Bird owners, some ??'s....Cockatiels?

[KimRaye]

I'll try to make a long story short.... Mom's BD is today, Tuesday. Dad wants to get her a cockatiel bird. Mom has some brief, limited experience with this type of bird, and seems to really want some kind of pet (non-dog, due to last & past sad endings), and I'm NOT a bird person, but Dad asked me to shop LAST minute, for a bird, which I did. I'm sending him to Petsmart tomorrow, after work, to get one of the three cockatiels that were there. (the mostly green one)

So, questions...... are these birds as nice as they 'advertise'? Should we have gone with a breeder, (if I had been given more time), or is Petsmart ok? They have a 14 day return policy, for any reason. My parents already have a larger size bird cage, adequate for a cockatiel, but do people just 'take' to a bird after having dogs for many years? I must admit I kinda grew to like that green one, just standing outside it's cage.

Any and all cockatiel tips would be helpful, to pass along to Mom, for her BD!

TIA!

 

[mommytotwo]

Never heard of a green cockatiel, but it does sound nice. We have around thirty of them and they are grey, yellow, or pearl.

Be sure to treat your bird nicely cause they are smart birds and will remember what you do to them.

Be sure to change it's water and blow out it's seeds daily.

They like lettuce and papaya.

 

[Brer_Papa]

Happy Birthday Wishes to your Mom & Aunt!

I think your Dad picked the perfect gift....

You got good advice above...I don't have much to add....except I have a little Sister that had a cockateil....

She treated it good....and they both ended up spoiling each other...

 

[Cruisin]

Nothing to add either Kim.

What does a cockatiel look like

 

[mommytotwo]

Originally posted by Cruisin'Kroezes
Nothing to add either Kim.

What does a cockatiel look like

I'll email you a picture of one Robin.

 

[Cruisin]

okay, thanks Patsy

 

[mommytotwo]

Some other tips to add on:

*Cockatiels love millet spray.

*Buy it a toy-one maybe with bells and a mirror.

*They are good fliers, so be sure to close your cage door and to have your house door closed so that they don't fly out. You could also clip it's wings, but be sure to do it properly.

 

[KimRaye]

Wow, you DISers are fast! And, Brer_Papa, a serious post??? Really, thank you all!

mommytotwo, you have about 30!?!?!? WHOA!!! And you've never seen a greenish-one? Maybe I should reconsider?? A runt of the litter maybe? I'm clueless. It really was the prettier of the 3 tho. Not that the gray ones weren't pretty, but they already had 'nesting' marks in their feathers, from where they sleep. (I don't know if that makes any sense to you - maybe they were older?) And, 'blow out it's seeds"? Is that 'getting rid of' the shells or whatever, from the food? Also, I was instructed about various toys, and the cage I was going to buy, included a starter kit with the spray, and I was told about different perches, and shapes and sizes. I think I was given good info, but again, this won't be my bird, and I wanted to help the newbie-bird-owner, Mom!

A picture would be great for the other helpful people here, if you could post one! They ARE pretty birds!

Thank you so much!

 

[jockey]

I have had cockatiels for years, my last one lived until she was 12!! They are very social and you can teach them to speak easily. My last cockatiel would eat anything especially cereal and crisps!!

 

[Big V]

http://www.cockatiels.org/

 

[mazzarafe]

We just got 2 featherbabies last month. A medium sulfur crested cockatoo and a Sunday conure. Being new at this I'm absorbing any info I can. Be sure to check out at the pet store for a book on cockatiels. I have a book about both of mine.

I can't comment on buying from Petsmart or a regular pet shop because we went to a place that was bird exclusive and we got birds that were used to being handled and just weened so we know they are only months old.

Also it was suggested by my vet to get Bird Talk magazine, they have alot of information on all types of birds. They also have a great website that has forums and LOTS of people have cockatiels. Great place to get loads of info.

Good luck! www.birdtalk.com

Sometimes the site is quirky but the link does work, you might have to try a few times.

 

[minniepumpernickel]

I'm a bird person too. I've owned parakeets, finches, a canary, and a Golden Crowned parrot before. Not all at the same time. Birds can be tempermental and seem to have their own, individual distinct personalities. I've never owned a cockateil before, though.

Keep the cage really clean, and change the water daily. Birds tend to spit seeds and shake out feathers so you'll have to clean around the cage too. Don't let them catch a draft. I've had a few that died from being in an area that may have been too drafty. I'm not sure if that was the actual cause of death though.

Good luck!

 

[Carl]

Both of ours have been hand raised, so they were both very tame. The first one was bought from a pet store and the second from a breeder. We were able to get a more expensive bird (brighter color) from the breeder for the same price as the one from the pet store (gray.) We feed ours a special Cockatiel food which is better for the bird and less messy. You can buy it at any pet store. They are very sweet birds.

 

[mommytotwo]

Originally posted by KimRaye
Wow, you DISers are fast! And, Brer_Papa, a serious post??? Really, thank you all!

mommytotwo, you have about 30!?!?!? WHOA!!! And you've never seen a greenish-one? Maybe I should reconsider?? A runt of the litter maybe? I'm clueless. It really was the prettier of the 3 tho. Not that the gray ones weren't pretty, but they already had 'nesting' marks in their feathers, from where they sleep. (I don't know if that makes any sense to you - maybe they were older?) And, 'blow out it's seeds"? Is that 'getting rid of' the shells or whatever, from the food? Also, I was instructed about various toys, and the cage I was going to buy, included a starter kit with the spray, and I was told about different perches, and shapes and sizes. I think I was given good info, but again, this won't be my bird, and I wanted to help the newbie-bird-owner, Mom!

