New to birds, getting one soon!

Hi!
I’m happy to have found this forum and I’ve read a lot on here before finally deciding to join. I LOVE researching anything I’m interested in, and once I decided to jump into the bird world, it has been non stop reading and video watching! I love training videos and things like that

I’m actually planning on getting a cockatiel soon! I know they are a little “basic” but they are actually the species I am most interested in, so they are my dream parrot, not a “starter” bird! I am getting a baby from a breeder, once he is fully weaned. Right now he has not really started eating solid food yet, but is really social and active and vocal. He knows step up/step down and is learning some other things! I’m really happy to have found a breeder who cares so much.

I am also a dog hobbyist and show my dogs! I have heard there are actually bird shows! But, I don’t know much about it.

As the weeks go on waiting for my chick to be weaned, I keep buying and making more toys and adding to his setup! I’m already planning on a larger cage than my current one, I’m just shopping around for a good deal and flip flopping between a few options. I have built a pretty nice cage-top perch and my next project is to make a floor perch!

One thing I wanted to know about is how many of you take your bird out to different places on a harness or something similar? I really would like to get mine used to going out in different environments while he is young. I’m hoping he will enjoy going places with me (that are bird friendly). I’d like to hear about how many of you do this and how you got your bird used to traveling!

I hope to learn a lot more here!

Thanks! - B

Welcome to Parrot Forums.
We have a fair number of Tiel lovers on Parrot Forums and they should be along shortly.
Tiels are an excellent Parrots and provide a rich and enjoyable companion.

Welcome to you and your future ‘tiel! I love cockatiels . I would recommend getting your bird used to a harness when he’s young (my tiel was around 5 when I got her, so not as receptive to it). You might also consider taking him out in a carrier as well - I love my pak-o-bird backpack. I feel like there’s a bit more protection for my birds and I can cover the sides to limit exposure if they start looking overwhelmed by an environment. Start small and work your way up as their comfort level increases . I’m cautious about bird shows - it’s a personal preference - I would worry about exposing my birds to hidden illness by attending one (but absolutely a personal choice). Sounds like you are prepping well, and have a caring breeder that you are working with....looking forward to seeing pictures of your new addition!

Welcome to you!

Hi there! Glad to have you join us

I don't have a tiel, but I think folks around here know that Cairo (our ekkie) and I go on walks at least every other day. We go almost anywhere they don't explicitly ban birds (but do check with your local laws and managers of the different stores/buildings)! Different bird, different personality - so the time and challenges you'll face in harness training will be different. But so long as you keep up with harness training and making the whole process a positive experience, it's incredibly rewarding. We've gotten to a point where Cairo is so comfortable at times, he starts practicing vocab in new places. We've got several members in the middle of harness training now, so there's quite a few active threads for you to read through.

Welcome, your future tiel will appreciate the advance research and abundant accessories! They are a fine choice for a first bird.

Welcoming you, glad you joined! Cockatiels are neat. My neighbor has one I visit often and is in his will to pass on to me one day. Lots of personality. Definitely have harness before you get the bird, babies are by far the easiest to train so have the harness in the cage the day you bring the birds home, and every time you take the bird out wear the harness around your neck. Watch you tubes and the training video that comes with the Avain harness will pay off for a lifetime to start young.

Welcome to the forums! So glad you joined us! Sounds like you’ve done lots of research, your cockatiel will appreciate all you’re doing before he moves in. Cockatiels are great birds, most are playful and friendly and learn quickly. They are a lot of fun to buy or make toys for, they are super inquisitive and curious about everything. Be sure to take advantage of the young age and introduce a wide variety of fresh veggies and healthy foods.

Hello & Welcome to the Parrot Forums.

Glad you decided to join us.

Very exciting, I can remember vividly all those feelings just before I brought my Levi home.
Please post pictures when you go visit him. We love pictures. Also, does he have a name yet?

Best of luck to you both. :heart:

Hello and welcome! Cockatiels are smaller, but they are very smart---don't worry about "basic"- while they may not be as large and flashy, they are still parrots. I have heard lots of good things about them even though I have never owned one.

As a new bird owner, you will need to research Teflon/PTFE/PFOA/PFCs. Anything that heats or is intended to heat poses the risk of potentially containing these deadly compounds. You cannot usually tell just by looking, so it is important to call the company and give them the full chemical names and abbreviations (listed above). Think hair-dryers, curling irons, irons, ironing boards, pots/pans/cookie sheets, popcorn poppers, air fryers, stove-top drip trays, space-heaters, electric blankets, humidifiers, ironing board covers, heat lamps etc...

