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How to reward cockatiel ?

SagaRue

Checking out the neighborhood
Joined
4/30/19
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3
Hello I'm new to owning Birds I just got my first cockatiel a month ago from a pet store he was 6 months old and so he 7 months old now when we first got him I couldn't even walk near the cage without him screaming and flying around I've got to the point where I can put my hand into the cage and he just kind of goes to one side and looks at it but he won't walk over to my hand he walks away from my hand I would like to be able to reward him when he does something good like steps towards my hand or takes interest in me like walks over to me but I can't reward him if he will not take a reward from me so I know everyone says to use mullet fresh fruit and vegetables and give it to the bird through the bars of the cage but the bird will not take it treats from me at all even if I put them in a bowl and leave them he won't eat them so he doesn't know their treats and I don't know how to reward him please give me some advice, I'm very patient I've literally held treats at the bar for 30 minutes to an hour I don't know what to do
 

AmyJas

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Philadelphia, PA
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Hi SagaRue. I disagree with fresh fruit and vegetables as beginning treats for training personally unless your bird already loves these foods. However, I find it hard to believe your bird does not recognize millet as a treat. Have you tried leaving any millet spray for him in the cage and seeing how likes it? It's like crack to birds. My two budgies aren't very tame, but if I'm patient and still, they will eat millet spray that I hold near them.
 

SagaRue

Checking out the neighborhood
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4/30/19
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He eats it in his food dish but he dose not like it enough to walk need my hand , I will quit using veg/fruit and stay with millet if you think that's the best bet, however I don't think he's very militant motivated because his food also has seeds in it I'm trying to wean him over off of a seed based diet onto a pellet based diet so that mullet is more of a treat and less like his regular food
 

msplantladi

Jogging around the block
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He isn't hungry enough. Take his food dish out at night and in the morning when he is hungry try opening the cage door, and hold the millet or small treat in your fingers at the cage door not inside the cage-make him come to you. He has to need something from you in order to start trusting. BTW a month is nothing, he is still adjusting to his new scary world. Sit by his cage chat quietly through out the day while offering a nut or something he likes, when he comes to you praise him. Patiences :)
 

sunnysmom

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Do you spend time just sitting beside him? I would take things slow and sit and talk with him and even read to him so he gets more used to your presence. And then work on hand feeding him treats. As for diet, I believe that cockatiels need seeds in their diet as they are granivores. I used to feed my tiel about 50% seeds, 15% pellets and the rest vegetables and grains. (Cockatiels typically don't eat much fruit.)
 

Khizz

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Do you spend time just sitting beside him? I would take things slow and sit and talk with him and even read to him so he gets more used to your presence. And then work on hand feeding him treats.
Exactly this. I was in the same boat with my 2 not so long ago. They always scuttled away when I came near them. The process I followed:
  1. I started just hanging about in the same room and reading to them from my uni work (my fiance thought I was bonkers talking to birds about linguistic analysis!).
  2. When they were used to that I started to sit closer, and continued talking to them.
  3. Eventually they started sneaking up to peer at me when I wasn't facing them, clearly they were starting to get curious about me. Only then did I try handfeeding them millet through the bars.
  4. When they were comfortable with that I could reach in the cage and feed them directly. And that's where I am now!
Also, try offering the millet different ways. Mine prefer stuff clipped to the cage rather than in the food bowl.
 

Ashtyn Mccoy

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7/21/19
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texas
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Ashtyn Mccoy
a lot of cockatiels LOVE peas and corn, sometimes apples
 

Tazlima

Jogging around the block
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Once you get him completely off the seed diet and eating pellets and fresh produce as his overall diet, you'll be able to use the seeds as training treats. You already know for certain that he really likes the stuff and recognizes it as food. That's all you need to get his attention.
 
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