WHAT A COCKATIEL NEEDS:LIVING ENVIRONMENT:Cage – as large as practical – best are long rather than high cages- cockatiels are no helicopters and can't fly straight up :) There are very inexpensive large cages out there for a fraction of the price you would pay in a pet store - If you like I can help you find an appropriate cage. The minimum width of a cockatiel cage should be around 30 inches to allow at least a little exercise. Cage liners – we use newspaper or paper towels but you can also choose to use sand or bird litter.
Natural branches - apple, crabapple, elm or other non toxic trees. See our safe/toxic plant list. Use of these natrual wood branches helps keep the bird's nails naturally short - just cut fresh branches to size, rinse them off and secure them with wire or zip ties, but not loosely or the birds may become entangled on them.
I also recommend a product called " sandy perch" - this rough, sand covered perch will help the bird to wear down it's claws and the tiels seem to love sitting on them. They also come as swings and are available at the pet stores
I do NOT like the sandy covers they sell for perches ( sand covered cardboard tubes that slip around the perches ) - the birds will chew on them and they are simply not practical or healthy
Food:
Seed mix – most store bought mixes are fine – if possible choose a mix with very little sunflower- count the numbers of different seeds - a good seed mix has a great variety of seeds, pellets and other ingredients
Pellets – we use zupreem avian maintenance fruit flavor and Excello but only as a supplement
Cuttlebones - a vital source of calcium and other nutrients
Mineral block
Vegetables and fresh food at least twice a week, but are recommended every day
Our birds are used to cucumbers, zucchini, celery (greens and hearts), carrots, corn, peas ( can be bought frozen), carrots, baby spinach, sprouts, bell peppers, broccoli and apples, kale, collard greens, chard... They also love dandylion, fresh grasses and fresh non toxic branches to chew on.
Treats: Spray millet, unsweetened Cheerios, rice crispies, cooked rice or pasta, and cooked lentils, oat groats - not too much as these foods are high in calories
Access to fresh dinking water - our birds know how to drink out of water bottles or open dishes
Lighting:Use natural daylight lamps or make sure your bird(s) has/have access to natural sunlight every day. Birds- just like reptiles- need natural sunlight to produce sufficient amounts of Vitamin D to stay healthy. Also make sure the cage is not directly in the sun or has a shady area in summer as cockatiels can overheat...
Bathtime:
Cockatiels love to shower -plant spray bottles work well - some tiels like to take a shower with their owners, some like open water dishes
Toys:We make our own and sell them too. Look in our asseccories section for information on prices and availability. If you prefer, bird toys that are sold at pet stores are great too!Birds like beads, short strings (make sure they can’t get tangled), raffia, Pinecones, wood popsicle sticks to chew on, bells, straws …
Toys provide entertainment and mental stimulation – chewing is natural for birds and the usage of toys will keep your birds off the furniture.
Special considerations:
Cockatiels are prone to “night frights” – that means that a bird is startled in the middle of the night and starts flying around, disoriented, and often hurting themself in the process. Night frights can be a frightening experience for bird and owner!
Here some tips to prevent night frights:
We found that having a blue light turned on in the bird room at night helps to prevent most night frights. You can find blue light bulbs in the " party light" section of most major retailers.
Also keep the birdcage in a calm corner of the house away from window reflections and sudden noises.
If you experience a night fright turn on the regular room light and talk to your birds in a calm and soothing voice – they should settle down quickly. Don't take too long though or else you risk fully waking up the birds.
Breaking blood feathers:
Sometimes a cockatiel might break a blood feather - a blood feather is a newer feather, that still contains blood vessels in the base of the stem. Blood feathers are usually broken during a night fright or flying accident inside the cage. You will find drops of blood in the cage and on the plumage.
Breaking of a blood feather is usually not too bad and most of the times bleeding will stop quickly and the bird will heal without any intervention.
If the blood feather keeps on bleeding pull it out with a swift motion- it will stop the bleeding.
IF the bleeding doesn’t stop by itself, you can administer first aid by applying pressure to the wound and/or apply stryptic powder or in an emergency corn starch - there might be another cause of the bleeding and your bird is seriously hurt – then contact your avian vet for further instructions.
