Find myself soon to be in the company of a hand-fed Tiel

Flyte

New member
Jun 18, 2007
354
3
Pennsylvania
Parrots
Blue & Gold Macaw, Madison;
Yellow Naped Amazon, Rocky;
Timneh African Grey, Tyler
Hey guys.
My big brother who lives a few hours away just informed me that he put money down on a Cockatiel for my niece's birthday present. She is going to be 6. I know thats a little young but she will be supervised and she's very good. She grew up around my big birds and knows how to behave around them.
The place will not hold the bird, as they are getting new birds in. Apparently my little niece and this baby REALLY hit it off. He was coming right up to her and cuddling whistling.. kissing. She really needs this right now as there is a difficult divorce going on. Her brother is going to be getting a Gecko for his birthday, I think. He is SO excited! They are both big animal lovers like me. This will really help them, they need a private friend to talk too.
They already have most of the supplies (hidden from her) and he has been reading up.. this really hadn't been a spur of the moment thing up until now.
He should have waited but now it's too late. He told me I am going to be bird sitting for the next two weeks since I'm a crazy bird lady. Yes those were his exact words. lol.
I have no idea where the heck I'm going to put the little guy.. I don't want him in the same room as my birds because of risk of disease. I'm thinking about just putting his cage in our living room, it's not drafty.
My folks smoke, unfortunately, but so does my brother so the bird is going to be exposed to that in his new home anyway and theres nothing I can do about it. (No one smokes around my birds) It's been a long time since I've had a Tiel.. I'm betting I cry a lot when it's time for him to go home!
 

Redballoon

New member
Dec 24, 2006
942
4
How did you escape as a non-smoker with all those influences around you?
6 years old sounds like a great age to handle small birds.
At that age they have skills and can take instructions pretty well.
Are you gonna get the Camera out when they present it to her?
I bet you wanna be there when they meet each other.
 

Keupi

New member
Aug 16, 2007
270
0
Connecticut
Parrots
Keupi - a Senegal.
Breathe. Are you breathing? Breathe. Take a good long deep breath.

Now, for starters, whack your brother upside with a wing. I'm assuming your niece is your brother's daughter. Ah, whack him again regardless.

Next step after whacking, is the fid-frenzy with the new one. Yes, he will need to be Q'ed, but that also presents it's own headaches.

Based on what you wrote, work the problem and seize the opportunity. Don't worry about the things you can't control (like the smoke) and focus in on the things you can (like the Q). Bucket it out and work it. For example, the tiel's house - while whacking your brother with a wing it also is relevant to point out as 'the bird lady' that the house is completely wrong and will cause that little six year old problems with her fid.

I know it sounds wrong, but work the problem...and don't be afraid to fluff your feathers when doing so.
 
OP
Flyte

Flyte

New member
Jun 18, 2007
354
3
Pennsylvania
Parrots
Blue & Gold Macaw, Madison;
Yellow Naped Amazon, Rocky;
Timneh African Grey, Tyler
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Oh I can't wait to see her face when she meets her new baby, I'm really looking forward to it, as I'm sure you were with your grandchild, Red.
I always thought smoking was just disgusting, never even tried it.

First off, any excuse to whack my brother is a good one.. as soon as I see him I will. Second, I'm not freaked out or anything Keupi.. I'm really not one to get upset :)
If the bird is in a different room and I wash my hands, I don't think there will be a problem. Not that birds show their illnesses well, but if this guy is obviously sick he is not coming in my house.
No one handles my birds but me really. If I was getting a new bird for myself, it would be handled this way anyway, aside from the fact that I'd be living elsewhere and have the bird in a smoke free other room.
I don't know what you mean about his house being all wrong and causing problems, do you mean because of the smoking? I honestly can't expect the guy to quit smoking, he's going through enough right now, learning to be mom & dad at the same time. I'm extremely proud of him.
 

Keupi

New member
Aug 16, 2007
270
0
Connecticut
Parrots
Keupi - a Senegal.
Oh I can't wait to see her face when she meets her new baby, I'm really looking forward to it, as I'm sure you were with your grandchild, Red.
I always thought smoking was just disgusting, never even tried it.

First off, any excuse to whack my brother is a good one.. as soon as I see him I will. Second, I'm not freaked out or anything Keupi.. I'm really not one to get upset :)
If the bird is in a different room and I wash my hands, I don't think there will be a problem. Not that birds show their illnesses well, but if this guy is obviously sick he is not coming in my house.
No one handles my birds but me really. If I was getting a new bird for myself, it would be handled this way anyway, aside from the fact that I'd be living elsewhere and have the bird in a smoke free other room.
I don't know what you mean about his house being all wrong and causing problems, do you mean because of the smoking? I honestly can't expect the guy to quit smoking, he's going through enough right now, learning to be mom & dad at the same time. I'm extremely proud of him.

Actually I read it as the house itself wasn't appropiate for the tiel (either too big with bar spacings or too small to expand wings).

My bad.
 
OP
Flyte

Flyte

New member
Jun 18, 2007
354
3
Pennsylvania
Parrots
Blue & Gold Macaw, Madison;
Yellow Naped Amazon, Rocky;
Timneh African Grey, Tyler
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Oh I see. No, the cage is fine, from his description. He seems to have nearly everything, just jumped the gun and got the bird early:)
I assume I will be receiving a lot of nervous phone calls about the bird after it gets home but I'm sure they'll do fine.
My niece is reading well now, just going into 1st grade next week. I'm going to try to find her a kid book on Tiels. Doesn't have to be too much of a 'baby book' but I don't want it to be too hard as she gets frustrated easily with reading. Hopefully by then I'll have some of my bird toys made and I can contribute to the cage. I need someone to try out the small bird toys anyway :)
Also going to try and find a stuffed animal Cockatiel for her to bring to bed with her. She loves stuffed animals.. no idea where she gets that from. (ok..ok.. I still sleep with my giant stuffed animal chicken.. "Super-chicken" he even comes to the hospital with me. He even has a bathrobe and slippers..)
Any suggestions on the book?
 
T

tielgal

Guest
Awwww! I could not birdsit a hand-tame Tiel and then give him/her back to the actual owner! lol, so I think your wonderful! :D

Also, don't know of any 'kid friendly' bird books, but if I come across any, you'll be the first person I tell. Maybe you or her dad could sit with her and read with her one of the books your brothers reading?
 
OP
Flyte

Flyte

New member
Jun 18, 2007
354
3
Pennsylvania
Parrots
Blue & Gold Macaw, Madison;
Yellow Naped Amazon, Rocky;
Timneh African Grey, Tyler
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Yah definitely, we could do that, I just thought it would be neat for her to be able to read one herself.. a regular one would probably be too difficult for someone just learning to read independently. I'll keep lookin'! :)
 

Christy

New member
Mar 28, 2007
185
0
New Hampshire, USA
Parrots
Hamlet the Sun Conure and Mac the green cheek conure
That's exciting for your niece! Good luck with the next couple weeks and the quarentine. Can't wait till you tell us how it goes when she gets her present!!!!
 

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