# Cockatiel Stories Anyone?



## cinnamonswirl (Jan 22, 2012)

Hi, I'm new to the forums and new to the whole cockatiel thing. Never had one, had a budgie though. I'm so excited to get one, hopefully soon! I've probably been researching and talking to breeders for over 3 months. This forum has provided some really helpful, one on one tips so thank you all! I just want to get myself more pumped up about getting a new bird by asking everyone your stories on getting your cockatiels and how it has been living with them. Funny stories, rescue stories, etc. Please give reasons why you think cockatiels are great pets or even why they're not. Maybe just some pros and cons to living with them everyday. I'd love to hear them!


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

My first two Tiels came to me as a rehome situation. They came from a family that had tons of kids, dogs, cats, other pets running around and they didn't have the time to care for them. A frequent customer at a store that I worked in came in one day with a flyer, asking if she could hang it up. When I saw what she was advertising.. I just knew they would be mine. My other two current Tiels are their babies, 4 months old, boy and girl. I have 2 Budgies also. I have had birds in the past, so living with them was really not a big change for me. However, my male Tiel Gibbs, is quite strict about routine. He likes to be uncovered in the morning at a certain time and covered at night at a certain time. And if you are late.. he'll start in with this low pitched rhythmic whistle and keep it up until you correct your error. lol  I do feed my birds and let them out on a daily routine also, so they know when certain things are about to happen. And it's so fun just watching them waiting in anticipation. They all have their different personalities too. My mom Tiel, Hetty, really enjoys being treated like a Queen. Daughter Tiel Nel, is a bit clumsy and a goofball.. she can be a hoot when she looks at you like you're crazy.  Her brother, McGee, well he's just a ball of hormones right now it would seem. He's a funny one in that he really doesn't prefer to jump on your finger to come out of the cage, he prefers you to bend all crazy like just to get your shoulder by his door for him to step out on. He also enjoys wearing his bell toy as a hat and listening to his whistling echo in it.  There are times when they can be loud.. and I've had my days where I've needed Advil. lol But all in all, they are part of our family and part of our daily lives. We would miss them dearly if they were not here.


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## cinnamonswirl (Jan 22, 2012)

Were the rehome birds tame? Did you have to tame them yourself? Good for saving them! You sound like a great owner! The world needs more of those... The low pitched humming sounds funny and cute! Haha. Bell as a hat!?! That is super cute! I wish I could watch a cockatiel do that! Yeah, I guess they turn out to be members of your family. I too plan on having a set routine to keep up with all the birdie responsibilities. Thanks for sharing!


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

They were not totally hand tame and still have issues. They like to beak at you and test to see if you'll back off or if your hand is sturdy enough. Patience is key. I'm constantly talking to them, even if they're in their cage. And I always move slowly around them. Fast movements can startle them. Once they know they can trust you, it's a bit easier to maneuver your hands inside their cage and also with handling them out of the cage. Hetty really prefers to hang out by the cage and Gibbs prefers to get as high in the room as he can. The babies are tame though and always riding about with us or hanging out playing somewhere. A set routine is very important I've found.


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## carrielee76 (Nov 19, 2011)

My first tiel was a gift by my parents. I didn'tknow back then that she was a he so I named her Missy. She was wonderful! Sang all the time, flock called to me when she would hear the bus pulling up to the house and wouldnt stop until I came upstairs to let her out. She would ride on my shoulder for hours while I did homework or chores. Knew when supper was and would willingly go back to her cage. If I was late getting up, she would sing to wake me up so I would uncover her! Unfortunately, my mom's cat got in the sunroom one day while Missy was having out of cage time and managed to jump up and catch a claw on her chest and split it open. I was soo upset. My mom took her to the vet, we got antibiotic cream to put on it but it was not enough, infection set in quckly and it killed her. (She was a gray). Now I have a Lutino. this one IS a female and is beautiful. Her name is Sultan. She almost never made it to my house as I was determined NOT to see her because I knew once I did that was it. However one day when I went to the home she was in to pick up my daughter, I had enough and just had to see her. I fell in love and felt absolutely horrible for her. The cage she was in was meant for a budgie and had been in it for probly close to a year. It was filthy with no floor covering, caked in poop, NO food other than very old seed SHELLS and cracker crumbs, and a coffee mug with extreamly nasty water that looked like it had been there for weeks. The lady who had her was not feeing her seeds or pellets..she gave her saltine crackers! I took Sultan home that very night, untamed, yet I was able to get her out of the cage without one bite mark on me. This was in November of last year(2& 1/2 months ago) and she is in a bigger cage has clean food, water and cage every day!!!! I think she is much happier. We are also slowly getting tamer and she is getting more comfortable with my household as I have 2 teens and a todler!


