New to cockatiels

[chimera]

Hi there. I recently bought a 4 month old pearl cockatiel and even though I've researched as much as possible I was wondering if there are any tips when starting out that people tend to overlook or not find so easily on the internet. I have no experience owning birds in the past so this is my first time.

S/he's just settling in and has been eating okay but I don't know if s/he's slept yet. I don't sleep as well as other people tend to and because of that I noticed that s/he's just been watching me cautiously at night. Had two night frights but that's pretty normal and was all okay when I put on a brighter lamp. Also tends to blink slowly when I'm not looking which I can't help but worry about because upon searching that up the first result is about sickness symptoms. S/he came from a popular store with good reviews that specializes mainly in birds and the staff are knowledgeable and offer free checkups and s/he's been checked by vets. S/he's eating okay, droppings look normal, I haven't *seen* any drinking yet but I really do not want to overlook anything because I would be really upset if anything's up later. I could ask my family as they owned ringnecks when I was too young to remember but they're different species + I don't think they'd remember that well.

I'm not taking them out and I'm letting them settle in okay before I attempt to slowly tame. I have been feeding pellets with a little bit of seed mix made for cockatiels. I have also been feeding cucumber (mostly water, I know) and carrot and slowly I will introduce more foods. S/he takes it willingly after a bit if I don't feed it myself.

Sorry if this looks silly from an experienced owner's view, please correct me on anything if you feel the need to! And ask too, I'll be willing to answer. I just don't want to make any mistakes and want to raise a happy & healthy bird.

 

[chimera]

Another thing. I'm gone from 8:40 am to 3:00pm weekdays because of school but I don't have anything outside of highschool and I don't mind giving attention for hours as I love animal company. In the weekend I'll be able to spend time because I don't do much. I also can give thirty minutes of attention while I'm getting ready in weekdays. Is this okay or will the bird get frustrated while I'm gone unless I get another bird?

 

[Tiel Feathers]

Is her caged covered at night? Some birds like covers, and others don’t, but I think it’s important for birds to get a good night sleep. One way to do this is to put them in a fairly dark, quiet room. They need a good 11-12 hours of sleep a night. Night frights are frequently caused by flashing lights, like from a cars headlights shining in a window as it drives by, or from a phone screen moving around. Other things that cause night frights are unusual vibrations and noises.

As for veggies, broccoli is a good one to try, and sprouting your own seeds would be a wonderful thing to look into.

I think your schedule seems okay for your bird. Make sure you teach your bird to play independently while you are near as well as direct interaction. Congratulations on your new bird!

 

[chimera]

Thank you! I've tried covering the cage first half the night and that didn't seem to work very well and right now it's half covered. I don't know if it's very effective on mine but I'll try it every other night and see how it goes. The room wasn't pitch black but wasn't bright either and I had a small lamp on as a sort of nightlight. Room is fairly quiet at night besides me subconsciously shifting around. My windows are facing away from the roads and you get a view of my backyard so I don't think it was headlights. I think what caused it was my phone since the screen turns on for a few seconds when there's a notification (even if I put it on silent)

I'll try broccoli if I have any tomorrow and I'll do my best to help the bird adjust being independent for while I'm gone later on when s/he gets more comfortable with me. Thank you!

 

[iamwhoiam]

Congrats on getting your 'tiel. Be patient with him/her since you just got her and it takes time for most birds to adjust to a new environment. She's probably drinking when you are not watching. My 'tiels like mixed veggies (corn, carrots, peas and green beans). I feed my 'tiels more seed than pellets and it's a good idea not to make pellets the main part of their diet.
What is your 'tiel's name?

 

[SquawksNibbles]

Congrats on your new little Cockatiel and welcome to the forum!

I'm no Cockatiel expert (don't even have any myself), but I think you are a great parront so far. Your schedule seems ok to me, but a large enough cage and plenty of toys is essential to keep your bird happy and entertained while you're away. What cage are you housing your bird in right now?