Egg laying:
Female cockatiels will occasionally lay eggs – laying too many eggs will deplete the calcium storages of a hen and she might get sick , egg bound or worse .
To discourage egg laying you can try the following steps :
Shorten the daylight hours by covering the cage early
Offer food without sunflower seeds and temporarily stop feeding too many soft foods
Re-arrange the cage to cause artificial stress
don't pet your hen over the back - it simmulates mating behaviour!
talk to your vet if the egg laying is persistant
Day to day living :
Your cockatiel is a flock animal – meaning it lives usually in groups and doesn’t like being alone. I personally believe that cockatiels are happiest if they are allowed to live with others of the same kind – ideally in pairs or groups.
It is a myth that cockatiels who are kept in pairs won’t get tame – I have many cockatiels and most of them are very tame and trusting. It can become a serious issue if a single bird considers their caretaker their mate instead of a friend. Cockatiel pairs do everything together - sleeping, eating and grooming. It is incredible frustrating for a bird to bond to a human like it would to a mate as a human can't usually spend 24/7 with their bird. The results are often screaming, feather plucking, biting or even destructive behaviour. I have gotten a few cockatiels back over the years and all were returned due to unwanted behaviour that was a direct result of beeing lonely or bored.
Cockatiels need constant attention – so if you are working, or going to school it might be a great idea to get 2 birds, rather than one. 2 Birds will keep each other company and are very often more quiet and less destructive than single birds and a lot of behavioural issues can be avoided.
Cockatiels like to fly – they enjoy time out of their cage and should get some every day!
There is no better exercise for a cockatiel than flying and it will be so much fun for you to be able to interact with your birdie! Cages should be at least 30 inches long even if the bird gets out often.
You have to be cautious though – close all windows and doors when your cockatiel is out and about!No matter how tame – a bird will fly away when given the chance. Most birds that fly away are never found and end up dying either of starvation or exhaustion – PLEASE DON”T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOUR BABY!
Even Birds with clipped wings can still be able to fly well enough to escape so don’t experiment and keep him or her safe!
There are always pictures in the media with birds on their owners shoulder – they claim that they won’t fly away – I think it is too much of a risk to take because if they do get startled by something they will try to get away and that might as well cost them their life if outside.Another word of caution with other animals:
Dogs , cats, ferrets , rats and even other birds like parrot species might seriously hurt or kill a cockatiel – don’t let them play unsupervised with your new baby .
There are also some other household dangers:
- non stick coating of pots and pans will kill a bird if the cookware gets overheated
-birds are sensitive when it comes to smells and smoke from cigarettes or grills can harm or even kill them
-please keep any household cleaners, Air fresheners and candles, perfumes, hairsprays and other aerosoles away from your cockatiel - they can kill your bird
-there are bird safe cleaners on the market- or you can use simple vinegar, lemon juice or a diluted alcohol solution in a spray bottle to disinfect the cage and toys …
- make sure you don’t have too many galvanized wires for the bird to chew on – it can lead to heavy metal poisoning in birds
-keep the rooms bird safe and don’t leave garbage cans, cabinets or drawers open- Birds are curious and will fly into anything …
- Protect your windows with a curtain when the birds flies around – they will fly against the window if they can’t see it. We use a dry erase marker and simply draw lines on the window- very inexpensive and effective and a great art project J
A final word :
Your bird will need constant care and attention- a clean cage, food and fresh water every day and vet care if it gets sick. Cockatiels live 15-30 years – it is a serious commitment on your part!
I hope you will enjoy living with your new family addition! Cockatiels make wonderful pets and are such a joy to have around!
If you ever have questions or concerns about your cockatiel please feel free to contact me at any time either per Phone at 7192267951 or per e-mail:
keennicolette@yahoo.com
My birds are part of my family and I am feeling responsible for every one of my chicks as well.
If you decide that you are no longer able to care for your bird please contact me first!
I will either take my birds back or find them an appropriate home !
And now – HAVE FUN WITH YOUR BABY!
http://budgerigarunivers.blogspot.com/
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