# Did I make a mistake?



## Kittytiel (Mar 15, 2016)

Hi guys,


I have had my first tiel for around a year now, he is incredibly tame - talks, sings, steps up, comes in the bath with me, shower.. everywhere really!

As I was working a lot I felt a little guilty, maybe he was lonely at home you know? I went and bought two more cockatiels. I bought two as they were caged together in a cramped pet shop, there's no way I could of left them there.

I have had the newer tiels for around 3 months now, they are incredibly untame. Very rarely they will now eat out of my hand, but they will not even attempt to step up, I have spent a lot of time with them.

Are they ever going to be tame? Is it because they are together? I considered putting the quieter one in with my first tiel, to separate them. Is this a good idea?

Please help, I feel a little heartbroken that they are still so scared and unsure of me!

Thanks,
Kittytiel


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## Janalee (Jul 25, 2012)

*a mistake?*

Hi Kittytiel - I have never owned more than one cockatiel at a time. I think it would be harder to train 2 birds that have been kept together and are not hand tame. Do you keep the 2 cages close together? Do they seem to get along when their cages are near each other? Maybe you could keep your single 'tiel as one to interact with and the others separately as "roommates" and companions for him to "talk" to?
I truly understand how you feel about leaving your bird alone; I feel exactly the same about Bennie! But I think it's hard to add another cockatiel after you've had one for awhile. 
I hope someone who has experience with multiple 'tiels will answer your post. What I've posted are just thoughts from me; like I aid, I've never had more than one cockatiel at a time. Good luck!


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## LeahB (May 25, 2016)

What are the genders of the birds? 

Even having other birds nearby is providing some company. For taming, try clicker training!


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## Vesta Turan (May 19, 2016)

We bought Jupiter a cage mate, but when we got Luna she was very young and pretty well tame, so all I can go off of is how it was when I bought Jupiter.

I bought Jupiter from a pet store. When we brought her home she was very untrusting and didnt allow us to touch her. I read online that I should sit near her cage and read a book out loud and try to spend as much time eating and doing interesting things within eye shot of her. Her curiosity got the better of her little by little and soon she was coming out of the cage to get closer to me. Eventually she would climb onto the chair I was in, and the rest is history.  I do remember that petting came before stepping up or anything like that. I believe that siting near their open cage, with some way for them to climb over to you, with your tame bird playing around on you or your chair, would be the best approach. Never force them to be handled, unless it is medically necessary, and respect their space. They will grow to trust you. You may not have the same relationship with them that you do with your tame tiel, but you all will eventually become a family given time and patience. 

Make sure that their wings remain clipped until they are tame.  Chasing them around the house would not be a good bonding experience.


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## devilangel09 (Feb 5, 2008)

Avoid clipping the wings it's not Necessary and won't help them gained your trust they will fear you either way just be patient separate if need be and try tame one at a time


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## Lunawolfsong (Mar 31, 2016)

I can't add much, personally. I wanted to comment on the clipping comments. The thing with clipping is that it's entirely up to the individual; for some people, it _is_ necessary. With others, it isn't. However, because of how dangerous a home is, I believe that if a person isn't sure that they are ready to take on a flighted bird, then they shouldn't. Better to have a clipped bird than a dead bird because the owner wasn't prepared for it. 

Here's what I would suggest to you on the clipping: if you _aren't_ going to clip, then make sure to do your taming in a small room where it will be easy to catch the bird, where you control the situation (i.e. no other pets, no doors opening, etc), and then make sure that that room is 100% bird proofed. I agree with Vesta Turan in that chasing them around is not good for the birds or for you. However, I also agree with DevilAngel09 in that clipping them will frighten them and hurt their trust in you. So I see three options here, personally:

1. You don't clip them and you move them to a smaller room (it would have to be their room until they are tamed). 

2. You clip them, and set the trust back a few steps, but you can eventually gain their trust again and be able to work with them anywhere that's best for you and the birds

3. You don't clip them and you don't keep them in their own, small, bird proofed room. This would mean you would constantly be at risk of them flying out of their cages, and since they aren't tamed, they aren't going to come to you when called or step up for you once out. You would have to bird proof your entire house and make sure that doors and windows are shut and locked while the cage door is opened and if they get out you have to figure out how to catch them which, like Vesta Turan said, isn't good for the bond.


