Caring for cockatiels

May 20, 2009 7:54 AM

We just got new cockatiels and we need all the help and advice we can get.

We got new cockatiels yesterday! There is a two-year old male-female pair, and they have a three week old chick [pic].* The grey is male and the white is female. There are also three eggs. The birds have been hand trained, but for now they're keeping to themselves, and we're letting them be to let them get adjusted to their new environment. The male is also being extremely protective, hissing and puffing up his feathers every time I tried to take a picture. These are the first pets we've had, so it's really exciting. I'm looking for general advice, tips, and tricks about caring for these lovely birds.

*btw, that is not their cage. they have a bigger cage adjoining that little room, where the chick and eggs are staying put for now.

posted by asras to pets & animals (10 comments total)

They are marvelous pets. I had one for 12 years a couple decades ago. Just a few tips: Insure you always have fresh food, and don't go with the pre-mixed bagged food. Always get the food mix fresh from your pet store, not a grocery, and replace at least every two weeks even if you haven't run out yet. The freshness of the seeds and fruit will help your birds keep a smooth, healthy feathering.

Try to keep them away from direct, hot sunlight. Light is fine, just don't put them right next to a window that gets direct light. Mine got sick once when I moved and had her too close to the sun. Keep them in a room temperature, airy environment for best results.

Good luck to you. I know you will enjoy your new pets.
posted by netbros at 8:16 AM on May 20

Congratulations! My first pet when I was 12 was a 10yr. old female cockatiel given to us by a neighbor.

Don't ever feed them avocado, or chocolate. Leafy greens handfed can be a special treat - my bird used to wander over when I was eating Cheerios and steal them out of my bowl, so I started keeping a few sugarless and milk-free ones on the edge of a plate for her to nab.

We never clipped her wings, but we lived in an apartment without a ceiling fan or any other pets, so she had a little "Jungle Gym" I'd leave in the middle of the floor for her to play on when she was out of her cage and I knew nobody'd be opening the front door. Be really mindful of where your birds are if you let them out of their cage.

She took about two weeks to settle in when we first got her - it's important to cover them up at night to block light consistently so they get decent birdie sleep. Her bedtime was 8pm, and if I waited too long to uncover her in the morning, she'd let me know.

She loved taking baths, so in the summertime I'd fill a shallow cereal bowl full of water, move the cage outside so she could see the jays and other birds, and put her bath in the bottom of her cage. She'd splash and chirp for an hour, it was some serious cute stuff.

All in all, my cockatiel was an amazing companion, who was nearly the same age as me and lived until I was well into my twenties. Congrats again!!
posted by annathea at 8:19 AM on May 20

Hopefully you'll never need one, but locate a vet in your area who specializes in birds. Ask around and the other bird owners in your area should be able to recommend someone.
posted by jquinby at 8:37 AM on May 20 [1 favorite]

Be careful letting them out of their cage. Many people are surprised when they lose their cockatiels who fly through a door or window, even though their wings were clipped. They can fly really well with clipped wings. Also, they can fly into windows that they don't see--I always have blinds down but open when the birds are out. Never let them go on the floor; they often get stepped on. Avoid drafts, a draft can actually kill a bird, if it is cold enough. They need full spectrum light (windows filter light) or vitamin D in their diet. I feed mine harrison's plus leafy greens.

I would probably not try to interact with them too much until they are feeling more comfortable in your home, and the babies are getting bigger. Birds with babies can be a little nervous.

Get the biggest cage you can for them.
posted by free pie at 9:05 AM on May 20

fresh foods are best, like netbros recommends above, but some birds are pickier about what they eat. Our bird wouldn't eat any fresh stuff and only wanted to eat millet. This caused scraggly feathers and a misgrown beat. We've compromised and she now eats Avicakes and has vitamins drops in her water, which has straightened out her beak and feather issues. We've had Whinney for almost 10 years now. She's never been around a male, and was quite bonded to me when she was the sole pet in my college apartment, and would get quite feisty when she'd laid an egg, so I'd imagine it would be a lot worse with actual chicks.
posted by jrishel at 9:20 AM on May 20

I've had a couple cockatiels.

A local exotic bird expert was adamant that birds should never be allowed to sit on the shoulder because it gives them a superiority complex.

From my experience (letting the first bird perch on the shoulder and not the second) it made a big difference.

Buying a giant plastic showercap-esque thing that fits around the bottom of the cage reduces the amount of mess that flys around the floor near the cage, but it's possibly tacky.

Putting an old towel underneath the cage is a simpler idea (less effective obviously), but it helps a lot when you want to get the area around the cage clean.

