# Hi I bought my first cockatiel 3 days ago



## frozengirl (Nov 26, 2016)

Hi I bought Pablo 3 days ago, but I am very sad. He is not tame at all, I thought he was hissing because he was just upset from being moved, but now i realize he wont even step up on a perch.

I have 2 pet budgies and he constantly calls to them and wants to be with them. I feel so bad for him. His wings are clipped and he cannot fly very good. I let my budgies be free roam flyers in my bird room, and I feel so bad I cannot let him out because he wants to bite me or anything that goes near him, and I am scared he will bite me. Do cockatiels bite much harder then budgies? I can tolerate my budgies biting me, because they sometimes bite when I clip their nails. They don't like to be handled but I use a towel that they sometimes find flesh when the towel moves . They are wiggly little buggers  Luckily I only clip their nails like twice a year. I've had them for 4 1/2 years now, they are roughly 5 years old.

I also feel bad when I was at the pet store, the lady said he had a mate and someone bought his mate a couple months ago, and he cried out for her for days. Is there any way I can make him feel better and eventually start to like me? The pet store said he is 2 years old. Is this too old to get a bird to like you 

I bought my budgies when they were 9 months old, and they don't hate me, they step up willingly but are not bonded to me, because they are bonded to each other. It seemed much more easier with them, they love millet and are willing to eat it which is how I tamed them enough to step up and one of them can be touched a little.. This cockatiel I tried a huge stick of millet near him and he just bit the millet as if it was going to kill him and never ate it, and hissed at it. He hisses when I change his food and water, he hisses if I try to get him to step up on another perch to attempt to move him so I can get at his food and water so now I have put the food and water closer to the doors so I dont have to move him. I didnt realize I'd be so scared of him.

What should I do I feel so bad I dont want him to be lonely but he doesnt even play with toys all he does is bang his perch as if to say "This is my cage dont come near me" ied:


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## mohum (Sep 5, 2014)

Three days is not long for your tiel to settle in. Don't crowd him and observe his likes and dislikes. He may never be tame but at the moment he is just scared. Over time you should be able to interact more as you learn to trust each other. My kakariki doesn't allow handling yet but he still has out of cage time and is a happy little soul. Fortunately he returns to his territory/cage on his own so doesn't require catching.


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## frozengirl (Nov 26, 2016)

okay thanks mohum. He won't eat any vegetables so today I mashed some ground pellets with small carrot/spinach/lettuce/brocolli bits and some seeds since it seems like all he eats is small millet seeds from his dish. Hopefully that entices him. I left lettuce and carrot and brocolli clipped on his cage walls the past 3 days and he wont even try a bite. 

I just wanted to see if he liked water and sprayed abit of water on him and he seemed to love it ! He spread his wings and tucked his head down while i sprayed him. I moved away to see if he didn't like it and he went back into the water and spread his wings for more ! Well at least I know he likes showers inside his cage 

He also started playing with a metal ring toy afterwards ! SO happy that he looks content !!!!


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## frozengirl (Nov 26, 2016)

Oh and quick question - If he dives at his perch and bites it does it mean he is being territorial or just playful ? I'm unsure if he is playing with it or biting it to say "This is my perch don't come too close".


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## Christinelks (Jul 4, 2016)

Like mohum said don't crowd him. Just change his food and water everyday and leave it as that for a week or so until he knows your big scary hands are not a threat and is comfortable letting you change them. 
Once he's happy with you doing that start slow. Maybe putting you hands in the cage for 30 seconds a few times a day making it longer over time. Talk to him ALOT. Like he's your daily diary. I felt stupid doing this but you will notice after a while he is actually listening. 
You will know when he's ready to be treat trained because your hands won't be scary to him. Just start long. Like a full millet spray. If he attacks it it's ok just stay there. He will soon realise it's not a snake and it actually tastes good. Maybe hang some in his cage a couple of times so he knows what it is. 
This is a lengthy process and unfortunately it may not work. The pet shop should of sold him and his mate as a pair as Cockateils mourn and he's probably mourning now. Alas perseverance is the key. Take your time. You may still be trying in a year just don't give up hope. They are stubborn little buggers. 
I hope you get there and good luck for the future. 
Christine xx


