# New here, male cockatiel has turned mean



## msmarti58 (Feb 3, 2012)

Was looking for information as to how to turn around a problem with my male cockatiel and found this place. I got him as a baby from a pet store. I had already gotten my female cockatiel from there a few months before. They are both about 2 years old now, or maybe 2 and a half. He was always the outgoing one, he jumped right up on my shoulder when I was at the store and I thought, how friendly, and took him home. Well, in the last 8 months, I have had to separate him from the female, as he chases her all around the cage and is mean (she hates him and runs away). Then lately, in about the last 6 months, he has turned mean towards me, and even towards my husband who he was always sweet with. I normally get them out when I am at my computer and let them walk around. He will attack my hand, the hand with the mouse, and I cannot type either, he will attack my fingers. He hates my fist too. He will let me pet him, but he will be sweet one minute while I am petting him, and the next he will become enraged. It is so odd! I pet only on the head, as I am told. He will not get on my shoulder, but always on my head. If I put the female anywhere nearby he will chase her. He comes at me with open beak and wings outspread. I feel sorry for him so I let him out, but I really don't enjoy being around him anymore. When he is mean like this, I will say "No," shake my finger at him, and I will hiss at him, but this just enrages him and he will shriek at me. Normally then, I just put him back in his cage and leave him be. In the cage, he goes crazy with mirrors and will bang them noisily and sing to them, so I have removed those. He used to like to come out of his cage, but lately he doesn't much want to come out, and if he does, he will get under the sun lamp and sing to it (which I then move away so he won't burn himself), so I only get my female out. It is a small computer room. His cage is on one side, hers on the other. Sometimes I switch them to different cages. I feed seed, millet spray, and pelleted fruit pellets, but he will not eat those unless there is nothing else to eat. We put them to bed about 10 pm and then we get them up when we get up, which is sometimes around 4 pm (we both keep odd schedules). They both refuse any "healthy" foods. I have never before had birds, have always been a dog person, but fell in love with my friend's parakeet, and then got my two birds. His name is Reggie, and hers is Maddie. Of course I show preference to her, because she is a lovebug. I take them to the vets regularly, they are healthy. I used to keep them clipped but lately haven't taken them in. She can fly, and his feathers were clipped back severely and he still cannot fly. He just drops like a stone when he tries. Back when he could fly, he would get up on the ceiling fan and we couldn't get him down b/c we have 10 foot ceilings. Or he would get on the wall dividers between the kitchen and living room or up above the coat closet, and so we didn't like that.

Thanks!


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## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

Hi! Welcome to Talk Cockatiels!

From your post, it sounds like you have a hormonal boy on your hands! This is actually a quite common issue among tiel owners. You can try to do ALL of these hormone-reduction techniques:

-covering the cage for 12-14 hours each night to simulate winter (non-breeding months)
-rearrange the cage frequently
-move the cage to different locations of the house frequently (or different sides of the room if you can't manage another room in the house)
-keep "nesty" things away such as happy huts, boxes, dark places...and be sure to have a cage grate so he won't nest on the paper bottom

These techniques won't immediately have an affect on his behavior, but in about 2 weeks you might see him begin to turn around..back into your lovvely bird. You also should leave the mirrors out since it was causing behavioral issues.


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## Puppydog (Oct 13, 2011)

I had the same issue with my boy. It went on for about three weeks and as soon as it started I tried these methods. I took his mirror away and put him on long nights. He is much better. 

We now have strict rules. He is mean, he goes back in his cage. Now if he starts his nonsense and I say no he stops quickly. They are intelligent birds. They learn quite quickly what they can get away with. 

Put the hormone reduction into practice and when he is back to normal, start retraining.


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

Hi and welcome. Yes, it sounds like you have a hormonal boy on your hands. I think the above suggestions should help you. As for healthy foods, just keep trying. Tiels tend to like vegetables more than fruit but tiels have different preferences. Try cutting the vegetables up in different ways or hanging them. Also, try sprinkling some of their favorite seeds on top. I hope your boy turns sweet again!


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## stevechurch2222 (Sep 25, 2011)

Welcome to the forum,glad to have you here.


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## xoxsarahxox (Dec 13, 2010)

Hi and welcome to the forum


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Welcome to the forum


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