For the diet, you are doing a good job at that; just keep offering different vegetables and fresh foods and find what s/he likes. I would definitely try broccoli, that was the first veggie my birds liked and I think birds like the texture. I agree with @Tiel Feathers - sprouted seed would be great! So much healthier than the regular dry seed mix from pet stores and it should be pretty easy to get him/her to like it, I'd expect. Broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potato, carrots, and parsley were all a hit for my birds! Here's a complete list of bird-safe foods: Bird Safe Fresh Foods & Toxic Food Lists & More | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum

I'm not taking them out and I'm letting them settle in okay before I attempt to slowly tame

That is a great idea. The number one thing to remember during the taming process is to be patient. I wish you the best of luck with this process.

I will tag a few people that come to my mind who have experience with these sweet birds. @Smbrds, @TikiMyn,, @cassiesdad, and @finchly.

Oh and we'd love to see some pictures of your Tiel whenever s/he settles in and becomes more comfortable! And does s/he have a name yet?

 

[chimera]

The cage is second hand and we got it off somebody who owned a single adult cockatiel for five years before they gave it away. I don't know exact measurements but I think it's about 50 cm for length, 40 for width and around 75 in height just by looking at it. Not the roomiest cage and not what I would prefer for my bird, but it's temporary. Would it become a problem quickly if the cage isn't real big (temporarily?) I'm getting them a bigger cage either way but I want to know how urgent it'd be. (S/he's about fifteen weeks old, so not fully grown.)

I have plenty of (hopefully) fun toys and I'm planning to swap them around with another every week or so to avoid boredom, if that works. I'll look into the sprouting my own seeds thing because if that's the better and healthier option I'll go for it! S/he doesn't have a name yet because I'm picky, and I'm thinking of Kiku or Coco but I'm open to suggestions. I'll be glad to take a nice photo when they adjust a little more and share it soon!

And yes, probably drinking when I'm not watching because s/he did that with food at first.

 

[finchly]

Hello and welcome!
@SquawksNibbles thanks for tagging me.

It sounds like you’re off to a great start. A bird could probably say Coco or Kiki easily. Some names are harder.

In answer to your question about time alone, they’re always happier in a flock but remember the cost of a bigger cage, more vet bills, etc. if that’s not a problem, get her a friend. Otherwise once you figure out her favorite toys just leave her things to do when you’re gone.

 

[SquawksNibbles]

Hello, how's your little Tiel doing, @chimera?

 

[chimera]

@SquawksNibbles

They're doing good! S/he's eating well, drinking well (better than the first few days), sleeps better than the first and second day and sometimes will step up or eat out of my hand, doesn't trust me entirely of course but progress is progress! I named her or him Kiku. I've always liked short names. I fed her or him broccoli but s/he only had a nibble and left it. Oh well. I'd post a pic but I'm in the middle of school.

 

[SquawksNibbles]

Glad to hear s/he is doing well. I'm sure you and your Tiel will be great friends soon enough! Just keep at it with the taming process, but remember go slowly (same with the veggies and fresh foods)!

Please keep us posted on your progress with your little friend!

 

[Monica]

I've had my cockatiel since I was barely a teenager. I'm no longer a teen, but she'll be 17 in June!

You don't want her to eat more than 50% of her diet as pellets. I like to feed 50/50 seeds to pellets, then offer as much fresh foods as my birds are willing to eat.

Birds are also light sleepers, so it's easy for them to wake up at the slightest sound. It's normal. If she's not getting enough sleep at night, chances are, she's probably taking naps during the day.


You can try feeding millet through the cage bars, and if she's okay with that, then do it through the cage door. Let her get used to you in a non-threatening maner.

 

[Michela Smith]

I am in high school as well and I totally understand your schedule, especially with sports and clubs. What is really helpful is building a small training perch (cheap and just pvc pipe) so you can sit your little fluff ball on it while you do your homework. I sit Alfred on his and take him off every now and then to walk around. This way you can spend quality time with your birb and get your work done! (might want to put newspaper or paper towel
under it so the atinker doesn’t poop on your bed) Plus if you find measurements online, usually the hardware store with cut them for you.