# Taming a pair



## cobra

I am going to get a pair of cockatiels shortly from a pet shop . The guy at the pet shop told me that he will get an adult male and female (most probably they will not be bonded to each other). I want to tame them so that they can be let out of the cage and put back without any fuss. I am going to house them in the same cage as i am not able to keep another cage( I have two flight cages already for ma budgies). So is it possible to tame them? Also any tips for taming them will be greatly appreciated.


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## birdie-beth

I have a male and a female, and I do not suggest caging them together unless you intend on them breeding, which can be taxing on the hen, especially. I've had issues with mine mating and laying eggs, and it's been a real ordeal lately. If you can't keep them separate, then get two males; sometimes hens will stimulate each other, one taking on the role of the male, and the other lays eggs. With males, there is no hazard of eggs, fertilized or not. If you do get the male and female, I recommend a breeding cage, which is intended for small breeding pairs to be put in each small part, but you can house one cockatiel in most cells of a breeding cage. There are also stackable cages, which take up a lot less room than two cages side by side. I prefer flat-topped cages because my 'tiels like to play on top. If they live in the same cage together, they may become bonded; it just depends if their personalities mesh or not.

For the taming, I would get their wings clipped. Most pet shops will clip their wings for you, if not, go to an avian vet or learn how to do it yourself. I'm clumsy, so I pay the pet shop to clip my cockatiels' wings so that I don't hurt them. To get my two birds' wings clipped, it costs around $20. With their wings clipped, they are more dependent on me and aren't quite as cocky. Plus, they can't really fly away from you if you need to put them back. If they do not know the step up command, you will need to teach it to them. If they are afraid of you, do not force it. Just put them on a playgym on the floor and sit near them. Eventually they will get used to you and will be able to learn to step up. Training budgies should be similar to training cockatiels. Cockatiels, in my experience, are a bit more timid and prey-like than budgies, so make your movements slow and obvious.


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## atvchick95

You can tame a pair but keep in mind it will be harder and take longer 

the best way to do it is during training sessions remove one and go to a quiet room (a bathroom works in this case IF you cover the mirror keep the toilet lid down and I'd suggest covering the sink with a towel or something (some drains the way they are made a birds toe could get caught) 

and at first keep the training short , and do it several times a day do it this way with both (one at a time) until they at least learn the basics "step up" and not running away when you put your hand in the cage , then once they have the basics down pat by teaching them one one one, you should be able to finish the training/taming with them together 

tiel's are known to be a "monkey see monkey do" kind of bird If one sees one doing something it won't be long before its doing it too BUT they also won't do squat if they don't trust the human 

take it slow at first, talk to them , read to them while they are in their cage - earn some trust, Talk to them while your feeding them, cleaning the cage etc. Tell them step by step what your doing, after say the 1st week if they don't seem so freaked out by you entering the cage Then I'd slowly move on to taming 

I also suggest a wing clip for new birds They're scared as it is being in a new place, when a bird is scared it doesn't fly so safe. and being a new place it won't know where any thing is so its unsure of where to land and a lot crash into walls, doors, windows etc. 

Even if its just a light clip Its best to start taming with a clipped bird 

you don't have to keep them clipped after they're tame of course - either way the choice is yours to clip or not 

oh and males and females can be housed together With out them mating Just have to take all the precautions - no happy huts, no nest boxes, no boxes to play with no paper for them to shred and make nests out of things like that

Birdie-beth - the reason we are suggesting yours not be housed together is because they are brother and sister that is always a NO - no no matter what species it is.

so to sum it up 

Gain their trust
be patient 
take it slow and steady( ya know thats what run the race  ) 
be persistent(don't start it then not finish it) 
and of course lots of treats for when they do what you want them do - well don't let them pig out of course but when they step up on command they get a piece of a treat (millet, avi cake, nutra berry or what ever their favorite is - could be a seed. a piece of pellet anything they really like


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## birdie-beth

I know it's mainly that they're brother and sister, but a bonded pair will probably mate, and laying eggs can be unhealthy to the hen; it takes away nutrients from the hen, egg binding is a hazard, etc. I would personally separate any opposite-gender birds unless you are ready to deal with the possibility of fertilized eggs. But that's just me.


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## Renae

One of the first things you must establish in your relationship with your cockatiels is that you are the boss, the birds are not. You also cannot react when your birds bites or screams at you. If you let the birds think it's the boss, you've already lost the cockatiel training war.

Consistency and patience are required when cockatiel training. Just as your cockatiels didn't learn these habits overnight, they are not going to be trained out of them overnight either. In fact, be prepared to spend several days to a couple of weeks retraining your birds.

Routines are important when training your cockatiels. In fact, set a routine for when you remove the cover from your bird's cage, when you having training sessions, and specific times that the birds are allowed out of its cage once training and behavior issues are no longer a problem. 

Repetition is the name of the game if you want to be successful at cockatiel training. How do you establish the routine? Start working with your cockatiels daily for at least 15 minutes each time, two to three times each day. Make sure that you include them in your day even when you aren't actively training them. Talk to them first the first thing you walk into the room. This may keep them from starting to squawk and scream because you're giving them the attention they desire.

If they are able, let them out of the cage so that they can be a part of the family's daily life. They are social animals, so they will enjoy the opportunity to go with you into different rooms and just be with you. Don't forget that they are still wild creatures at heart. They need freedom to roam, and allowing them out of their cage will give them this freedom. Let your feathered friends know what's going on. Give it a consistent cue when you leave the room for a few minutes, and a different one when you plan to be gone for a while. Tell your birds, each time you leave the room, "I'll be right back." Use a different cue, such as "Be good today" when you're leaving for several hours or for the day.

Don't yell at or punish your birds for doing what comes naturally. Control the urge to bang on the cage if the bird is especially noisy. Your negative behavior will reinforce the behavior instead of causing it to quit.

Remember this important point when cockatiel training, you can't give up. You may have some setbacks before you have success, but you must persevere. Stay focused on the goal of training your birds and you will be rewarded with less noise in your home, and much happier birds.


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## cobra

Thankyou everyone for the reply.


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