# is cockatiel care different than budgie care ? i need help!



## 11bryces (May 24, 2009)

the title says it all


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

Well they don't eat the same food. Can you be more specific about what you are asking? Here is a basic care sheet i give to new parents:
* CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEW BABY COCKATIEL. 

Your bird has been handfed from age 3 weeks or younger and is very tame and comfortable around people. It has been abundance weaned and human socialized. The first week or so are a getting acquainted period for you and your new companion, and for the bird and its new surroundings. It is no longer around his/her siblings, has a new cage, new people, new environment and food and water dishes it has never seen before. It's not unusual, given these conditions, for the bird to refuse to eat for a day or two. This would be a good time to offer the bird food from your hand. A bit of seed or better yet some millet. This baby is accustomed to being hand fed so they associate hands with food. This will get them eating faster as it takes a while for them to realize that a bowl they don't recognize has food in it. It's also a good way to build a bond of trust between you and your bird.
The first couple of days the bird should spend IN the new cage. It has to discover where the seed and water dishes are, as well as get accustomed to new surroundings. The first time the bird is let out of the cage, make sure ALL your windows are closed and do this preferably in the evening. Be certain to close the curtains or drapes as this will prevent the bird from flying headlong in to the glass and injuring itself. Make this first time out about an hour or so (less if it seems to stress the bird) and then put the bird back in the cage. Speak softly to your bird and avoid making any quick movements. Your bird has been taught the "Step Up" command. If you put or hand or finger on the birds belly just above the feet and say "Step Up" he/she should step onto your hand. It may open its beak as it reaches towards your hand. DO NOT PULL AWAY, it is not going to bite you, it is simply using its beak to balance itself as it gets on to your hand. Never leave your bird out unattended when out of the cage, there are just too many ways for the bird to injure itself. 
To reprimand the bird when it’s been up to a no-no, just raise your voice and say “NO", or "BAD BIRD” . DO NOT HIT the bird, birds can be injured easily and if you don't do serious harm you will at the very least encourage bad behaviour and end up ruining the trust you are trying to achieve. The best way is to distract the bird and turn his attention elsewhere. 

CARE and HOUSING

The ideal cockatiel cage is square or rectangular, round ones may look nice but are generally designed for looks and not for the comfort of the bird. A minimum of 18" by 18" is OK for a single Cockatiel. Your bird would however be happier in a larger cage. The basic rule of thumb is buy the largest cage you can afford. It's also a good idea to provide a variety of perch sizes. A rope perch or "Comfy Perch" provides a very comfortable place for the birds to roost. 

CLEANING

one half of a cup of household bleach to a gallon of water makes a good cleaner/disinfectant solution. RINSE THOROUGHLY (this is a bathtub job). Clean the cage regularly like this, preferably once a week. In the summer months you can put the cage to dry in the sun, which serves as a further disinfectant. Disinfect the seed and water cups at least once a week.

DIET

Your bird is a seedeater, but that doesn’t mean it eats seeds exclusively. Your baby has been weaned on seed, Zupreem Fruit Blend pellets, vegetables and a mixture of beans. Variety in diet is the key to a healthy and long lived bird. Do not over fill the seed and pellet dishes, the average daily intake for an adult cockatiel is about 2 tablespoons. Start off with this amount and make small adjustments, based on how much or little seed is left among the hulls in the morning, there should be just a few left over. CHANGE SEED AND WATER DAILY. The seed and pellets should be supplemented with FRESH GREENS and VEGETABLES. Be sure to wash greens and vegetables thoroughly to remove harmful pesticides. Sunflower and safflower seeds, as well as peanuts and other nuts, are very fatty and should be fed very sparingly. Excess oil in the diet can lead to liver problems and a noticeable increase in the yellow and orange feathers, both in intensity of color, as well as the quantity. Vegetables your bird may relish include grated carrot, carrot top, broccoli, fresh spinach (not too much), Swiss chard, bok choy, thawed frozen peas and corn, beet leaves, yams and sweet potatoes, cooked pinto beans, garbonzo beans, lima beans, navy beans ,split peas, lentils and if you can find it Quinoa seed is a nice healthy grain (I find it in the bulk bins in the health food section. It is high in calcium and cooks up like rice. 

