Getting a Cockatiel

[Cockatiel ❤️]

I have decided to purchase a cockatiel, but would like some advice from cockatiel owners when it comes to choosing a cockatiel and taking care of one. Some questions I have are:
- How do I decide which cockatiel(s) are right for me?
- How big of a cage should I purchase?
- What type of food is best for a cockatiel?
- Any toys your cockatiels seem to enjoy a lot?
- Should I get more than one cockatiel?
- Is there anything I SHOULDN'T feed it or do?
- Is there anything I SHOULD feed it or do?
- What are some good ways to get it to trust me?
- Any extra information I should have

Thanks

 

[ButterBee]

I am glad you decided I hope you keep everyone posted! Have you ever thought about a rescue? ^_^

 

[Cockatiel ❤️]

I am glad you decided I hope you keep everyone posted! Have you ever thought about a rescue? ^_^

Yes that’s where I’m planning tog get my bird, they have a couple cockatiels at the rescue that I want to go look at and possibly adopt

 

[ButterBee]

So exciting you are looking at adopting! Rescues make the best pets they never forget not even the rescued lizards as weird as that sounds.

 

[Cockatiel ❤️]

Oh! Also another question:

I currently don’t have an extra room in my house to keep a bird or two in. Is it okay if I keep the cage in my bed room as well as let them lose in my bedroom? Are they any hazards in there that should be taken care of before letting the birds in there?

 

[Mango lover]

There are. Firstly, there’s lots of dandruff floating around, and secondly, birds tend to poop everywhere.

 

[Davi]

You're already on the right track in terms of seeking information to make the best decisions for you and your new birdie companion. Cockatiels are amazing parrots, but they do create a LOT of white DUST that can be an issue for people with breathing difficulties and/or allergies. Best of luck and do keep us posted!

 

[Cockatiel ❤️]

Unfortunately, my mom isn't completely on board with getting a bird. Should I stop trying or is there anything I could do to convince her?

 

[Jas]

When getting a parrot you're going to need to change you're home. No plug in air freshener, no scented candles, no toxic/powerful smelling cleaning products, no nonstick pans. (These will kill a parrot, they have very sensitive respiratory systems).

Do you have your own income to buy bird food, fresh veg, toys, vet bills?

Is your mum okay with looking after the bird when you go away on holiday?can she handle a moody parrot screaming? Can she handle and afford to take care of the parrot and take it to vets for regular nail trims? What about all the mess they create? Does she have allergies or asthma (cockatiels, greys and cockatoos are dusty birds)? Does she mind turning her house upside for a bird? Does she mind carrying a wet cloth around to wipe up poop? Does she mind flying birds in the house?

 

[sunnysmom]

Cockatiels are wonderful birds. Birds are really "family" pets though since so many adjustments need to be made- as mentioned, no Teflon pans, no burning candles, no smoking, etc. So everyone in the household needs to be committed to the bird. If they're not, it can be a problem . The "best" bird is the bird that picks you. If given a chance, a tiel will often pick their person.

Opinions differ on "best" diet for a tiel but I fed mine 50% seeds, 10-15% pellets/nutriberries and the rest fresh vegetables and rice, etc. It's important for birds to have fresh food in their diets, although cockatiels tend not to eat fruit. So vegetables are the better choice. And there is a list of foods not to feed your birds. I'll try to find it.

 

[sunnysmom]

Safe and unsafe foods: Cockatiels, Healthy and Nutritious Safe Foods, Safe Fruits, Safe Fruits, Safe Vegetables, Safe Table foods for Cockatiels and Pet Birds. List of Safe Foods, Safe Fruits and Vegetables for Cockatiels and Pet Birds. What foods are safe to feed cockatiels,What do cockatiels eat, What table foods can cockatiels eat.>

 

[Cockatiel ❤️]

Thanks that's really helpful sunnysmom! I've been looking at local rescues, breeders, and pet stores, but so far only one of them has had a cockatiel! Since, I want a pair of them to keep each other company I don't think that will work, but I'll keep an eye out for cockatiels in my area!

 

[SquawksNibbles]

How do I decide which cockatiel(s) are right for me?

You’ll just know when you find the one. There’s no better way to describe it. Like sunnysmom said, the bird picks you. If the bird loves you, and you love that bird, then that is the bird that’s right for you.

How big of a cage should I purchase?

The biggest cage you can find, afford, and have the space for. Your bird will enjoy every inch of cage space you give them. There are some cages that just aren’t fit for ANY bird to live in.

What type of food is best for a Cockatiel?

Cockatiels, or any bird for that matter, do good with a varied diet. Fresh vegetables and grains, pellets, seeds, and occasional treats are important parts of a Tiel’s diet.

Any toys your cockatiels seem to enjoy a lot?

Well, foraging toys are great for any bird - keeps them busy. Some birds go crazy for shredding toys made out of safe paper, cardboard, wood, etc. Tiels may also enjoy toys with bells or plastic parts that they ‘beak.’

Should I get more than one cockatiel?

On one hand, two will keep each other company while you’re gone. But another Cockatiel is another bird, meaning more food, toys, and a bigger cage. It also means one more vet bill. If you know that you have the time, money, and space to keep two, then I think two would be best.

Is there anything I SHOULDN'T feed it or do?

You’ve already been given a list of things you should feed a Tiel, so I won’t bother with that. One thing you shouldn’t do is force a bird to do anything. If you want a close bond with your bird, forcing it to do something is just going to make things worse. But you probably already knew that.

- Is there anything I SHOULD feed it or do?

Again, I won’t bother with the food. But one important thing you should do is take your birds to the vet. Birds, like dogs and cats, are living things that can get sick. An untreated ill bird will suffer. And birds are good at hiding symptoms, so it’s good to take frequent trips to the vet to catch anything earlier than later when a disease will be worse and harder to treat.

What are some good ways to get it to trust me?

Like I said before, patience is very important when having birds. No forcing anything, or else your bird will learn to fear you. Take it slow and let a bird get used to its new people and surroundings. Also, clipping a bird’s flight feathers is an often debated topic. But a bird with no flight feathers is not as confident or as happy as a bird with flight feathers. It is very stressful for a bird to have to be grabbed and have their wings trimmed. Plus, birds were born with wings and flight feathers - why take that away from them?


As for your mom not being on board, you can try to bring her to a nearby bird rescue or breeder and let her meet a couple of birds. But if she really is against bringing a bird in, then that might not be such a great situation for a bird to be in. Your mom is most likely worried about all of the care that the birds may require. I think that if you take full responsibility of the bird, she may be more willing to let you adopt a bird or two.

 

[Holly21]

I had a hard time getting my mom to allow me to purchase my cockatiel but after a few days of persuading and a low priced Facebook ad I got my beloved Holly!

 

[ThisLittleBird]

I would really recommend getting your bird from a rescue, most rescues usually have a bird orientation class and they have home inspections to make sure your environment is bird friendly and safe. When I was involved with the rescue is my state, I can't tell you how any times I heard, "well we got a bird, but it died.." So many people get pet birds and then can't figure out why they died and became really ill after they got them...sadly, most the time, it's human error.. they fed them an avocado, burned incense, candles..used room deodorizers or cooked on a teflon pan.. the list of avian dangers go on and on... so please please understand them before getting a feathered friend.. also their house must be larger than adequate.. Cockatiels are climbers and they need to move around in the biggest cage you can afford