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## frozengirl (Nov 26, 2016)

Thanks  I hope he learns to trust me at least enough to step up so he can get some out of the cage time =)

I am pretty tiffed at the pet store, his wings are clipped so badly he won't fly from perch to perch. I didn't notice this when I was at the pet shop. He climbs from one perch to another and never flies. He also eats no vegetables but I'll keep trying =) He ate some budgie pellets though ! I didn't have any cockatiel pellets yet, as no stores here carry them (I ordered my budgie pellets online, feed my budgies 30-50% pellets, 25-50% seed, and 25% veges every day. Once a week I add boiled mashed egg and every 2nd or third day i had some fruit, they only eat grapes and strawberries so far though. 

Is this diet okay for cockatiels as well ? From what I read it says to not feed them sunflower seeds so I took all the sunflower seeds out. I might just buy budgie seeds for them next time, they look the same with the exception of sunflower seeds. (Extreme F.M seed mix)

Also is fruit blend zupreem pellets okay for them ? 

And lastly, since Pablo (cockatiel) seems to love sunflower seeds, I caught him eating them like candy the first day i got him and realizeed they were bad so took them away lol... Can I give him 1 or 2 a day just to get him to know im a friend or should i keep trying the millet after a week or two when hes more calm ?


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## Christinelks (Jul 4, 2016)

In every Cockateil mix I've had there's been sunflower seeds in. To many isn't good because of the fat content. 
The ratios seem fine but I would defo get a Cockateil mix rather than budgie food as there are some differences. 
My Cockateils will only eat celery, cress and broccoli. I have tried all sorts but they seem green obsessed lol. I grow my own cress in a few of the birds food bowls n just drill holes to let the water drain. They love it. Plus u can leave it in the cage without fear it's going to rot as it's constantly growing. 
Just keep trying different things. One day you will find something he loves and use it to you advantage. I've used sunflower hearts before but now my birds don't need food to cox them just a good head scratch and a few kisses on the head will suffice. X


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## frozengirl (Nov 26, 2016)

cool I didn't know Cockatiels could eat Celery ! I wonder if budgies can also =)

I will have to look up what cress is  Thanks for your help ! I think I will drop 1 sunflower seed in a small empty dish once a day after showing him the seed til he isn't too scared of my hand and / or wants to snack on millet instead =)


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## Christinelks (Jul 4, 2016)

I've had Luna (hen) about 4 months now and she still won't come near me unless she lands on my head however Draco (cock) took less than 2 weeks to train to fly across the room to my hand and I got them both from the same breeder and having the same up bringing. It all depends on the bird. Just don't lose faith. You will get there. X


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

One word of caution, cut out the grapes. Grapes are actually super dangerous for animals and NOT recommended. Not even for dogs. Other than that, it looks like a good ratio. The best way I've found to get my birds to try new things is to hang them in the cage. The birds treat them like toys and end up eating them while playing with them. 

http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=33824
http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=28661
http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=22073
We have several threads on taming. Food bribery (using the millet like you did with your budgies) is the best way to start out. But you gotta take it slow. Cockatiels do bite harder than budgies and they can draw blood. To be honest, there is no need to grab him to where he has to bite you in the first place. Until he's tame keeping him in his cage is safer for him. You have to work slowly and at his pace, that's the best way to make it work.


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## Janalee (Jul 25, 2012)

*first cockatiel*

Hi frozengirl - I enjoyed reading the posts about Pablo and don't really have much to add. But has already been said, be patient and talk to him a lot. The sunflower seeds can be a good treat to feed by hand, but not too many. He will learn to associate your hand with good things. Cockatiels are great little birds and can be wonderful companions. I hope Pablo will soon warm up to you. You sound like a very caring and loving person; he will respond to that. Maybe he'll never be as tame as a hand-fed, socialized baby, but I think he will warm up to you in time.