Do NOT sprinkle gravel or grit on the floor of the cage, it is painful for the bird to walk on (you try it), plus it’s wasteful. Also, do not waste your money on sandpaper covers for perches; they are painful to the bird, do not even do what they are supposed to do: trim the bird’s nails, and can lead to a condition called “bumble foot”. Birds that hull their seed (like all parrots, including cockatiels) do NOT need grit. A mineral block and or a cuttlebone should be provided to add much needed calcium to your birds diet. Birds need calcium for a variety of reasons. Feather production and egg production among them.

VITAMINS

A water soluble vitamin supplements can be used as well as a product called Ornabac. Ornabac is a beneficial bacteria which aids in the digestion process. It can be sprinkled over moist foods. The water has to be changed daily with water soluble vitamins and the water cup should also be cleaned daily. Be careful not to overdo vitamins.
Some solitary hens can become chronic egg layers, something which is very hard on their system. Should this happen to you best thing for you to do is to allow the bird to keep and brood her eggs, which she will do after 4, 5 or 6 eggs, or whatever number she determines makes her clutch complete. If the eggs are removed it will prompt the hen to lay more eggs. Laying eggs draws a lot of calcium from her system and it is imperative to provide her with an adequate amount in her diet so that she doesn't become eggbound. It is even more important than usual for your bird to have access to a mineral block and or cuttlebone for the calcium content. Make sure she gets adequate exposure to unfiltered sunlight (NOT through the glass in a window) or a full spectrum light to allow her to synthesize vitamin D3, which she needs to properly absorb the calcium. 

BATHING

Some cockatiels really like to bathe, so from time to time provide a bath, like a ceramic plant saucer or shallow cassarole dish with some water, but do not leave it in for more than a couple of hours or so, as it soils quickly and the bird should not be allowed to drink soiled water. Most birds prefer to be sprayed with a plant mister filled with lukewarm water.

WARNING
Be very careful with non-stick cookware (Teflon, Silverstone etc.) when there are birds in the house. When overheated, usually by accident, these non-stick items give off a highly poisonous gas which will kill the bird very, very quickly. PLEASE BE CAREFUL.
*


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## 11bryces (May 24, 2009)

thanks so much im sure that will help me a lot !


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## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

there isn't much difference in taking care of budgies vs. tiels 

my budgies eat the same foods the tiels eat. including pellet size (not all the time but they have and have no problems doing it, Just like the tiels have ate the parakeet sized pellets and had no issues sometimes i think they prefer the budgie sized to their tiel size)

toys are about the same, What ever my budgies play with so do my tiels. Size wise on toys they get the same sizes in toys. all my birds have cockatiel sized swings, The budgies even have 1 cockatoo sized swing 

cages are about the same BUT bar spacing is different, tiels can go up to 5/8th inch but as with any bird size wise bigger is better A lot of the cages labeled "cockatiel" size isn't fit for a cockatiel but works great for a budgie 

Maintenance is the same... well that's the same with all birds lol clean food and water daily, clean cages clean toys etc. 

to me other than size and temperament there is no real difference between how the two are taken care of and raised


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## 11bryces (May 24, 2009)

i know im asking a lot but im not sure i will be allowed to buy a cockatiel from a breeder and will probably buy one from someone or petstore ..

how tame are cockatiel from pet store? will they allow me to touch or make the bird step up before i buy it ? will they know the sex of the bird also ? and what kind of behavior a cockatiel should have ?

i have seen cockatiel in petstore with wounderfull personalities and very playful and alive but had feathers in bad condition (like messed up tails and stuff) .. and i have seen beautiful cockatiel but with a depressed attitude, not playfull , lack of movement etc... what about the age ?


