old cockatiel training

[nikkei]

hi! this is my first post here! I've had my birds since I am 3 years old and I feel bad because I never got to train them and always got scared when I take them out.
1) Sasha is 30 and askarakatiskis is 17 and I want to be better and make them have a great life and not cry evrytime I see them in their cage
2) is this cage to small if so how big would be ideal
3) its hot here in the carretean so I put a fan a bit far so it doesn't dry there eyes is that ok?
4) how to I train them ? they let me feed them pellets from my hands but won't go to my hands and every time I take them out I feel they are going to die of a heart attack they get very flustered and fly away and hurt themselves and I just feel horrible
5) they have always been fed fruit pellets Zuprem is that good if not what is ideal?
6) I love them and want to make up for not being able to train
7) it is very hot in PR and I always leave the fan on.
8) vets in PR are terrible so I never take them there last time they cut my cocktails eyes and left them bleeding and they are always terrible and there isn't any avian specialist in the island. what should I do Sasha is kind of limping and has crusty eyes and is always on the bottom of the cage kinda laying down and isn't vey active
9) I am willing to spend money and time on the birds so they have good life and I won't cry every time I see them.

 

[Zara]

Welcome to the Avenue

Maybe you could buy/make them some new toys to play with?

Spend some times near their cage talking calmly and feeding their fave treats through the bars.

The fan is ok, but point it to the side of them not directly at them.

@sunnysmom

 

[sunnysmom]

Welcome to the forum. I have older tiels too. I am on my way out the door but will answer more tomorrow.

 

[Destiny]

How often are you able to let your birds have out-of-cage time? How long are they typically left out? How do you go about getting them back inside?

When it comes to cage size, I am kind of the wrong person to ask, because I tend to think no cage is large enough. In my opinion, the minimum recommended cage sizes for bird cages are only acceptable if your bird is getting plenty of free flying time. Those minimums are based on giving enough room inside the cage for the bird to open its wings completely to stretch. It doesn't give them adequate room for real exercise. If the bird gets less time outside its cage, it needs more space inside to compensate for the limited freedom and to help fight boredom. A bigger cage also helps to ensure that there is enough room for in-cage flight, plenty of fun toys, and foraging opportunities.

However, rather than rushing out to buy a larger cage, I am wondering if there is more that could be done to allow your birds to be comfortable and happy when outside of their cage. What do they typically do when you let them out? Do they have safe places to perch? Have you considered buying or building a play gym or parrot tree?

 

[sunnysmom]

Hi,

Your birds are very cute. If your bird is lethargic and limping, I would get him medical help. I know you said the vets there aren't very good. Are there any avian vets at all around you? Some members here drive a couple hours for their birds to see a vet. Or perhaps you can do an online vet consult and the vet could at least advise whether medical attention is needed.

What are the dimensions of your current cage? Zupreem pellets are fine. I do think tiels need some seed i their diet too and also vegetables. However, if your tiel has reached the age of 30, you've done well with him. Can you get them some shreddable toys? Tiels normally like to shred/chew things like cardboard, balsa, etc. You can even take strips of paper and thread them through the cage bars for them to chew. As for training, there are some good training videos and advice by Barbara Heidenreich. I would start there. She has a really good book too called Good Bird. I don't make my tiels come out of the cage but let them come out on their own. What happens if you leave the cage door open?

@Tiel Feathers ? @Monica ?