Teflon is just a brand name, but these chemicals off-gas when heated and although we can't smell the fumes, they can kill birds in as little as 5 minutes. Doors and walls do not protect birds from them either, so you should not use them in your home at all if you have a bird. The chemicals can be woven into fabric, mixed into metal during the molding process, applied as a clear-coat or applied in a colored finish (black, grey, green etc).

Also, know that you will not be able to use household cleaners unless they are avian safe. Birds have very sensitive respiratory systems, so things like bleach, windex, comet etc are a big "no-no". I would recommend vinegar + water (as long as it isn't heated) or f10 SC (a veterinary grade disinfectant that is safe to use around birds).

Furthermore, be very mindful of the fact that perfumes, aerosols, paints, glues, flea shampoo, bug spray, insecticides, smoke, burning oil/fat, room fresheners, carpet cleaners, nail polish/nail polish removers, hair dye etc etc can all cause serious respiratory problems in birds. If it has a scent, it is likely unsafe.

Welcome to the community!!! And congrats on your new baby Cockatiel!!!

I'm so very glad that you are getting your baby from a reputable, seemingly responsible breeder who will not let him go home with you until he is FULLY and COMPLETELY Abundance-Weaned!!! NEVER bring home a baby bird that is not completely Abundance-Weaned and not off hand-feeding formula 100%; unfortunately this is extremely common because of unscrupulous breeders who want to get rid of their babies as quickly as possible to save money on supplies and their time, as hand-feeding a baby bird is not at all easy and is a full-time job in and of itself. So you're absolutely starting out on the right foot and down the safest, most successful path possible as a new parrot owner!!!

I'm also pleased and impressed that you are doing as much research as you possibly can BEFORE you bring your baby Tiel home. You've got some time yet if your baby is not yet eating much solid food at all, so take full-advantage of the time you have left to make sure you have a nice, big cage, lots and lots of toys of different types, and you have your baby's daily-diet planned-out in-full and are ready to go...

****What "staple" food is your baby going to be weaned onto by the breeder? By 'staple" food I mean the main component of your bird's daily diet, either a commercially-sold Avian Pellet or Seed-Mix. This is extremely important to find out immediately, because it sounds like your baby hasn't yet even started to wean, so right now is the time to make this decision so your breeder can wean your baby onto whatever "staple" food you choose, because otherwise it's very difficult and takes months to years to transition your bird from whatever they were waned onto by the breeder onto something else.

***I highly suggest that if you don't know already exactly what staple-diet your breeder is weaning your baby onto, that you call them immediately and find out not only whether it's a pellet or a seed-mix, but the exact brand and type. Ideally you want your bird's daily staple-diet to be an Avian Pellet, specifically a "Natural" flavored pellet, and not one of the "Fruit-flavored" pellets that are multi-colored, because they are absolutely full of sugar, which is turned into fat and stored in their livers, and not any better than a fatty seed-mix in the end. And the same goes for any of the "Nut-flavored" pellets, they are just loaded with fat/oil. So you want to choose a "Natural" avian pellet as your bird's daily staple, the best ones being any of the Harrison's pellets, TOPS pellets, Zupreem Natural pellets, Tropican pellets, In-Tune pellets. You can buy the Zupreem Natural, the Tropican, and the In-Tune pellets at any Petco, but the Harrisons and the TOPS, which are the best nutrition-wise, have to be ordered or purchased at a bird shop or another pet shop that carries them (Petco nor Petsmart do not sell Harrison's or TOPS)...What you want to do is to decide immediately on a Natural-flavored Pellet, buy a large bag of them, and provide the bag immediately to your breeder so they can wean your baby onto them...Or, if you breeder isn't local, just ask them if they can go out and buy a bag of the pellets at their local pet shop/bird shop to wean your baby onto, and then just pay them back when you pick-up your bird after weaning...Either way, that's the way you want to go...

