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Student, two baby cockatiels, please help

8888franci

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Hello! I am a minor at my high school, and during quarantine, online school has been more challenging than I have perceived. I have two cockatiels whom I bought recently, I used to have a cockatiel who was ten years old but who passed away also recently, around the time I got two new ones. Right now, one is three months and the other two months, with the two month old still being handfed in the day and night, as he is a late weaner. However, I'm at my wit's end- as much as I love them, they both scream as soon as they hear a shuffle of movement- and don't stop until they feel like it. They both fly around happily but they land on my face and scratch it, two of those times I've bled upon. The two month old has a constant screaming and sometimes I can't get to feeding him on time because of my extensive homework. They make a mess ( classic of cockatiels ) and under different circumstances, I would be perfectly okay with it however it has become way too stressful. I'm not sure what to do- whether I should surrender them to a family who can give them more time of the day ( I'm home all day, but my homework keeps me away and so does sports; I'm the only one who takes care of them ), and get a quieter bird like a dove, or if I should stick it out and wait for them to grow up a little more. Please help :( I love my babies so much but I'm starting to go insane...
 
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Ember-Tiel

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I struggled with feeding my baby cockatiel as well during quarantine, so I just gave her to my father who would feed her daily and give her a lot of attention. You could maybe give you baby cockatiels to someone you know who has a lot more free time to feed and play with them, or just make sure that you give them a lot of toys to play with, and put them in a cage next to you while you work. But make sure you don't result to over-feeding them if they start begging for food or anything, since it could result in a sour crop or an infection.
 

Zara

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Welcome to the Avenue,

with the two month old still being handfed in the day and night, as he is a late weaner.
Two months old is not a late weaner.
The average is 10 weeks old (2.5 months), but some wean as early as 8 weeks, others as late as 12 and onwards.

Are your parents not helping care for these birds?
Could you draw up a timetable to incorporate all feedings, homework, other things you need to do? The organization could help you keep up with everything and reduce stress.

If you cannot cope with these birds, then rehoming could be an option, there are usually people looking for young ´Tiels.
 

8888franci

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Welcome to the Avenue,


Two months old is not a late weaner.
The average is 10 weeks old (2.5 months), but some wean as early as 8 weeks, others as late as 12 and onwards.

Are your parents not helping care for these birds?
Could you draw up a timetable to incorporate all feedings, homework, other things you need to do? The organization could help you keep up with everything and reduce stress.

If you cannot cope with these birds, then rehoming could be an option, there are usually people looking for young ´Tiels.

Thank you so much for responding- I already have an organization app for myself, I have honors and AP classes that I need to keep up with. I feel so bad if I do need to rehome them, but thank you for letting me know he's not a late weaner. I was a bit worried but it seems like he's right on track. My parents do not have a hand in helping me care for them, but my mother, if it's already past 8 PM and I'm still swamped with homework, will do his nightly feeding if asked, but she too is stressed with him. I haven't been able to get proper sleep as they scream day and night. As much as I love them, I'm at a loss on what to do- I don't want to be an irresponsible bird owner by rehoming them, but I also don't want to be irresponsible by keeping them and not being able to deal with them fully. It's a tough tug of war but I really am at a loss. My parents might be mad if I do bring up rehoming, but I think I'll go ahead and fully wean the baby, and see where my stance is from there. Thank you so much :)
 

Zara

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I'm not sure what to do- whether I should surrender them to a family who can give them more time of the day ~ and get a quieter bird like a dove,
If you rehome these birds, maybe lay off any birds until the school year is over. A quieter bird may be forgotten about and not given enough attention.

I don't want to be an irresponsible bird owner by rehoming them, but I also don't want to be irresponsible by keeping them and not being able to deal with them fully.
The irresponsible thing is to keep them knowing you cannot feed them on time, give them the attention they deserve, or cope with the noise and scratches.
It would be more responsible to find a loving home where there is someone who can provide all of these things.
You also need to think long and hard about your schoolwork. If the birds noise is affecting your ability to study, or stressing you out, then it is not a good situation for you either. Not sleeping well and stress is not good for anyone, let alone a student trying to learn.

