# Taming a young cockatiel questions.



## TielSqueal (Aug 2, 2013)

Hello all, I am new to this forum, hoping you're all going to help me out in the next few months as I attempt to tame and train my 4 month old beautiful cockatiel, Clarence :cinnamon: He was previously an aviary bird, and I brought him from a pet shop. He wings are unclipped and I'd prefer to keep it that way. 

I have had him almost a week now, and he is progressing really well. When I first got him he was frightened and didn't let me near him, but we have now reached the stage where he will (tentatively) eat millet from my hand. 

I have heard some people on the forum say the easiest way to tame a cockatiel is to let it be on their terms, and to basically leave the cage door open, and let them approach you outside of the cage. I don't have this option, as I also have two cats, and I'm weary about letting him out of the cage untamed anyway, as a few days earlier this week I let him out, and it was a struggle getting him back into the cage, which I felt was stressing him out and inevitably destroying any trust between us. Since then, I have kept him in his cage and progress has been better. I would like to keep my hand, holding millet, close to where he is in the cage (usually the top perch), however, the cage doors make it awkward for me to keep my arm at this angle for long periods of time. It would be much easier if I could keep my hand near the bottom of the cage - do you think he will eventually come to me first, without me having to be right next to him? Also, when is it an appropriate time to start teaching him to step up? I am terrified that if I start too early, he will become scared of me again and this will destroy his trust in me. I tend to think he'll hold a grudge against me if I cheese him off too much, and won't ever want to bond with me. 

Also, Clarence lives in my bedroom, meaning his main interaction will be with me and not with the rest of my family as is advised. I talk to and socialise with him for about 10 minutes several times a day (He tilts his head when I do this - is that a good sign???) - is this enough for him to bond with me? For the rest of the time, if I'm not out, I will be doing other activities around him, such as drawing and reading. Do tiels also enjoy quiet activity, and watching their humans whilst they go about their other tasks? If I am out, I leave the TV on for him to watch and listen. I'm worried he won't be getting enough stimulation with just me. He has toys in his cage but he doesn't seem to know how to really play with them yet.

Last question (Sorry it's been so long!), is it ok to move his cage around my room, or will this stress him out? I like to have him next to my bed at night before I go to sleep, so I can talk to him more, and then I place him on his stand when it's time for bed. 

Once again, sorry for the all questions. This is my first bird and I want to do right by him. I understand why people love 'tiels so much - I already can't imagine life without him! He's not very loud for a boy, but I'm hoping with all my whistling he'll start picking up on stuff! I appreciate all the advice you can give!


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## Pinkspikez- Buddy's Mama (Dec 25, 2012)

Hi TielSqueal. Your tiel is beautiful 

Regarding this question:



TielSqueal said:


> Also, when is it an appropriate time to start teaching him to step up? I am terrified that if I start too early, he will become scared of me again and this will destroy his trust in me.


It might be too soon for how long you've had him but I just think you need to determine when the right time comes and you are bonded enough to not scare him. When you are able to approach him without hissing, he gets excited to see you when you get home, he is completely comfortable with eating millet from your hand as you've been doing, etc, it may be a good time to start. 

What I can tell you for sure is that it is definitely not too early to teach him to step up age wise. When I brought mine home at 2 months old he was nearly a pro at it (the breeder I got him from did a great job at hand taming him). 

Even at a young age, cockatiels are very intelligent and can pick up on things easily if you are persistent, gentle and respectful of their boundaries. From my experience with my own cockatiel and friends cockatiels that I have socialized with a lot with anyway.

Hope this helps. To other members, if I am wrong about anything please correct me.

All the best to you and welcome to TC


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## TielSqueal (Aug 2, 2013)

Hi Pinkspikez - thanks for replying so quickly! Your tiel (Buddy, i'm assuming) is also a gorgeous little guy  

I think you're right, I did try to get him to step up once yesterday but he pecked me gently, so I think it is too early. I'm going to continue feeding him from my hand and when he is completely comfortable I'll try again. One thing I am glad about is his age, because I have heard they're easier to tame the younger they are, it just saddens me to think that he hasn't had much human interaction before me. The breeder for your tiel DOES sound fabulous - I hope I can get to that stage with Clarence!


