2 New 5 month old cockatiels - advice welcome :)

[shauna12]

Hi everyone! I'm new to this so all advice is welcome!
Today I got my 2 5 month old cockatiels Milly & Billy! They seem to be settling well, eating, drinking, preeningand have chirped a little too!

At first they both went into the corner when I went near the cage so I left them to settle, now they are still wary but seem a lot happier!

I was just wondering if anyone had any ideas on when I would be able to let them out and get some excersize? or transfer them to a bigger cage. The person I got them off said they were semi tamed, but being naive and after watching lots of videos I didn't think to ask questions.

I was just wondering if anyone could offer any advice on this, there's lots of conflicting info online and I want to be sure i'm doing the right thing for them

 

[itzjbean]

Hello and welcome! I love cockatiels and breed them.

We would love pictures!

Are you sure they are male and female? Do you know if they are related? I ask this because at 5 months old they are just beginning to start maturing and in so may look to start mating. If they are indeed male and female siblings, this is a no-no!

They'll likely need separate cages if they are siblings / if you don't want them to pair.

The thing about getting 2 birds at once is, they will likely bond more to each other than with you if they are not tame right now. This means they'll likely prefer the company of each other or other birds over humans. This is common for semi-tame or not tame birds. It is possible to tame them but you will likely have to work patiently to earn their trust.

Highly recommend you read this thread: Tips for Bonding and Building Trust

 

[shauna12]

Hi Jackie and clan ! thank you for your reply it's really appreciated!

The guy said definitely not related and said grey is male and more yellow is the female there is a nesting box in the cage, should I leave it in? I wanted to take it out for more space until their new cage comes.

I will have a look at that article thank you so much, Can i still let them out to exercise and stretch their wings? or do they need to be fully tame to do that? they will have a few rooms to fly free in for a fair few hours of the day.

I am happy to be patient with them I would like them to become tame and interact but as long as they are safe and happy I am happy too

These are my first watching videos makes it look a lot more simple than it is! I

 

[itzjbean]

I would definitely take the nestbox out! At 5 months old they are still babies and are nowhere near mature or able to lay eggs. Allowing them to lay would likely make the female egg bound as she is far too young to breed and it could very well kill her. It's like letting 12 year old kids have a baby....not a good idea.

I would keep them in a roomy cage until you can train them a bi. Letting them out is nice to think of exercise but if they are not tame, getting them back into the cage when you need them to go back in will be very tricky without trust established.

 

[shauna12]

Oh wow very glad I came on here and asked! you have been really helpful! I will definitely do that now!

I have ordered a large cage for them and lots of toys! I will let you know how the taming comes along!
(I tried to attach a pic for you but wasn't able to)
Thanks again for your help xx

 

[noodles123]

hello- welcome! NO NEST BOX...birds don't need those-- it will only make them hormonal and weird, and even if you wanted to breed, they are too young.

As a new bird owner, I hope you will read my (LONG) post on this link---it's the 5th from the top ---it's general and not necessarily in reply to your specific question, but it's stuff I wish I had known in detail, so I post it often.

http://www.parrotforums.com/new-mem...t-getting-my-first-parrot-some-questions.html

 

[shauna12]

Hi Noodles!

Thank you for your post! I will most definitely take it out, My step dad is coming to help tomorrow as it seems to be bolted to the cage and will need to come out of the top, getting it out without the birds coming out may be tricky!

Breeding isn't an interest of mine so my step dad is going to put it up in the garden, Blue tits come and use the other one!

I will take a look over your post, all the info I can get!

Thanks again! any tips are definitely welcome x

 

[LaManuka]

Oooh if it was me I’d be ordering two cages. I’ve had a male and female cockatiels (Fang and Twinkle) simultaneously and in my experience things can get out of control when those hormones start raging. Fang fell madly in love with Twinkle (she was a much older “cougar” and he was a “toy boy”) and his affection would rapidly escalate into aggression to the point that I’d have to cage Twinkle for her own safety.

Unfortunately if your pair were to reproduce, raising babies is often not a simple matter either. Your birds should be able to co-exist quite happily for most of the time but I’d recommend separate living quarters so that they’ll have their own safe places once puberty arrives.

 

[shauna12]

HI LaMunka,
Thanks! i will definitely look into this!
I agree completely!

Thanks Again!

Shauna

 

[Flboy]

Welcome to you! Such an adventure!

 

[Scott]

Welcome to you, Milly, and Billy! So exciting to have a new pair, and the links provided above will be helpful!