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hello , how can i make my cockatiels feel as comfortable as possible.
- Thread starter alyssanor
- Start date
birdy.929
Walking the driveway
- Joined
- 8/19/19
- Messages
- 264
restricting flight in a unknown area will stop them from getting away from perceived “danger”. if they panic, it can also cause injury from falls. my lovebird was clipped before i got him, and he spooked one day, fell, and hit his beak. fortunately, he was ok, but he had a tiny crack in his beak for about 2-3 months. birds are incredibly intelligent, and will learn that they can’t fly into walls. clipping is entirely unnecessary.
BirdWorld
Rollerblading along the road
Well said
Hi Alyssa, it's so obvious that you care a lot about your new birds and you're trying to do all the right things for them.
I might do things a little differently here but I'll give you my rundown. I have 5 cockatiels now, and 2 of my parrotlets were allowed to roam free at their first home - they went to the rescue as part of a flock of 40 I think, then I adopted the 2. Here's a little info about both.
Mine have to be in cages, because even if you plan to have them cage-free there's going to be some point where you want them in a cage for their own safety. So - the parrotlet pair went into a cage. I put it in the farthest back corner of the bird room. They were still scared, very scared. They would slam themselves back and forth on the cage bars.... which made many people tell me to clip them. I do not clip. I didn't clip them. They're still really timid. I just let them be. However if you do decide to clip, be sure it's done properly and only a very few flight feathers. you want to limit them, not disable them.
With cockatiels, I think they tend to be more people oriented. They need to feel safe/comfortable at your house so if you can put the cage against a wall or better yet in a corner. If you can't do that, cover the back and maybe even sides of the cage for awhile. This is a temporary thing to make them feel safe. Sit and talk to them (don't stare in their eyes like a predator), read aloud (I read the forum to them, complete with sound effects and comments.
), or just "do stuff" letting them watch and get to know you. Play music and dance. Act silly. Invite them to join you.Do things they can imitate, like click your tongue and bob your head.
Then you can put a perch on the outside of the cage. They won't use it right away, because what you're going to do is become Treat Lady. Give a great treat by just walking by and dropping it in their dish. Do this 6-8 times a day. Take some millet, I cut off about 1-2", and hold it up against the cage bars. Invite them to eat it. This is a time when t hey can learn their names "Hi Baby, come and eat.... Baby do you want a treat?" etc.
After they learn to eat it like that, you can start holding it inside the cage on your hand. When you start this, don't stop and do it OFTEN. They'll freak out but eventually they won't.
Once that is easy, you can open their door and invite them to step onto the outside perch. Sort of lure them with the millet.
All of this will take 2 months, not 2 days. Or even more depending on ... lots of factors.
I might do things a little differently here but I'll give you my rundown. I have 5 cockatiels now, and 2 of my parrotlets were allowed to roam free at their first home - they went to the rescue as part of a flock of 40 I think, then I adopted the 2. Here's a little info about both.
Mine have to be in cages, because even if you plan to have them cage-free there's going to be some point where you want them in a cage for their own safety. So - the parrotlet pair went into a cage. I put it in the farthest back corner of the bird room. They were still scared, very scared. They would slam themselves back and forth on the cage bars.... which made many people tell me to clip them. I do not clip. I didn't clip them. They're still really timid. I just let them be. However if you do decide to clip, be sure it's done properly and only a very few flight feathers. you want to limit them, not disable them.
With cockatiels, I think they tend to be more people oriented. They need to feel safe/comfortable at your house so if you can put the cage against a wall or better yet in a corner. If you can't do that, cover the back and maybe even sides of the cage for awhile. This is a temporary thing to make them feel safe. Sit and talk to them (don't stare in their eyes like a predator), read aloud (I read the forum to them, complete with sound effects and comments.
), or just "do stuff" letting them watch and get to know you. Play music and dance. Act silly. Invite them to join you.Do things they can imitate, like click your tongue and bob your head.Then you can put a perch on the outside of the cage. They won't use it right away, because what you're going to do is become Treat Lady. Give a great treat by just walking by and dropping it in their dish. Do this 6-8 times a day. Take some millet, I cut off about 1-2", and hold it up against the cage bars. Invite them to eat it. This is a time when t hey can learn their names "Hi Baby, come and eat.... Baby do you want a treat?" etc.
After they learn to eat it like that, you can start holding it inside the cage on your hand. When you start this, don't stop and do it OFTEN. They'll freak out but eventually they won't.
Once that is easy, you can open their door and invite them to step onto the outside perch. Sort of lure them with the millet.