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## Pinkspikez- Buddy's Mama (Dec 25, 2012)

TielSqueal said:


> Your tiel (Buddy, i'm assuming) is also a gorgeous little guy


Thank you, I seem to agree rather strongly myself ;-)



TielSqueal said:


> I think you're right, I did try to get him to step up once yesterday but he pecked me gently, so I think it is too early.


Keep in mind that a little peck is completely normal. Even if the wants to step up and is comfortable with it, they will often do that just to make sure it's safe. They are smart and don't want to step on to something that could be unstable... So in the beginning they will more often than not "test" a new perch, new fingers etc. If it's a little peck, doesn't hurt hurt you, no skin broken, no hissing or aggressiveness then do not move it, otherwise he won't trust your finger so make sure you keep your finger right there by his chest.


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## TielSqueal (Aug 2, 2013)

Oh, it never occurred to me that he might be pecking to check stability. Wish I hadn't moved it now.  Will he still trust me? I only tried it once. I have exciting news though - I was just feeding him,and he had one foot on my hand. Suddenly he stopped eating, and put the other foot on, and for a minute he just stood there, staring at me. I feel like the proudest mother ever right now


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## Pinkspikez- Buddy's Mama (Dec 25, 2012)

That's fantastic and exciting news all at once! I don't think you having tried once and moving your finger would make a significant difference. I think if you had moved it several times in one try then maybe but it would only be temporarily anyway. But with your current progress I'm sure he will be stepping up in no time


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## TielSqueal (Aug 2, 2013)

I'm really excited  I'll try again in a few days just to be sure


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## WhiteCarnation (Jul 14, 2013)

The progress Clarence is making is exciting! 
Keep us updated


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## TielSqueal (Aug 2, 2013)

Thank you whitecarnation - I will  And if you have any other tips or advice i'm all ears


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## moonchild (Jul 29, 2012)

TielSqueal said:


> Hello all, I am new to this forum, hoping you're all going to help me out in the next few months as I attempt to tame and train my 4 month old beautiful cockatiel, Clarence :cinnamon: He was previously an aviary bird, and I brought him from a pet shop. He wings are unclipped and I'd prefer to keep it that way.
> 
> I have had him almost a week now, and he is progressing really well. When I first got him he was frightened and didn't let me near him, but we have now reached the stage where he will (tentatively) eat millet from my hand.


Hello and welcome! Congrats. I think it's good that you want to leave your bird flighted.  Sounds like you're making good progress so far.



> I have heard some people on the forum say the easiest way to tame a cockatiel is to let it be on their terms, and to basically leave the cage door open, and let them approach you outside of the cage. I don't have this option, as I also have two cats, and I'm weary about letting him out of the cage untamed anyway, as a few days earlier this week I let him out, and it was a struggle getting him back into the cage, which I felt was stressing him out and inevitably destroying any trust between us. Since then, I have kept him in his cage and progress has been better. I would like to keep my hand, holding millet, close to where he is in the cage (usually the top perch), however, the cage doors make it awkward for me to keep my arm at this angle for long periods of time. It would be much easier if I could keep my hand near the bottom of the cage - do you think he will eventually come to me first, without me having to be right next to him? Also, when is it an appropriate time to start teaching him to step up? I am terrified that if I start too early, he will become scared of me again and this will destroy his trust in me. I tend to think he'll hold a grudge against me if I cheese him off too much, and won't ever want to bond with me.


Yes, letting it be on his terms is the best way. Let him decide when he's ready for the next step.

I don't quite understand why you can't leave his cage door open, though -- are your cats always in the room where his cage is? If so, how will he ever be allowed out? Since he's in the bedroom, I would just lock the cats out for a few hours every day while you spend time in the room with him. Sooner or later he will come out. It's a good idea to have some perches near the door, and leading to the top of the cage, so he'll have something to climb out onto when he does decide to venture out.

