# Problem to convince cockatiel back to cage



## filipe (Nov 16, 2016)

Hi,

I am from Portugal and my english is bad... sory. i hope it enough to you understand me.

I have a cockatiel born in march in my father´s house. Came to me in May and in the beginning everything goes great: we put him outside the cage, he stay´s near me or the kids or in ours shoulders, play with us, made many sounds when we talk to him... and then we put him back in cage...

A few months ago something change: he stop back to the cage. Every time we approached the cage he fly away. I start grab him with the hands and put him back. The result his easy to guess:
he start bit every time he see a hand or a finger, he chase me trying to bite....

For a time i stop to let him came out the cage. He became calmer and i start again but the problem is the same: i have to grab him to get him back to the cage. He did not chase me anymore (just in one situation i will tell later), he enjoy be with us but i think he don´t know that the hands o grab him are part of me (he still run away and bite when he see it)

The only situation were he chase me is when he is with my wife and i come close: he make´s noise and start flying against me and try bite...

So i have 3 questions:

- Why he have that aggressive behavior when my wife is present? Happen´s always she is with us and only in that situation 

- How can i convince him back to the cage without grave him and make him comfortable with hands and fingers?

- With his age (8 or 9 mouths) he is available to imitate whispers and other souds? Before this grab situation begins he try imitate my wisper (without good results) but now he only cheep when he listen my wisper

Hope you can help me... I am losing is trust and i do not know how to solve for this...

Thanks,

Filipe


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

- Why he have that aggressive behavior when my wife is present? Happen´s always she is with us and only in that situation 
*It sounds like he views your wife as his mate and is bonded to her. This will result in him seeing you as competition and chasing you away. Will he let your wife put him in the cage? This is also a indicator of hormonal behavior. How many hours of darkness is he getting a night?*

- How can i convince him back to the cage without grave him and make him comfortable with hands and fingers?
*Food bribery. Use treats to tempt him back to the cage. Offer a stick instead of fingers if he really is afraid of them. Work on feeding him from your hand so he sees that your hands aren't scary.*

- With his age (8 or 9 mouths) he is available to imitate whispers and other souds? Before this grab situation begins he try imitate my wisper (without good results) but now he only cheep when he listen my wisper
*Repetition is key. You have to repeat the same sound over and over again for them to pick it up and rewarding him with a treat when he makes the right sound will help. Are you positive you have a boy?*

I do recommend hormone control for your little guy. It does sound like hormones are part of the problem. You might want your wife to try whistling to him as he will probably listen to her better since she seems to be the one he's bonded to. http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=32330 this sticky has advice on hormone control which will help with the biting and chasing.


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## filipe (Nov 16, 2016)

Thanks for your help!!

*
Will he let your wife put him in the cage? This is also a indicator of hormonal behavior. How many hours of darkness is he getting a night?*

My wife is not tottaly confortable with birds. She is much better: allows the cockatiel stay on her sholder but is not availe to have him in her hand... hope soon she get there...

After read the thread i think the hours of darkness may be a problem: some nights he have 10 hours of darkness but some time´s only seven... i will improve that!!!


*It sounds like he views your wife as his mate and is bonded to her*

You're probably right, whenever she is in another room of the house he does not stop to cheep very loud until she appears ...


* I do recommend hormone control for your little guy. It does sound like hormones are part of the problem*

In fact he masturbate a lot of times... 10 or more every day


*Food bribery. Use treats to tempt him back to the cage. Offer a stick instead of fingers if he really is afraid of them. Work on feeding him from your hand so he sees that your hands aren't scary.*

When he is inside the cage he accept food from my hand and love head scritches but outside don´t.... for few times he came to my arm but when he saw the cage he fly away


*Repetition is key. You have to repeat the same sound over and over again for them to pick it up and rewarding him with a treat when he makes the right sound will help. Are you positive you have a boy?*

What's weird is he stopped trying to imitate the whistle ... just sink...I'll keep insisting

I pretty sure is a male but later i will show you some pictures of him!!



