# Taming Two Tiels



## Flick (Apr 19, 2011)

Hello, I have taken in two cockatiels. I don't know their age or gender. Their background story is dodgy. They were sold to the previous owner as hand-raised but they act like they've been caught in the tree.

I have named them Butternut and Fossil.

If anyone approaches the cage, they shuffle to the back corner. They are set up in the laundry room but can see people in the living room and will whistle back and forth to the people in the living room.

I trimmed their wings but apparently not enough. Lol. I needed them out of their cage so I could scrub the cage. They were able to fly around the room and fly from the ground to the top of the windows. 

Previously, they did not have any toys in their cage. I have made a few toys with newspaper, string, toilet paper roll and a shoe box. They are starting to pull at the string and nibble on the paper but it doesn't seem like enough exercise? Fossil will get worked-up/excited and roll his head around like crazy while Butternut jumps all over in the cage. 

Should I leave them alone in the cage for a week or re-trim their wings and let them loose in the house again for exercise? Would they warm up to me faster outside or inside their cage?

They would not go back to their cage on their own but I think that's because they were flying very high and I could only get the cage up to my waist on a laundry basket.

I have read a few articles on the net that I should split them into two cages while I am trying to tame them. Will this really help? When I managed one bird back into their cage, they began screaming so badly! They could still see each other but the screaming was so bad that I had to put ear plugs in and big bulky headphones over my ears before getting the second bird. When they were both in the cage, they were calm and quiet.

I'm new to bird ownership and I just don't know what to do to tame these birds. I would really like them to be apart of the family but sometimes it feels like they will end up as wild outdoor aviary birds.


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

I would start leaving your hand in their cage for 15-20 mins each hour till they get used to your hand knowing you wont hurt them, you can clip them again. Spend some time alone with each bird in different room away from the cage, they will scream for each other at first but it will stop. It will take time for them to trust you my taco has been here 3 and half months and he starting to trust me more, i spend alot of time with them.
My Lucky and cookie are the tamest and im still working on the others


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## Flick (Apr 19, 2011)

If they start having a tantrum over my hand in the cage, should I take it out? Just changing out the water/food causes them to go a bit crazy, flapping about and chirping.


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

millet will help after the hand stage. keep leaving your hand in. lperry is great with taming! just keep the hand in as she said. it does take time. i got 2 baby lovebirds about 3 months ago and theyre still at that run away from hands stage lol


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

You don't put your hand all the way in the cage at first...start at the door. Once they get used to that move closer to them.


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## Flick (Apr 19, 2011)

I moved the cage right next to me in the living room about 10 minutes ago and they are slowly starting to calm down. At first, they were all scream and flap from just sitting next to me. Should I move away from the cage in 10 more minutes or stay next to the cage?


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

move away after a bit


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## Siobhan (Mar 21, 2010)

Putting the cage in the room where you spend the most time will help immensely. They'll get used to seeing and hearing you more quickly that way. Talk to them a lot. Call them by name all the time. Whistle to them, try to make the same sounds they make when they chirp, respond to them a lot so they start to think of you as part of the flock. Sit close to the cage and talk to them. Talk to them when you're not close to the cage. Offer them a treat every time you reach in to clean the cage. The more familiar you become, the less frightened they'll be.


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## Flick (Apr 19, 2011)

While having my hand in the cage, Fossil escaped! After two hours of going back and forth, I did manage to catch him and I re-clipped his wings. What is amazing is that he rode around on my hand for a few minutes! He managed to get to the farthest room from his cage. After the trim, he reluctantly stepped up on my finger. He tried to bite, I went "AH AH!" and he stopped then stepped. 

I decided to re-clip Butternut as well so that if he pulled an escape I wouldn't need to drag a ladder all over the house to get him. I didn't know I would get so much exercise with pet birds. Lol

Should I try more out of cage time tomorrow? Or just stick with the hand-in-cage? I don't want to rush them but Fossil did seem more... Open? to my presence when he was separated from Butternut.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Try spending some time with both of them alone (if that means Fossil comes out with you and then you do the hand in the cage with Butternut) and see how they handle that. Remember, just go at their pace. Pushing them can cause trust issues.


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## Flick (Apr 19, 2011)

All right, thanks for all the help!


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