Cage bound cockatiel

[Sarahk]

Alfie is a 6 year old pied lutino (I think) male cockatiel. He was hand reared, we got him as a baby and was very sweet and friendly as a youngster but when he reached puberty he got mean and didn't want much to do with us.
He gradually stoped coming out of his cage and for far too long we have just let him be, thinking that was him.
He seems happy enough, he is healthy, he chats away to us and will take food from our hands through the cage bars. If we open the cage, he will not come out. If we try and hand feed him without the cage bars between us, he will turn in to a demon bird and hiss and bite.

He was in a plenty big cage, but we have, as of today, moved him to a very large cage, thinking that if he won't come out he should have as much room as we can give him.

He doesn't need to love me, but I would like him to come out for his own health. I would obviously also like to be able to get him back in to his cage, so I guess I need to reach him to step up, but there is a fair chance I will lose a (teeny bit of) finger.

So I don't really know what to do next. I have been putting my hand in the cage and just leaving it there, but he will continually attack. Is he guarding his territory? He doesn't seem scared.

I know this is my fault, if I had of been more consistent when he was young he wouldn't be like this, instead I allowed him to become reclusive, but I am here to fix it, I just hope it's not too late.

 

[Birdbabe]

BUMP!

 

[Tiel Feathers]

You can try target training while he is in his cage. Once he has learned this you try to target him to come out of his cage. I would put a platform perch right outside his door to help with this. You can also leave the cage door open and put a favorite treat like millet outside the cage to entice him to come out. Saving millet just for training is a good idea. I wouldn't put your hand in his cage if he doesn't like that. That is just reinforcing him to attack your hand. He could be guarding his cage, but he is also most likely fearful of your hands and coming out. It's great that he will accept treats from you through the bars. Sitting by his cage and reading to him, or talking without direct eye contact will also help gain his trust. Just remember to never force him to do anything, and if he seems upset, back off.

 

[sunnysmom]

I wouldn't put your hand in his cage. That's his territory. I would do what Tiel Feathers suggested.

 

[Sarahk]

I have started target training through the bars, he seems to be responding. The only treat he will take is sunflower seeds, I am worried they are too fatty for him. I am in the middle of switching him to pellets from seed mix, and he only gets sunflower seeds when training.
Of course, he also loses interest after a few because they are too big. I will try smash them up and see if he will take them like that.
I had a little revelation with him last night. Having just moved to his new cage he was a bit unsure and wouldn't move around, though was still chatting away and eating. Then hubby comes in and guides him around the cage with his finger, even gets him on to a new perch - Alfie hates new stuff.
I think that hubby is his person. I took it for granted that it would be me because I am his primary carer, but his cage is next to where hubby sits in the lounge.
I am the one home most of the day, whole hubby is working, so if he is coming out of his cage he will still have to learn to take some instructions from me, but it means I can make hubby try some training with him too.

 

[Monica]

His behavior could be that way not because you were inconsistent, but because you may have been too forward in handling him, thus resulting in avoidance behaviors.

Have you tried millet as well?

If you can, purchase hulled sunflower seeds and split up into quarters or or smaller pieces.


I wouldn't recommend a diet of more than 50% pellets. Actually, 50/50 pellets to seeds with as much fresh foods that he'll eat is a good base diet.



I have a 5' x 5' walk in aviary... I sometimes have difficulty keeping one bird *IN* it if I don't have time to allow her to wander!

 

[Shinobi]

It's never too late to change the behaviour. Angel our Eclectus female was also left in a cage outside on a Patio because she had become mean and a screamer. Well now, she will step up from inside her cage. I can scratch her head, in fact I can touch her anywhere. she is a quiet, gentle and sweet bird.

Henry our Eclectus male will eat unhulled sunflower seeds but as soon has you remove the hull he wants nothing to do with them. I think he enjoys removing the hulls more then eating them.

 

[Sarahk]

We have been leaving the cage open when we are in the room, and we put a play stand next to the cage so that, if he chooses to come out, he can step into that. So far he has not. Yesterday, I sat next to the cage to chat to him and give him some treats, he was happy enough. I decided to put my hand on them far side of the cage trying to get him used to hands, he claimed all the way across, and this is a large cage, chirping happily, all the way to my hand... Then he attacked me like a rabid dog

I wouldn't recommend a diet of more than 50% pellets. Actually, 50/50 pellets to seeds with as much fresh foods that he'll eat is a good base diet.