How does he react to the cats being around? Mine are absolutely terrified by the mere sight of my cats, so the two are never allowed in the same room. But not all birds will react to predators the same way. Is your cage completely secure? There are so many things that can go wrong with cats and birds.

Does your cage have a small door? If so, I know what you mean about it being awkward to get your hand in there. I HATE cages with tiny doors. I'd probably consider getting a different one, honestly. But yes, if he wants the millet badly enough and is comfortable enough with your hand he will probably start going to the bottom of the cage for it.

I'd say a good time to start asking him to step up would be when he approaches your hand and takes the millet without fear. If he doesn't seem ready for something when you try it, remember to back off and go back to the previous step until he gets more comfortable.



> Also, Clarence lives in my bedroom, meaning his main interaction will be with me and not with the rest of my family as is advised. I talk to and socialise with him for about 10 minutes several times a day (He tilts his head when I do this - is that a good sign???) - is this enough for him to bond with me? For the rest of the time, if I'm not out, I will be doing other activities around him, such as drawing and reading. Do tiels also enjoy quiet activity, and watching their humans whilst they go about their other tasks? If I am out, I leave the TV on for him to watch and listen. I'm worried he won't be getting enough stimulation with just me. He has toys in his cage but he doesn't seem to know how to really play with them yet.
> 
> Last question (Sorry it's been so long!), is it ok to move his cage around my room, or will this stress him out? I like to have him next to my bed at night before I go to sleep, so I can talk to him more, and then I place him on his stand when it's time for bed.
> 
> Once again, sorry for the all questions. This is my first bird and I want to do right by him. I understand why people love 'tiels so much - I already can't imagine life without him! He's not very loud for a boy, but I'm hoping with all my whistling he'll start picking up on stuff! I appreciate all the advice you can give!


It's not good for a bird to be isolated in a bedroom all alone. How much time do you spend in there per day? If you're spending most of your personal time in there, it might be okay. But remember, birds are flock animals. It's unnatural and probably very lonely for him to be alone all day while you are at work or school. How does he seem to cope with it? When I got my first tiel, he was alone in the bedroom (to separate him from my cats) and boy was he miserable. He would flock call for me constantly when I left the room and he knew I was in the apartment, and whenever I was in the room he would glue himself to my head. Very clingy. I felt bad for him so I got another tiel to keep him company, which made him SO much happier and more well-adjusted.

Each cockatiel is an individual, obviously, and will react to things differently. I'm not saying you HAVE to get another bird, but I'd consider moving his cage to a more central area in the house during the day if there are people around often. 

If he learns that his cage being moved around is a normal thing, he should get used to it. Watch his reactions and make sure he doesn't seem stressed out. Yes, it's a good sign that he cocks his head and listens when you talk to him.


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## TielSqueal (Aug 2, 2013)

Hi moonchild - thanks for replying  

I assumed when people said leave the cage door open, they meant all day every day. My cats are out most of the day, so it wouldn't be a problem to leave the cage doors open for a few hours, but I'm just concerned that he won't willingly want to get back in the cage when it's ready for him to go back, and I'll have to get him in there myself, which I think will stress him out (though I have NEVER towelled him) He really doesn't seem bothered by the cats, more curious than scared. He just cocks his head and looks at them. The cage is secure and in a high place, and if I'm ever not in the room, my cats aren't allowed in there. Yes, the cage does have some small slide-up doors, but it does have a large door, which is near the bottom of the cage, so I'd be able to keep my hand in there, just wanted to know if he'd come down to get it. 

At the moment I spend a lot of time in my room, I don't work and I'm not at university until September. When I do go back to uni it'll only be for 2 doors for a couple of hours each day. My fiance also lives with me part time, so any time I'm not in he'll more than likely be with him. He doesn't seem miserable, but then again, what does a miserable bird act like? At the moment he's quite quiet, he's stopped flock calling since I've kept him in the cage. He'll tweet to me occasionally, but most of the time he just seems content to sit and watch. He seems very curious. When I first got him he wasn't eating at all, which I took to be a sign that he was quite depressed, but over the last couple of days he has been eating like a horse! I was considering getting him a mate eventually, especially considering he used to be an aviary bird, but would that effect the bond i'm building with him?


