nandy, who is normally as tame and sweet as can be, has suddenly become extra hormonal, and has been trying to build a nest. First he demolished the backs of some of my books on a bookshelf, but now I have given him an old cane box in the same area. He is extremely defensive of that territory, and complains bitterly if I take him anywhere else during the day. On some days, he has also been a bit nasty to me, and won't let me touch him, and has even bitten a little (not normal for him). Oh these 'hormonal' days, he also refuses to eat during the day. Then around 4pm, he returns to his normal sweet self.

To my mind this is all consistent with instinctive nesting behaviour. If he had a mate, he would be guarding the eggs by day, and would not be eating in the day time. Nandy does not have a companion as yet (though I am organising to try a 4 year old female out with him to see whether they take to eachother).

My point is, a mature cock does not need a mature hen to start doing this hormonal behaviour. Perhaps you could try giving him something that resembles a nest, and leaving him to it during the day.

You are doing a wonderful job. Don't despair! Your patience will pay off


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## Fweet (Apr 9, 2012)

I've only just seen this thread so apologies for bouncing in late but I had to share my hate for the bird-murders. Poor Disco, what a lot he's been through but what a lovely little feller he looks despite his moodies. How is he doing now?


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