My first cockatiel.

nanachi

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Dec 9, 2019
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Hello, I come here for guidance and advice.
I am getting a cockatiel in less than two weeks.
Iā€™ve done research everyday and have prepared everything from the cage to the food to bird-proofing my house.

I have just a few questions regarding the tiel I am buying, but first some information..
-He is a white face baby
-He is 7 weeks old and has taken his first flight
-He is on Zupreem fruit blend pellet diet
-He has been dna tested
-Hand fed and hand tame according to owner

The owner contacted me and said they had babies available.
My only concern is how to welcome him properly into my home. I have read on some sites to give him time and leave him alone in his cage and talk to him quietly, yet some others say that hand fed babies should be handled gently immediately.
How soon can I expect to handle a hand fed baby?
Is there any certain advice you would reccomend?
Any tips and tricks for tiels?

Thank you,
A confused soon-to-be bird mom. :yellow1::yellow1:
 

AmyMyBlueFront

Well-known member
Apr 14, 2015
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Amy a Blue Front 'Zon
Jonesy a Goffins 'Too who had to be rehomed :-(

And a Normal Grey Cockatiel named BB who came home with me on 5/20/2016.
Hi and welcome to the forum! Your little one is quite young! Only cockatiel experience I have is with BB my normal grey. I got him from a breeder and the breeder said he waits until his tiels are 18 weeks old before being ready for new homes. At anyrate,as long as your youngster is eating on his own,it may be good to let him rest a day or two to get used to his new home. Definitely talk to him..sit by his cage and move slowly until he feels more comfy with you.

I lived alone ( with Amy the Blue Front) when BB came home with me and when I saw him at the breeder he was already climbing up my arm and chirping in my ear,so when I got him home and set up his house and took him out of the little "take-me-home" box he was in,he again ran up my arm to my shoulder and I just couldn't seem to put him in his house then,so he hung out with me for a few hours lol...that was almost four years ago and he's been a P.I.T.A. ever since! :12:


Jim
 
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nanachi

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Dec 9, 2019
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Thanks so much for this advice!
I was going to talk and sing to him while he was in his cage, lol.
I have another question, from the images I am receiving related to my tiel, what is this brownish orange splotch around his beak?
Could this be baby formula?
Thanks again.
 
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itzjbean

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It is formula on his face and very common as babies can be very messy! He looks to be a whiteface grey which is a fairly common mutation.

You want to make sure he is eating completely on his own before he comes home with you, if the breeder asks you to continue hand feeding him that means he is not weaned and the breeder is trying to make a profit off you by not finishing the weaning process as they should! We do not encourage selling unweaned (still eating formula) babies to those new to owning birds as we have seen many, many birds not make it from owner inexperience and negligent breeders, so make sure to ask the breeder if he is eating on his own, and if he isn't, tell them you will wait until he's ready and eating all on his own!
 

noodles123

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Jul 11, 2018
8,145
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Umbrella Cockatoo- 15? years old..I think?
Hello, I come here for guidance and advice.
I am getting a cockatiel in less than two weeks.
Iā€™ve done research everyday and have prepared everything from the cage to the food to bird-proofing my house.

I have just a few questions regarding the tiel I am buying, but first some information..
-He is a white face baby
-He is 7 weeks old and has taken his first flight
-He is on Zupreem fruit blend pellet diet
-He has been dna tested
-Hand fed and hand tame according to owner

The owner contacted me and said they had babies available.
My only concern is how to welcome him properly into my home. I have read on some sites to give him time and leave him alone in his cage and talk to him quietly, yet some others say that hand fed babies should be handled gently immediately.
How soon can I expect to handle a hand fed baby?
Is there any certain advice you would reccomend?
Any tips and tricks for tiels?

Thank you,
A confused soon-to-be bird mom. :yellow1::yellow1:

Have you read all about PTFE/PFOA/Teflon poisoning and their respiratory sensitivities? That is huge in prepping your home...
 

noodles123

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Jul 11, 2018
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Umbrella Cockatoo- 15? years old..I think?
here:

I copied and pasted from another "new bird owner" post. Sorry it's so long!!!