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## Nadley (Dec 28, 2011)

I love to talk about Ralph, so I'd be happy to tell you about my experience! I got Ralph nine years ago at a local pet store, when she was a baby. She was the last baby who hadn't been sold. I put a down payment on her and had to wait a few weeks before I could take her home, because she was being handfed at the store and they wouldn't let me take her home until she was weaned. I didn't know she was a female when I named her Ralph. She was scared of me at first, but within a few days she was coming out with me and letting me scratch her head.

I was 15 when I got her, and now I'm 24, so she's been through a lot of life changes with me! The most recent was when I got married in August, and she had to move with me from my parents' house into my new apartment with my husband. She likes my husband (and he likes her, which is good), but her primary bond is still with me.

Some reasons Ralph is a great pet:
- She interacts with me and we have a strong bond. She loves being with me, sitting on my shoulder or leg, getting head scritches and cuddling up to my face or hand.
- She's adorable! I love watching her do cute things.
- Coming home from work and seeing how excited she is to see me.
- She's not very loud, for a pet bird. The only time she makes a lot of noise is when she's contact calling me from another room. We rent my inlaws' basement apartment and they say the noise doesn't bother them upstairs. Ralph is a female, though; I've heard males are louder.
- She's relatively easy to take care of and clean up after. Her cage/droppings never smell bad.

Some drawbacks:
- The daily and weekly responsibilities that go along with having a pet. You know about this already, since you've owned a budgie before. But there are a lot of little things I have to do during the day and week to take care of Ralph and my two budgies--feeding, changing the water and washing the water dish, cleaning the cage, washing the rags I put down to protect the furniture from being pooped on, covering/uncovering the cage, etc.
- I'm obligated to spend time with her every day. I'm her only source of companionship and she gets very lonely when I'm not around. I let her out for usually at least 3 hours a day and feel terrible when I can't give her as much time for whatever reason.
- I'm always worried about her health, comfort, and safety, especially when I'm not home. A lot of that's just my personality, though.
- It gets really annoying when I'm in another room and she calls for me constantly until I come get her or go into the room she's in.

The pros definitely outweigh the cons, for me. I love having a cockatiel as a pet and hope you will too!


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

These two threads pretty well tell the stories of my two 'tiels. 

http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=23617
http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=24705


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## xoxsarahxox (Dec 13, 2010)

I started off wanting a budgie, had done tons of research on them and asked for one for christmas/my birthday and then one day my mom came to me and convinced me to look into cockatiels since my parents had one when I was quite young. I fell in love with these birds and on December 18th 2010 we went browsing at the local pet store just to see the cockatiels. The cage was full of pearls and pieds and one lutino cockatiel, all untame, now I had pretty much written off the lutino mutation I didnt like it that much so I had made up my mind before looking at tiels that I didnt want a lutino. So Im looking at the cockatiels and my dad says.....Pick one and that was that lol I stared at those cockatiels for a good half hour maybe longer and I finally picked the little lutino with the bald spot, I was just drawn to this tiel. The employee picked her out of the cage, he said she was the easiest tiel to get out of the cage theyd ever had and he clipped her wings and then put her on my shoulder in the store, it was honestly love at first sight. She stepped up the day I got her and now she is my cuddlebug, a total sweetheart always wanting cuddles  

Two months later I had expressed wanting another cockatiel on this forum but was having trouble finding the mutation I wanted and a member here who is also a breeder said her tiels were on eggs and could produce the mutation I wanted. So I fell in love with Cupid through pictures on the forum, I drove 2 hours there and 2 hours back for him and again it was like love at first sight when I got to the breeders and held him for the first time since I was watching him grow through pictures for 9 weeks!!!! He has his terror moments but then he has many more cute and loving moments  He hatched on valentines day.

