# Help, she won't stop SCREAMING!



## Nika (Nov 9, 2010)

Evening folks, I'm so so sorry but I'm at my wits' end!! Cuddy doesn't stop screaming even for a moment now! I realy think it's hormonal, having said that, I may totally and utterly wrong! We give her 16-17 hours sleeps in now, and she still is laying eggs, when we get her up she wants to mate with Himself (my mate:wacko, if he's at work (I'm just off work for a few days having had eye laser surgery) she doesn't stop screaming for a flipping minute! I'm a nerve wreck.
I talked to a pet shop, who advised me getting a cock for her, but Himself doesn't really want another bird and I appreciate that- our house is quite small. Is there anything else we could do (oh, spoke to vet, they don't have hormonal therapy for birds)
help!!!!!!!


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Does she still scream if you cover her? Have you tried playing music for her or sitting in the room with her and talking to her? Maybe have your man record his voice and play it for her and see if that works since she's calling for him. How long has she been on the long nights treatment? It takes a week, maybe two sometimes for it to start taking affect.


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## Jess (Jun 20, 2010)

Cockatiels are very sociable birds, they are at thier happiest with another cockatiel or a group, in the wild they live in large flocks. You could get her a female companion if you are concerned about fertile eggs. I have actually been given a couple of cockatiels because people couldn't cope with their screeching for bird company, it was driving them mad so imagine how frustrated the poor bird felt as well. People are misinformed about the ease of keeping Cockatiels, called starter birds or even childs pets, total croc, they are like mini Cockatoos and can be very demanding.


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## cookiemonster (Dec 30, 2010)

She keeps laying eggs? Are you taking her eggs away?
Could you try getting her a fake, fuzzy mate?


I got Cookie to stop crying for attention by doing this (sort of) exercise. When I left, she would scream of course, so I made sure she had toys or food or music so she could occupy herself when I left. When I left, she would scream, and I would wait by the door, and peek at her to see what she was doing. *What I noticed is that she only screams when she thinks you are there.* What is the point of screaming if no one is there to listen? I would patiently wait until she stops screaming, and once she stops, for a week I would count to 10. Next week, count to 20. Next week, count to 30. Next week, count until she PLAYS or EATS BY HERSELF. Cookie caught on pretty quickly, since I leave the room alot to do miscellaneous stuff (eat, use the bathroom, throw something away.)

I'm sorry your family is so stressed out! Good luck!


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## Nika (Nov 9, 2010)

Thanks Guys! 
To answer a few questions that have come up in your answers- we've been giving Cuddy long nights for 2 weeks now. I'm not taking her eggs away, as I read you need to wait 2 weeks when she lays the last one. Would that be correct? At the moment she's laid 4, on average one a week. As I'm on sick leave I'm at home all the time AND in the room with her (she's in the living room), so there's always music or telly on (plus me singing, poor thing ). I talk to her, sing to her, nothing seems to comfort her- she seems extremely unsettled and she SCREAMS her lungs out all the time, I guess flock calling my partner). Yesterday I had to leave the house for a couple of hours, otherwise I would have gone bananas. 
Another thing- she does appear to scream when on her own in the house (having a company of our canary, she hangs out a lot around his cage, though completely ignores small fella). She also has a great deal of toys, but doesn't show any interest in any of them (I showed her how to play with them, and she was like " nah, that's just crap!")
I'll try to purchase a dummy buddy for her, keep fingers crossed! I wish she just limited her screaming to, like, 2 hours a day. I'd be happy then.....


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Its not just two weeks that you leave the eggs, it has to be until she abandons them, otherwise she wasn't done with the clutch and then lays to replace the eggs. Hopefully a stuffed friend helps!


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## Nika (Nov 9, 2010)

Hmmm....Cuddy hasn't shown a slightest interest in her eggs from the start, she just lays one, in the evening, is completely exhausted for an hour or two and after that hops out of the cage as if nothing happened and carries on as normal!

Just brought a stuffed friend, Chris even walked around the house with it on his shoulder, so she could see it, so far, she ignores it!


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## beckins (Jul 30, 2010)

just outta interest does she still scream when shes let out? Just my sausage used to come out all day as she pleased but if we put her back in for just a short time she would scream -.- (spoilt!) but we got another cockatiel, spud  and now whenever i put them in the cage because they are together there is no screaming! they are just content to sit in their cage with their toys  sausage also used to scream when i left the room, but since we got her a freind she doesnt do that anymore n she still loves us just as much as before ^^ best thing ive done is get spud !


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

You said that you sing when she screams, I would ignore her until she stops or makes a noise you like. Here are some links that you could read through  http://www.birdchannel.com/search.aspx?q=screaming


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## Nika (Nov 9, 2010)

Hey, she's out of the cage most day, she screams when outside, inside, also when I cover her for a while. Susan, I sing regardles LOL, believe me, I do not exaggerate when I say she screams non stop. To make things worse, from what I can see it doesn't bother her how I react, as she has her eyes and the rest for my partnter, sometimes I think she hardly notices me!