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## 11bryces (May 24, 2009)

atvchick95 said:


> there isn't much difference in taking care of budgies vs. tiels
> 
> my budgies eat the same foods the tiels eat. including pellet size (not all the time but they have and have no problems doing it, Just like the tiels have ate the parakeet sized pellets and had no issues sometimes i think they prefer the budgie sized to their tiel size)
> 
> ...


thanks for helping your kind!


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## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

I've never gotten a Cockatiel from a pet store, but i've seen them and interacted with them some were kinder then others 

the tail issue has a lot to do with how they're housed at the breeders and or the pet shops their self 

Some pet shops do allow you to handle a bird first , but not all, but it never hurts to ask 

but if you handle any bird or even touch cages at a pet shop(or a breeders). and you have birds at home scrub your hands well specially under the nails before interacting, or doing anything with your bird(s) at home. if you are allowed to handle a bird at a store/breeder and it climbs on your clothes Change those as well before interacting with your own birds 

You never know if a bird at a breeder/ pet shop is sick and you don't want to bring a illness home to your birds unknowingly


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## 11bryces (May 24, 2009)

okay thats some great tips thanks ... ill look for that and wear a suit ! haha


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

The condition of the tailfeathers can also be related to the age of the birds. Baby cockatiels are notorious for breaking their tailfeathers!


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## 11bryces (May 24, 2009)

oooh i didn't know that ... good to know !


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

Most pet stores don't have people working there that know much about Cockatiels. I'm sure there are exceptions but it is more likely you will get the wrong information from them. They will tell you something seemingly with great authority when more often they don't really know the answer to you questions. Even some hobby breeders don't know much about genetics which can sometimes tell you the sex of a baby before there are any outward signs. If I were you I would continue to do my research so you will be better informed than they are by the time you get around to getting one.


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## Diabolical (Jan 24, 2009)

tielfan said:


> The condition of the tailfeathers can also be related to the age of the birds. Baby cockatiels are notorious for breaking their tailfeathers!


Thank you for that bit of advice Tielfan. I have two very young tiels - approximately 4 months as they are both moulting - and Squiggles (the first one I bought) has broken so many tail feathers she only 2 tail feathers left - poor thing looks like the rats have got her!!  The other one, Gizmo, is also starting to lose some tail feathers, but hers are also breaking. I was getting seriously worried about it.


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## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

I have 2 Cockatiels that have been purchased from a pet shop. I had 3, but.. Squeak died not long ago.

My friend purchased a Cockatiel from the same pet shop I got Squeak and Jasper from - and he's the best Cockatiel you could ever own, he doesn't bite, he's quite (well when he wants to be) and you can do ABSOLUTELY anything with him. I got 2 Cockatiels the same day my friend got his, and I had to return them due to them doing nothing but attacking us and hissing at us.. so we went back and they let us swap them for another 2, that's when we got Jasper & Squeak. We got them home and the next day tried to see if they'd step up.. Jasper would but Squeak wouldn't. So we left Squeak alone for a couple of weeks, spoke to him a lot, fed him through the cage bars rah rah rah.. but still he hissed and lunged at us, it was then we rang up and asked the pet shop, but they didn't know if he was a "pet" or not previously. Months went by and Squeak was still the same.. so we figured he was an aviary bird, but that didn't stop him from stepping up onto a stick or having out time with the rest of the flock. 

Shiro, we got from a pet shop (well mum did) and he's a really good bird, he was weary at first with us, but he soon settled and now he'll let you give him scritches, he'll step up, eat out of your hand.. pretty much everything a normal bird would do. He was in a cage with other Cockatiels and mum had to get him when she seen him. 

I think if you're going to get one from a pet shop, go in there a couple of times a week, if they have Cockatiels, hang around with them a bit, feed them, ask if you can have a hold of one, you've gotta watch any illnesses though, and Cockatiels that hiss and lunge at you aren't the Cockatiel to get.. you want one that'll let you have your hand in the cage without freaking out, could even love scritches and will step up (doesn't have to step up, it may not know what that even means) but you get what I mean.