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## frozengirl (Nov 26, 2016)

He ignores me whenever the budgies are chirping, calls out to them a lot. I wish he didn't hear them lol. I tried music in both rooms and it just makes them louder haha.

I just cut out the grapes , thanks for the info. I'll try apple now =)


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## mohum (Sep 5, 2014)

My cockatiel has a terrible diet which consists of millet,cress,budgie seed and mashed potato. She IS offered other foods and vegetables but wont touch fruit whereas the kakariki prefers strawberries etc. Both also like sunflower seeds and breakfast cereals.


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## frozengirl (Nov 26, 2016)

May I ask what is cress ? Someone mentioned it and said you can grow it in your cage ?

Also , His cage is so big and does not come apart , so I cannot soak it in hot water and soap. Is there anything I can spray on his cage to help clean it ?


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

You can put warm water and vinegar in the cage to scrub it with as that's very bird safe. I'd be worried about using anything harsher. I used to use hydrogen peroxide to clean my cage and that works really well too.


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## frozengirl (Nov 26, 2016)

roxy culver said:


> One word of caution, cut out the grapes. Grapes are actually super dangerous for animals and NOT recommended. Not even for dogs.


Why are grapes dangerous they are in this list on these forums ?

http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=536

The administrator on the budgie talk forums say they are okay for budgies so just curious, It is on the list so just want some clarification, not trying to cause any disagreement !

Thanks for the warm water and vinegar suggestion, If I dont rinse it off completely(this cage is taller then me , the stand part isn't removable) is it still dangerous or ok?


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

I didn't make that list, it was made by an old admin a long time ago. I have always been told grapes are dangerous, they are for dogs and I usually don't feed my birds anything I can't give to my dogs. I could've sworn there was a discussion about it here, but that may have been the big onion debate I'm thinking out lol.


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## frozengirl (Nov 26, 2016)

oh i see, yeah I read a lot that onions are bad because they can expand in the belly after eating. I wish I knew for sure about the grapes because my budgies love them and their so easy to prepare lol 

Can anyone tell me if it is normal my cockatiel only eats in the evening? I've only had him for 5 or 6 days now. He won't eat during the day time at all.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Does he eat in the morning? Tiels are foragers and will eat throughout the day but only really eat a lot in the morning and at night, mainly because they don't eat during the night so they stock up before going to bed.


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## Dylan&Gracie (Nov 21, 2014)

Grapes are toxic to dogs and can cause kidney failure. In dogs.
Grapes evolved to be eaten by birds of all sorts to spread the grapes' seeds. While my cockatiels personally don't care for grapes, grapes are totally OK to feed parrots. Cockatiels and dogs are about as far apart as you can among land animals and what's bad for one isn't necessarily bad for the other.


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## frozengirl (Nov 26, 2016)

He appeared to eat during the day time today. First time ive seen him eat before evening. Maybe its just him getting adjusted to his new home . Thanks for the info about the grapes !


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## malakelnashar (Dec 30, 2016)

Hi, my name is Malak, I'm 16 years old and it's my first time to own birds... My friend gave me her 2 cockatiels (Grey is a 1 1/2 year old male and Joy is a 1 year old female) 5 days ago on 28 December... They're not tamed at all, Grey is so terrifed and he's always hiding in the nest, joy is aggressive and bites a lot when I put my hand to clean the cage... I tried to offer millets for them but they're refusing to take it from my hands... I know it's to early for them to get used to their new surrounding...


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## Lore (Dec 5, 2016)

Frozengirl, any progress so far with your cockatiel? I hope he is slowly warming up to you! 

Malak, If the birds are not mating, I would remove the nest. It will give the male less options for hiding and myabe will help with the female attacking you too, because they don't have to protect the 'nest' (I would ask for more opinions on this first, but this is mine)


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## malakelnashar (Dec 30, 2016)

Hi Lore, 
I've seen a little bit of progress today... But they still refuse to take any treats from my hand...
Joy layed 5 eggs 23 days ago but sadely they didn't hatch... 
Should I remove the nest?


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Yes take the nest out. There's no need for it if the eggs aren't hatching. Best to work on taming instead.


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