All of this will take 2 months, not 2 days. Or even more depending on ... lots of factors.
no the old owners said that they never learned to ly and to clip the wings
JewellBird
Jogging around the block
- Joined
- 9/10/20
- Messages
- 747
- Real Name
- Miranda
When I first brought my cockatiel Milo home he had also not really learned to fly and had a very difficult time flying and would crash into walls, windows etc. and fall to the floor. He could never fly for any distance at first either, so I just made it as safe as possible for him by making sure the room was basically "baby proofed" so that if he fell he didn't fall on a hard surface and put things on the window so that he could tell it was there. I also took little bird ladders and attached them to the outside of the cage to his playstands so that he could walk there if he wanted instead of trying to fly and falling. After a few weeks he started getting used to the room and gaining confidence and flys just fine now. So don't clip them, give them more time to get used to the room and make things as safe as possible for them.
thank you so much . they loveeee being out of thecage , putting them back is omgHi Alyssa, it's so obvious that you care a lot about your new birds and you're trying to do all the right things for them.
I might do things a little differently here but I'll give you my rundown. I have 5 cockatiels now, and 2 of my parrotlets were allowed to roam free at their first home - they went to the rescue as part of a flock of 40 I think, then I adopted the 2. Here's a little info about both.
Mine have to be in cages, because even if you plan to have them cage-free there's going to be some point where you want them in a cage for their own safety. So - the parrotlet pair went into a cage. I put it in the farthest back corner of the bird room. They were still scared, very scared. They would slam themselves back and forth on the cage bars.... which made many people tell me to clip them. I do not clip. I didn't clip them. They're still really timid. I just let them be. However if you do decide to clip, be sure it's done properly and only a very few flight feathers. you want to limit them, not disable them.
With cockatiels, I think they tend to be more people oriented. They need to feel safe/comfortable at your house so if you can put the cage against a wall or better yet in a corner. If you can't do that, cover the back and maybe even sides of the cage for awhile. This is a temporary thing to make them feel safe. Sit and talk to them (don't stare in their eyes like a predator), read aloud (I read the forum to them, complete with sound effects and comments.
Then you can put a perch on the outside of the cage. They won't use it right away, because what you're going to do is become Treat Lady. Give a great treat by just walking by and dropping it in their dish. Do this 6-8 times a day. Take some millet, I cut off about 1-2", and hold it up against the cage bars. Invite them to eat it. This is a time when t hey can learn their names "Hi Baby, come and eat.... Baby do you want a treat?" etc.
After they learn to eat it like that, you can start holding it inside the cage on your hand. When you start this, don't stop and do it OFTEN. They'll freak out but eventually they won't.
Once that is easy, you can open their door and invite them to step onto the outside perch. Sort of lure them with the millet.
All of this will take 2 months, not 2 days. Or even more depending on ... lots of factors.
i understand but they also are big birds and when i sa ymy room is small , it is smallllll lol even the budgies have a hard time flying around
Ember-Tiel
Jogging around the block
You don't have access to any other rooms in your house?
no , i have other pets , two dogs and a cat who wants to attack 24/7
I want to stress that wing clipping is up to you. Also, the quality of the wing clip matters --- if you just whack them off without learning what a proper clip is, it can be dangerous.
I used to clip but one day hubby walked into the garage with a cockatiel on his shoulder (he forgot) and it flew. The wind was particularly high that day and he went about a mile. I had just clipped him that morning. After that I decided it was false security so I quit clipping.
I have a good friend that clips and urges me to do the same. For her it works. For me this is what works.
ETA if you have dogs and cats, you might want to leave the wings intact so the birds have a chance of getting away from them.
can i clip them myself if so how?
I have the cockatiel cage open 24/7. I hung a wood bar up high and put hooks in it (to hang toys down without a million holes in the ceiling). They like to sit on the bar or climb on the toys, or fly around. There are also lots of toys in the cage. Their food and water is in the cage. They will go in to eat and if I need to shut their door I do.
Trimming a Cockatiel's Wing Feathers - dummies
You can give your cockatiel varying amounts of flight capability depending on the amount of feathers you clip on her wings. With cockatiel chicks who haven't ma
Ember-Tiel
Jogging around the block
If they want to attack your birds then make sure you never have your birds out while they are around. Dogs can do a lot of damage to small birds from stories I have heard here.
And cat saliva is deadly.
i my cockatiels are not comfortable with me yet is this a good idea , where can i get them done professionallyTrimming a Cockatiel's Wing Feathers - dummies
You can give your cockatiel varying amounts of flight capability depending on the amount of feathers you clip on her wings. With cockatiel chicks who haven't mawww.dummies.com
The vet or some pet shops do bird grooming.
BirdWorld
Rollerblading along the road
Not if you don’t want to traumatize them even more.
An avian vet.
Does this mean you have decided to clip them despite all the evidence that you shouldn’t?
well you do not see what i see and how they act