I just love cockatiels because I feel that they love me back, I had never known that a bird could be so affectionate and loving but they are, that and more! I enjoy all of their funny antics and cute moments!! I can put up with the mess and the noise and all of the hormones because they are just so worth it


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## smays810 (Dec 27, 2011)

I got my bird Lexi in November of 2011. I had recently moved out of my mom’s house and into a new apartment to go to school and I was really lonely and not really making too many friends. I started thinking about a pet that I could get to keep me company that wasn't a dog or cat as they are not allowed and one day was watching animal planet and they were talking about birds. I had parakeets when I was younger so I thought that would be a good pet. My first parakeet was very nice and friendly. I went to the local pet store just to look at a few things and figure out if I could afford to have a bird and they actually had some birds there. So I went into the bird room and was looking at the parakeets trying to figure out which one seemed the friendliest, (which none of them did), While I was looking at them I heard a whistling sound behind me and when I looked it was Lexi. She was right by the bars of the cage looking at me and whistling. I walked over to her and started to whistle back and it was a done deal from that point on. I went back every day to make sure she was still there until I got everything I needed and as soon as her cage was set up I went and got her. She was already tame and I know you’re supposed to let them settle in for a few days before getting them out of the cage but she wanted to be on me so I didn't force her to go in her cage. It’s been great ever since. She is my best friend and I couldn’t imagine life without her. She spends most her day on my shoulder and hates when I have to leave her and I hate it just as much as she does. The only con I would say is she likes to get into everything I'm doing which makes it really hard to do homework or focus on other things, but I wouldn't change it for the world. I love her so much and worry about her all the time, but she has changed my life for the better. I would totally recommend getting a cockatiel; they make great companions and are low maintenance compared to a dog.


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## meaggiedear (Nov 20, 2011)

I have wanted a bird ever since I was a kid. I always imagined having a canary or something. I told this story to my boyfriend and one day while we were at the flea market, someone was selling a brand new bird cage for 2 dollars. This cage was so small that it wasn't even fit to house any bird in. I didn't realize this at the time. We ended up going to the pet store, and before we got there- My boyfriend told me, "You can have one finch. That's it." So, we get there and I walk straight up to the budgies and say, "I wanted one of these." My boyfriend looked at them and said, "Let's get them all. These are so pretty." After I talked him out of all of them... He was totally serious... We agreed on four. I ended up upgrading the baby cage two times before I was happy with the size... The budgies didn't turn out the way I thought they would. I wanted them all to be my best friends and they hate me. And then after a year of having my babies, my friend approached me and said she found a cockatiel and wanted me to have it. She told me he seemed lonely, and he could use some work. This tiel has become EVERYTHING I was ever looking for in a bird. He has a bad attitude 90% of the time, but he willing to try with me. Everyday is an adventure and we are still getting used to each other after three months... But I wouldn't trade him for the world. I know someday he will be inseperable from me.


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## stevechurch2222 (Sep 25, 2011)

I originally had a dog when I was in my 30's and had not been around birds until I met my wife almost 10 years ago,we will be married 9 years this March,and she had a parakeet named Petie,he died shortly after we were married,and we got another parakeet about a few months later and had him for 7 years before he passed away.A year and a half ago we got our two parakeets,Tweety and Bluebird and have had them since then.A friend of ours that lived in Eddyville,Iowa had a male and female cockatiel that he wanted to get rid of due to his heart problems,so we got Katie and Okie and had them for over 5 and a half years till Okie we think killed his mate Katie this last September.We gave Okie back to his original owner a couple of weeks later and have been without a cockatiel since then.We found a breeder in Cedar Rapids,Iowa that had a male white face gray breeder cockatiel that they wanted to sell he's 17 months old.He is the one we named Snickers,he has a great personality so we feel he should be able to tame down with some work.Remembering Katie and Okie I never will forget Katie saying thank you for giving her and Okie their food and water everyday and every time Okie would pick on her how she would holler for our help.She was one of kind,and we still miss Katie,but the experience we gained from Katie and Okie made us really love cockatiels and we are looking forward to having Snickers in our flock.I have really grown to love cockatiels thanks to our time with Katie and Okie.


