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hello , how can i make my cockatiels feel as comfortable as possible.

MiniMacaw

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That cage they’re currently in is way too small. It can feel frustrating to birds to be locked “in a closet” as Mizzely said and then it’s far more difficult to get them to calm down and begin the bonding process with you.
I’ve found that the more freedom a small bird gets, the more their natural curiosity takes over and they start to think maybe the big scary person can be interesting to interact with.
But I don’t start any training at all until I know the birds needs are met first. A too small cage can be fine for a quarantine period or hospital cage if something needs monitoring, but birds are very easily stressed and being in a highly stressed state is not conducive to starting a relationship with your birds.
The fact these birds are feather plucking already is worrisome. I know when I was a kid I had a lot of goldfish that we kept in little tiny tabletop bowls. It’s just what we did back then and since my parents were the ones buying them it just was what it was. Now I know better and the standard of care for many species has been researched and improved upon.
I understand when you’re young any outside opinions, especially from strangers, can seem crazy and I love that you’re trying to improve these two tiels lives, but some things are very basic necessities to bird care and stepping stones to earning their trust. One of these is a proper and appealing living space for them. Another is proper medical care. I don’t know that there’s any shortcuts to building their trust with you without first making their proper care the priority.
To reduce stress in them, I’d suggest not pushing them too soon and lowering expectations, talking softly near them and trying to provide them with appropriate toys, like balsa, shreddables, etc. I would also recommend as others have to cover the top, back and sides of the cage with a light blanket. This shouldn’t darken their cage a ton, and has proven to really make my more flighty small birds feel much more comfortable.
 

mak

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they are hissing and biting.
Are they hissing and biting at you or at each other? If it's towards you, what were you doing when this happened? If it's towards each other then they might need to be seperated.
pluck their feathers out and shake and puff up.
Are they plucking feathers or preening? The shaking and puffing up are normal and if they did a good preen and then shook, there could be alot of dust and some small feathers that fly off, this is normal.
 

taxidermynerd

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Seeing as quarantine is broken already, I would suggest taking all of your birds to the vet as soon as possible. There is a possibility that the new birds introduced an illness into your flock. Some people end up losing all of their birds because of a broken quarantine.
 

Tiel Feathers

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should i remove my budgies from the rrom while i do this?\
I think initially you are just getting them used to you and your surroundings by offering treats, reading to them, etc., so you don’t need to remove the budgies unless they are bothering each other or going on top of each other’s cages. When they are more comfortable in your home and you start actual training, if the budgies are distracting them then you might remove them.
 

alyssanor

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Are they hissing and biting at you or at each other? If it's towards you, what were you doing when this happened? If it's towards each other then they might need to be seperated.

Are they plucking feathers or preening? The shaking and puffing up are normal and if they did a good preen and then shook, there could be alot of dust and some small feathers that fly off, this is normal.
it is towards me i have had them 2 days now
 

alyssanor

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You really really need to quarentine them from your budgies. I had a friend who skipped quarantine and ended up with a dead flock.
but how did the birds not die at the old house , but they will die at mine if they r sick?
 

Shezbug

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but how did the birds not die at the old house , but they will die at mine if they r sick?
Any time birds are relocated they go through some stress. Stress lowers immune systems and allows illnesses to hit so much harder. Many birds can be fine for years and then get relocated and end up with infections or other illnesses. As relocation makes it more likely to bring out any health problems the birds may be carrying quarantine is always a must. Some birds are also carriers of certain diseases that don’t affect them badly but can affect other birds with deadly results. I know you don’t fully understand it but you really should have quarantined the new birds. The best we can do now is just hope for the best outcome with no issues and keep a real good watch on them budgies for any changes- any changes and get them all (new birds and older ones) to the vet ASAP.
 

tka

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Moving to a new home is intensely stressful for most animals, birds included. Stress affects the immune system. A bird may harbour a disease - the disease is dormant or affecting the bird only very mildly. If the immune system is lowered, then that disease can flare up. Some birds can carry diseases as carriers, meaning that the disease doesn't affect that individual. However, if another bird catches it from a carrier, then that bird can get very sick and even die.