He is now eating about 50/50 seeds and pellets. I did have them in the same bowl, but I now have them in seperate bowl so I can better monitor what he is eating. I offer fresh food every day but he is not interested.
He will not eat millet spray, I have tried pretending to eat it, I have left it in his food bowl, or attached to the cage. He isn't interested.

 

[schnitzle]

I decided to put my hand on them far side of the cage trying to get him used to hands, he claimed all the way across, and this is a large cage, chirping happily, all the way to my hand... Then he attacked me like a rabid dog

Oh no How disappointing!!

 

[blewin]

Just give it time...and keep the hands away for now. Hands tend to be scary to 'tiels. Buddy still gives mine a good working over when she's annoyed.

Also, try not to give much of a reaction when she goes after your hands. You don't want her to learn that biting is a way to get her way.

 

[Sarahk]

So we had a little progress today. Well my OH did. He was sitting besides Alfie's cage with the door open, Alfie climbs right out of the cage and on to his shoulder! Then as if realising what he had done, he took off. He flew a few laps of the room, then landed on the blinds. He seemed pretty pleased with himself. OH offered him an arm and he climbed on and when hubby sat back down next to the cage he went back in by himself. He didn't come out again, but, now he knows how, so that is a step forward. Also, he was surprisingly controlled with his flying. He needs some practice, but a lot better than I expected. He was able to change direction to avoid coming near me!!
So obviously, he hates me, but that is fine, if he can come out for play time and put himself away, we can work around that. OH is going to work on getting him to step up on to a stick so that I can move him around without upsetting him.

 

[Tiel Feathers]

That's great!Sometimes the first step is the hardest. Things might move a little quicker now that he knows it's safe. Perch training's a good idea, as would be target training.

 

[Sarahk]

That's great!Sometimes the first step is the hardest. Things might move a little quicker now that he knows it's safe. Perch training's a good idea, as would be target training.

I have tried, but when sunflower seeds are all he will take, I can only do on or two targets before he loses interest.

OH will try and convince him that millet spray is good, then we will work more on targeting.

 

[barry collins]

Just a few things to keep in mind..
He is not cage bound because he loves his cage. He would not and did not choose to live in the cage but he is actually fearful of everything outside the cage. Keep this in mind when trying to get him out.
Also the reason he went to your other half is probably due to the fact he ignored him and as soon as he climbed out onto his shoulder something one of you did focused your attention back on him and he decided to flight in response. He probably sees your other half as less threatening because he spends much less time staring through the bars at him, much like a predator (cat, dog etc) would do. If you keep this in mind you will treat him differently by seeing the world through his eyes and letting him set the pace.
Also the stick sounds ok but why start from scratch if he's already mostly tame, once you train with a stick you will have to start all over again for a finger. Put millet or sunflower seeds next to your hand on the table and make it so he must be near your hand to eat them and eventually he will end up climbing over your hand to get food. It's all a long process and their is no quick fix just keep trying and count the weeks go by and count progress in months not days. Good luck he doesn't hate you he just is more fearful.

 

[Sarahk]

. Put millet or sunflower seeds next to your hand on the table and make it so he must be near your hand to eat them and eventually he will end up climbing over your hand to get food.

Thank you so much for your advice. I know he doesn't really hate me, it's just kind of a running joke in my house. He is not quite as aggressive toward me when OH is not here. I do spend a lot of time just sitting beside the open cage, or in the size room, but doing something away from the bird. I know he will get there in time.

With regards leaving me hand near the cage with a treat, I have tried that and he climbed all the way down then went psycho bird on my hand. When he attacks, it is more scratching with his beak than biting, but if I stay still and try to wait his attacks escalate to true bites. I don't move away when he bites, he doesn't really hurt, but when he attacks like this, should I just ignore him or should I back off - even though he has come to me?

 

[Sarahk]

Would a bird companion (housed separately) help? Or would that make things worse?

 

[barry collins]

A bird companion will not make him like you more rather the opposite.
Cockatiels can break skin if they bite properly my advice would be to stay totaly still and do not move your hand if you can stand the nipping as this will show him that biting you will not get him what he wants and he will soon see you pose no threat to him. They rarely bite hard and if he does it would normally be last resort as no bird wants to start a full on fight for no good reason. Keep it up and he'll see your no threat soon enough.