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## TielSqueal (Aug 2, 2013)

Now I'm worried  I got overexcited again and tried to make him step up, I hovered my finger in front of him with the millet just behind it. He seemed to panic and started running up and down his perch. Since then he won't even take it out of my hand, this was earlier today. Is there such a thing as trying too much in one day? I don't want to overstress him, and before this I was feeding him A LOT out of my hand, like every few minutes. I just don't understand how he will learn to step up without there being a reward at the end of it.


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## Pinkspikez- Buddy's Mama (Dec 25, 2012)

Don't be discouraged. Just take it one day at a time. If you feel he's stressed out, take a break from trying to get him to step up today and try again tomorrow when he's at ease. If you're able to, try taking his cage outside for a while (with you) so he can catch a little bit of sun. Make sure there's a shaded area where he can walk to (in his cage) in case it's too hot. That's just another activity you could do to spend time with him without forcing anything. Then you'll also get to see how beautiful he really looks in natural light 

Then again, I don't know where in the world you are so please completely disregard my suggestion if it's not weather appropriate right now.


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## TielSqueal (Aug 2, 2013)

He ate a little out of my hand not long ago. I'm going to try to not push it anymore, I'm just soooo impatient! And he's got so much potential. I've actually brought his cage into the back garden with me a few times, he loves hearing all the noises. The weather is ok for once (in England )


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## eduardo (Jan 27, 2012)

I think he is on the right track though. Nothing happens overnight. 
Since he is an only bird, he will get used to you as part of his flock. After a while, he will be excited to see you come in the room, and he will want you to stay with him. It takes time, don't worry. My second tiel was from a pet store (although handfed), and he was very scared when we brought him home. Almost two years later, and he won't leave me alone, LOL
Clarence is very handsome, I think he will be just fine. Spend as much time as possible with him, he will love hanging out with you and watch you do house chores and stuff. Don't worry about stepping up for now, let his curiosity win, he won't be able to resist sitting on your shoulder for much longer, hehe.


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## TielSqueal (Aug 2, 2013)

Hi Eduardo! Your words really have cheered me up! I'd love to have that kind of relationship with him, and I can't wait for it to happen. I DO think he's starting to get attached to me. He was tired earlier and I was singing lullabies to him, and he nodded off! It made my heart melt - they are officially the cutest animals on the planet!


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

I think the pet shop may have been mistaken about Clarence's age, since he already has his mature plumage. Most males start getting their adult plumage around the age of 6 months so that's probably his minimum age.

We all make mistakes and try to push too hard sometimes, and when that happens the thing to do is to take a step back and work your way back up again. If he won't take millet directly from your hand, try holding it against the side of the cage so he can nibble it through the bars. A hand-shy bird will feel safer with a barrier between you and him.

Most birds are calmer and more relaxed in the evening so that is often the best time to work with them. At night you also have an extra option for trying to get him back in the cage: you can turn out the lights for 20 minutes or so, enough time for him to get good and sleepy. Then turn the lights on and ask for a step up before he wakes up completely. A semi-sleepy bird will often cooperate.

If the cage is easy to carry, another way to try to get him inside is to put the cage close to him so it's easy for him to go inside. If there's a nice piece of millet inside the cage that could help lure him in.


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## TielSqueal (Aug 2, 2013)

Hi Tielfan,

Yes I did suspect he could be more around the 6 months mark, but that's still young enough to tame, isn't it? He started feeding out of my hand again earlier today, though he hasn't stood on it yet. I'll feed him more from my hand tomorrow. I never thought to try those things to get him back in the cage. I think I'll try them soon. He is making some very weird noises as I type this actually - almost as if he's trying to form words! It's so exciting to see their personalities and skills grow.

I love your siggy by the way - Vlads face (that name is great) is so funny!


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

Vlad is the world's biggest goof all right.

