# Is it okay to buy a hissing tiel?



## Tulip (Jul 19, 2011)

I went to Petland the other day to look at the animals and fell in love with one of thetiels there. I am 100% sure she was female- she was a normal grey, had very dull orange spots and a striped tail. She had her head feather flat diwn and kept making this weird noise. Could've been hissing? I've never heard a tiel hiss before so I have no idea what it sounds like. I reached my hand in and put it front of her, expecting her (like the rest of them) to scatter. But instead she willingly hopped one. She enjoyed being petted and everything. Exceot she kept making that weird noise and most of the time her head feathers were down. she never acted aggressive or scared no matter what I did. She didn't seem sick either (though I know birds are very good at hiding things). Should I go back and get her? I've been looking for a tiel forever, but it seems there are no breeders around here and she is the only tame bird I have met at petland. I already have a cage set up and everything, so do you think it's okay to buy her?


And of course, she had the same look in her face and same personality as my last bird who has recently passed away (Sky). I almost cried when she cocked her head to look at me and had that same face as her.


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

if she chose you and you have taken a shine to her, go right ahead


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## jasedee (Jul 3, 2011)

You'd definitely know if she was hissing at you, and I don't think she would've hopped up if she was hissing. When my 'tiel hisses at me I know that she wants some space...

I say go for it!


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## mikec2003 (May 28, 2011)

perhaps she's just a tad cage aggressive, or just in a bad mood, being kept at a pet store and all that.

at least you know she has a lively personality with the hissing and all 

good luck, i'd buy her


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Was her head bobbing up and down and the hiss kinda static sounding? If so she may not be completely weaned and saw you and your hand as a source of food. If unweaned you might want to point that out to the sales people and ask them to feel her keelbone to make sure she is maintianing weight.


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## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

Like srtiels said, she may not be fully weaned. Can you ask how old they are? Don’t be put off by their hissing, lol.. they act like they are big tough birds when they are really so shy and sweet.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

I thought of an unweaned baby too. If this is the case you can't be sure it's female, since all juveniles look like females and males get their adult plumage later.


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## Tulip (Jul 19, 2011)

Thanks for all of your input guys! I'm going to ask my dad if we can go back and get her today. Considering how friendly she was, someone probably bought her  :'( :'( :'( but everybody there though she was visous and was scared to go near her because of her noise she was making. . And the cockatiels usually don't get bought for at least a month, those were the three new cockatiels I sw there last time I went ther . She was bobbing her head, so the weaning thing could definitely be the case. If it is, I have hand-fed and weaned baby birds before so I know how to wean him/her. It looked like a girl, but if she isn't fully weaned yet who knows? I don't really care either way. Fingers crossed I get today!!!!!!


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## Mentha (Jul 11, 2010)

I agree with everyone else, the bird may not be weaned. It makes me angry when I see things like that. If a pet store cannot spend enough time watching and learning about their stock to know a baby is not weaned then they are probably selling ill animals too and see animals as merchandise. I know a lot of people will disagree with me that pet store workers are busy and an unweaned baby could be overlooked, but if they are spending time cleaning cages they would know something isn't right with the bird if they knew enough about birds. They should spend time getting to know about the animals they sell and how to properly care for them if they intend to sell them. If they can't take the time for homework, then they have no business selling live animals.


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## pink.snootchies (Jan 23, 2011)

i say the animals always adopt/pick you... and it sounds like she got ya! get her! good luck


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## Tulip (Jul 19, 2011)

I completely agree with you, mentha. Also, srtiels, tyhe hiss was kind of static sounding I think all of you guys are right. Poor baby. I don't care if it's a male or female, but I'm glad I went o see her and hopefully getting her today. I'll ask them/check myself (they probably don't even know what a keelbone is- our petstore emplyees are HORRIBLE) to see if he/she is underweight or not. I just need to make $40 in the next 2-2 1/2 hours to have enough money. I only have $145 right now and the cockatiels here are pretty expensive- $185. I'm earning the money by cleaning up around the house. Once my dad gets off the phone I'll ask him to take a look at what I've done so far. I'm guessing I earned $20... hopefully I earned $40 though, lol!

EDIT: Just checked store hours and I actually have 4 to 4 1/2 hours! Yay!


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## pink.snootchies (Jan 23, 2011)

im looking to get a tiel in the next few days... and how do you check the keelbone? 
i hope you make enough to get him/her


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## Tulip (Jul 19, 2011)

Feel the middle of there chest/belly with your thumb. You should be able to feel it, but it shouldn't feel like it's sticking out or there is fat over top of it. 

I went to the store and there was a sign on the cage- Baby Cockatiel Sold. Apparently there were hand-feeding her and weaning her, and I actually got to see them take her out and over to the hand-feeding area and feed her. She seemed to do a good job. So they are weaning her and she's going to her owner once she's weaned. That's good I guess. I'm still really disappointed I couldn't get her though :'(. Also they lowered the price of cockatiels there to $140. So, yay. They had 1 other cockatiel in there- a shy adult male who reminded me of Sky's mate, Breezey. Then again, pretty much all untame, non-aggressive, cheerful birds do. They workers ther put soem millet in so i tore off a few pieces because he kept being pushed away by the budgies. I decided to tame him a bit by letting him eat millet from fingers. He di that after about 1-2 minutes. Then he would eagerly come forward if he saw me put my hand in the cage. He would back away if I moved the slightest centimeter towards him though. Then I started putting it in my hand so that he would have to reach his neck over the tips of my fingers to get it. Smart little birdie, he would just grab it and eat it on the ground next to my hand. Then he got onto one of the perches so I took a piece of millet between my middle finger and thumb. I kept moving it farther and farther as I started to stick my finger out. Once he got comfortable with my finger out I moved the millet peice higher out of his reach and farther away from him. My fingers weren't long enough to encourage him to step up, unfortunately, but he did let his neck and chest press against my fingers. I don't know why I spent 15 minutes at the pet store taming this bird I was pretty sure I wasn't going to get anyway. 