Have another cockatiel be a bad idea at this stage? My father have a baby one...

Thanks!!


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## filipe (Nov 16, 2016)

I think he is a male...


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

O yea he's definitely a he!! There's nothing wrong with placing a hand on his back to keep him from flying away.


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## filipe (Nov 16, 2016)

I start feeding him with my hand outside of the cage. Most of times he eat the food... other´s still bite but he is improve.

I am giving him 14 hours of darkness... without results so far (he still chase me when my wife is there) but i only start 2 days ago.

Return to the cage is the great improve: when he is in my shoulder i place him near the cage and he goes in... without hands and with no stress...



I have another question: 

2 day´s a week we spent all day working, from 7h to 21h30 no one is at home. In that days i left him outdoors in is cage. Is a safe place with my canary´s company (they seem have a connection). I have 2 doubts about this:

- Outside he have lot´s of stimulation, sounds mostly and he reacts very much to them. My concern is sometimes he seems always reactive and hyperactive. Would be better leave him inside? Or he'll be bored?

- What is the lower temperature he should be exposed?

Thanks again!!!


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

I wouldn't leave him outside unsupervised. That's just asking for trouble. A bird of prey could attack him through the cage bars. I would leave him inside.


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## kr90au (Aug 4, 2016)

Unless its fore dire health reasons / safety... you for no reason should NOT be grabbing your bird EVER. If you have to grab your bird, you are doing something wrong.


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## frozengirl (Nov 26, 2016)

If he always flies away when your near the cage, when you let him out, try hanging out by his cage so he gets used to play time near the cage. That way he will be more used to his cage and realize that every time you pick him up, you aren't taking him to the cage. If he doesnt like hanging out with you by his cage, like the guys said, maybe treats might be best to bring him back. Try clipping millet on the side of his cage so he has to climb on it to eat ?

I totally agree dont leave him outside unsupervised. Make foraging toys for him, play music for him in the house while you are gone. (not too loud, try some classical on low-mid volume, and maybe some dancy tunes). Hide millet in paper sometimes and cut up paper and clip it on the cage, my budgies love that and play with it, even after they got all the millet out


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## filipe (Nov 16, 2016)

kr90au said:


> Unless its fore dire health reasons / safety... you for no reason should NOT be grabbing your bird EVER. If you have to grab your bird, you are doing something wrong.


Yes i lost the control of the situation for a time...

My lack of knowledge about cockatiels behavior did not help. Fortunately i found this forum and i am learning just for read the treads 




frozengirl said:


> If he always flies away when your near the cage, when you let him out, try hanging out by his cage so he gets used to play time near the cage. That way he will be more used to his cage and realize that every time you pick him up, you aren't taking him to the cage. If he doesnt like hanging out with you by his cage, like the guys said, maybe treats might be best to bring him back. Try clipping millet on the side of his cage so he has to climb on it to eat ?
> 
> I totally agree dont leave him outside unsupervised. Make foraging toys for him, play music for him in the house while you are gone. (not too loud, try some classical on low-mid volume, and maybe some dancy tunes). Hide millet in paper sometimes and cut up paper and clip it on the cage, my budgies love that and play with it, even after they got all the millet out


At this moment Mário (my cockatiel) is near of what he was when this cage situation happened.

He is bounded with my wife (curiously she is the one who has some fear of him and tries to keep some distance) and he back to a great relation with me and my soon. Before this he seems have a different connection with my daughter ( is favorite after my wife) but now he try the bite every time the comes close... i am working that with treats like i did with my soon...




I am leaving him outside only when i am home and for short periods off time and he does not seem to get as excited as before

Also made and bought toys for him but after 1 or 2 day he stop showing interest in them...


The only thing who has not returned to the same was his attempt to imitate sounds... 

Thanks everyone for the tips!!


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Try switching out the toys on a regular basis so he doesn't get bored. You can rotate them weekly to keep it interesting.


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