Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Purchasing supplies
• Part 2 of 3: Buying and training a Cockatiel
• Part 3 of 3: Caring for your Cockatiel
• Tips
• Warnings

Cockatiels are one of the smallest parrot species in the parrot family, making attractive and intelligent pets. Cockatiels are social pets that will mimic your voice and sit happily on your finger or on your shoulder while you walk around. This article will show you how to take care of your happy, healthy Cockatiel!

To step

Part 1 of 3: Purchasing supplies

1. Think about whether a Cockatiel is the right pet for you. Cockatiels require daily care and attention and can be noisy, messy pets. With proper care, they can live to be over twenty years old! Before purchasing a Cockatiel, ask yourself the following questions (and include any roommates in the discussion):
   • How much money am I willing to spend on it? While Cockatiels are not very expensive to buy, they do need good-sized cages and plenty of toys and other enriching items. In addition, you will need to take your Cockatiel to the vet for an annual check-up.
   • How much time can I spend with my Cockatiel? Unless someone is home most of the day, a Cockatiel kept alone will quickly become lonely. Cockatiels that are kept as a pair require less attention, but even then you still need to give attention and care every day.
   • Am I sensitive to noise and clutter? While Cockatiels are not extremely noisy, they will be noisy in the morning and evening, and they can make a big mess. If you're a neat freak, or hate being woken up early, a Cockatiel may not be the right pet for you.
   • How long am I willing to take care of a pet? Cockatiels can live to over 20 years old, so consider whether you are committed enough before purchasing. If you are a minor, ask yourself who will take care of your Cockatiel if you go to college and you cannot keep it for yourself.
2. Purchase a cage. The cage should be at least 60 cm high, with a width of 51 cm and a depth of 46 cm, but a larger cage is recommended. The bars must have a maximum space of 1.9 cm. Stainless steel cages are recommended.Since zinc and lead are poisonous to birds, the cage must be guaranteed to be free of these materials. Finally, because Cockatiels love to climb around their cage, the cage should have at least partially horizontal bars.
3. Purchase the remaining supplies. Cockatiels, like other birds, need things to keep them busy in their cages. You will have to purchase:
   • Two food bowls and a water bowl. You will need two separate bowls for the dry and wet bird food (wet food will consist of fruit, boiled beans, etc.).
   • A skirt for the cage to catch discarded seeds.
   • Lots of perches in front of the cage. Cockatiels love to climb and play, so having plenty of sticks will make your Cockatiel very happy. You will notice that your Cockatiel will choose one stick as his home base (the stick he will sleep on)
   • A number of toys for your Cockatiel to play with. Buy some toys and rotate them every week so your bird doesn't get bored. Cockatiels love to nibble, so toys made of palm leaves, gnaws, raffia, or twig balls are best.
4. Buy additional supplies (optional). While not necessary, buying cleaning supplies such as a poop scoop and a petty thief is a good idea. You will also need to purchase a sepia for calcium; this is especially important for female Cockatiels, who are at risk for egg laying (females will lay eggs without males; they just will not be fertilized).

