Is our new cockatiel on track (adjustment)?

[Val1989]

Hi group! I'm new to this forum and I am looking forward to learning a lot from everyone.

I am a "grandma" to a new cockatiel named Cherry, who is really my son's bird. However, he just turned 8 years old, so obviously needs parental oversight. I have had parakeets before but haven't had a new one in probably 20 years. This is also the first time we've gotten a baby and with my son's heart on the line, I feel much more anxious about making sure we are doing right by our our little Cherry. I just want to make sure he (or she) is adjusting okay and is on track along with a couple of questions. For perspective, we got him on Friday afternoon and I am typing this on Tuesday:

1. Started eating on Saturday from the bowl. Seems to be eating A LOT.
   1. But also only seems to eat when we are in the room, otherwise he seems to be staying on a perch. If I come into the room, and talk to him he usually migrates to his food bowl and starts chowing down.
   2. Have also seen him take a couple of sips of water.
   3. Will go and eat on the perch with the door open.
2. Has tentatively started playing with some toys, its only a few seconds at a time.
3. Not exploring the cage a ton, but seems to be learning to navigate. But once he moves he parks it there for awhile.
4. Cherry is hardly making any vocalizations. There have been a couple of chirps, but maybe 5-10 total. It has usually been in response to cockatiel YouTube videos for sound. Is there a normal timeline for them to become more vocal? Should I even be doing the cockatiel sounds? Or will it make him feel sadder that he is no longer with his little flock.
5. He has been out of the cage. He understands step up and will do it. My son has been reading out loud to Cherry. Yesterday, we held a bell toy out and he did walk over and beak it. He will eat millet outside of the cage, but not from our hand.

All-in-all, I think we are on track he and he is adjusting alright for the time he has been in a new home. I know it can take a few weeks for them to settle in, and I am encouraged that he is at least eating well.

Any other pointers. I did add a couple photos because he is so darned cute.

 

[SeñorBirb]

Cherry is adorable, congrats!

It sounds like he/she is adjusting pretty well.

Should I even be doing the cockatiel sounds?

The cockatiel sounds are good, whenever I leave my cockatiel for a few hours I will put on 'tiel noises.

Have you taken him/her to the vet for a checkup yet? It is a good idea to do this, and make sure s/he is healthy. Also, can we see pics of his cage setup, and see if there is anything you could adjust? We would also love to see more pics of him as well

 

[Val1989]

Cherry is adorable, congrats!

It sounds like he/she is adjusting pretty well.


The cockatiel sounds are good, whenever I leave my cockatiel for a few hours I will put on 'tiel noises.

Have you taken him/her to the vet for a checkup yet? It is a good idea to do this, and make sure s/he is healthy. Also, can we see pics of his cage setup, and see if there is anything you could adjust? We would also love to see more pics of him as well

For sure. Here is the cage. The setup was what was given to us from the pet store. Its a small local one that's been here forever and specialize in birds and reptiles.

I had not thought about taking to a vet. I guess growing up we never took birds to the vet. That's a good idea!

 

[Val1989]

Cherry is still somewhat stand-offish, which I would think is normal for just a few days in, correct? Even if he had been hand-raised? He won't take food or anything from our hands. but will eat and nap in our presence.

 

[SeñorBirb]

The cage size looks pretty good, but I would add natural wood perches instead of the dowel rods. If s/he keeps on perching on the same size perch, over time that will cause foot problems such as bumblefoot/ arthritis. You can also use a knife or sandpaper to make the perches uneven. I would also remove the cozy hut because it could make the bird hormonal, or it could chew on it and ingest the fibers which could lead to a blockage in the stomach. Some more toys would also be great! My cockatiel likes to shred stuff, so we have a lot of crinkle-cut paper (like you would put in an easter basket, if that makes sense).

What is his/her diet?

Cherry is still somewhat stand-offish, which I would think is normal for just a few days in, correct? Even if he had been hand-raised?

This is normal, some birds take some time to adjust. Not every bird wants to be touched. Your bird just needs to settle in for a few weeks before revealing his/her personality. It just takes some time! Did you mention that your son was reading out loud? That is not only freaking adorable, but also helps to bond with your bird!