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## Eollica (Oct 6, 2011)

Our story is funny and sad at the same time. We always had a songbird, and his name was always paulie. We had Paulie II until july... When we traveled for 2 days. He had been sick had been a while and the only vet we found for birds wansn't so bright, I only learned the vet was horrible later... So his treatment wasn't working. When we came home, he had passed away...

I always loved birds and through our Paulies I always tried to tuck mom into getting a tiel. She would always say "**** no!! We barely handle one songbird, imagine a huge messy cockatiel!". Paulie then became tame, since last year's beginning. He would perch on our fingers and he was very kind. When he died we were all horribyl sad; i still get sad sometimes and miss him.

The same night nobody could sleep, and we started browsing for a new kind of bird. I said we could never get another canary like Paulie, he was too sweet and tame. So I started looking up for Lovebirds. Theyw ere gorgeous and there were so many tame videos, sweet and cute. Very hyperactive, funny and lovely birds. We decided to get a couple.. And even tried to tame them. But they were adults and it was impossible. Ollie and Evy were also escape artists. They went through 3 cages until we finally made it Ollie-proof, and he stopped attempting to run away. His last escape was genious and funny; he dragged the tray of the cage off and escaped from under the cage, but it had a skirt and he got stuck there til i found him.

2 days after we bought the lovebirds, mom comes home with a little box. I look up and see how carefully she was carrying it... And it was full of holes. I smiled and said "You bought a new Paulie!". She smiled and nodded. So we cleaned the old cage very nicely and that was his new home.

But we still didn't have a tame bird... So we started searching for a tiel, and we got Dora. However Dora seemed to miss her pet shop friends and we decided to get yet another bird. We had 2 places with possible tiels: the place we bought the lovebirds, and a breeder. We fell inlove with Nene at the pet shop. He was young and lovely... But we figured week slater, he was sick. So we treated him off clamydhya, and everyone else as well, and he revelaed to be a hyperactive, sweet singer. The same day we got him, we couldn't resist, lets meet the breeder, what harm could it make? 

The "harm" was a gorgeous white and gray tiel. I immediatly fell for him. We then called him Shade.

1 Month later we went to a pet shop to get them new toys, since they destroyed their first stock of toys. Theye was a cute, big-eyed lutino there. She was shy and curious, and very very fluffy. And then there was Mimi (Nemeria is her full name). And then there were 5 tiels, 2 lovebirds and a songbird.

But me and my brother, when bought Dora, were facsinated by the red canaries at the shop. So... Then there were 9, and we bought ruby 

Thats the odissey of our crazy bird shopping, going from 1 to 9 in 40 days... lol xD


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## Injood (May 8, 2011)

before owning my 4 tiels that i have currently, i used to have 2 when i was a kid one that my bro used to take him out a lot somebody scared him a he flew off we tried getting him back but then he was just completely gone the 2nd was also when i was about 8 years old we had him for 7 years but then he flew over the rainbow bridge it was very empty after that i always missed having a tiel around it used to make me sad since they are awesome birds, u talk they listen, they care a lot their friendly funny lil birds then i kinda cried to get one since my fiance has a lot of birds and i dont lol yeah i sound like a little girl but then he got me one as a birthday gift soon after he got me my nunu i got 3 more after that their very addictive birds their like a tattoo they print on u and once u get one u'll want more and more haha

you will love having one around there isnt a dull moment when their around


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## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

They're obviously addicting little birds


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## stevechurch2222 (Sep 25, 2011)

Yes they are bj knight 93.How can a person not love them,they each have their own individual personalities,that's what makes them so wonderful to own.


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## JaimeS (Nov 28, 2011)

I just got my first cockatiel in late December and I now have 5 and another on the way! They are very addictive, sweet birds full of personality. Luckily my husband doesn't mind a bird in every room since we've had to have them all separated for quarantine! Well, two came together and my first two have finally been introduced as I have had them for a month, so now birds in three rooms! 

