# Some advice for the newbie



## Raiderette (Jan 28, 2008)

Hi everyone,

I am new here. I have a 14yr old lutino who lives with my Mum because she loves him so much. I'm not allowed to have him come home with me (lol) so I am looking to buy a new hand-raised baby for me . I'm not sure what I should be looking for, but I think I would prefer a male. I've been trying to find some breeders around my area (Canberra, Australia) , and have visited a couple but the birds are either female, older than 3-4mths or not tamed, just hand-reared and left. Do I need to travel to Sydney to find a good bird? Should I be getting a newly weaned baby, or is it ok to get a 3mth old if I want it tame? Is there a better mutation/colour to get so that I am more likely to come home with a male?

Any help would be much appreciated


----------



## allen (Aug 25, 2007)

if you want a hand fed tiel then may i sugesta hand fed tiel i,m sure the others that are from australia on this forum will no of some good breeders getting a hand fed tiel was the best thing i did they do require alot of attention though everybody has there own personal preference on mutation so it is all up to what you like


----------



## Bea (Jul 26, 2007)

Hi there, and welcome!!  I'm in Canberra and i can tell you now there are a few good tiel breeders in Canberra. Whether or not they'll have babies at the moment is another matter, but they could have. Getting a baby when it's just weaned is good, it's best if it hasn't been allowed to start going wild in an aviary. I'll PM you the email address and phone number of the breeders i got Bailee from. If they have nothing you can try contacting the Aviculture Society of Canberra and see if they can point you to a different breeder. 

http://www.avisocietycanberra.org.au/


----------



## Laura (Jul 30, 2007)

Welcome to the forum you have come to the right place Bea can steer you in the right direction


----------



## allen (Aug 25, 2007)

who better then to have bea give you advise


----------



## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

Welcome  Good luck on finding a new cockatiel. Mabey you could get the baby you find dna tested to see if it is a male. The breeder I got Spike from will dna test the birds until you find the sex you want(you pay for the tests). I would not of been able to do that though. If Spike was a girl I was going to take him home anyway.


----------



## Sophia (Aug 11, 2007)

Hi, and welcome  Hope you find the tiel you want, and find a good breeder


----------



## Aly (Jul 30, 2007)

Hi and Welcome! Bea should be able to give you some great info.


----------



## nic bike (Oct 21, 2007)

Welcome! hope you find the perfect Tiel for yourself!


----------



## Raiderette (Jan 28, 2008)

Hi everyone, thanks for your quick replies and good wishes.

I've been to see some babies today, a friend at work said they knew someone. I found a whiteface (i think it was whiteface pearl) that I quite liked. The babies were all unweaned, so not ready to go home yet (which is ok with me) but the breeder said they were about 3 mths old and being slow to wean. They all looked very scruffy/untidy/dirty and the whiteface was missing a big spot of feathers on his chest. The cages were spotless and clean, and the whiteface looked quite happy and would come out and step onto my finger and was happy for me to scratch his chest (even where the bald patch was). So, I'm a bit confused. Should they have been weaned by now? The breeder said they were going to keep feeding until they weaned. I just wanted to take the whiteface and give it a bath!!!!! The poor thing looked like it wasn't preaning or anything. Would this be something that I should steer clear of? I quite liked him/her and was keen to put a deposit down.

PS - thanks Bea for the advice on breeders, I am going to visit tomorrow or thursday!


----------



## allen (Aug 25, 2007)

when i got stretch he was 9 weeks old full of feathers and fully weaned i have seen some just clean the cages just before people come over to see the birds to impress the buyer if they are scruffy looking i would be cautious and the other conditions would be not good either i,m not saying the breeder is bad but that length of time to wean i,m sure laurago, bea and others will give good advice to


----------



## Bea (Jul 26, 2007)

If they're 3 months old they're being slow to wean for sure, hehe, but that's good that the breeder is letting them take as long as they want.  It makes for a much happier pet if the baby has been weaned at its own pace. I would worry if they're scruffy looking or dirty though, they should be fully feathered and healthy looking, with neat and clean feathers. A little bit of formula around their beaks and chest is pretty normal with hand reared babies. 

Let us know how your visit to the breeder i told you about goes.  Did they say they had any babies at the moment?


----------



## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

I would be worried if they is a bald patch. Mabey it was formula and not his skin?


----------



## Raiderette (Jan 28, 2008)

Hi all,

Bit of an update, I visited the breeder Bea gave me, they had three lovely babies - one grey with a yellowy/grey face who was pretty much weaned, and two little ones who are still around 4ish weeks til they are weaned (cant remember how old they were). One baby was a whiteface grey, but he was sold , the other was a normal grey with yellow face. 
But, by chance this afternoon my mum found a business card at the local pet shop for a bird expert and I thought I would call to ask for advice on the baby I saw yesterday. It turned out the bird expert had two hand reared babies, both male and whiteface. I went to have a look and I fell in love  They are three days apart and the older one is just weaned and ready to go, the other is nearly done. They are about 9-10wks old. Their mother is a completely white lutino (they're not albino are they?) and the father is a very dark grey whiteface. So now I just have to choose which one I want!