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## Kittytiel (Mar 15, 2016)

LeahB said:


> What are the genders of the birds?
> 
> Even having other birds nearby is providing some company. For taming, try clicker training!


My original cockatiel is male, the other two are male and female. I do feel they are not progressing because they are together.

I have decided to not clip them, as I never clipped my first bird and I am able to keep them in a small room for the time being.

I'm not expecting them to be doing tricks, or even singing. I just need them to step up for easy in/out cage movements  - if they could step up I could allow them out much more frequently which I think will result in them all being a lot happier.

Thank you for your help everyone, I'm not giving up yet!


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## Fran.bath89 (Jun 12, 2016)

I had a cockatiel growing up she was around 6 years old when we got her and very hand tame we took her on as he previous owner had a baby and the baby was athmatic (not sure if that's spelt right lol) she was so lovely and we got her a big parrot cage as she came with a small cage. Then we thought I bet she would like a friend! So we went and got her a young male from a pet store who was supposedly hand reared and hand tame. They clipped only one wing saying this will help with settling him in. So we took him home he knew loads of different bird songs from being at the pet store but he never did become tame. He also never became friends with our original bird she hated him and would attack him if he ever came close to her. I would open the door and they would climb out on their own the male would often attempt a flight and crash and this was the only time he would let you touch him because he would need picking up and placing back on top of the cage. Once he grew back his feathers he wasn't able to fly I guess having the wing clipped effected him learning to fly. So unfortunately not all birds will become tame and clipping can effect their flying abilities even after feathers grown back. Our female never did accept him either but this was probably because she was always a lone bird for those 6 years that she was too familiar with humans to accept her own kind.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Try offering them a fist instead of fingers. Tiels tend to be scared of just the fingers on our hands. Also, lots of treats. Food bribery really helps. Check out the sticky library on training. Separating them will make it easier to tame them.


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## LeahB (May 25, 2016)

How do the two male birds interact?

While there are exceptions, it's usually easier to tame the birds if they are housed in separate cages. Not to mention that you (most likely) don't want the male and female breeding! 

Clicker training is a terrific way to just get the birds tame. Try it! I swear it works terrifically with untamed birds! I recently got an untamed parakeet happy to step on for a variety of people and get a ride around the house using clicker training in a week or so. Admittedly, he's not as ADHD as some parakeets....


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## rockysmum (Mar 1, 2011)

*Gaining trust*

Hi , that's lovely of you taking in the two tiels. I'm a retired tiel breeder and tiel rescuer , It's a slow process gaining the trust of an untame tiel but it can be done , the advice to sit with the birds is good, and if you can separate them for training and taming that would be good but they might get edgy and call for each other , sit with them on a chair next to their cage, talk softly to them , eat next to them , I start by getting the tiels used to my hand resting flat on the cage ,slowly move your flat hand towards their cage if they go mad and flap stop and move your hand away when they settle then try again stopping when they flap they need to see that your flat hand is not a threat , when they are ok with your hand on their cage the next step is to place your hand inside their cage don't attempt to touch them just get them used to your hand in their cage ,each time they look edgy with your hand goi g in their cage stop and slowly take hand out then try again always move hand very slowly , when they are relaxed with your hand going in the cage next step is to do the same but hold a price of millet don't go too near them you need to get them to walk to the millet eventually they will , keep repeating that and soon they should be happy eating the millet from your hand , it can take a while but you will do it , they will sence you like them and will trust you , don't put your hand towards their face they will back off . I have one rescue tiel who I have had for ten years he won't stop onto my hand he hates hands so I use a perch he steps up happily onto the perch and when he wants he puts his head down for me to scratch, if he can trust a human your two should it just takes lots of patience and time you will do it I know you will as you obviously love tiels.


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