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Sandra2

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Hello guys.

Let me introduce my birds. I have a 1-year old female cinnamon cockatiel and I recently got a (I'm guessing) 5-month old male whiteface pied cockatiel.

I'm having problems with both birds. The female and the male get along fine for the most part. However I only see the female preening him and he won't preen her. Should I be worried? Not really a problem as they don't seem to fight but I find it confusing.

Next thing, the female won't stop eating. I give her a mix between seeds and fruits & vegetables. I give her the recommended amount of seeds but she just won't stop eating. When she's finished she just screams all day until she gets more. I get that cockatiels can be vocal but this is a female who just won't shut up. It's not even a pretty tweet it's straight up screaming all day. The male doesn't even tweet as much as her.

Last thing, the male that I got recently, he's very scared of everything. Not sure what the previous owners did to him but I can't get him to be nice. He's able to step up but sometimes out of nowhere when I'm petting him he just bites me with no warning at all. He's made me bleed a lot in the time that I've got him. I'm not sure what to do about him but I really want to keep him.

Can you guys please help me out
 

sunnysmom

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Welcome to the forum. I wouldn't worry about the male not preening the female. He's really still a baby. And I believe cockatiels needs access to food 24/7. They have high metabolism rates and eat throughout the day. I wouldn't restrict her food. Cockatiels rarely overeat. And your new tiel is still probably getting used to you and his new home and maybe be uncertain about things still Also, tiels don't always like to be petted. I used to actually ask my bird if he wanted scratches or wait until he put his head down asking for them. So are you maybe petting him when he doesn't them or maybe doing it for too long?
 

Tiel Feathers

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Not one of my tiels has ever preened another, even when I had my male. It’s not a big deal and doesn’t really matter.

I agree with @sunnysmom in that your birds need to have a access to food all day. A mix of pellets, seeds, fresh veggies, grains, and sprouts is best. I hope you’re not starving your poor girl, she sounds hungry.

A loose routine can also help with screaming. This way your bird will know what to expect throughout the day. Plenty of toys and foraging opportunities will help also. How big is her cage? Does she get to come out frequently? These can also be a factor.

Many tiels don’t like to be pet, or sometimes it’s only on their terms. You need to learn to read his body language so you can avoid bites. Just have patience and earn his trust. Never force him to do anything he doesn’t want to. Millet is great for taming, especially if you save it just for that purpose. Try offering small millet berries from your hands frequently, or drop them in his food dish when you walk by. You can also start with a big spray of millet, and shorten it over time. Sitting and reading to him will also help gain his trust.
 

Khizz

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Yeah I also wouldn't worry about not preening. I asked a similar question about my two recently and eventually learned that not all birds preen each other. My female really wants to preen my male but he doesn't want any of it haha! Plus it might take some more time for them to get used to each other.

My two have access to their food bowls all day, they help themselves to more when they want it. Unless the vet expresses concern about weight/diet I wouldn't worry about that either. That should calm the screaming?
 

Lady Jane

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Male birds seem to weigh more than female in the smaller birds. Sounds like you have two cuties. Any more photos?
 

Zara

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I agree with everyone else about access to food 24/7.
As long as the birds are flighted and are allocated flight time daily, they shouldn´t have any weight issues.

Welcome to the forum Sandra :)
 
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