I assume that with three birds there will be plenty of seed flying about.
posted by bradly at 10:22 AM on May 20

Ah, almost forgot - while you're looking for a vet, check to see what's in your area for boarding your birds if you have to travel. I only ended up needing to do this once, but was fortunate to find someone in our area who bred and sold. She had a great operation and was comfortable leaving him with her for a bit.

Ye gods, it was loud in there. Anyway, just something else to consider.
posted by jquinby at 10:36 AM on May 20

I had a cockatiel for about 10 years. Try to teach them "step up" command, by simply staying "step up" and pressing gently on their chest/belly area in order to get them to stand on your finger. Eventually you'll be able to just ask them to step up and they will respond.

Make sure to change their water regularly, my bird loved to poop/bathe in there, and make sure they always have fresh fruit and veggies to munch on to get them into good eating habits. Millet is like crack for them, and makes for a nice treat. In terms of regular food, feed them pellets or a mix of 25% seeds/75% pellets, as a pure seed diet isn't healthy for them.

Bathing is something that cockatiels love, and its good for them as well, as it keeps them clean and encourages them to preen. Try misting them with a spray bottle, or letting them take a birdie bath in a container with a very shallow amount of water. My bird loved coming in the shower with me, but make sure they don't go directly under the water.

Take them to the vet to get their wings/claws/beak trimmed regularly and for check ups. I brought my bird to the pet store to get her wings clipped, and it turns out they were overclipping them, causing her pain and unable to break her fall if she flew off my shoulder.

Keep a towel under the cage, and change the floor coverings regularly because they will poop a lot as I'm sure you've realized. It is possible to potty train them, but I was never able to do it. Putting a towel over your shoulder while you play with them can help prevent accidents on your clothes as well.

When they're molting, you'll notice new feathers will come in waxy "sheathes". They might need your help taking these off by rubbing them very gently between your fingers. My bird loved head rubs more than anything, so they'll probably enjoy this even when they're not molting.

If you notice them spending a lot of time on the floor of the cage, or they're acting sluggish or have puffed up feathers, take them to the vet. Birds are very good at hiding their illnesses, and a lot of times it can be too late before you even realize they're sick.

That's about all I can think of for now, you'll love your new pets, cockatiels are wonderful, amazing birds.
posted by KilgoreTrout at 10:51 AM on May 20

Excellent advice from KilgoreTrout and others. I have 2 cockatiels, and they are great pets, very lovable. They really love it if I repeat any sounds they make back at them, so that's a good way to bond with them. I would totally recommend getting a livejournal so you can follow the Parrot_lovers and Cockatiels communities - there are lots of amazingly knowledgeable people there who will answer any questions you have. Another really good resource is Cockatiel Cottage

Also - as said above - they are excellent fliers, so you have to be really careful about doors and windows. On of my birds was found by a neighbour on a ninth floor balcony - and his wings were clipped! I don't clip my birds wings, by the way, the have a lot of fun flying around the house!
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 1:11 PM on May 20

How did you come by two mating cockatiels, a chick AND three eggs? That's going to be quite the handful... or am I misunderstanding the new roommate count?

The first thing you should do is locate and visit an avian vet, to get a clean bill of health and some good advice on their needs (especially the chicks). Handfeeding baby parrots is time consuming (many feedings/day) and, unless the parents are wild-caught (hope not!) they will not be feeding the chicks themselves.

Cockatiels are often fed a diet of nothing but seed for the duration of their life, which cuts their lifespan considerably. Ideally, they should get very little seed, if any -- a dry pellet mix that they have access to all day, along with fresh fruits and vegetables (apples, bananas, carrots, pears, any kind of leafy green, squash, zucchini, peas, etc... avocado and broccoli are the two that should be avoided). You can give them the fruits and veggies as breakfast or dinner. Whole grain pastas, beans, rice, etc are usually eagerly accepted as well.

Basically, avoid anything that's high in fat, salt or sugar. Beans for protein. Part of the reason seeds are so bad for captive birds is that they simply don't get enough exercise to process all that fat, so it often leads to liver problems.

Another diet consideration -- the hen will need additional nutrients/supplements to allow her to create a strong eggshell when she breeds again. A pair that's successfully mated will likely do it again and, without that nutrient balance, the hen can suffer from egg-binding, which is usually fatal. Please do see a vet!

Birds are lovely companions (I have a goffin cockatoo and an african grey), but they can be very demanding and require a lot of attention to both their diet and their environment. They're often viewed as a more "disposable" pet than a dog or a cat, which is tragic. Cockatiels can live 15-25 years, with a good diet. They're a "long haul" pet, but worth the effort. Good luck!
posted by Pantengliopoli at 1:38 PM on May 20