Progress Report!

[SMS00]

So, the kids came home from America, and declared that they had renamed it from Jeff to Maurice the Space Cowboy, so it’s now Maurice. While they were away, I’ve spent a lot of time trying to get Maurice used to hands, and as you can see from the picture, we are definitely making progress. Maurice is eating a decent amount of veggies, but still won’t touch fruit. I’ll continue to offer different fruits in with the veggies, and hopefully it’ll catch on.

He’s not keen on coming out of his cage yet, but will happily sit at the open door, take seeds & millet offered to him, and generally watch the world go by. We’ll continue to open the cage & hopefully he’ll become more confident in flying.

 

[Ripshod]

Tiels generally don't take to fruits. That's not a rule though, everybirdie is different. Tau likes to sit at his open door too, though I close it when the budgies are out it's open much of the time. Sometimes though he'll climb the outside of his cage to the top and glide across to the sofa. They really are laid back birds and like to take things at their pace.
You're doing great with Maurice, He's gonna grow into a proper member of the family. Is he accepting treats from everyone or just yourself?

 

[Khizz]

That's great progress, well done Maurice! My grey Tiel is called Jeff so it's nice to avoid the confusion

Mine really don't like fruit at all. I don't think it is a necessary part of their diet. Green leafy veg is better!

Keep us posted on his progress

 

[sunnysmom]

That's great! As others said, cockatiels generally don't eat fruit. Plus vegetables are better anyway because of the sugar content in fruit. Maybe think about a playstand or some type of perch you can put outside of his cage to give him a place to go when he comes out.

 

[Tiel Feathers]

Sounds like you are making wonderful progress with him. He’s so cute and looks very comfortable taking millet from your fingers. Putting a perch outside his door is a great idea. I notice the dowel perch in his cage, and I just wanted to make sure, does he also have other types of perches in his cage? Some natural and rope perches are better for his feet.

 

[SMS00]

I just wanted to make sure, does he also have other types of perches in his cage? Some natural and rope perches are better for his feet.

Yes! There are natural wood perches in the cage too, which he definitely favours. The cage came with the dowel perches, and it’s the only one I’ve found that sits the length of the cage, so he has a hop off out the door. I’m always on the look out for alternatives though!

 

[SMS00]

You're doing great with Maurice, He's gonna grow into a proper member of the family. Is he accepting treats from everyone or just yourself?

He’s pretty comfortable with everyone now - the picture is actually my son feeding him!

He came out for a fly around yesterday, and I actually managed to get him to hop onto my hand to pop him back in the cage when it started to get dark. We are definitely making progress!

 

[Khizz]

I managed to get some really long wooden branches to replace one of my dowel perches. It was actually being sold in a pet shop from what the staff had gathered for their aviaries, but you could just go out and find some trees nearby that are safe for tiels and get some branches there. I then just wedged it in between the cage bars (could also sand it down at the ends if it's too wide).

 

[SMS00]

I wasn’t sure if I could use branches out of the garden, or if they needed some kind of treatment first. I’ve a plum tree that needs cut back, so I could use one of those branches to replace the dowel?

 

[finchly]

I wasn’t sure if I could use branches out of the garden, or if they needed some kind of treatment first. I’ve a plum tree that needs cut back, so I could use one of those branches to replace the dowel?

Yes, as long as you haven’t sprayed it with chemicals

 

[SMS00]

Brilliant! No chemicals in my back garden, as I also keep chickens, so everything is bird friendly!

 

[finchly]

I use branches a lot but I have to get them from neighbors. You should see me quizzing them about type of plant and whether they are sprayed.

 

[cassiesdad]

Maurice, the Space Cowboy...ah..someone is a fan of Steve Miller.

As has been said, tiels aren't really big fans of fruit...the only fruit ours bother with is apples...once in awhile.

Sweet bell peppers are very much favored here by all...color doesn't matter...and they're an excellent source of vitamins...

 

[SMS00]

Maurice has finally discovered the joys of playing (attacking & shredding!!) the cage toy. It’s a wooden hanger, with layers of paper, which is currently being absolutely destroyed. He has discovered that if he sticks his head between layers of the paper, it has a similar effect to getting his head scratched, so he is enthusiastically ramming his head between the layers. He won’t let us scratch his head yet, and I can’t decide if this will hinder progress, as his scritching needs are being answered by an inanimate object, or if it will encourage him to seek out a more interactive scritcher in the future??

 

[Khizz]

so he is enthusiastically ramming his head between the layers.

I'm sorry but the mental picture of this has tickled me! You have to try and get a video of this

Other than that I can't say if it's a positive thing or not...just that it's funny

 

[SMS00]

I’m not wanting to boast or anything, but that’s Maurice, happily(ish!) on my hand!!

I work from home, so open up the cage every morning, and Maurice will normally come out and sit on the perch outside his cage. This morning, he’s been having a good fly, and exploring a few new landing points, and happily jumped on my finger when he got a bit lost.

Just a shame that hes picked his nominated human, and it’s my youngest and not me!!

We are also leaning towards thinking that Maurice is a girl. There absolutely zero signs of any male oriented behaviours - no beak banging, heart wings etc. We await the first moult with anticipation still. Girls can be space cowboys, right?!

 

[Tiel Feathers]

I love it when my tiels give themselves scratches with their toys. Don’t worry, it won’t hinder any future process of him/her wanting scratches from you!