Part 2 of 3: Buying and training a Cockatiel

1. Learn as much as you can about Cockatiels. Before buying a Cockatiel, a thorough research on Cockatiels and how to care for them is necessary. While this article covers basic grooming, a more thorough investigation is recommended. Good resources include the Internet, the local library, and pet stores, which usually sell books and other resources about cockatiel care. In addition, it is recommended that you gain experience with Cockatiels and talk to a Cockatiel owner about their experience caring for their birds.
2. Buy a Cockatiel. While you may be tempted to buy the cheapest Cockatiel you can find, buying a bird from a pet store is not recommended. This is because pet store birds can be unhealthy and often not socialized (making them more difficult to tame). You can purchase a hand-fed baby from a specialist bird dealer or bird breeder. Buy a Cockatiel about three months old or slightly older. A beginner never would a baby cockatiel must hand feed.
   • Buy a Cockatiel from a bird sanctuary. Before trying to buy a bird, it is often better to try to adopt a bird. While many Sanctuary Cockatiels make good pets, adopting from a sanctuary is not recommended for beginners. These Cockatiels can be unhealthy or have behavioral problems.
   • Buy a Cockatiel from a previous owner. Sometimes there are events that make people give up their pets. As long as you are certain that the owner is not relocating the bird due to behavioral issues, and you have an understanding of the bird's health history, this can be a really good way to purchase a Cockatiel. Especially for beginners.
3. Tame your bird. If your Cockatiel is already tame, you can skip this step. One of the most important parts of taming a Cockatiel is getting used to your presence. When you first bring your bird home, place the cage in an area of ​​your home where there is a lot of human activity. Sit next to the cage every day and talk or whistle quietly for 10 minutes. This will get your bird used to your voice and your presence.
   • When the bird comes to your side of the cage and seems to like you there, start by giving it small treats (for suggestions of treats, see step one of the next section). After you have done this for about a week, open the cage door and present a treat, enticing your bird to sit on the door. The next step is to keep food in your hand and let the bird eat from your hand.
4. Train your bird to "step up". After you tame your Cockatiel and he eats from your hand, you can teach him to step on your hand. The way you do that depends on whether you have a bird that bites often or a friendlier bird. Do not try to grab or force a Cockatiel to step on your hand. This almost always ends in getting bitten.
   • If you have a bird that bites: Move your finger quickly and smoothly towards the top of its legs, as if you were moving your finger through a flame. Your bird will mount automatically. Give him a reward and praise him immediately after doing this. If your bird starts biting aggressively, stop training and try again later.
   • If you have a bird that rarely bites: Place your finger against the bird's underbelly above its legs. Press gently and he will likely step on immediately. If he does, give him a reward and praise him. Next time you do this, say "step up" while pressing against his stomach. Eventually he will come to associate those words with the action of "stepping down."

Part 3 of 3: Caring for your Cockatiel

1. When you first bring your Cockatiel home, give your bird time to get used to it. If your Cockatiel is a hand-fed baby, a few hours may be enough. Unsocialized babies, on the other hand, usually take two or three days to get used to their new environment. Do not handle the bird during this acclimatization period, but stick to cleaning and feeding and speak softly to it.
2. Feed your Cockatiel a healthy diet. Bird pellets should make up about 70% of its diet. Seeds can be a tasty snack, but don't overfeed it, it's too fatty. Also feed your Cockatiel healthy vegetables and sometimes fruits; well-cooked beans and spaghetti are examples of tasty treats you can give your Cockatiel. If you get fruits and vegetables, choose organic. Wash the fruits and vegetables well before feeding them.
   • Feed your Cockatiel no chocolate, avocado, alcohol, onions, mushrooms, tomato leaves, caffeine or uncooked beans. These are poisonous. Sugary or fat-rich foods like candy bars are also not healthy for Cockatiels.
   • Remove all uneaten fresh food from the cage within four hours. Otherwise, it can attract harmful bacteria (and it just gets messy).
3. Make sure your Cockatiel always has clean water. Change your bird's water daily. Also change it if you see food or poo got into it. You should water your bird whatever you would drink yourself.
   • When you wash the water bowl, make sure to use hot water with a little soap. Doing this will ensure that no fungi will grow that will make your bird sick.
4. Take control of your Cockatiel. If your Cockatiel is already tame (or you've already tame and trained it - see Part Two), you should spend at least an hour a day to keep it tame and friendly. Unless you have purchased a parrot diaper, it is recommended that you spend time with your bird in a chair covered with a towel or in a room with an easy-to-clean floor.
5. Understand why your Cockatiel can bite. You may feel hurt or upset if your Cockatiel bites, but it's important to realize that birds bite in response to a stressful situation, not because they want to be mean. A bird will bite to show that it is scared or upset, you should not take it personally. Think back to what you were doing when the Cockatiel bit you, and try to see it from its perspective. For example, a Cockatiel could bite you if you tried to handle it, or you were too careless or rough when handling it. Also, many Cockatiels are protective of their cage, and can be aggressive if you put your hand in the cage.
   • If your Cockatiel bites you outside of the cage, put it back in the cage and wait for it to calm down before removing it from the cage.
   • If your Cockatiel is aggressive in the cage, train him to step on a stick. That way you can get him to step on a stick when you want to get him out of the cage, instead of having to put your hand in the cage.
6. Teach your Cockatiel how to talk and whistle. While males are best at talking and whistling, females can learn how to whistle and learn words every now and then. It is recommended that you teach your Cockatiel how to speak before teaching him how to whistle. It can be more difficult the other way around. In order to teach your Cockatiel to talk, you need to talk to him regularly, and utter the words you want to teach your Cockatiel extra often - for example, say "Mommy!" Every time you approach your Cockatiel. When you hear the beginning of a word or pronunciation, immediately reward your Cockatiel with a treat and lots of attention.
   • Teaching a Cockatiel to whistle is much the same - whistle around your Cockatiel regularly, and reward him when he starts whistling.
7. Recognize signs of illness in Cockatiels. Since Cockatiels often hide their illness until it's really bad, keep a close eye on them for signs of illness. Very sick Cockatiels will sit on the bottom of the cage, with stuffed feathers. A bleeding Cockatiel is also clearly injured. Signs of a sick bird include:
   • Grumpiness or biting; taking more naps than usual; weight loss or loss of appetite to refuse to eat or drink; coughing, sneezing, or irregular breathing; paralysis symptoms; bumps or swelling; inflamed eyes or crusts around the eyes and nostrils; no bright eyes; a dirty vent, or a gloomy position of the head, wings or tail.
8. Take your bird to the vet regularly. You should take your Cockatiel to a specialist vet for an annual check-up. In addition, you should contact your vet immediately if your Cockatiel displays any of the above symptoms. Keep in mind that while it may be expensive to go to the vet, birds can get very sick in a very short time. It is not a good idea to "wait and see" with Cockatiels. They are very fragile creatures.
9. Be aware that Cockatiels can have night terrors. Some Cockatiels are afraid of the dark and have "night terrors" of having full-blown panic attacks in their cages. To avoid this, place a night light in the room where your Cockatiel sleeps, and don't cover the cage completely at night.
   • Once you know which stick your Cockatiel prefers to sleep on, make sure there are no toys hanging around that stick. If your bird has a nighttime panic attack and gets caught in a toy, it could be seriously injured.