My Izzy is the first bird I got (even though I was waiting on my first bird to wean). She is a pearl pied girl. She is independent, but will seek out attention and head rubs on her terms. Quinn is my second bird and only boy. He is a pied. He is the sweetest little thing and sticks to me like velcro. He loves to cuddle and play. He is starting to venture out a little more but freaks out if I leave him even for a minute! Willow is my third bird (my first that I planned to get, but she took forever to wean). She is a WF cinnamon pearl pied baby and she is vocal! She is a strange little bird! She likes to do her own thing and is very adventurous but also likes cuddles on her tems. She is social and will go to anyone. My fourth and fifth birds are Zoey (lutino pearl) and Baretta (WF lutino). They are both gorgeous girls! Zoey has learned to step up and will perch on me but still is nervous about being touched. Baretta is a little cuddlebug! She will do anything for scritches. And she has the softest, most plush feathers! I love rubbing her.

Another member of the forum is in the process of weaning my sixth bird that I should be getting soon. She is a gorgeous WF cinnamon! I can't wait to get her!

I thought six would be my limit, but I don't know...I love my birds and all my spare time is spent with them. I can't wait to leave work to get home to them!


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## cinnamonswirl (Jan 22, 2012)

Wow! I am soo excited! I now have lowered options down to just two: Get a white-faced lutino (which is probably a girl --> I don't know if I want a girl because I like how boys can learn to whistle and talk and don't have the chance of egg-binding... Any opinions/pros and cons on which is better?) Anyway, or my second option is just to wait longer until a boy comes along. Which I've been doing for three months! Ahhh, oh well. Cockatiels are amazing and thank you all for sharing your lovely stories! I can't wait (haha, well I guess I can... maybe... )


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## WendyBeoBuddy (Dec 12, 2011)

My cockatiels were rehomed to us from my brother's friend who was allergic to them. We got one blood tested female and two for-sure males. we did not know what to do with this new situation. so we immediately spent all of our money on toys, treats, and food that we researched  Wendy was a quiet girl and hated to be anywhere but on your shoulder or giving kisses, Singerboy got his name after his first two days. we let all three out of the cage and he sang his little heart out. we knew he was young but did not know how young so we started to whistle to him. he learned to wolf whistle in the first week. And now he says all kinds of things "pretty bird, whacha doin?, pretty wings, oh my!" and more but i cannot remember. he also wolf whistles, sings the tune of schism by tool and sings my zebra finch's song.mean boy... he is just mean  or rather.. not tame is all! he is very sweet as long as you don't try to pick him up!

Pros: Tame birds can be trained easily and are usually VERY sweet! they often learn tricks and learn how to talk. they will stick to one person or many depending on who handles them mostly, and can learn how to fly to you by call.
Cons: they often scream or pace when they want attention from you. and they are LOUD most of the time. 

other then that, my experience with cockatiels has been amazing! we have had them for two years now and i will never go back to not having them!!


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## cinnamonswirl (Jan 22, 2012)

Do female cockatiels scream even though they can be generally quiet? And also, what are the chances that a female with lay infertile eggs throughout her lifetime? Any quick suggestions on how to prevent this?


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## Nadley (Dec 28, 2011)

cinnamonswirl said:


> Do female cockatiels scream even though they can be generally quiet?


Definitely yes. Ralph does but only when I'm in another room. She can also wolf whistle and makes up her own whistles sometimes, but only when she is in the mood and she usually isn't.



cinnamonswirl said:


> And also, what are the chances that a female with lay infertile eggs throughout her lifetime? Any quick suggestions on how to prevent this?


I've heard that egg laying is a common issue. I've been lucky and Ralph has never laid an egg so far, even though I've had her a long time. (I'm sure she's a female, since she's a normal grey and male and female greys look quite different.)

I did, however, have egg laying problems with my budgie, Tweety. She went 8 years of her life without laying any eggs, and then she laid two clutches last year. I let Tweety sit on both clutches until she got bored, and she never got egg binding, thank goodness. She hasn't laid any more eggs since I started using a cage with a grate at the bottom (so she had nowhere to make a nest). I also make sure Tweety is covered 12 hours a night so her body doesn't think it's summer and time to breed.