When you have a bird, any sort of heated mechanism (anything that heats or is intended to be heated) and contains PTFE/PFOA/PFCs/Teflon will be out of the question (and most things that heat up or are intended to be heated DO contain these chemicals)--This includes things like pots, pans, cupcake trays, cookie sheets, cake pans etc, but it will also things like include hair-dryers, straighteners, curling irons, curlers, rice-cookers, SLOW COOKERS, popcorn poppers, air fryers, microwave meals (including certain types of microwave popcorn), steamers, irons, ironing board covers, electric skillets, griddles, George Foreman Grills, drip trays, toasters, toaster ovens, poaching pans, electric blankets, humidifiers, heat lamps, SPACE HEATERS, Scotch Guard etc etc...Here 2 links about it: https://www.ewg.org/research/canarie...on-kills-birds
To find out what contains PTFE/PFOA/PFCs/Teflon, you have to call and be a bit insistent about it over the phone (and in some cases, you won't get far--but sometimes it is a matter of how you ask). Almost always, it will take a few days (and numerous holds) for them to get back to you and you must provide the full chemical names, abbreviations and brand-names. Shopping when you have a bird is super annoying because cannot visually ID these chemical coatings, as they can be colored, transparent, or mixed into metal/fabric during the manufacturing process. Teflon and chemically similar products have killed birds on separate floors with the doors shut. Similarly, while DuPont claims that off-gassing only occurs at higher heats, there have been myriad bird deaths (even within academic circles) at temperatures well within the 300 degree F range! There is a reason they used canaries in coal-mines and it is because they die very easily due to even low levels of fumes of any sort. Some specific accounts: https://www.ewg.org/research/canarie...-death-diaries
Here are the abbreviations and full spellings of the chemicals you need to ask about when inquiring about a product (give the name, spelling and abbreviation of each):

Teflon= common brand-name using the chemical types in question
PTFE= Polytetrafluoroethyline
PFOA= Perfluorooctanoic acid (sometimes known as C8)
PFCs= Perfluorinated chemicals

Sleep=essential to hormonal and immune function. Different species have different requirements, but 12 is pretty much the average. This means that someone must be there to cover and uncover the bird at the same time each night and that your home must be conducive to sleep.

Make sure you aren't using any unsafe products around the bird. This is pretty much everything with a scent (and some things without).
No perfume, carpet cleaner, flea shampoo, aerosols, solvents, air fresheners, paints, smoke of any kind, vaping, sunscreen, bugspray, candles of any kind (organic or non), insecticides, certain soaps/shampoos, fire-places, burning or heated oil/fat, self-cleaning ovens, gas and any household cleaners (e.g., bleach, windex, lysol, fabreeze, scrubbing bubbles, kaboom, pine-sol etc)...You will seriously have to re-think your entire home and your cleaning routine will change a ton.
NEVER use the self-cleaning oven function or try to season cast iron around birds.
The list goes on. Birds have VERY sensitive respiratory systems. Essential oils are also fairly unsafe due to their ability to be absorbed into the blood-stream and due to a bird's sensitive air sacs.
In terms of safe cleaning alternatives: White vinegar + water (as long as you don't heat it), grapefruit seed extract + water, baking soda (for scrubbing), some (but not all) natural cleaning products sold in pre-mixed formulas, and then avian-safe veterinary disinfectants, such as F10 SC (the yellow/clear concentrate has to be mixed with water but it is super safe and more effective than vinegar at killing bacteria etc).

Fumes make traveling with a bird complicated, as it is very unsafe to bring your bird with you into a location where teflon or chemical cleaners are being used. My bird does travel with me, but it is important to consider the safety of your final destination, as well as car temperature and any stops along the way (if you plan on bringing your bird inside).
I would recommend getting an air purifier (non-ozone producing/non-ionizing) to help with dust/mold etc (which can harm birds). Please note- a purifier will not protect birds from cigarette smoke, vaping fumes, teflon/ptfe/pfoa etc. It will only help increase the quality of the air to some extent. You cannot use unsafe chemicals around the bird just because you have a purifier.

