# Training an emotionally neglected cockatiel?



## laurenrie (Jun 5, 2011)

Hi all!

I registered here because I have just started working with a couple of cockatiels, and I am a bit puzzled about how to handle one of them. 
Tweety is an adult male, but I am not sure how old he is- at least a few years. I have been told that his previous owner left him in the cage for long periods of time with nothing to do, and he went a little crazy. He has some bald patches where he used to pick at his feathers. Anyway, whenever anyone gets to close to the cage, he opens his beak as a threat to bite and hisses. If you stick your hand in, though, he only touches you a little with his beak and then runs off to the other side of the cage. To get him out, I have to catch him in my hands. Once he is out, he often tries to fly back to the cage a few times. He calms down eventually, but I know he's not really happy. Does anyone have any ideas for what I can do to make Tweety trust me and be less afraid?


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

Food bribery can be very useful. You can start out by dropping a small treat in his cage (like a seed clump from a millet spray) every time you come near. He'll start looking forward to your approach. Then you can work on feeding him the treat through the cage bars, and progress to offering the treat with no bars between you.

Catching him in your hands doesn't build trust so try to avoid doing that too often. You might be able to lure him out of the cage with food treats. However it sounds like you just got him, and it can take a couple of months for a bird to really start feeling comfortable in a new home. So it might be a while before he feels safe enough to come out of the cage. If you focus on doing things that he likes and avoid doing things that he dislikes as much as you can, it will help speed up the process.


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## Tielzilla (Mar 31, 2009)

we got a rescue tiel from the humane society..Princess Mitch..She was a head flicker and a pacer and did not come out at all...we just opened her door, pushed the cage up to our couch..put millet on the couch and on the top of the cage...she started to come out and we didnt make a big fuss..just let her be and talked softly...after about three months of hanging out on top, she v entured over to the couch, then further and further.....the day she let me scritch her, I cried tears of joy ...so I am going to say leave the cage door open while you s upervise..sit back from a distance...dont make grabs for him in the cage..leave him be and leave him come out on his own.


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## laurenrie (Jun 5, 2011)

Those sound like good ideas. I can get some millet, and I'll try just leaving the cage open and being patient. Thank you!


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## quarrion queen (Jun 14, 2011)

sounds like my bird turkey!!
what really helped me is get him OUT of the cage, OUT of his room, and to unfamiliar territory. get eye level with him so he doesnt feel threatened, let him walk on the floor, if he likes to walk, and try to feed him some millet out of your hand. Thats what worked for turkey and though he still wont be nice if you try to handle him in his cage or near it, hes a little angel in the living room and other places, he will let me pet him now.
He was kept caged for 13 years and pulled some of his feathers out too


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## Raven2322 (Mar 1, 2008)

Personally I have a rescue bird who had some handling trauma and a bald spot. First thing I did was have his wings fully clipped by my vet. I've done this with every new rescue bird I've had. Mainly because they were flying and hurting themselves. It help greatly with taming them down. I agree with the millet bribing, although that didn't work at all for be in the beginning as my birds didn't know what it was. I pretty much gave mine their own space, made sure they had toys, etc. Then I made sure they spent time outside of their cage each day, usually on top of it with toys and treats. We then moved up to time on me, and have gone from there ever since. My one bird still has some trauma, and most of my rescues will allow no head scritches, but they take and show other kinds of affection and that fine with me.


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