Unfortunately a lot of bird breeders wean their babies onto a seed-mix as their staple-diet, which wouldn't be so bad if they would use a low-fat, high-quality seed-mix, but usually it's not, it's a cheaper seed-mix or a "junky" seed-mix that is very high in fat and low in protein, and this is the main cause of Fatty Liver Disease in pet/captive parrots and the main reason they die young...If you want your bird to eat a seed-mix as it's daily staple-diet, then you need to make sure that it's a seed-mix that is low in fat, high in protein, and that is "varied", meaning it has a wide variety of healthy ingredients...AS A RULE, if you feed your bird a seed-mix as their daily staple-diet, it should contain NO Sunflower Seeds of any kind, NO Nuts of any kind, specifically No Peanuts EVER, and NO Dried Corn of any kind, including Dried Corn Kernels and Dried Cracked Corn. These are the 3 main sources of carbs/fat in seed-mixes that MUST be avoided for a pet/captive bird who is not flying 10 miles a day like a wild parrot does to forage for their food each day...Sunflower Seeds, and I mean ANY TYPE of Sunflower Seeds, should only be given to your bird as an occasional treat (Sunflower Seeds make great "Training Treats"), and the same goes for all types of Nuts, they are occasional treats ONLY...And you should not EVER give your bird Peanuts, as they not only contain the most fat when it comes to Nuts, but they also carry specific types of mold/Fungi that is toxic to birds. So avoid Peanuts completely, and instead give your bird the occasional Almond, Brazil Nut, Filbert, etc. as a treat (Almonds are the best, very healthy)...And Dried Corn is pointless to feed your bird at all, it's nothing but fat and that's it, it's a starch that contains little to no nutritional value at all...Seed-mixes use Dried Corn Kernels and Cracked Corn as a "filler" to literally just take up space in the seed-mix. If you want to give your bird a little fresh Corn-on-the-Cob when you have it then that's fine once in a while...But no Dried Corn at all, certainly not in their daily food.

There are several commercial parrot seed-mixes that are actually pretty healthy and contain a great nutritional profile for a pet/captive bird. Again, they contain no Sunflower Seeds, Peanuts, or Dried Corn, but rather contain a varied mix of healthier, lower-fat seeds, grains, legumes/beans, herbs, veggies, greens, fruit, etc. A few of the most-common examples are Higgins Vita-Seed California Blend, Tropimix (which actually also contains Tropican pellets in it as well), Higgins Safflower Gold, Zupreem Smart Selects (not their Sensible Seed, it contains all kinds of fatty ingredients), and Higgins Vita-Prima No Sunflower Seed Mix...

As far as the Harness goes, this is absolutely another thing that you want your breeder to start getting your baby Tiel accustomed to right away, like right NOW!!! It is so much easier to get a bird harness-trained if they are started on it before they are fully-weaned, so when breeders are willing to start exposing their babies to a harness, and start getting them used to wearing them BEFORE they are fully-weaned and go home with their new owners, the birds are so much more comfortable wearing the harness and not even bothering with it. If you wait until your bird comes home to start harness-training him/her then it's not a problem, you can still obviously harness-train your Tiel, but expect it to take many months to get them to simply accept putting it on. Once that happens then it takes more time to get them accustomed to wearing it and feeling it around their body, and to get them to not constantly chew on it the entire time they are wearing it, regardless of where they are or what is going on...

****I would highly suggest that if possible you provide your breeder with a harness so they can start getting your baby at least accustomed to having it around them so that they won't be at all scared to it. Even just having it hanging on the outside of their cage all the time, and then allowing them to play with it a little each day, even if they aren't willing to start actually putting it on them and training them to wear it, this will do wonders and make the training process so much easier for you, because he/she won't be scared of the harness at all by the time you bring them home. Most of us use the Aviator Harnesses, they are by-far the safest harness made for your bird, the easiest to get them used to wearing, and the most functional...I believe a Cockatiel would wear a size "Extra-Small", but double check that...I have two Aviator Harnesses, one is a size Extra-Small that my Cockatiel, Green Cheek, and Quaker Parrot wear, and I believe the one my Senegal Parrot wears is a size Small, though I'm not sure about that, it might also be an Extra-Small too...But I know that the one my Cockatiel wears is a size Extra-Small...

****Just an FYI, if you want to take your Cockatiel out of the house at all, regardless of whether his/her wings are clipped or not, you must have them either in a carrier/cage or wearing a Harness/Leash at ALL TIMES...Even a bird with it's wings clipped can fly for miles in the wind. So do not EVER take your bird outside of your house without it being inside of a some kind of carrier/cage/Pak-O-Bird, or wearing an Aviator-Harness with the leash attached to you around your wrist, otherwise you will be very, very sorry.

