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New tiel owner! Some questions!

Drake

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Peter
Hey guys!

So, yesterday I brought home my first Cockatiel from a breeder. He was pretty scared yesterday, but today he started pacing up and town the bottom of the cage and scream.
Why is that? Calling for the old friends? Or just bored? He has a few toys in, he doesn't interact with them. Also, when can I let him out?
 

Monica

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He might be wanting out of the cage or looking for something. Will he allow you to interact with him?
 

Drake

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No he is not interacting with me, runs away from my hand and hisses. Thats why I don't wana let him out, no way of putting him back.
Also, he does it when I'm out of the room as well when I'm in, for a few minutes usually, every few hours. So my presence makes no difference, he isn't calling for me.
 

Monica

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I would suggest getting some millet and feeding it to him through the cage bars.
 

GingerDee

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Drake does yours have clipped wings?

When I brought mine home honestly I didn't give her that much time in her cage. A whole day.. Then I let her come out and eventually she comes to me.

If it likes food, feed it from your plate. Fastest way to make bird friends... Offer food!
 

sunnysmom

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Pacing usually means the bird wants out. You can spend time sitting with him and even reading to him to get him used to your presence in a nonthreatening way.
 

GingerDee

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With my conure I was worried about that too. How do I get a bird I can't touch back in her cage? But her cage is her safe place. Eventually she got sick of me following her around the house and just went home.

I've also used small lights... Like those circle pull kinds. Put one in her cage turned on. And turned off all the other lights.

They go home (their cage) if they can't see. And just like a dog... I use the same words.

GO HOME means go to your cage or your chair
BEDTIME means I have to close you in your cage.

Be consistent. You will figure it out.
I've also used a spray bottle... But don't tell on me.
 

Drake

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GingerDee, no, his wings are not clipped. And he doesn't want out, opened the cage door, constructed a perch outside the cage, so he can get out, but nop, still running around, periodacaly screeming :p Sometimes climping the cage bars and jumping down.
It looks like he is just enjoying himself :p He sometimes stops, eats some, then back to running.
 

Drake

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So yea, he is like a little kid! Wants to play some xD Makes sense. When I went close, he stoped the screaming, and I figured it out, he wanted to play chase. My finger would follow, and he would run around. And so he started jumping around the perches, when I moved in my finger into the cage. Before he would hiss at my finger, but now he just started runing away from it. But not out of fear, because when he was fearful he was shaking and hissed.
 

Drake

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And whats funny, once he snaps out of the play mode, he is back to hissing at me :p Its starting to be night around here, I shut off the ligths, but wanted to interact with the little guy before sleep, but nope, started backing away, hissing, hair feather straight up :p
 

Monica

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Once cockatiels go into "sleep mode", they don't like to be bothered! ;) This is normal.

I also can't recommend using a squirt bottle to punish a bird as it can be a great way to give them a bath. If you make them afraid of it, they might not want to bathe "naturally".
 
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