Generally, you should only pet birds on the head/neck and you should not allow any shadowy spaces in the cage (boxes, bedding, crumbled paper, tents, blankets, low furniture, in clothing etc)...and so are tents/huts/hammocks etc. These things are hormonal triggers and they can cause health and behavior problems and snuggle huts can also entangle birds and cause blockages.

Birds hide illness like crazy, so there is nothing intuitive about their diseases. You have to be ready to study your birds poop and behavior daily, because even the slightest change can be a huge indicator. Blood work must be done yearly (at minimum) and should be done soon after you get a new bird. Birds can carry and spread deadly illnesses without showing any symptoms, so play-dates and exposure to boarding facilities etc come with risks of their own. PBFD, ABV and PDD are all very serious and very contagious diseases that can be spread by things like feather dust in the ventilation system. These diseases are also notorious for producing false negatives in infected but asymptomatic carriers (when tested).
Bottom line: make sure that you have a certified avian vet (CAV) near you. Exotics vets who see birds are not the same thing. If you don't have a CAV near you, your life will be much more anxiety-ridden than if you do (and the difference between a CAV and an exotics vet can mean the difference between life and death for your bird in certain instances).

Birds are very sensitive to temperature changes and drafts. Any temperature change of 10 degrees or more puts significant stress on their systems. If you have to take your bird out in the cold, make sure you carefully cover the cage and pre-warm the car. Also, make sure you don't have any air-fresheners in the car or vents blowing directly on the bird. Extreme heat can also be harmful. Over time, birds can adjust to a wide ranger of temperatures, but this adjustment has to take place over a long period of time. Anything too quick is going to shock their systems.

Dowel perches that are smooth/even in texture lead to a disease called bumble-foot. Textured perches prevent this---look into dragonwood, manzanita and pummice perches. There are numerous guides to appropriate sizing online.

Birds move in slow motion and especially and establishing real trust can take many months.

A baby bird will generally be friendly to all (much like a baby human), but teen and adult birds experience significant hormonal changes which impact their personality and preferences. Puberty is particularly bad in many cases. Although it passes, an adult bird will never be as nice as a baby and it will come with a whole new set of preferences, desires and rules.
It is very important not to engage in behaviors that will eventually be inappropriate for the bird as an adult, as this sets an unsustainable precedent. You must teach independence, refrain from allowing the bird to graft itself to you all day, do not spend excessive time with your bird due to the fact that they are a new and exciting new pet (because you will be expected to keep it up long-term), pet on head/neck only and do not provide your bird with access to fleece huts, huts in general, tents, boxes, blankets, pillows, bedding etc, ignore screams for attention and attend to the sounds you will be able to tolerate long-term, ignore biting when it happens and do not scold/react.
 
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nanachi

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Yes, thatā€™s very helpful. Weā€™ve just moved into a new home and merged familyā€™s with my momā€™s boyfriend (Iā€™m 16 so I was dragged along) and bought new pans so that shouldnā€™t be a problem. :)
My step sister LOVES to burn candles but she did agree to stop on account of me bringing the baby home.

The person I am buying the baby from said that he is in the process of finishing being hand weaned and should be done in two weeks!
Overall I am so excited to bring him home.
I have so much time to dedicate to him aside from school (I am taking online courses and need to dedicate at least four hours a day, but my baby can chill on me while Iā€™m doing that) and then will be giving him tons of attention through that.

Thanks for informing me about that spot, was a bit worried but figured it was just the baby formula. :grey:
 

noodles123

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Jul 11, 2018
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Umbrella Cockatoo- 15? years old..I think?
Yes, thatā€™s very helpful. Weā€™ve just moved into a new home and merged familyā€™s with my momā€™s boyfriend (Iā€™m 16 so I was dragged along) and bought new pans so that shouldnā€™t be a problem. :)
My step sister LOVES to burn candles but she did agree to stop on account of me bringing the baby home.