Oh yes, thank you to Noodles for bringing up the Teflon/Fluorinated Compounds topic, as it is another issue that you MUST get figured-out BEFORE you bring your bird home. You just simply CANNOT use any pots, pans, other cookware, bakeware, or small appliances that contain ANY Teflon, or any other of the many Fluorinated Compounds, such as PFOA, PTFE, etc. (there are many)...The biggest culprits are the pots and pans that have a non-stick coating on them that contains Teflon OR just a non-stick coating that contains any of the Fluorinated Compounds...As Noodles stated, "Teflon" is just a brand-name of a non-stick coating that contains some of the Fluorinated Compounds...You need to use pots, pans, cookware, bakeware, etc. that are made of Cast-Iron, Stainless Steel, real Copper, or the most common are the Ceramic Non-Stick pots and pans, which you can buy pretty much anywhere cheaply (TJ Maxx and Ross are the best places to buy a Ceramic Non-Stick set of pots and pans cheaply that are really high-end)...

Other common culprits are "George Foreman Grills", they cannot be used at all, ANY self-cleaning Oven setting (you can use the oven, you just cannot use the "self-cleaning" functions on any oven EVER), and a lot of toaster-ovens, convection ovens, electric and non-electric griddles, a lot of space-heaters, hair-dryers, curling irons, etc. Any small appliance that heats-up...It's best to simply call the manufacturer BEFORE you purchase a small appliance or piece of cookware or bakeware and ask them specifically if the specific item is "Bird-Safe" and if any Teflon or other "Fluorinated Compounds" are used in the specific product.

***Keep in-mind that you cannot just put your bird into another room of the house, or on another floor of the house, or behind a closed door if you are using a product that contains Teflon or other Fluorinated Compounds...It takes only one little whiff of a fume that your bird breathes-in and that's it. They die almost instantly, within seconds to a couple minutes of breathing--in only one breath of these fumes, and they're dead. There is absolutely nothing you can do to save your bird once this happens, people have tried to run their birds outside for fresh air, or get them to an emergency animal hospital, but they die far too quickly, almost instantly, and even if this happened while your bird was already inside of an Avian Vet's office it still wouldn't matter, there is nothing that can be done...So it's a very big deal that must be taken very, very seriously....As are ANY and ALL sources of scents and fumes, such as candles, incense, perfumes, cleaners, etc.

I just wanted to thank everyone for the very warm welcome and all the great advice! I don’t feel like I can reply to everything but I will respond to a few key things-
My baby bird’s name is Beemo! I know that the breeder already says his name to him. I’ll ask her about letting me send her a harness to get him used to the sight of it at least!
She is weaning him onto pellets as his staple diet but is also trying to get him to eat some fresh foods- but he is not eating them yet.

Also! I actually do know about the Teflon/cookware issue. I have gotten us a set of stainless steel pots and pans and some ceramic bakeware. But! I didn’t think about the toaster oven so I will look into that! Thanks!

I will definitely post about his when he comes home and share photos thanks everyone!

Good choice as Cockatiels are very sociable and love attention. First get him use to you and to bond to you. You don't want to push stuff on him to quickly, let him get use to his surroundings first. As far as harness training just put it in front of him and let him see it and then eventually touch it for a few days and then get him to step on it after a few days. Then you can start getting him to wear it after a while. He will at first try to chew on it, but he get use to it. The other thing is bring him in a carrier outside if not clipped to get him use to outside environment, if you are planning on bringing him outside a lot.

Recall and target training will be after he get comfortable with you and routine.

Welcome Beemo! Looking forward to hearing more once you bring him home!

Sounds like you're on top of everything and will be ready to go when Beemo is ready to go!!! Trust us when we tell you that your responsibility and pre-preparation is extremely rare, so good for you!

Definitely send your breeder an Aviator Harness, as your baby is right in the perfect age-range to become accustom to it and to think of it as just being a part of his daily life if it's introduced to him now...The long fight/struggle of trying to get a young bird that is already weaned and been home for a while to accept just having a harness anywhere near them, let alone putting it on and wearing it, is a very common issue posted about here. So you'll be way ahead of the ballgame if your breeder simply hangs the Aviator Harness inside of your baby's Weaning-Cage from now until he comes home (Make sure that whatever Aviator Harness color your breeder hangs in his cage/on his cage is the same color you're planning on using for him, as parrots are very color-sensitive and can become scared of things that are different colors than they're used to)...

