cockatiel questions

[alyssia]

I'm thinking of getting a cockatiel-I had two years and years ago and their are a couple of things I can't remember. I've seen people post pics of their birds on here so I thought I'd ask you guys.
What do I line the bottom of the cage with? Is newspaper allright, or can I use hamster shavings?
If I only get one now will I have a problem adding another one later? How big of a cage would I need for two?
How varied does their diet need to be? I remember giving them bird seed and millet, but I think they require something additional.
Do I need something for their beaks?
How often do they molt, and about how often do they need their wings clipped?
Thats's all I can think of for now. I'm sure I'll remember more questions later.

 

[newreeferpa]

i dont personally have a cockatiel but my aunt and uncle have 2. they feed them bird seed and then other dinner items (except avocado that is poisonous to them as well as tephlon in non-stick pans) such as pasta, rice, veggies-they seemed to love it. they started with one and then got another althouhg there was some adjusting for the one they got first- they get along fine now. they line the bottom of the gage with newspaper, not sure about shavings if they would try to eat them or not (i know that you have to becareful with shavings with baby chickens). not sure how often they molt although when they come and stay with me in july it seems as though the birds are always molting. they clipp wings whenever the birds start trying to fly. hope this helps.

 

[tizzo]

You line it with paper. The only purpose in the lining is to make clean up easier, they don't snuggle in the substrate like mice.
They chew on cuttlebone (

) to keep their beaks trimmed.
Trimming the wings is about every 3 weeks, cut back the end 3 feathers.
If you have 2, they are less likely to learn any words or tunes. Cockateils are not "usually" talkers, but can whistle with the best of them.
They can survive on species specific seeds and treats, but you can offer them just about anything.
Be committed! Birds are one of the most attention demanding pets. If you put them in a cage and ignore them, they get very ornery, even pulling out their own feathers.
I just found this sight. Apparently wing trimming and when to do it, depends on it's environment.
http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/Dumm...bcat-PETS.html

 

[alyssia]

Thanks for the info Tizz. My old roommate had one she ignored and the poor thing pulled it's feathers out and screeched like crazy all the time.

I'm thinking we'll only get one because we have four people in our family that love birds so I'm sure he'll get lots of attention.

 

[peachie98]

Well...I bred them years ago and now only have one cockatiel..but she's a bit of an oddball one.
She will ONLY eat the complete feed (the one that is in the shape of fruit pieces and is fruit flavored)...won't eat seed, treats, nothing else! Even when my friend's bird comes to "visit" (stays with my bird when they go on vacation) I have the seed and all his food and treats in the cage with them both, and she still won't touch them.
I think it's good though when they will eat a variety of things. Cuttlebone will help with the beak as well as what they eat (seed/feed/etc.) helps wear it down.
Most bird cages have a wire bottom to separate the substrate from the birds...so it doesn't matter what you line it with as long as it's easy for you to clean up (I use paper towels).
Mine seems to molt about once a year. Her wings I've trimmed only about every 3-4 months if that much...but that also depends on the bird. When the flight (long outside) feathers get long...trim them. I don't cut all the wing feathers as the shorter ones you can leave they "hide" the cut marks on the flight feathers (looks nicer).
Definitely make sure you have a variety of perch sizes/thicknesses to exercise their feet so they don't get cramped. Also make sure to keep up on checking their toenails...they need trimming as well.
Cockatiels are generally social so adding another later is not usually a problem. However, more than one and they won't bond with you as much.
Make sure as with any bird you don't have the cage in a drafty area (I keep a throw over my cagetop since I'm in south Florida and the a/c is always on...that way she can have parts of her cage she can get away from any occasional drafts).
If you want a bird for a pet...pay a lot of attention to it! Mine sits next to my desk in my main room so she's always in the middle of the action. Except for the poop, cockatiels are great little birds to have hang out by you outside the cage and they love to be around their people.
That's all I can think of!
Oh...try to definitely get a hand fed/raised one. Even if it costs a bit more, it's worth it! Make sure you play with/hold the bird if you get it from a pet store...many might have been hand fed but not had much attention so they are still scared of people. Private breeders, or pet stores who get their babies from breeders that take the time with them are the best. Especially when you consider you have to trim their wings/nails and if the bird is good with people it isn't as stressful on them (and they have less tendency to bite too, hehe).
Good luck!
This is Pearl...she's about 2 1/2 years old (picture was when I first got her...the breeder cut her tail off since the other birds chewed it and I hadn't trimmed her wings yet...now she's gorgeous with a full tail!).

 

[alyssia]

Beautiful bird! That's the kind I used to have a long time ago. I also had a yellow and gray one.

 

[alyssia]

I just thought of another question: Do cockatiels tend to bond more with one person or the whole family?

 

[peachie98]

I think it's the person who probably spends the most time with it. I live alone so mine is obviously bonded with me.
My friend's cockatiel (who visits me) lives with her family of 3. I think he likes all of them...she has him out around the house when she's home, her husband has him out with him when he's home doing yardwork and such (he rides on his shoulder while he's mowing! haha), and their son plays with him a lot too and the bird's cage is in the boy's room. For their bird it seems like he's bonded with everyone.