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## Belinda (Oct 9, 2010)

Nika said:


> Just brought a stuffed friend, Chris even walked around the house with it on his shoulder, so she could see it, so far, she ignores it!


Poor Chris. He's reduced to carrying around a stuffed toy on his shoulder. What a champion. Perhaps it would be better to get another friend for her. I know you don't want to and Chris has said no, but she will be a lot happier - and you guys won't be so stressed. It sounds like a stressful situation.


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## Mika (Sep 8, 2008)

I agree with Belinda. No one can live like this long term and I highly doubt it that your bird will suddenly change and no longer scream. There is no grantee that getting her a cockatiel friend will change this but chances are good that it will help and make life a lot easier for you. When my male was on his own he would scream all the time, for nearly three years (until we got a second tiel). After a while I just wanted to get rid of him but I was very attached to him so I put up with the noise but it made everyone miserable, and three years is a very long time and he showed no signs of getting any better. Now he still gets noisy at times but as long as he has his cockatiel friend he is okay. A couple of years ago I gave my female cockatiel to my sister so that she could stays with her for a week because the male was plucking her and i thought a little time away from each other might help (did not, but he did eventually stop ). Well for that week i had to keep the male with me most of the day or he would scream and my sister said that the female was only quiet when someone was holding her, it was driving her husband crazy because the bird would start to scream early morning and carry on all day (she almost never screams at my house). 
Anyway, two tiels are not more work then one and they do not take up much more space. I think that if you do not stop her from screaming you will rehome her because like I said no one can live like this all the time. I am not saying that getting a second tiel is the only way to get her to stop but its the only way that I can think of that I know really works permanently.


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## Jess (Jun 20, 2010)

I think you really do need to get another tiel or rehome her to someone with other Tiels.
I'm still in touch with a rehomes previous owners as it was very hard for them to do but the noise was driving them to a divorce or a nervous breakdown.


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## calex89 (Oct 28, 2010)

my hen did this in her first 4 weeks of her hitting pubity. she just wouldnt stop. then i moved her into my living room with us all and the TV and now shes quiet. she gives out a loud scream when i leave the room but thats about it. covering her up is a good idea too, its helped my little girl alot.


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## Nika (Nov 9, 2010)

Thanks for all the responses Guys, I'm going to talk to the guru of a pet shop again, they told me we could get a cock from them and if the two tiels don't get on, we could return him at the discretion of the shop. All the tiels there are about 9 months old and NOT tame. We are seriously considering this option now.


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## Belinda (Oct 9, 2010)

Don't rush into anything! you might like to wait to get a hand tame guy. Otherwise you might find yourself with more to contend with.


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## cookiemonster (Dec 30, 2010)

Desperate times calls for desperate measures.
Good luck! I really hope things get better!


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Try looking for a breeder in your area and see about getting a tame boy...would definitely make things easier! Good luck!


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## Nika (Nov 9, 2010)

I think Cuddy sensed I'm complaining about her antics and yesterday she acted nearly like an angel, quiet and asking for kisses.
The problem with gettin a tame baby is that if he's causing the same problems as Cuddy we'll just double the trouble and may end up running out of the house like madmen!
With the not tame fella, we might gaining a new pet, who'll make Cuddy happier and therefore quieter, if they don't get on, the shop would take him back.
Thanks for all the suggestions!
Ps. I read a few articles and ALWAYS followed the rule, don't react when your parrot screams, leave the room, praise when she acts you desire. I've been like that from they one, as it seemed to be a sensible thing to do. So, it is not a bad behaviour reinforced by us.


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## brittbritt (Oct 25, 2008)

Moonshine is quite a mama's girl type of bird. I was so worried about bringing a new tiel into our household that I didn't think of it seriously. I happened upon another female that was no longer wanted and I felt so sorry for her I ended up adopting her after much thought. 

Midori is not hand tame at all as she grew up in a household where they didn't let her out of the cage or handle her. They get along real well and Moonshine still loves her mama. I just give Midori the option to come out and if she doesn't I don't make her. Moonshine seems happy to have her company but still loves me too. 

If you go with the non tame tiel idea it may work as your baby will get tiel company but most likely still want you some too.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Another option if you go the breeder route is to ask the breeder if you can come over and handle the baby as its being weaned, maybe both you and Chris. This way the baby is socialized with both genders and will be an equal opportunity baby.


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## Nika (Nov 9, 2010)

Morning  Roxy, great idea and I'd do it in an eye blink, but I'm living in a beautiful, but definately not spoilt for bird breders, Ireland. No breeders in my area! I wish I lived in Australia!!


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## Mika (Sep 8, 2008)

My are both tame and hand fed. They like both each other and me. Sometimes they do call to me when they want me to take them out of the cage but most of the time they are quiet as long as they are together.


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