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## cinnamonswirl (Jan 22, 2012)

is 10 hours okay? And how common is egg binding.. I'm kind of worried about this...


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## mishkaroni (Jan 6, 2012)

I started with parakeets first. I googled a bird that might get along well with parakeets if I ever chose to get another and found that cockatiels would make a good match. 8 years ago I brought home the most beautiful tiel I had ever seen, my wonderful all white female, Calypso. I worked next to a pet store and the employees bred their tiels. She was perfect. Handraised from the egg. I went and bought her sister from the batch just after her to add as a buddy. My bond with Calypso never faltered and only grew stronger. I added several tiels to my flock over the years, and she took each new addition as just another annoyance. I don't believe she ever saw herself as bird, they her equals. In knowing this lovely creature, I learned she thought she was above any bird and that her rightful place was with me, no matter what! She would only tolerate going in the cage if millet was used as a bribe. She would quickly duck in to eat or drink, but wouldn't stay for long for fear of the door being closed and her jailed with these other lesser creatures. At night, she would sleep on my pillow next to my face, or on my chest if I slept without movement....if she could get away with it. If she couldn't she'd sleep in her cage and the second I stirred, would pace the door until she was free to be with me. If ever I wasn't well, physcially or emotionally, she would not leave my side without extreme temper at whoever tried to move her. She was my cure during times of high anxiety and if I was having an attack she would be the only one I could handle any where near me. I can't say there is a downside to having a tiel. The pain I went through, and am still going through, over the loss of her I would never give up if it meant I couldn't have had those 8 short years with her. The loss of such a large piece of myself is insignificant in comparison to the bond she shared with me in that time. 

As for my other tiels, well they're all individuals and they can sure show it. For them the downside is ... STOP CHEWING EVERYTHING! haha. Posters, books, my laptop charger, me, ugh and worst of all my WALLS. At least I do not need nail clippers as they keep track of my nail growth and trim them themselves! Honestly, with the several species of birds I currently own, and the ones I am familar with, a tiel has surprisingly turned into my favorite. *I say surprisingly because I have always been in love with african greys and it is my dream to own one, yet tiels are all I need and desire at this moment*


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## MimiCockatiels (Jan 23, 2012)

My tiel, Cricket, is still brand new, but I thought I'd tell you about how she "chose me". After a very long wait, we finally got to the petstore. Our cage was all set up in my room, all we needed was the bird! So, the employee brought out 2 birds, Cricket and a lutino. While the lutino scrambled towards the safety of the employee, Cricket slowly edged her way to my hand. Cautiously, she climbed to my shoulder. And I've been in love ever since! That's the only tiel memory I have as of now, but I plan to make many more!


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## cinnamonswirl (Jan 22, 2012)

I'm also in the same situation you were, have everything ready and just need the bird. I've been searching for one for three months but, hey, it's worth it!


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

cinnamonswirl said:


> I'm also in the same situation you were, have everything ready and just need the bird. I've been searching for one for three months but, hey, it's worth it!


You could always look into adopting a bird. There are many in rescues and shelters in need of a good home. Why not put all your new knowledge to use that way?


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## Dreamcatchers (Apr 17, 2011)