Thanks for your advice everyone  And thanks Bea for the breeder, they are really nice and I will definately recommend them (they had some other beautiful birds!) - I think I must have just had my heart set on a whiteface!


----------



## Bea (Jul 26, 2007)

Sounds like you found some good babies there!  I can understand you wanting a white face, they are GORGEOUS!! White lutinos are known as whiteface lutinos.  The parents sound beautiful. I can't wait to see which ever baby you choose. How does the breeder know they're male? Did he get them dna sexed?


----------



## DeBree420 (Nov 14, 2007)

well... if the mother was the normal grey whiteface and the father was the albino(lutino whiteface), then all the female babies would be visually albino...
but this does not work the other way around... you get 50% normal w/f girls and 50% normal w/f split lutino boys...
so there is no way to tell the sexes at that age visually...
the only 'split' that is visual in any way is pied.. which creates the little white/yellow spots on the back of the head...(and other places.... just the head is most common)..

but yeah... i love whitefaces!
and it sounds like you found yourself some healthy ones... so i say go for it


----------



## Sophia (Aug 11, 2007)

Hope you decide which one you want, It is so HARD!!! :lol:


----------



## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

Thats great  Can't wait to see photos of whichever one you choose


----------



## Sophia (Aug 11, 2007)

I can't wait to see photos either, have you decided which one you are going too get yet??


----------



## Raiderette (Jan 28, 2008)

I'm thinking I'm going to go for the younger/smaller one. I was hoping to pick him up tomorrow but it doesn't look like I can. I bought a cage off ebay and it hasn't arrived yet  It should arrive today as the seller told me it was picked up by the courier yesterday (where it was sent from to my house is only 1 day turnaround according to courier). I called the seller as they are meant to give me the number of the parcel so I can track it. The seller told me they don't have the number - that it hasn't come through from the courier, and the courier company said that the seller should of had a number from the label they put on the parcel. Now I can't call the seller back as they have been engaged for two hours! How convenient! lol. 

As for the breeder knowing what sex the babies are, I'm not sure. I noticed myself that they both have a lot of white coming through on their faces, more than I think they would have if they were female. Maybe that is how he sexed them. I'll probably go and see them tomorrow, so I will ask.


----------



## Bea (Jul 26, 2007)

What kind of cage are you getting?  It might feel like a few days is forever when waiting to pick up your baby, but it's worth it in the end.  I had to wait 5 weeks for Bailee!


----------



## Raiderette (Jan 28, 2008)

Yes, it does feel like forever! And once I found out it only took 1 day to deliver the cage I got my hopes up that I would have him by the weekend.
The cage I bought is this one:
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/LARGE-SIZE-P...ryZ20734QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


----------



## Aly (Jul 30, 2007)

It's very similar to mine. If it's built anything like mine, you'll love it. The coating is great and it's very sturdy and spacious. Mine are in black though and they don't have the open top.


----------



## Bea (Jul 26, 2007)

Looks like a good cage!


----------



## Raiderette (Jan 28, 2008)

Well, I finally managed to find out that the cage was only picked up this morning, so should be here Monday. Not too long to wait I guess! But I will definately have a visit on the weekend


----------



## Bea (Jul 26, 2007)

Any chance of taking a camera and getting some pics?


----------



## Raiderette (Jan 28, 2008)

I never thought of that but it is a good idea. That way I can show Mum etc too. Will do 

Sorry for an extra post - I just thought of a few things.

What do I do when I get him home? Do I leave him be for a few days, or get him out as much as possible?
What sort of stuff should I have ready (apart from the cage and seed!)?
What do you use to cover the cage with?


----------



## nic bike (Oct 21, 2007)

For Q1 i would let him socialize with you before he see,s his cage because it helps your tiel not to become to cage clingy.
for Q2 You should have toys, water, iodene block, cuttle bone and something to go on the floor to make your tiels cage easier to clean and make sure your room is bird safe for whey you let your tiel out.
and for Q3 anything that will keep it dark and covers the cage.


----------



## Sophia (Aug 11, 2007)

Q1 When I got Earl home, we just put him in his cage, we left him for about 2 days to settle in, and then we started to put our hand in the cage! 
Q2 You should have water, toys, millet, iodene block, a cuttlebone and sanded sheets or something to cover the bottom of the cage with(e.g Newspaper)
Q3 A blanket that is dark(e.g black, dark brown, brown) will be good to cover a cage, just as long as it makes it dark


----------



## Aly (Jul 30, 2007)

Raiderette said:


> Sorry for an extra post - I just thought of a few things.
> 
> What do I do when I get him home? Do I leave him be for a few days, or get him out as much as possible?
> What sort of stuff should I have ready (apart from the cage and seed!)?
> What do you use to cover the cage with?



