# help please!! urgent



## vickyrees (Nov 6, 2009)

i have just rehomed a cockatiel i have been told it was male and around 4 years old, he was kept in a dark shed outside due to the same behaviour shown to the previous owner  i brought him home last nite and he is very frigtened and nervous obviously. if i go near the cage he opens his mouth to bite i have put my hand in the cage to put food water etc and he is hissing at me, can anyone advise me how to get the bird to trust me i understand this is not going to be an overnight success as he hasnt been looked after very well, i have owned a bird before but not a cockatiel i am keeping him near a wall at eye level for security and speaking soft calming words to him i know its going to take time but any advice will help me.

i have just joined this forum and dont know if i have posted this in the right place apologies if i havent 
thank you so much for any help  
x x x


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## Mythara (Apr 9, 2009)

Cover the top and three sides of the cage with a sheet. This will make him feel more secure as danger can only approach him from one side and he can relax a bit. After that try to leave him alone as much as possible until he seems to be relaxing. Remember he's spent a long time in the dark alone. The transition to a house where it's light and there's large creatures he's scared of moving around, and making noises is a huge change for him.

When he starts to relax, talk to him in a low voice as you're going around doing things, and tell him what you're doing etc. Let him get used to you being around. If he's calm enough, sit next to the cage, and talk or read to him. If you can, make sure you're slightly lower than him, as this will make him feel safer.

Next you need a reward. This should be something he only gets from you. Don't leave it in his cage at all. If he has access to it anyway, he won't have any motivation to work for it. Millet sprays are a good treat to use for this. While you sit next to the cage, he'll hopefully get used to you and become interested. Offer him the treat, holding it up to the bars of the cage. Don't put your hand inside yet (only when you have to to change his food/water). Once he's eating the treat from you on the outside of the cage, you can move on to the next step.

Hopefully by this point, he should be associating you with the treat. Open the cage door and put your hand in, holding the treat. Don't try to move your hand towards him, just hold it in the doorway with the treat, still talking to him, and let him come and eat the treat. Repeat this a lot until he stops hesitating before going for the treat. Now you can begin to teach him to step up. Hold the treat so he has to come near your hand to get it. Make sure he's confident being around your hand before you go any further. Next hold your hand or finger in front of him, and hold the treat so that he has to step on to your hand to reach it. As he steps on tell him "up". Repeat this until you're both confident with it, then start taking him out of the cage.

When you're doing this, always keep your voice gentle and low. If he bites you, don't react at all. Keep training sessions to 10 - 15 minutes and try to end it positively. Don't rush things, wait for him to be confident with the current step before moving on to the next. It could take days, or it might take months to get him confident with you. As he relaxes, remove the cover gradually from the cage - expose two sides, then three, then take the cover away. Make sure he's getting plenty of sleep. He needs 10 - 12 hours of sleep every night, undisturbed (i.e. no TV noise, etc).


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## vickyrees (Nov 6, 2009)

thank you sooo much mythara this helps hugely thanks for taking the time to respond 
vicky x x x


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## Clairey331 (Oct 21, 2009)

Good luck with him, and dont forget to post piccies!


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## vickyrees (Nov 6, 2009)

i will thanks again hes been singing and bowing his head to me while im talking to him this evening whats that all about ??? post pics now  x x x


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

Sounds like he is starting to get comfortable


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## Clairey331 (Oct 21, 2009)

Thats really positive Vikki, already sounds like you might win him around!

Sorry. Spelt your name wrong, Vicky. Good luck with him! Have you got any piccies?


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## vickyrees (Nov 6, 2009)

ahh really !!! dont worry bout spelling  ive just taken pics but hes hissing at me when im going to close to the cage dont want to upset him so they not very good but im gonna put them on here now thanks for your feedback it all helps x x x


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## Clairey331 (Oct 21, 2009)

Cool, looking forward to seeing them, just think what life you are giving him from what hes been used to! Cold, dark and damp shed! Some people need shooting. Bless you both xx


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## Duckie (Feb 13, 2008)

Mythara says it all! Keep up the good work! Let us know how things progress


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## vickyrees (Nov 6, 2009)

i know hes lovely aswell just very frightened poor thing how do i post the pics here please from my desktop i have tried using the insert image above but it wants me to put a address in ? x x x


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## vickyrees (Nov 6, 2009)

how do i post the pics please? x x x


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## Clairey331 (Oct 21, 2009)

Have you got a photo bucket account? Its easier if you can do it. All you need to do is type photobucket in your search, sign up, then start adding your piccies to your album!