Don't worry about your baby not yet eating any fresh Veggies, Greens, or Fruit yet, as that typically comes after they start eating their solid staple-foods like pellets and seeds on a regular basis...The key is that your breeder is actually introducing him to them while weaning, that's HUGE! Sounds like you found a really great breeder!

Don't ever hesitate to ask any questions at all, either by posting a new thread or by PM's...

Welcome! I'm glad you found us. Good for you for all the planning. AND reading! It'll pay off.


Most of us swear by our avian vets in the event of health concerns. I don't know where you are, but here are some links.
Certified Avian Vets
https://abvp.com/animal-owners/find-an-abvp-specialist/
If none are near you...
Avian Veterinarians
http://www.aav.org/search/custom.asp?id=1803
In my opinion, any of the vets listed here should be better than a regular vet.

international
https://www.aav.org/search/custom.asp?id=1803

Welcome and congrats on Beemo! Cockatiels are wonderful little birds and underrated, by no means basic because ''complex'' issues can also arrive and seasonal periods with hormones, etc.

It is great to have found a good breeder that takes care of their birds. That's important. Lots of information has been shared already, as well as an abundance of information that can be found throughout the forum as well. The earlier the better for nutrition especially introducing veggies, since they can become stubborn as they get older to accepting them.

Looking forward to photos of Beemo and more updates!

That was the other thing I wanted to comment on, and I'm glad that Smbrds did so already...Don't EVER think of Budgies, Cockatiels, Parrotlets, etc. as "Starter" or "Beginner" parrots,!!! That's a very common conception that a lot of people have, specifically parents of young children who think that they can just buy their 8 year-old a pet Budgie as their first pet because it's just a "throw-away" bird and it's only going to live for 5 years at the most, etc. This is exactly the reason why most people think that the average lifespan of a Budgie is around 4-5 years, when in reality a Budgie in captivity should easily live into their mid to late teens, with the oldest on-record being 29!!! My first Budgie was bred and hand-raised by my mom and she gave him to me when I was 6 years-old, and he lived to be 18 years and 9 months old! He went away to college with me and was there with me for all 4 years!!!

All species of Parrots possess the intelligence of at least a 3 year-old human child, and they all use logic and reasoning skills and have excellent memories. All species of parrots are vastly more intelligent than the most intelligent dog in the world, and should be treated as such, regardless of their size. And that's the only difference between a Parrotlet (the smallest Parrot species in the world), a Budgie, a Cockatiel, a Green Cheek Conure (who are extremely intelligent and actually a bit smaller than most Cockatiels), a Love Bird, etc...It's their size. Just because a Parrot isn't the size of a large Cockatoo or a full-size Macaw doesn't mean they aren't every bit as intelligent and don't have the ability to live for decades if they are treated well, fed a healthy diet that is low in fat and high in protein, are interacted with on a daily basis and treated as a part of the family, and their brains are kept busy and they aren't constantly bored. If you follow this plan your Cockatiel should easily live into his late-teens and be a healthy, happy member of your family...

It's hard to believe that most people treat their "pet" Budgies and Cockatiels as "starter-birds", unfortuntaely a lot of the time they treat them like they are a piece of living-furniture, and they treat their dogs and cats like they are members of the family and like they are actually people, when in-reality the Budgies and Cockatiels are much, much, much more intelligent and social than their dogs could ever be!!! And after spending ample time with many different species of parrots over the years, the one thing I have come to realize about Cockatiels is that they are extremely similar in personality, behavior, intelligence, emotions, etc. to their larger cousins the Cockatoos! They are very similar species of Parrot overall, it's just that the Cockatiels are a smaller version with smaller beaks!

Thanks for sharing even more info and welcomes, guys! I did take your advice and have a harness sent to the breeder so she can start working with him on it. Since I bought it, it will come home with him so he will already be used to how it looks, smells etc! Still a couple more weeks till he comes home but I’m trying to get the last things purchased and make sure I’m as ready as I can be! I just need a vegetable chopper! Anyone have advice on some fresh chop recipes that are simple?
I can’t wait to get Beemo, I plan to start working on target training and eventually recall training, once he is comfortable and we have a trust between us!