Cockatiels aren't considered to be adults until they're a full year old, so if he's only 6 months old he's still a baby. Cockatiels can be tamed at any age but it tends to take longer with older birds. 

The weird sounds that he's making might be an indication that he's still a baby. Young males often experiment with different vocalizations when they start figuring out how to sing. There's a lot of individual variation in age for when they start to do this, but 6 months is a very reasonable time for it. He would be seriously behind schedule if he was just starting to vocalize at 12 months.


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## TielSqueal (Aug 2, 2013)

He must be 6 months or around about that then, because the only noise he made before last night was the flock call and a soft little "meow" like noise when he was sleepy. Last night he was making some scratchy chirping noises, and a consistent, simple whistle. Before then I was beginning to think he was a lady masquerading as a bloke! 

Is there any other way to pinpoint his age? How big is a mature cockatiel?


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

Cockatiels are pretty much adult size when they leave the nest at the age of about 4 weeks. They usually fill out somewhat over the following months but don't grow much lengthwise. This is typical of altricial birds (those that are born helpless) as opposed to gallinaceous birds (like chickens and ducks) that can run around after their parents a few hours after hatching.

A bird in a new home is going to be quiet at first while he figures out whether it's safe to be noisy, even if he's a mature male. There are a few females who sing, and the sounds you've described wouldn't be enough to be sure about the age or the sex if we weren't already sure of his sex based on plumage. But if the sounds continue to develop and turn into a multi-note song with a nice clear whistling tone, that's a pretty good sign that he's a young male just discovering his voice.


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## TielSqueal (Aug 2, 2013)

I thought it was almost certain because of his colouring that he is a boy, and he doesn't have the horizontal yellow stripes on his tail as I've heard all females do?


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

> I thought it was almost certain because of his colouring that he is a boy, and he doesn't have the horizontal yellow stripes on his tail as I've heard all females do?


It is but tielfan is just explaining that even he didn't have his adult plummage, if he was singing that would clue us in to what his gender was.


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## TielSqueal (Aug 2, 2013)

Yes, I see that now! Sorry, I didn't read that correctly the first time.


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## TielSqueal (Aug 2, 2013)

My partner is thinking about trying to get him to eat off his hand now too - is it ok for more than person to tame/bond with him? Will it affect anything?


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## Pinkspikez- Buddy's Mama (Dec 25, 2012)

I think the more family members interact with your tiel the better. However make sure your partner does it in Clarence's time too. But you both have to be consistent with the same training techniques and don't forget that a new relationship/ bond/ trust is going to be built here. Also, get your partner to become as involved as possible with routine care, feeding, cleaning etc. This really helps bonding. I got my partner to work with Buddy in the same way I do and to help out with routine things and it made things really easy.This is from my experience. Not sure if other members will have different suggestions.


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## TielSqueal (Aug 2, 2013)

Thanks pinkspikez - that's reassured me. I just thought that if someone else tried to bond with him he wouldn't want to bond with me any more!


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## Pinkspikez- Buddy's Mama (Dec 25, 2012)

Often tiels do take more to one person than the rest but that doesn't mean they can't get along with other family members. My guy likes my partner and they have formed their own little bond but he likes me better when I'm around  I kinda like it that way lol.


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## TielSqueal (Aug 2, 2013)

That sounds exactly how I want it  I've become quite possessive over my new baby. I've noticed a little quirk with Clarence - don't know if it's anything significant, but everytime I come into the room, he does that ice skating stretch. Is it just coincidence? Or is that a welcome or something? lol


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## TielSqueal (Aug 2, 2013)

Just a little update, or rather lack of. Nothing much has really changed, and it's really frustrating me. He will still only eat out of my hand, if I try putting my hand near him without any food he gets scared and walks off. He won't let me close enough to him to even try to step up. I don't understand why he is still apparently scared of me. I've also left his cage open for him to come out, and the most he will do is stand on his cage door, and he's only done that once - a complete change considering he wanted to get out all the time when he first came to me. I know, I know - perseverance and patience. I could just do with hearing some encouraging words.


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