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## 11bryces (May 24, 2009)

sweetrsue said:


> Most pet stores don't have people working there that know much about Cockatiels. I'm sure there are exceptions but it is more likely you will get the wrong information from them. They will tell you something seemingly with great authority when more often they don't really know the answer to you questions. Even some hobby breeders don't know much about genetics which can sometimes tell you the sex of a baby before there are any outward signs. If I were you I would continue to do my research so you will be better informed than they are by the time you get around to getting one.


thanks so much for the information i will continue to make research.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Wherever you decide to get your cockatiel choose the one that chose you. Both you and the tiel will be happier and it is an easier adjustment for the bird.


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## olive juice (Mar 30, 2009)

11bryces said:


> i know im asking a lot but im not sure i will be allowed to buy a cockatiel from a breeder and will probably buy one from someone or petstore ..
> 
> how tame are cockatiel from pet store? will they allow me to touch or make the bird step up before i buy it ? will they know the sex of the bird also ? and what kind of behavior a cockatiel should have ?
> 
> i have seen cockatiel in petstore with wounderfull personalities and very playful and alive but had feathers in bad condition (like messed up tails and stuff) .. and i have seen beautiful cockatiel but with a depressed attitude, not playfull , lack of movement etc... what about the age ?


IMO, it depends on the pet store.
I got both my budgie (who has since passed) and my first cockatiel from a small, locally run pet store. Both birds were in great condition. The budgie was not tame, and the tiel, Halley, wasn't fully tame either, but he was young and so training him was not a problem at all. Halley had been handfed and was very healthy. You always hear horror stories about pet store birds, but mine were wonderful. (This pet store also sold us fish that lived for 7 years, I think...I'm convinced this store was a miracle place, heh.)
The store also knew the birds' estimated ages, and they were spot-on with Halley's gender.

Messed up tail feathers can come from cages that are too small. And, as someone else says, younger cockatiels usually have messier tails.


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## 11bryces (May 24, 2009)

thanks again you guys for answering my question im very thankful


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## gforce (Jun 28, 2008)

My tiels came from our local pet shop and were in perfect health and were very friendly and tame. I would have preferred to buy from a breeder but couldn`t find one in our area at the time. The pet shop they came from is a small one not one of these chain stores. 
gforce


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## 11bryces (May 24, 2009)

okay i will try to look for a small petstore ... but if the people don't let me interact with the birds ... how do i know they are tamed ??? i know that untamed budgies usually fly everywhere in their cage when someone get near but what about cockatiels?


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## Tony's Tiels (May 21, 2009)

If they do not allow you to handle a bird you want to purchase,
Go Elsewhere ... Fast !

untamed Tiels will also fly madly, probably not As frantic as a wild budgie, but sometimes yes.
A tame Tiel will be more calm, but I have found that our Tiels are 'one people type' birds.
They will not let any strangers hold them, except for one.

If you find a Tiel at a store that will let you handle him/her, that is probably the bird picking you as a good family member.


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## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

11bryces said:


> okay i will try to look for a small petstore ... but if the people don't let me interact with the birds ... how do i know they are tamed ??? i know that untamed budgies usually fly everywhere in their cage when someone get near but what about cockatiels?


See the problem when it comes to selling Cockatiels, Budgies, Quakers, GCC'S etc in Pet Shops is when you have Adults & Kids sticking their fingers in the cages and scaring the crap out of them. So yes, they're most likely to flip out even if they are tame. (you know, one flips out so the rest do too)

But as for your question, a good Pet Shop will let you handle the bird, but some refuse to even get the bird out unless you're buying it. I'd have a look around a couple of Pet Shops, you may come to one that will let you handle a couple of them.


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## 11bryces (May 24, 2009)

okay sure .. and yes its true that children are always so rude and scary to the birds


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