I've experienced it myself. I submitted a huge piece of work (a 100,000 word thesis that took me several years to research and write) and I thought I'd spend the week after I submitted it relaxing, catching up with friends I hadn't seen for a while, doing fun stuff and so on. My body said NO and I spent the week after submitting it wiped out with the worst flu I'd had in a decade.

Hi @Shezbug, we posted at the same time!
 

mak

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it is towards me i have had them 2 days now
It sounds like you need to back off a bit and give them space. Tiels take time to adjust to new things (even new toys, food, etc.) don't try touching them as many tiels are afraid of fingers. Follow @Tiel Feathers advice:
I think initially you are just getting them used to you and your surroundings by offering treats, reading to them, etc.
Give them time to being in a new place with new people.
 

alyssanor

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Any time birds are relocated they go through some stress. Stress lowers immune systems and allows illnesses to hit so much harder. Many birds can be fine for years and then get relocated and end up with infections or other illnesses. As relocation makes it more likely to bring out any health problems the birds may be carrying quarantine is always a must. Some birds are also carriers of certain diseases that don’t affect them badly but can affect other birds with deadly results. I know you don’t fully understand it but you really should have quarantined the new birds. The best we can do now is just hope for the best outcome with no issues and keep a real good watch on them budgies for any changes- any changes and get them all (new birds and older ones) to the vet ASAP.
if i clip their wings (they fly into walls on purpose and hurt them selves) will the vet give them a check up aswell
 

JewellBird

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if i clip their wings (they fly into walls on purpose and hurt them selves) will the vet give them a check up aswell
Please do not clip their wings. Many of us here are extremely against wing clipping. To me it does not seem humane to inhibit your bird from flying by clipping their wings. My conures came to me with clipped wings and it is so sad to see them try to fly and they can't. You said that they hurt themselves? Did they injure themselves, if so they need to be seen by a vet. The vet should see them regardless of clipped wings or not. If they are flying into walls, I doubt it is really on purpose. Are they freaking out when you let them out of the cage? Do your best to make the room as safe as possible for them by adding soft mats on the floor if they fall to the ground and make sure that any windows have some type of stickers or something on them so they can see it is glass better and not an open escape route. I'm sure others will be along soon with other ideas on what to do too.
 

alyssanor

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Please do not clip their wings. Many of us here are extremely against wing clipping. To me it does not seem humane to inhibit your bird from flying by clipping their wings. My conures came to me with clipped wings and it is so sad to see them try to fly and they can't. You said that they hurt themselves? Did they injure themselves, if so they need to be seen by a vet. The vet should see them regardless of clipped wings or not. If they are flying into walls, I doubt it is really on purpose. Are they freaking out when you let them out of the cage? Do your best to make the room as safe as possible for them by adding soft mats on the floor if they fall to the ground and make sure that any windows have some type of stickers or something on them so they can see it is glass better and not an open escape route. I'm sure others will be along soon with other ideas on what to do too.
i would not clip their wings forever , just in have so they can get comfortable with my room and not try and fly into everything, so that when they grow back they will love my home and fly around and not be scared . eh plus they never learned to fly like a normal bird so its a danger to them mainly
 

Tiel Feathers

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I thought they flew all around their old house okay? I wouldn’t clip their wings. Very soon they will learn the safe spots to land in your house, and will stop flying into things. Just make sure you cover windows, mirrors, toilets, fish tanks, close doors, and turn off stoves, etc.
 

alyssanor

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I thought they flew all around their old house okay? I wouldn’t clip their wings. Very soon they will learn the safe spots to land in your house, and will stop flying into things. Just make sure you cover windows, mirrors, toilets, fish tanks, close doors, and turn off stoves, etc.
they are only allowed in my room and its small its a small square
 

Tiel Feathers

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they are only allowed in my room and its small its a small square
Then they should get used to it quickly and learn where to land without flying into things.
They knew how to fly in their old house okay, didn’t they?
 
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