A picture would be great for the other helpful people here, if you could post one! They ARE pretty birds!

Thank you so much!

Yes, blowing out the seeds is getting rid of the access shells that are on the top. Cockatiels also like sunflower seeds which should come in the cockatiel seed mix.
Maybe the green cockatiels are rare, so that is a reason why I haven't seen them.
Sorry I don't know how to post a picture along with my post.

 

[petula]

Hi there, Kim. I've had several cockatiels, and they can definitely be as sweet as advertised! There aren't green cockatiels, though. Are you sure it's not another type of bird? Maybe a parakeet or a Quaker parrot? Petsmart often puts different types of birds together in their displays.

Personally, I stay away from the pet chain stores when buying any animal. Their animals are not always young (which is important for a bird if you want it to be hand-tame) and you can't always tell how long they've been there and how healthy they are. Breeder would be first choice, but I've also bought from small independent well-kept pet stores and done very well.

Will your mom want this to be a cage bird or one that she can take out and play with? Again, if you want it to be tamed, you want a young bird that has been handled from birth. These can be incredibly sweet and as affectionate as dogs and cats. I had one that loved to have her head rubbed. I had another that never got used to people but did learn to imitate whistles.

Which brings us to male and female. Generally, females are cuddlier but are usually one-note singers compared to males, who might be less affectionate but can whistle CRAZILY and are more likely to learn to talk or whistle tunes. You can't tell the difference from looking at them, but if you observe them in the pet store a few times, you can usually tell which are the vocal ones.

I believe wings should absolutely be clipped. Even if the bird will be staying in the cage, it's a lot easier to retrieve them if they do get out, and you'll never have to worry about it just taking off out an open window. They can do it at any pet store for you or the vet can do it. I just go in to get nails and wings clipped every few months or so, depending on how much they've grown in. I've clipped myself, too, but it's not an easy thing to do, and it's so cheap to just have it done.

Also, it's a good idea to take the bird to a vet as soon as you get it (or at least within that 14-day exchange period), just to get an okay on its health. If you can find an avian/exotic animal vet, even better.

There are some great message boards just for cockatiels. One of them is at www.tieltalk.com. The other is at http://chats.upatsix.com/chats.php?board=cockatiel. I've gotten tons of help from the people on these boards.

I hope that helps!

ps I didn't know we could say cockatiel on these boards!

 

[KimRaye]

Originally posted by petula
ps I didn't know we could say cockatiel on these boards!

LOL, neither did I, until I posted it, I wasn't quite sure.

Thanks again everyone! GREAT info & advice here!

My Dad took the cage today, and bought the 'green' bird. I swear it looks green to me, but he said it was yellow. Maybe the mix of yellow and gray looked green to me?? Maybe it was the lighting at the store? I don't know. At least he got the one I picked out! "Auggie", nickname for August, was completely quiet while we were there. He moved around a bit, but no noise. Lord knows the grandkids were making enough of that! Dad let my DD pet Auggie, and he was fine with DD. Dad also said that the bird just sat on his shoulder when he was in the store! Looks hopeful, huh? Hopefully, tomorrow will be a better 'bonding' day for Mom and Auggie. She's VERY HAPPY with the bird tho, which is what's important.

As for the age, I don't know how old he is, but Petsmart said they were all hand-fed, and weaned. One thing I noticed about the 2 all-gray birds, were the 'mushed down' feathers from where they sleep. The YELLOW one (green to me ) didn't have that, leading me to think it was the youngest of the 3. I could be way off base with that thinking tho. And yes, Mom will want to 'handle' the bird, letting it out, playing, etc. That's where I'm hoping tomorrow and beyond will let them get to know each other better. And, Dad bought several toys, a perch, chewing things, and a BOOK, which was open when I got there.

I think I'm gonna get her a subscription to Birdtalk, as a post-BD present! Thanks for the link!

Overall: a HUGE Hit!!

 

[mommytotwo]

Glad to hear that the bird situation had worked out and your mom likes it. Hope they all have a happy life together and happy birthday to your mom.

 

[mazzarafe]

Glad to hear that Mom likes Auggie. What a cute name.

Best of luck and many happy years with the new featherbaby!

 

[minniepumpernickel]

I'm so glad that your mom got the bird too. I know with parakeets you can tell the age, and sex of the bird by the color of the cere. the place aroundd the nostrils. I have no idea how to tell with cockateils though.

I attempted to breed parakeets for awhile. It was so fun, I'd love to start a business doing it some day!

Good luck with the bird!

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

My parents have a cockatiel. They used to have 2, but the dog got ahold of one (don't ask...blech). My grandparents used to have one. Word of advice...only get one. They can learn to talk as long as they don't have any playmates around. If you have 2, they're not as friendly and only converse with each other. Be prepared for it to live forever, lol. Their lifespan is supposedly about 10 years (I think), but my parents have had theirs for 15 years and it was already about 8 years old when it was inherited to them. I kid you not. I think it's going for some kind of world record.

Keep it away from the door too. That's how my grandparent's bird died. Someone left the door open to get something out of the car (it was winter) and the bird dropped dead.