I started with cockatiels in 1986. My first pair was a very mean normal grey male and a sweet tame pearl. Robin (the evil bird) learned to sing "all the little birdies on J-Bird street love to hear Robin go tweet tweet tweet" but after two years and three trips to the hospital for stitches (Robin did not just bite, he ripped, shredded and was part pitbull), my parents decided that the birds had to go. I didn't mind losing Robin but I sure missed Pearl. In 1989, I had been married for a few months when I brought home some finches (hoping to break my husband in to the idea of birds and then move up to a cockatiel). I had found a kitten a few weeks after bringing the finches home and one day not long after that, I came home from work to find the cat locked inside the birdcage and the 2 finches gone. I didn't have birds again until 2000 when I got Sielu, a cinnamon pearl rescue who was 11 years old. Sielu was one of 4 birds I took as a foster while volunteering for a rescue in NJ. I worked there for 2 years as a volunteer. Because I was also the office manager for a veterinary clinic, I was able to get veterinary treatment really cheap, so the rescue offered to allow me to also adopt Diamond (Hahns Macaw - 15yrs), Maui (CAG - 18 years) and Tumba (CAG - 2 years). All the birds were deemed "unadoptable" due to severe behavior or medical issues. Sielu and Diamond passed away in 2004, Sielu had a deformed beak which made it hard for her to eat and Diamond was a rare case of birdy metabolizm disorder, the doctors suspected possible diabetes. Maui passed away in 2010 from his second stroke (he had one 2 years earlier and we fought to save him), he was blind in one eye and both he and Tumba were severe pluckers. My next cockatiel came in 2009, his name is Cinna and I have him still today. He was my very first show bird and has won several ribbons on the novice bench. He was a gift to help cheer me up after my mom suddenly passed from cancer a month before. He was young and had been rescued from a FL breeder who supposedly abandoned their aviary. He's got a band although I have no idea from where and I never intended on showing him but he turned out to be a gorgeous bird. He's fathered one clutch so far and is a great dad and his daughter did well at her first show last Nov. From there, we began to build our flock. I currently have 27 adult cockatiels, 2 baby cockatiels, 2 white earred conures and Tumba the CAG and Finn (my newest CAG rescue). And, if that weren't enough, there are two yorkies, an aussie and two balinese cats. I have yet to get that partridge in the pear tree...


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

Technically, Sunny is my fiance's bird but he is really "my" bird. My fiance inherited Sunny when his former owner passed away. Quite honestly, up until then, I had no interest in birds. I had never been around them, etc. My plan really was to find Sunny a nice home with people who knew how to take care of birds. Well, Sunny had other plans. He pretty much fell in love with me instantly. From day one, wanted me to sit by his cage and give him scritches through the bars. (Ironically, he wanted nothing to do with the fiance, although they are now friends.) Even though I now thought he was cute, I still didn't know if we were the right home for him due to our work schedules, etc. Well, one day Sunny decided it was time to get out of his cage. We had been nervous about letting him out because he could fly, didn't know step up, etc. As I was changing his water, he climbed out and to the top of his cage. I cautiously approached him and put by shoulder near the cage thinking he would maybe climb on it, as he still thought hands were scary. Well, he walked over, put his head on my shoulder and looked up at me and purred. It completely melted my heart. I knew then that we were the right home for Sunny.

I look back at the first couple weeks and shake my head at how little we really knew about what we were doing. I had bought a book on tiels and was trying to learn but hadn't yet found this forum. It's been a huge help. But we all survivied those first couple weeks and Sunny is a very happy, lovely bird. I can't imagine us not having him now- he is such a big part of our family and my little buddy. He even likes to "talk" on the phone to my parents. (And they let him! Which is amazing because they are not big animal people.)

One night driving home, my fiance said to me: Thank you for agreeing to let us keep Sunny. I know we could have found him a nice home, but had we done that, Sunny never would have found his best friend (me).  

Our expericene with Sunny has been so good, I don't really have any cons to say about owning a tiel. (He's 15. So we missed the whole hormonal stage.) Sunny is really layed back and sweet. Like any pet, there is a lot of responsibility to ownership. And he does like to chew everything. But if you have time and patience, tiels bring a lot of joy. (And I'm all in favor of considering rehoming a tiel. Older tiels need good homes too and I think less people are willing to take them than the little babies.)


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## giggles611 (Jan 2, 2012)

yes there are a lot of good shelter one in paticular called maars.org and with teils you never know what a personailty they will have i had one that was a little mellow but she was fanstaic to be with my mom and dad got her for me for my 20 th birthday and she would go every where with me i could clean dish's with her on my shoulder i could even do arts and crafts with her on me she even did a paiting of her own with a brush and chosse the paint .now she is gone she died 4 weeks ago and now i have a new one that is only 7 8 weeks old and he is now eatting seeds all on his own he loves to fly loves to squeak when he whisltele loves to chew on shiney objects and just be silly.


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