 

[alyssia]

Thanks for all the info! I will post a pic once we get it!

 

[geridoc]

Cockatiels, along with all of the psitticine family, are actually omnivores that will eat pretty much anything. What they should not eat is an exclusive seed diet, since seeds don't have the necessary nutrients for good health, and actually have too much fat. Giving a hookbill seed is like giving candy to a child - they will happily eat it, but won't thrive. The best basic food for birds are prepared pellets that you can get at any pet store. Our birds (a cockatoo and an African grey) eat pellets made by Zupreem. Supplement pellets with fresh fruits and veggies, and in the case of cockatiels, with millet which they like and seem to need. These sweet birds may become attached to their caregiver, but will still be friendly towards other members of the flock (family). As for cage size - there is a simple rule: The bigger the cage the better. Get the largest cage you can afford and can accommodate in the room. By all means, keep your bird clipped. If you cannot do it, have a local bird store, a breeder or avian vet do it. Most injuries in birds are due to their flying into something in the house (a wall, a window, etc), and most birds are lost when they fly out of a momentarily opened door. Fed properly and give adequate exercise and attention, your bird will give you many years of friendship and enjoyment.

 

[alyssia]

I remember the birds I used to have loved millet-but I could not remember if it was good for them or not. I will take it to the pet store to have it's wings clipped, the thought of attempting that scares me, but how hard is it to clip their nails?
Also, can someone give me a refresher course on blood feathers? How can you tell if a bird has one?

 

[alexmir]

I just clipped both of mines nails last week, it def. takes two people. I just wrapped them in a soft cloth, and had my wife hold them pretty snug, and then you just grab their little feet. Its pretty easy to actually clip them, because their little feet are so small you can hold them really steady.
I am trying to feed them different things, but they are having trouble switching. They are eating millet, different seeds and nuts, and lettuce and carrots.

They do take alot of time. Having two they are quite as dependant on me as my last one, he HAD to be with me constantly, and was like having a little 2 yr old who followed me around the house (he waddled behind me everywhere i went

) but i am glad i got two.

 

[hlcroghan]

Birds do require a lot of time. If you don't they can quickly become very angry and irritated as well as destructive. I think more people would be better.

 

[geridoc]

Originally Posted by alyssia
http:///forum/post/2718217
I remember the birds I used to have loved millet-but I could not remember if it was good for them or not. I will take it to the pet store to have it's wings clipped, the thought of attempting that scares me, but how hard is it to clip their nails?
Also, can someone give me a refresher course on blood feathers? How can you tell if a bird has one?
IMHO clipping nails is the most difficult, since there is a blood vessel in each nail, and if you cut the nail too short you will expose the vessel, and the bird will bleed. If that happens, have some flour ready to pack onto the nail. Do not use styptic pencil, as is sometimes advised, since styptic pencil has zinc in it. Zinc is associated with all kinds of problems in birds, so avoid it at all costs. As for blood feathers, all birds have them - it is just the stage of a feather before it matures. The initial feather outgrowth has a blood vessel in it, so if the feather breaks, it will bleed. If that happens, use the flour trick above, or pull the feather (this sometimes involves using pliers to grasp the feather, especially in larger birds). We have had blood feathers break in our birds, and it is very scary, since there is blood all over the place. You need to have a plan in place ahead of time, but it is actually pretty straightforward. Just follow the directions above and don't panic.

 

[geridoc]

"If you have 2, they are less likely to learn any words or tunes. Cockateils are not "usually" talkers, but can whistle with the best of them." True, they are not the best talkers in the world, but with a little patience they will learn. We had one who was able to pronounce its name, which was quite a feat, since its name was "feffindroodle", and it whistled the Portuguese national anthem (its breeder was Portuguese, and that's all the birds heard while they were young).

 

[ifusayso]

I have a female lutino(Sunny) that has "male" coloration(even fooled the avian vet/layed eggs) and a grey male(?) named Milo. I had the female a year before I added the male and had no major issues. The male is definitely the boss, though the female always was passive.The female used to say just a couple words, however once I added the male she stopped talking just whistles. But the male has learned about 20 words and whistles several songs.
I feed a mixture of 75% pellet(Harrison's is good) 25% seed/fruit(no sunflower), occassional treat of millet. They have not ever liked any "people" foods.
I've never felt comfortable clipping wings so I let the avian do that.
I agree with other posters, cage should be as big as you can afford...atleast big enough for both birds wingspan.
I use cuttlebones, grit perches but not paper type(my preference), and mineral blocks.
I have a wire bottom cage, but I use cage liners for my benefit sometimes shredded paper.
I can't find pics of Sunny and Milo, don't have many they have let me know how they do not like cameras.

 

[alyssia]

Thanks so much for the help everyone, we are excited to get our bird!!

 

[reefkprz]

good luck with your new bird/s. we have a pair of cockatiels fortunatly for them they are in a full flight aviary (spare bedroom) and are out all day, only caged at night. (fortunate for us we dont have to clip wings).
one piece of advice, if your birds are going to be caged for the majority of the time make sure you rearrange their cage often and swap toys in and out so they dont get bored.

 

[alyssia]

We're gonna go get one later today