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HI!
My name is Christina and I live in Fayetteville North Carolina. I recently stumbled across a poor bird stuck in a garage at a yard sale sitting in the heat. The bird was in a tiny cage (one made for finches) and was over heated. The lady said I could have the bird for free but it is not a nice fellow.
The bird was identified as a cockatiel by my neighbor whom has had many before. I went to the pet store and bought him a large cage and all the accessories needed. My only problem with him/her is that it bites aggressively and will lunge at any one and anything that gets too close to the cage.
Now this occureoccurredays ago and I have left the bird to get used to its new cage and have even offered treats in the form of millet spray and a bit of broccoli but it wants nothing to do with me. Any help/advice would be greatly appricappreciatedve never owned an avian pet before.
Also! He/she keeps doing a funny little move where it goes into the corner of the cage and hangs upsde doupsideth its feathers all spread out. Is this natural?
Learning to love the joys of avian companions
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| Bless you for saving the little baby. I'm not an expert but I recommend being PATIENT!! Put his cage in a place where he can see you doing your daily "things". It takes TIME to earn the trust of a parrot, especially a parrot that has been abused/neglected. Please buy a book on cockatiels...you can get used copies cheap on Amazon. Don't give up on feeding him new things. All parrots are naturally suspicious of new things. Keep presenting him good food...try chopping it, mincing it, or a kabob. The key is be PATIENT. Seeds are garbage...feed him pellets and fresh food. Parrots are highly intelligent little babies and it's much like a child going from foster home to foster home...it's really scary for them. Especially if they have experienced abused or neglect. Don't give up. Let him/her watch you doing your normal routine. SING TO HIM/HER! They love it...it's comforting. You build trust SLOWLY, but it can be done. I'm no expert...I have a female Solomon Island Eclectus that I love to death. I hope and pray that all parrots can experience love and a healthy home. The key is to educate yourself...READ!!
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| gosh, thank goodness you got him out of there. I have several tiels with some friendly, some not. Some hatched here but many were rescues although I bought some too. The bigger cage is wonderful. They usually come with a dowel perch but I prefer natural safe limbs. those I scrub with detergent and rinse then spritz with vinegar/water 50/50 to 'lift' away residue of soap. They need busy things but many don't play much. A favorite here is plain plastic chain with several multi colored zip ties secured to it. I secure to cage top with a large link from baby dept at walmart. there are 8 links for 1.97 I think. cheap toy and they love it. My take on diet can be different in that I feed NO pellets believing they cause kidney and liver problems. Fresh leafy veggie a must. We start the day with romaine lettuce and brocolli and add another thing or 2. I can post my lists soon :-) A good seed mix with few sunflower seeds (they are high in fat content), no raisins and no nuts and no bits of pellets. If he hasn't been handled he will be extra scared. Different sounds, smells and totally new environment. I would still love him with all I have. happy thoughts, LindaC in OK
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Thank you all so much! The bird, now named Swizzle by my niece is doing better. He chirps when I walk in the door and I make note to say hello and good bye to him in hopes that he will one day get used to me. I picked him up today, even though he nipped me and blew lightly in his face when he bit. ( I was told to do this at the vets office as a punishment.)
He will step up onto my finger once out of the cage but doesn't like being touched at all, he will make a sort of protesting noise and then nip. Is this normal? He's not beaking me either because its not a light grip he actually is meaning to do it. Again I blew in his face and told him no.
I did buy him a 'pellet' mix though it comes in the forms of colorful bits the size for his feet to grab.
Learning to love the joys of avian companions
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| He chirps when you walk in the door?!....that's AWESOME! You may build a relationship with him much sooner than expected. Be sure to put his cage in the area where you spend most of your time so he can watch you during your normal activities. PARROTS LOVE ROUTINE. They love predictability. It's comforting for them to be able to predict what their human is going to do. I'm so happy for both of you. Just wait...he is going to bless you with a love you have never known before. And you're going to wonder how you lived before he came into your life. They teach us so much about ourselves! I wish you and Swizzle the BEST of luck!!
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