Heres the link http://photobucket.com/


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## Clairey331 (Oct 21, 2009)

Alternatively if youve got msn you can add me, send the piccies and i could down size them for you if you cant do it.


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## vickyrees (Nov 6, 2009)

no i havent thanks for that will try it out now  x x x


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## Clairey331 (Oct 21, 2009)

When youve registered and downloaded the piccies (it doesnt take long at all) dont forget to post the link on this thread so we can view them!


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## vickyrees (Nov 6, 2009)

i will im uploading them now  x x x


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## vickyrees (Nov 6, 2009)

http://s923.photobucket.com/albums/ad73/vickyrees/

sorry they are not very good pics but didnt want to hang about for obvious reasons


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## Clairey331 (Oct 21, 2009)

AAAWWWW WOW, hes cute, he looks ALOT like my Derek in the last 2 piccies! I noticed his seed treat in the cage was completley bare! He he, poor boy, glad youve got your hands on him now, he looks a little scared, but its more than likely that BRIGHT flash yoube got on your camera!


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## Clairey331 (Oct 21, 2009)

*My Boy*

http://s681.photobucket.com/albums/vv178/Clairey331/?action=view&current=DSCF1046.jpg


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## vickyrees (Nov 6, 2009)

ha ha i know i only put that in the day i had him 3 days and its bare bless him, yes the flash on the camera is really bright tried turning it off but then its too dark nevermind he is definately more relaxed since i brought him home thursday nite (off all nights!!!) if it wasnt for being invited to a garden for fireworks i wouldnt have noticed the shed poor thing stuck in there, he is very defensive of the cage understandably i have him sitting by me and if hes calm enough i have opened the door and put my head there and hes pulling at my hair so he has come out of the corner he was stuck in but its early days im gonna try my best with him anyway x x x


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## vickyrees (Nov 6, 2009)

oh wow hes beautiful  x x x


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## Clairey331 (Oct 21, 2009)

Oh wow, i really hope you do turn him around, im sure in time you will, and it will be so worth it! How did you ever get to find him then???


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## vickyrees (Nov 6, 2009)

i was invited to a bonfire nite party and we were all in the garden the shed was in the corner and i heard screaming and noticed the cage when the door was open apparently he has been in there for a few months i didnt like it and made it known and was told to take him then so i put his cage in the back of my car and brought him home he was screaming with all the noise of the fireworks etc he goes the same if he hears sirens being outside by a busy road obviously has affected him i feel so bad for him x x x


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## Clairey331 (Oct 21, 2009)

Omg, that is shocking! How long had he been in the shed? Do you know anything about it?


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## Clairey331 (Oct 21, 2009)

Sorry, you said how long he had been in there, i meant whos bird was it? The host of the party?


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## vickyrees (Nov 6, 2009)

they said they were given him a few months ago and had to put him outside as they couldnt go near him!!!  and thought that was ok. dont know where he came from before that but they were told hes about 4?? no idea how to tell his age even if it is a male, hes warm and safe now x x x


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## Clairey331 (Oct 21, 2009)

Well, im just so glad hes in good hands now, and its even better youve found this site sooner rather than later! Well done. It does take time, but you will get there, and sounds like your willing to put the time and effort in, so good for you!! x


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## vickyrees (Nov 6, 2009)

thankyou hes beautiful poor thing stuck in the dark makes me sooo angry, first thing i did the following morning was look for help as i dont know much about cockatiels and i knew i was going to need advice so im glad i found this site and thanks to everyone who has responded i will let u know how he is getting on  x x x


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## Clairey331 (Oct 21, 2009)

Im sure hes so grateful, and if he could tell you he would!


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## Clairey331 (Oct 21, 2009)

Ive pmed you a good website with loads of cockatiel info


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## chewey (Aug 6, 2009)

When I first Got My Teil she was stuck in a box (for the car ride home) when we got home and cleaned up her cage and set it up... we opened the box and she started laying her chest flat on the floor of the box puffed up her feathers started swaying back and forth and hissing constantly. I was Freaked out she looked like a devil hahahaha!

it took her a couple of weeks to get used to us and her new home.

you just have to work slowley at first I just started to talk to her about a meter away from her cage then 1 foot away and then very close. after I could scratch her head through the cage bars. 

she progressed slowley but it was worth it! We can now take her outside to places like bonus park (Calgary) without worrying about her flying off!


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