The person I am buying the baby from said that he is in the process of finishing being hand weaned and should be done in two weeks!
Overall I am so excited to bring him home.
I have so much time to dedicate to him aside from school (I am taking online courses and need to dedicate at least four hours a day, but my baby can chill on me while Iā€™m doing that) and then will be giving him tons of attention through that.
Thanks for informing me about that spot, was a bit worried but figured it was just the baby formula. :grey:

If you go to college or want to move out, do you have a plan? They can live a long time and I am just wanting to make sure you understand that life at 21 is very different from life at 16 (and your bird will probably bond to you, so leaving it with your mom may not be an option.) There are teens who have done it, but even as an adult who researched and grew up with birds, I don't think I knew what I was getting into fully. Most dorms won't take birds...many apartments won't take birds...and then there are other risks relating to roommates and flat living that make keeping a bird dangerous (for the bird). Also, is someone going to be there every night to put the bird to bed and every morning to uncover it? I slept in like crazy in high school and my mom would have been pissed if she had to wake up at 4-6 AM to deal with my pet (even if you are puking or were out all night--even if you are in the hospital). Similarly, in he evenings, it will need dinner and a cage covering at the same time each night (roughly). What happens if you have a date, or a late practice, or a project at a friend's house? Does the rest of your family REALLY understand that this is more like a kid than a pet? I ask this with great sincerity because it is a HUGE commitment and it's a disservice to the bird if that is down-played (maybe not by you, but by other family members).
 
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nanachi

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Iā€™ve been waking myself up for school since I was ten and I am responsible. I donā€™t stay out late, party, etc. I will be there to give him morning attention and uncover him and be home nearly all day every day because I do school from home.

Iā€™ve thought about the college path and frankly I generally am not sure college is something I want to do yet. If I do end up doing so itā€™ll likely be somewhere close to home where I can stay with my family as there are a lot of school opportunities out here!

I suffer from social anxiety and aspergers so I am generally very awkward in social situations and donā€™t really have people to hang out with, so I thought I would bring a bird into my life. I had three budgies before who unfortunately passed away and I really think a cockatiel would be great for me because I am kind of in need of a companion.
 

noodles123

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Jul 11, 2018
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Umbrella Cockatoo- 15? years old..I think?
I still think your life will change a lot between now and then, but just remember this---it's kind of like a marriage (where divorce isn't an option).
I think family support is going to be the biggest thing here.
Do you have finances set aside for vet bills and is there a good avian vet nearby?
I know this is like 20 questions, but these are the things I would ask anyone who didn't have their own place.

I DO think it shows great responsibility that you are researching and asking questions--- it just is so hard to control other people's actions in a home that does not belong to you (long-term).
You aren't the one I am most worried about---it's family members and roommates who tend to do eye-rolling and ignoring that concern me most.

I guess just make sure that they get it---no cutting corners---not using Teflon ever...no "forgetting" to uncover the bird or smoking or using bleach indoors etc.
 
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nanachi

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Completely fine with the questions!
My family is actually very excited.
My mom absolutely adores birds and it was very hard on us when our budgies passed. My mom thought about getting her own tiel while I got mine so they could be friends, but we decided against this to reduce squawking and amplify the companionship.

I live two minutes away from a large city area and there is three vets nearby, two which have avian services.
I make $120/mo off of editing which I think can easily afford food, toys and anything else I would need for him for that month, and I have $600 set aside for any emergencies I would come across.
 

Laurasea

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These articles are worth the time to read. Congratulations on your new cockatiel, and warm welcome! You can learn so much being a part of this forum, read other posts even if they are a different species, you never know what great tips you will pick up!
https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/bird-behavior/

https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/stress-reduction-for-parrot-companions/

About weaning. And newly weaned parrots. This will be an important time in your young birds life
https://theparrotuniversity.com/arthandfeeding3

http://www.parrot-parrots.com/important-stages-life-parrot.php
 
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