# Taming adult aviary birds (need help!)



## Steps (Jul 24, 2017)

About 6 months ago, I got my two cockatiels (Ari and Elli) as adult aviary raised birds. I wasn't given a whole lot of information from the man I bought them off, though I did ask a lot of questions. From what I know, they are a "pair" - I don't know if that entails a BREEDING pair or family or what. Secondly, I know one is male and one is female. I also know they were raised in an aviary and were about 13-14 months old when I bought them and had little to no interactions with people.

Over the 6 months I've had my two precious birbs, I have made a small amount of progress - they seem to have their crests down most of the time I'm in the room with them, they have no troubles eating, sleeping, drinking, playing with toys or singing around me, no matter how close I am to the cage and I can feed them milk thistles from a distance (I'm not a fan of millet as the cockatiel I had as a child died after being fed millet... a little paranoid I guess). But they still have issues with me changing their water/food/cleaning the cage and hiss or lunge at me (mainly the boy) and will NOT be picked up easily.

I let them out of the cage every day, but getting them back in is a chore. They like to hang out on my curtain rods and just fly wall to wall when I try getting them back in. Most days I can get Elli in as she trusts me enough to sit on a perch if i hold one next to her and transport her back in. Ari can easily be bribed into the cage on days of the week where I give them treats, but other than that it gets hard, but I manage.

I love these birds with all my heart and want nothing more then for them to trust me! I understand this stuff takes time but I was wondering if anyone had experience or tips on taming either aviary birds or adult birds, whether I should clip their wings, etc.


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## Vickitiel (Oct 10, 2012)

Sounds like you are doing an awesome job and I don't have a lot of additional advice aside from treats are your best bet when taming new birds. Some birds take longer to warm to you than others and they may still never be hand tame depending on their original temperament. The higher up they are the safer they feel so that explains why they cling to the curtain rods and are therefore difficult to get back in their cage. What type of cage do you have? Are you able to make it a higher point in the room? If you can it will make it easier for them to land on the top of their cage, and this will help you with getting them back in. I personally wouldn't clip their wings, it's unnatural for them and can be dangerous (heavily clipped birds will drop like rocks when trying to fly; just because they are clipped it doesn't deter them from attempting to fly).

Best of luck with your birds! Be patient and go at their pace. Would love to see some pics of your two birdies.


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## Steps (Jul 24, 2017)

Vickitiel said:


> Sounds like you are doing an awesome job and I don't have a lot of additional advice aside from treats are your best bet when taming new birds. Some birds take longer to warm to you than others and they may still never be hand tame depending on their original temperament. The higher up they are the safer they feel so that explains why they cling to the curtain rods and are therefore difficult to get back in their cage. What type of cage do you have? Are you able to make it a higher point in the room? If you can it will make it easier for them to land on the top of their cage, and this will help you with getting them back in. I personally wouldn't clip their wings, it's unnatural for them and can be dangerous (heavily clipped birds will drop like rocks when trying to fly; just because they are clipped it doesn't deter them from attempting to fly).
> 
> Best of luck with your birds! Be patient and go at their pace. Would love to see some pics of your two birdies.


Thank you! I've been a bit worried that I'm not doing the best with the birds but I really do try! They tolerate me more than any other person in the house, which I can understand, but my mum is so eager to get them to whistle or give them scritches while they sullenly stare at her :b.

The cage is stand alone so the opening is fairly high up and while they're not on the curtain rods they like to hang out on top of the cage.

On another note: I'm going on a 2 and a half week trip in January and the birds are staying with family friends who also have a cockatiel who is hand tamed. I figure MAYBE if my birds see their bird being handled so often (their little guy is out and about all the time) that they might start to pick up the concept themselves? Not sure but I guess we'll see!

Thanks again


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## Vickitiel (Oct 10, 2012)

Steps said:


> On another note: I'm going on a 2 and a half week trip in January and the birds are staying with family friends who also have a cockatiel who is hand tamed. I figure MAYBE if my birds see their bird being handled so often (their little guy is out and about all the time) that they might start to pick up the concept themselves? Not sure but I guess we'll see!


Yes, it's possible this might help. They learn from each other's behaviour and love to copy-cat.


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## frozengirl (Nov 26, 2016)

I had to raise my curtain rods so my tiel wouldn't hang out there. I have a play area for her also, and now she flies to the play area, sometimes hangs off the curtain then decides that's not ideal ��

I would figure out what your tiels favourite treats are, and maybe set up a play area 

You can try target training also. That would really help with getting them on a perch to go back in the cage. I really wouldn't be worried about millet, it's in every birds seed mix, so your tiel most likely already eats it. Explain your birds diet for us  treats like millet stick is what really wins over a tiel.


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## Steps (Jul 24, 2017)

frozengirl said:


> I had to raise my curtain rods so my tiel wouldn't hang out there. I have a play area for her also, and now she flies to the play area, sometimes hangs off the curtain then decides that's not ideal ��
> 
> I would figure out what your tiels favourite treats are, and maybe set up a play area
> 
> You can try target training also. That would really help with getting them on a perch to go back in the cage. I really wouldn't be worried about millet, it's in every birds seed mix, so your tiel most likely already eats it. Explain your birds diet for us  treats like millet stick is what really wins over a tiel.


That play area looks great! I've always wanted to have an area outside of the cage for them to play, my room is a bit cramped as is, but I'm already due for a clean-out of furniture and to make sure the room really is 100% bird proof ( haven't run into any troubles yet, touch wood).

My birds REALLY both like the milk thistles I give them. Every time I'm weeding in the yard and find one, I wash it off and give it too them, and apparently it's really good for them too! Their diet is currently just the milk thistles, some other grasses that are bird safe and a mix of seeds. 

I actually didn't know that there's millet in most bird mixes, but now that I've looked, low and behold, there's millet in it! I may give the millet a go then. 

I've also been considering switching them off seeds and onto pellets (I hear it's better for them) as I'm worried about fatty liver disease. I also have been thinking about giving them veggies, but I don't know the best ones to give them or how to prepare them. Would I just steam them? And what if they don't like them? I know it's hard switching from seeds to pellets but I really would want them to, as I suspect my last bird died of fatty liver disease.


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## Steps (Jul 24, 2017)

Steps said:


> That play area looks great! I've always wanted to have an area outside of the cage for them to play, my room is a bit cramped as is, but I'm already due for a clean-out of furniture and to make sure the room really is 100% bird proof ( haven't run into any troubles yet, touch wood).
> 
> My birds REALLY both like the milk thistles I give them. Every time I'm weeding in the yard and find one, I wash it off and give it too them, and apparently it's really good for them too! Their diet is currently just the milk thistles, some other grasses that are bird safe and a mix of seeds.
> 
> ...


And sorry if this is prying or anything, but about how much did it cost you for all the toys etc for that play area?


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## frozengirl (Nov 26, 2016)

Shipping was the most costly, $12 for mat, $12 for tent, $15 for orbit, $10 for boing, $10 for a bunch of balsa wood ( have lots extra) the materials on the mat like loofa slices etc was prob $3-6 for 5-10 pieces, paper rope was cheap like $1-2, Shipping was $18 from one vendor and the orbit was $15 shipping alone from the etsy vendor. $90 roughly lol. I'm guessing you can check prices on featheredaddictions.ca.


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