So, back to hours of searching for breeders on google. I found 3 last time and wrote down all there info on a piece of paper in marker but my sister's water spilled on it and all of them were washed away. this will be fun.


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## xoxsarahxox (Dec 13, 2010)

pink.snootchies said:


> im looking to get a tiel in the next few days... and how do you check the keelbone?
> i hope you make enough to get him/her


Here is the sticky on checking the keelbone
http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=17680


Tulip Im sorry the baby you wanted was sold but I do hope you find you find your own baby soon, and looking forward to lots of pics of your future tiel


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## Sunnysmommy (Jul 25, 2011)

My little girl hisses when she wants to be left alone, and I agree with the post earlier, you will definitely know if he/she was hissing at you! They sound just like a cat does when it hisses. And he/she would probably not have stepped up for you if he/she was hissing. Sunny will also hiss when I have her fully covered and then need to move the blanket a little more she doesn't like that lol. She's a funny little girl!


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## pink.snootchies (Jan 23, 2011)

xoxsarahxox said:


> Here is the sticky on checking the keelbone
> http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=17680


Thank you! now i have to get over the fear of holding them (im always afraid ill hurt them :|


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## Tulip (Jul 19, 2011)

Lol, Sunnysmommy. Thanks for all your support guys! I found 2 breeders and one all-bird petstore. They sell MNY types birds (all hand-tame) and I read some reviews. All the reviews said they had healthy, tame, friendly birds, knowlegable and helpful staff, and just an overall amazing place. i cant wait to check it out tomorrow- maybe I'll finally get my cockatiel


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## Mentha (Jul 11, 2010)

Good luck at the bird store


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## Tulip (Jul 19, 2011)

Mentha- Thanks! Pink- i used to be afraid of holding my birdies too. Mainly because they weren't hand-tame and i was afraid I'd give give them a hheart attack. After a while I just wasnt scared of holding them anymore.


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## Tulip (Jul 19, 2011)

*Treetop Bird Center*
Just went to bird store this morning. They had about 8 cockatiels there- 4 normal greys ($100), 2 cinnomins ($120) and 2 cinnomin pearls ($140). We asked to take out of the greys. He/she (it was young) seemed very friendly and wanting to come out of the cage when it was inside, but they had to towel him/her to get him/her out and he/she seemed very frightened once out. It didn't bite though, and would sometimes step up (but would probably about 50% of the time fly away). Overall, the friendliest bird I've met at any petstore besides a cockatoo I LOVED at petland and that baby cockatiel at petland. I also learned today cockatiels are much better at getting their wings out of your hold than budgies and starlings (well, starlings are pretty good at it too, but cockatiels are masters, lol).

*Petland*
After this, we went to a petland we randomly saw on the way back home. We decided to take a look around. They had a bunch of finches in tank/cage where you could touch them, and same with budgies in another cage. Then there was a "very" small open tank with 2 cockatiels, a conure, and something else (maybe a quaker??). They were in the smallest tanik you have ever seen. There was a triangle perch big enough for all of them to sit on at once. and a food and (icky) water bowl. I felt so bad for these birds. I reached my hand in to pet the grey cockatiel. I almost got bit by the protective conure. A little bit later I saw the conure preening the cinnomin cockatiel's tail feathers. Once he stopped, i tried to to see if the cinnomin cockatiel would step up. He/she seemed a bit mroe tame than the grey, but again, that conure was so protective of his friends.

*PetCo*
Almost home and we see a Petco has opened up across the street from us. We thought eh, might as well check it out. We saw an adequate to large tank/cage with 4 cockatiels- 3 grey and 1 whitish/yellowish. The whitish/yellowish seemed the tamest. The petstore employee who we asked to meet one of the greys and then they whitish/yellowish one said they were babies, recently weaned and she think the whitish/yellowish sone was the tamest too. They wre all very shy though. She had to towel the grey, but she caught the yellow one with her hand and he/she seemed pretty good about it. Definitely not fuly tame though. We are going on vacation Friday, so hopefully I can find a cockatiel I love and can put on hold.


EDIT: Sorry for writing so much, lol. Also, I bought a nice wooden perch at PetCo. I didn't have any perches yet because I had to throw out the one fropm my bidgies. It was gross and I didn't want to cross-contaminate with a new bird.


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Wow you had a busy exciting day


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## Tulip (Jul 19, 2011)

Yeah, lol. Going to Petland again today to see if they have any new cockatiels and maybe do some mroe tmaing with the adult male if they don't. For some reason I randomly feel like taming a bird, lol.


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## lovelyolivia (Jun 3, 2011)

Well, when a tiel steals your heart, and you feel that "thumpity, thump, thump" in your heart, you know that's the one for you!! So go for it!! I hope you will have luck in finding one in the next few days or so!


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