Tips

• Be careful with these little birds; Cockatiels are very fragile and can be easily injured.
• Keep your bird (s) close to a window (but not directly in front of a window). You should not keep any type of bird in a basement or dark room. This can lead to depression and behavioral problems such as feather plucking.
• Cockatiels like it when you stroke the feathers on their heads, against the feathers. A good time to start is during moulting when they are itchy.
• Sing to your bird so it gets used to your voice.
• Cockatiels need attention every day. If you work all day, consider getting a pair of Cockatiels so they can keep each other company.
• On a very hot day, you can put some ice cubes in your bird's water bowl.
• Do not consider breeding birds until you know how. It could kill your birds!
• If you want your bird to get more social with people, don't put it in a cage with another bird. He would much rather interact with the other birds in his cage than with people.
• There are many internet forums for birds. Consider joining, they are full of information!
• To prevent your bird from being injured by flying into ceiling fans, hot water in the kitchen, windows, and so on, you can trim its wings. The first time, ask an experienced bird owner or veterinarian to show you how.
• Buy a second Cockatiel to keep him from getting lonely unless you have a lot of time to spend with him or her.
• Cockatiels love human company and listen to people. So if you can work in the room where he is being held, or walk in often, he will love it.
• If you see your bird standing in one of the corners of its cage, it is not yet used to its surroundings. That means keeping your bird in its cage for 3 to 4 days and eventually your bird will start to make more noises and become more active.
• Make sure to feed your Cockatiel (s) the correct amount of food - about two tablespoons per bird per day. If you don't give your bird enough, it will starve. Too much food, and your animals will start playing with what's left and wasting it!

Warnings

• Cockatiels love to play with mirrors and shiny objects. However, don't put a mirror in their cage. They see their reflection as a different bird and can become very frustrated if the reflection doesn't respond that way. This is nice for playtime, but if the Cockatiel sees it all day, it will make her tense and cranky.
• A ceiling fan never turn on if the bird is out of the cage, the bird can fly into the spinning blades and die.