Pictures New bird owner challenges, help!

[jupiter]

Hi everyone!

I am new to the community here, hi!! I am really needing some advice on clicker & step-up training. I just got my first cockatiel, Jupiter, six days ago. He/she is 9 weeks old. Before getting him, I did a lot of research to prepare myself, but with training, I think I’m missing some major component or being dumb somehow. Please help!! (And be nice cuz I’m really trying to do this right, I think I am missing something though.)

The problem is with this inconsistent hissing / deciphering between baby static sound, and an actual hiss. I’ve been having Jupiter come out of his cage for many hours a day, to hang out on his play gym nnext to my desk while I do schoolwork. I was going give him a couple days to get used to his cage & surroundings first, but he seemed to really like being on my hand right away and hanging out with me. He’d chirp, talk to me, and walk back and forth on his perches in his cage, begging to come out & be picked up. He gets very active when I’m around and will play with his toys and climb around. He has hung out on my shoulder 3 times since being home, preening my hair and grinding his beak and seeming really happy, but it’s very hard to get him down so I wanted to begin the progression toward step-up training.

2 days ago, I started clicker training where I’d simply click the clicker and give him a few bites of millet spray immediately after. (His favorite treat). He was enjoying these sessions in the beginning, but progressively he’s been getting more hissy and irritated (?). This morning we had a good session and he seemed to expect the click & the treat- but just now we had one where he was fine at first but started making hissing/staticky-sounds more and more. Since he’s so young though, I don’t know what is a proper “hiss” and what is the content/hungry staticky baby sound. How can you tell the difference? He was voraciously eating the millet, but the sound & his flattened crest was really throwing me off. So I ceased the session and put him back on his perch in his cage, and left him alone for a while. He immediately went to eat some of his food in his cage. He seemed (?) unhappy and was fluffed up and staring at me. Was this a bad session? Maybe he was just mad I put him back in the cage, or he was hungry? Is he too aware of when the treat “goes away” because it's a whole millet spray (not pieces)? Is it too soon to do this at all, and I should give him more time to adjust to his new home?

Otherwise he seems comfortable and like he is adjusting well. I only progressed with this training because he was seeming so comfortable. He makes staticky hissy noises in the morning too though, that seem like he’s hungry/upset. I feel like I’m getting mixed signals from him, or don’t know how to decipher what’s a hiss and what’s the baby sound. I don’t want to handle him too much, but he seems to want to be near/on me. I don’t want to encourage bad behaviors and habits between us. I just wonder if I’m irritating him by carrying him between his cage and play gym, and doing these sessions. Should I leave him in his cage for a couple days or something?

*A few notes* He has a parasite called cochlosoma that he is healing from, he was prescribed an antibiotic that I mix into all of his water sources. I have HAD to get him to step up (with treat rewards of course) onto a scale perch a couple times to monitor his weight. (He doesn’t like it but it’s really vital to making sure he is not rapidly losing weight). Is it possible this parasite situation is another reason he’s upset & I should hold off on training until he is better?

I'm sorry this is long but I wanted to give all the information I can to help paint the picture. Any help would be so appreciated. I'm so afraid I'm doing something wrong!
~Kate

<3 Jupiter <3

 

[expressmailtome]

Bump.

 

[jupiter]

Bump.

Thank you! I probably wrote too much and that's why no one is responding, haha

 

[Kiwi & Co.]

@Tiel Feathers @Monica @sunnysmom

 

[BirdWorld]

Usually when a tiel hisses and/or flattens his crest, it means that he feels threatened or distressed/irritated, and it is important not to force interaction when he hisses. It can generally be referred to as a “leave me alone!” noise. However, it can also be a sign of excitement, especially for baby birds. For example, they emit a sound that sounds similar to hissing as babies, and that sound usually means they are full and/or content. I don’t really know anything else... this link may have some answers. Why Your Cockatiel Is Hissing And What You Should Do – Beak Craze

 

[sunnysmom]

If he's making a static sound, that means he's hungry. It's pretty common for baby tiels to regress and need some hand feedings. Is he eating enough? Tiels usually don't wean until 8-12 weeks. So at 9 he may not be fully weaned. That would be my first concern. And really if you've only had him 6 days, he's still getting used to you. I would slow things down and let him get a little more comfortable.

What are you feeding him? He may need some formula or soft foods.

@Monica @Ripshod

 

[Ripshod]

If he's making a static sound, that means he's hungry. It's pretty common for baby tiels to regress and need some hand feedings. Is he eating enough? Tiels usually don't wean until 8-12 weeks. So at 9 he may not be fully weaned. That would be my first concern. And really if you've only had him 6 days, he's still getting used to you. I would slow things down and let him get a little more comfortable.

What are you feeding him? He may need some formula or soft foods.

@Monica @Ripshod

How long are your training sessions? With a Tiel this young you may want to stop the direct training for a few weeks and just build up his trust by concentrating on step ups and just hanging out with him.

 

[jupiter]

Thank you all so much for the feedback!! Hmm yes, I wonder if he is regressing. He eats readily many times a day, but picks out favorite seeds from his pellet/seed mix. Since coming home he lost 5 grams, but has maintained that weight for the whole time he's been home (weighing every day). I made him bird bread three days ago, which has his seed/pellet mix in it & ground-up pellets (among other good things), and he seems to be really enjoying it. He still picks out seeds, but I'm hoping some of the bread gets in him too. Yesterday after our "bad" session I let him sit on me quietly for a good hour, and then let him on my shoulder for another hour after that. This morning seemed happier to see me- much more chirping and barely any staticky/hissy sounds. I'm going to scale back the training, not force him to do anything, and focus on just bonding and nurturing trust.. If he keeps making static sounds and not gaining weight, maybe I can make a soft food or formula? Do you have any suggestions for that, like mashed sweet potatoes or something? Thank you again, I so appreciate the help!!

 

[Princessbella]

When they are that young, the best thing to do is to get baby bird formula. They tell you exactly in what proportion to mix it in and you can feed you beautiful bird with a spoon. I would offer him formula at least twice a day, in the morning and at night. When he is tired of it, he will refuse it. It is a great way to bond to your tiel because now he knows who has the food. I just had to do with with my tiel Bailey for about a week until he decided to eat.

 

[sunnysmom]

When you do start training again, it should be kept short. No longer than 10 minutes and try to end on a positive note.

 

[jupiter]

When they are that young, the best thing to do is to get baby bird formula. They tell you exactly in what proportion to mix it in and you can feed you beautiful bird with a spoon. I would offer him formula at least twice a day, in the morning and at night. When he is tired of it, he will refuse it. It is a great way to bond to your tiel because now he knows who has the food. I just had to do with with my tiel Bailey for about a week until he decided to eat.

Thanks for the advice!!

 

[jupiter]

When you do start training again, it should be kept short. No longer than 10 minutes and try to end on a positive note.

Thank you, yes <3 I'm giving him some more time to adjust for a bit. We have bonded a couple times with him on my shoulder and napping since I first made this post and he's doing better. Much more chirpy and happy. I'm making sure he has more millet spray available in his cage and play gym too, the lady I got him from says that's important as babies transition away from formula. I'll see if that helps too! Thank you again!

 

[Sparkles99]

I've no idea how to help, but he's beautiful!