I never put mine right in the cage, I spend atleast a half hour with them before. It always works out best (for me atleast). 
You'll need some different perches, natural wood, rope ones, pedicure, even a swing...a variety is best. You acctually don't need the sanded perch cover sheets, so don't waste your money. It ends up doing more damage to their feet in the longrun. Toys! Don't forget some toys and a little millet...

Besides perches, you should have cuttle bone and a mineral block. I also use a lava rock which is great for their beak.

A bag of frozen mixed veggies (corn, sweet peas, green beans...etc safe veggies) is always on my grocery list, some parsley. You'll get more as you learn what he likes but those are easy starters. 

I use a big dark blue blanket to cover their cages at night.


----------



## Sophia (Aug 11, 2007)

What is a Lava Rock ??  I have never seen them here!


----------



## Aly (Jul 30, 2007)

sophiay said:


> What is a Lava Rock ??  I have never seen them here!


It's ussually just a square block. It's lava.


----------



## Sophia (Aug 11, 2007)

Babyluv12 said:


> It's ussually just a square block. It's lava.


Is it really Lava, or are you messing! ??  :lol:


----------



## Aly (Jul 30, 2007)

sophiay said:


> Is it really Lava, or are you messing! ??  :lol:


lol...No, it's really lava rock!  There are different kinds -this is one of them http://www.petsolutions.com/Lava-Stone-Beak-Conditioners+I26800227+C57.aspx

and another one (this one is mixed with peanuts)
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=6511&rel=1


----------



## Sophia (Aug 11, 2007)

Babyluv12 said:


> lol...No, it's really lava rock!  There are different kinds -this is one of them http://www.petsolutions.com/Lava-Stone-Beak-Conditioners+I26800227+C57.aspx
> 
> and another one (this one is mixed with peanuts)
> http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=6511&rel=1


 They don't look very tasty!(too me anyways) :lol: LOL!! I NOW KNOW WHAT A LAVA ROCK IS!! Yaay!


----------



## Raiderette (Jan 28, 2008)

Hi everyone,

Well, I have a new edition to the family - early!!. Mum found me a cage until mine arrives this week so that I could go and get him early! So he is sitting in front of me while I type looking around not sure what to do lol. I took some photos so I will attempt to post them.... Now I just have to name him. We are thinking of Rocky, or Milo. I like Skippy and Pickle too, but not everyone likes that!


----------



## Laura (Jul 30, 2007)

OH wow what a gorgeous baby you have there


----------



## Bea (Jul 26, 2007)

What an absolute cutie you've found yourself!!


----------



## Aly (Jul 30, 2007)

How cute!!! Congrats on the gorgeous baby!


----------



## nic bike (Oct 21, 2007)

How cute congrats on getting your little baby!


----------



## Sophia (Aug 11, 2007)

He is so cute!  And great names you have thought of!


----------



## Rosie (Aug 27, 2007)

OMG, that has to be one of the cutest baby tiels, ever! Honestly! How about Pepper? Just a thought.


----------



## Raiderette (Jan 28, 2008)

Yes, i like Pepper too. Have to convince the other half though 

I am a bit worried about the little man this morning though, he was very quiet when I uncovered him and I realised that I don't think he had had anything to drink since i had brought him home yesterday afternoon. Or touched his seed in the dish. As you can see he had a good old go at the millet yesterday, which I gave him as a treat to settle him. He was only weaned a few days ago. Is this normal for a new bird in a new environment? It is his own seed which he was being fed at the breeders. We tried to give him a lot of time in the cage yesterday to allow him to go down, but he just sat up top. Same as this morning. We are both at work today so hopefully he will have a chance for a rest and will go down to eat while we are not there. I am positive I heard his tummy rumble this morning when I got him out to give him a kiss!!!


----------



## nic bike (Oct 21, 2007)

I rember worying about flicky becase he didn't drink or eat but when he did i let out a big sigh of relief I thinks its usual for them he probably just needs time settle down in his new home.


----------



## Raiderette (Jan 28, 2008)

Hi everyone,

Another update! The little birdy has been named, and a completely different name than I thought it would be, but it has stuck now so I guess it stays! Cosmo is the name, as in Cosmo Kramer from Seinfield as apparently they have the same haircut 
He has gone from not eating a thing, to eating a lot - a real lot!! He seems to be constantly down on his seed dish eating when he is in his cage, and is starting to lean back towards the cage when we try to get him out, just like he doesn't want to come out. He even tries to fly back when we take him into another room! Does that sound right?


----------



## Laura (Jul 30, 2007)

Cosmo is a great name  flying back to the cage is normal its there comfort zone I would just keep encouraging him to stay with you, my Georgie still does this I have had her for 8 months and she still flys back to her cage even if she is just sitting on top of it, she prefers that to us  what I do when she fly's back I just go and get her again and make her step up and come with me it takes some time but she is getting better.


----------