 

[Tiel Feathers]

It sounds like you are doing wonderfully with your new bird. He’s so cute, congratulations! I second the recommendation for more of a variety of perches and toys, and for taking out the hut. I would save up for a flight cage if possible because I feel like that the cage you have will a bit small once you put more toys in it. My tiels like toys that are small and easily shreddable. Your bird will get more vocal as time goes on. I can’t play too many videos for my birds because it gets them very wound up, but I know many other people do. I would just gauge his reaction and take it from there. Your son is so cute with him!

 

[Val1989]

The cage size looks pretty good, but I would add natural wood perches instead of the dowel rods. If s/he keeps on perching on the same size perch, over time that will cause foot problems such as bumblefoot/ arthritis. You can also use a knife or sandpaper to make the perches uneven. I would also remove the cozy hut because it could make the bird hormonal, or it could chew on it and ingest the fibers which could lead to a blockage in the stomach. Some more toys would also be great! My cockatiel likes to shred stuff, so we have a lot of crinkle-cut paper (like you would put in an easter basket, if that makes sense).

What is his/her diet?


This is normal, some birds take some time to adjust. Not every bird wants to be touched. Your bird just needs to settle in for a few weeks before revealing his/her personality. It just takes some time! Did you mention that your son was reading out loud? That is not only freaking adorable, but also helps to bond with your bird!

Thanks! The hut came with it, but Cherry has seemed very uninterested in it, so I'll take it out. Maybe use it like a tunnel during play time outside the cage or something. I was thinking of getting some additional perches - the wood ones like you said. Thank you Amazon Wishlist! And some more toys. I was looking at the rattan balls for shredding. I've been building my list since we went on a cockatiel waiting list in January!

Yes, my son is reading to Cherry to try to bond. He's a major introvert, so trying to come up with things to say to his birdie is struggle for him. I suggested reading and singing so that he didn't have to "think" to hard about it. But he is IN LOVE with his new little buddy.

 

[Val1989]

Okay - another random question. Seriously....why does he always eat when I talk to him. He'll be just hanging out. Then I start talking and whistling, and straight over to the food bowl to dig in. What is that about? Is it some weird defense mechanism? Is it like stress eating? Because me and Haagan-Daas know all about stress eating!

 

[Val1989]

Well, my son just got home from school and we sat down in his room to talk about his day - and Cherry chirped more than he ever has combined. My son's little face lit up like a Christmas tree!

 

[SeñorBirb]

Here is an amazon page with good bird stuff:ElleAndTheBirds's Amazon Page (I recommend watching ElleAndTheBirds' channel, it's not mine but it was really helpful to me )

Okay - another random question. Seriously....why does he always eat when I talk to him. He'll be just hanging out. Then I start talking and whistling, and straight over to the food bowl to dig in. What is that about? Is it some weird defense mechanism? Is it like stress eating? Because me and Haagan-Daas know all about stress eating!

I don't know... maybe it has something to do with being handfed? How old is he? I don't see how that would be a defense. Maybe it is stress eating. Who knows

 

[Chomskypom]

Is it usually very quiet in the house? My birds tend to get more active (including going for a snack) when there’s background noise, like if I’m doing dishes or listening to music. They’re flock animals and like to do things “with the flock,” which now includes you!

This is just speculation on my part, but he might also be a little timid about something sneaking up on him while he eats, since it looks like he has to put his whole head in the food cup. Birds still have a lot of their wild instincts, and perfect quiet in the wild usually means danger. Having you as a “lookout” might make Cherry feel safer.

 

[Tiel Feathers]

Since he got so excited to see your son, it sounds like he’s really starting to like him. The reading really paid off!
He eats and is more active when people are around because parrots are so social and usually eat and play in flocks.

 

[Val1989]

My heart became a puddle today when Cherry put his little head against my son's cheek.

They enjoyed some window watching together and Cherry liked nibbling on my kiddo's curls.

Thanks everyone for letting me ask questions and share!