My parents might be mad if I do bring up rehoming,
but she too is stressed with him.
If your parents are stressed also, then they may understand your decision. Your future is important, and studying now will affect you for the rest of your life. Just as the birds nutrition and nurturing now, will affect their lives. And none of you are getting what you need right now.


Take some time and have a deep think :)
 

tka

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I think you also need to think very carefully about your future, and whether you can commit to looking after any bird. Cockatiels can live for between 15-20 years - there are even a few on the forums in their late twenties and even early thirties. Doves can also live a surprisingly long time.

School is not going to become less challenging. If you decide to attend college, your classes there will make high school look easy. You will be expected to do a lot more independent work and take responsibility for your own learning, so while you may have fewer scheduled contact hours, you will be expected to be doing independent reading, making notes, writing essays or doing problem sets, maybe taking part in study group sessions. You may want to move away from your family home; very few student residences allow pets, and you may struggle to find a private tenancy that will allow pets. You might want to take part in extracurricular activities like sports. You may be offered the chance to travel as part of a study abroad programme.

You don't have to make any decisions right now. However, when making any decision, you need to think long-term and whether you can keep a bird through college, finding a job, and growing up as a young adult.
 

8888franci

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If you rehome these birds, maybe lay off any birds until the school year is over. A quieter bird may be forgotten about and not given enough attention.


The irresponsible thing is to keep them knowing you cannot feed them on time, give them the attention they deserve, or cope with the noise and scratches.
It would be more responsible to find a loving home where there is someone who can provide all of these things.
You also need to think long and hard about your schoolwork. If the birds noise is affecting your ability to study, or stressing you out, then it is not a good situation for you either. Not sleeping well and stress is not good for anyone, let alone a student trying to learn.



If your parents are stressed also, then they may understand your decision. Your future is important, and studying now will affect you for the rest of your life. Just as the birds nutrition and nurturing now, will affect their lives. And none of you are getting what you need right now.


Take some time and have a deep think :)

Got it. The better decision would be to rehome them, but I've been keeping up somewhat, I'm just a little stressed at the moment. The little one will be weaned soon, and once he is, I'll go ahead and see how I cope with two weaned tiels, and see how it is. They're both manageable once feedings are done, not screaming so much, but my childhood friend of eleven years had a beautiful white dove named Rosie and even though she was quiet, I spent a lot of my time with her when I visited. But those are all very good points to consider, thank you a whole lot, Zara- I'll be sure to make the responsible choice, for both me and my babies :)
 

finchly

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If you have honors and AP courses you do NOT have time for baby birds. And frankly, your mom should have said so.
I’m sorry, as I’m sure you are already attached to these babies, but you should rehome them and feel no guilt. You’ve gotten in over your head. Studies have to come first.
Do you have a cousin or close friend who would enjoy them?
 

Zara

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but I've been keeping up somewhat, I'm just a little stressed at the moment. The little one will be weaned soon, and once he is, I'll go ahead and see how I cope with two weaned tiels, and see how it is.
Just keep in mind that ¨keeping up somewhat¨ is not enough for a baby bird. Weaning is not just about the food. This is the time they learn other life skills, and need to be raised properly. This means investing time into them.

They're both manageable once feedings are done, not screaming so much
What do you mean by this? That they are not making noise? or that they are easier to handle?
If this is all about noise being manageable, then they really need to go to someone who can spend time with them and interact with them.
When I´ve had little ones, it is impossible to do anything with them when they are hungry. They are just open mouthed, begging, and running at me to be fed. Complete zombie mode, and that is normal.. they are just babies and they are hungry. They shouldn´t be left to wait for food or they could end up malnourished. The crop should not be empty at the start of every feeding, it should still have just a little in from the previous feed - except the morning feed, that one should be an empty crop.

How are they repsonding to toys? What adult foods are they accepting? Are they outgoing or shy?
 
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