 

[Tiel Feathers]

How precious they are together! I bet he wouldn’t mind a little head scratch from your son soon!

 

[SeñorBirb]

That's one of the best things I've seen today, that is too adorable!

 

[sunnysmom]

My heart became a puddle today when Cherry put his little head against my son's cheek.

They enjoyed some window watching together and Cherry liked nibbling on my kiddo's curls.

Thanks everyone for letting me ask questions and share!

Okay, my heart just became a puddle seeing these pictures. So adorable. It sounds like you and your son are doing great with him. As mentioned already, tiels are flock animals so they often eat when their people are around. I second too that the cage is bit small and although "pretty" - they make those fancy shapes for people not birds- a regular rectangular cage or even a dome one is easier for a tiel to maneuver around. Tiels are usually shredders and like toys like balsa wood, cardboard, finger traps with crinkle paper, etc. And your son reading and singing to him is excellent. I often suggest to people reading to a new bird because it's a way of interacting with the bird that's nonthreatening to him. What is Cherry's diet like and how old is he?

 

[Val1989]

Okay, my heart just became a puddle seeing these pictures. So adorable. It sounds like you and your son are doing great with him. As mentioned already, tiels are flock animals so they often eat when their people are around. I second too that the cage is bit small and although "pretty" - they make those fancy shapes for people not birds- a regular rectangular cage or even a dome one is easier for a tiel to maneuver around. Tiels are usually shredders and like toys like balsa wood, cardboard, finger traps with crinkle paper, etc. And your son reading and singing to him is excellent. I often suggest to people reading to a new bird because it's a way of interacting with the bird that's nonthreatening to him. What is Cherry's diet like and how old is he?

At the store they said he was 9 weeks old...which would make him now 10 weeks old. He looked a little more mature than 9 weeks old to me, but I'm not an expect so

Right now I am feeding him the mix the store sent me home with. I can take a picture if you want. If has seeds in in, but I also see some pellets, corn (which he cannot seem to eat yet), whole peanuts in the shell, something that looks like chili pods, some little green and red ball looking things, etc. I have tried offering a couple of fruits cut into bits (apple, shredded orange, and banana) and veggies (kale), but so far he has pecked it a smidge but not gotten totally interested. I'll keep offering every other day or so.

Do you have any suggestions for me? I am here to learn!

 

[SeñorBirb]

whole peanuts in the shell

I would get him a different diet, as raw peanuts can cause Aspergillosis in birds. Pellets are much healthier, and seeds are pretty high in fat that your bird doesn't burn off by flying miles every day. You can still feed him seeds as a training treat, just make sure that they are safe. (I give my bird the MarleneMcCohen pellet mix, but the pellets seem a bit too wide for him so when that is used up, I will give him some Lafebers pellet mix.)

I have tried offering a couple of fruits cut into bits (apple, shredded orange, and banana) and veggies (kale), but so far he has pecked it a smidge but not gotten totally interested. I'll keep offering every other day or so.

Offer them every day! Offer more veggies than fruits, because fruits are high in sugars and can cause obesity when fed too often. Your bird is pretty young, and it is good to expose them to a lot of different veggies so they get used to them and not be as picky when older.

 

[Val1989]

would get him a different diet, as raw peanuts can cause Aspergillosis in birds. Pellets are much healthier, and seeds are pretty high in fat that your bird doesn't burn off by flying miles every day. You can still feed him seeds as a training treat, just make sure that they are safe. (I give my bird the MarleneMcCohen pellet mix, but the pellets seem a bit too wide for him so when that is used up, I will give him some Lafebers pellet mix.)

I hadn't given the peanuts because they seemed too big, so I will make sure to take them out.

For the pellets...these are on Amazon together. Which is better? I assume the daily diet one?

LAFEBER'S Premium Daily Diet or Gourmet Fruit Pellets Pet Bird Food

 

[Val1989]

Cherry was not into being out. Then when I was trying to get him on my finger to get him back into his cage he hissed at me. Spoke softly for about 30 seconds, then got 2 small chirps and he got on my finger so I could lift him up.

Guess he just wasn't in the mood today. Tis life.