Need advice on care needs of a cockatiel!

[SeptemberQuail]

Hi all.

A family friend is giving me a 4 month old, male cockatiel who was raised by its mother.
This is my very first time owning a caged bird so I would appreciate any advice that can be given!

I did research yesterday and just need to ask a few questions.
Basically, I have a bird cage, toys and food.

I'm just wondering:

1. What other foods should I give it? I read I should feed it pellets, but other websites say not to. Can anyone clear this up? Mum bought some cockatiel seeds:
Is this okay to use as the main diet for the bird (it contains grit, sunflower seeds and other stuff)? Alongside fresh fruits and veggies, of course.

2. The cage is outdoors but right infront of the backdoor so that it'll see us, is this alright? We have a sensor light (those lights that randomly turn on when something moves), so would that scare the cockatiel? Should I bring the cage inside instead?

3. Should I cover the cage with a blanket at night? I read that I'll need to find a nightlight, so should I do that as well?

4. Best ways to tame the bird?

5. Do I need to add a bowl for dust bathing/water bathing? (Apparently its decided by the preference of the bird, is that right?)

I'm sorry for all these questions. I just want to make sure that I can do the best I can to ensure this little guy feels comfortable and that I'm doing the right thing since I understand this is a long-term commitment. He's coming tomorrow, so I'm very excited to meet him.

Thank you so much!

 

[Avianman]

1. What other foods should I give it? I read I should feed it pellets, but other websites say not to. Can anyone clear this up? Mum bought some cockatiel seeds:

The debate over pellets and seeds is a silly one. It is widely known that a pellet diet is better nutritionally, but good luck getting a 4 month old, parent raised bird to transition over. A good seed mix is important, and the freshness of the seeds is important. I used to buy my seeds from a local producer and I knew they were fresh. Seeds lose their nutritional value over time, just like anything else. I had a cockatiel live over 27 years on a seed mix, so they cant be all bad.

I can't comment on that brand, as I have never seen it before, but I dont live in Australia.

Is this okay to use as the main diet for the bird (it contains grit, sunflower seeds and other stuff)? Alongside fresh fruits and veggies, of course.

Yes, fresh stuff is important.

2. The cage is outdoors but right infront of the backdoor so that it'll see us, is this alright? We have a sensor light (those lights that randomly turn on when something moves), so would that scare the cockatiel? Should I bring the cage inside instead?

Hard to comment on this. The bird should really be inside. To a predator with any brains, a cockatiel cage is just a puzzle with a prize inside. Yes, the sensor light would scare the heck out of the bird.


3. Should I cover the cage with a blanket at night? I read that I'll need to find a nightlight, so should I do that as well?

I have needed to use nightlights for flighty birds, but they actually do better without them. Night lights cause shapes and shadows that are unfamiliar, and this leads to panic, especially at night. I always cover my birds at night for their piece of mind. "Out of sight, out of mind" is their motto!

4. Best ways to tame the bird?

Patience and time. Parent raised cockatiels can be tough. Start with simply doing quiet activities, like reading, near the cage. Progress to talking quietly and calmly to the bird. It may be months before you get to the point of holding the bird.
Keeping their wings clipped is a MUST if you plan to tame, and the use of gloves probably wont get you anywhere...this means bites are on the horizon. Confidence, slow movements and patience!

5. Do I need to add a bowl for dust bathing/water bathing? (Apparently its decided by the preference of the bird, is that right?)

They like both, but Youll need to keep them clean. I used to offer my females water bowls all the time when they are on eggs, but preferred a light mist daily over bowls.

Feel free to ask more questions over a PM...I bred tiels for many years and I used to be a bird trainer at Sea World - I love talking about the stuff!

Beau

 

[Allisha]

1. Cockatiels actually thrive on a diet of seeds more than other parrots, but pellets are reccomended. Many people say that for pellets should be the main diet fora Cockatiel, but it is false. Too much pellets can eventually cause sicknesses. Fresh veggies should be his main diet. Make sure to look up toxic fruits and vegetables to them, though. Converting to pellets can be hard, but it is possible to do. I find that Zupreem helps picky birds transition. There are many ways to convert them to pellets, so looking up ideas might help. Seeds should only be offered in small amounts once they are fully transitioned to pellets if you choose to do so. Although grit isn't harmful, you don't need to provide grit. Grit should only be used when parrots eat the seed shells whole, without shelling them. Since Cockatiels shell their seeds, grit is unnecessary.

2. I think your Cockatiel should be housed inside. This is the safest place for it, because there are many predators eager to eat him. Also temperature fluctuations could affect him too. I am not so sure about the light thing, though...I think it would startle him.

3. Covering him would probably be best.

4. Avianman summed all of the questions up, so I won't answer this one as this could be the longest one to answer. XP. At the moment I have a Cockatiel and he was tortured with hands his whole life, so it will be a long time to train him. But now he loves my company as long as I don't touch him.

5. Yes you can provide a shallow dish of water or dust. Some may prefer to be misted instead, though. It all depends on the bird.

Hope this helps!!! Feel free to ask more.

 

[SeptemberQuail]

Thanks for the advice guys! I appreciate it!

Little Milo is doing nicely, and he seemed to settle in quite quickly as now he's happily climbing around the cage, playing with his bell and chirping. I managed to convince my parents to allow me to keep the cockatiel inside just before we got him, so I've arranged for him to be in the perfect spot in-which I believe is best since I didn't like the original idea of keeping him outside since outdoor cats tend to visit from time to time.

I think I'll stick with seeds then.

Its only been a week and he's already eating treats out of my hand, especially sunflower seeds, and he's hissing and biting less now than how he did a few days ago. He'll also willing continue to eat even with me sitting right next to his food dish. However, if there's no treat in my hand, even when I'm just changing his water or putting the cuttlebone back (he keeps standing on it and making it fall when he climbs around) he'll bite it. I think I'm getting there. He's wings were already clipped, but that was done by our family friend, and so... When his wings grow back, how would I clip them without trying to chase him around the cage with my hands trying to catch him? Would I use a towel?

And wow, I was wondering why there were so many seed shells in his food container. Any ideas on how to separate the seeds and the shells? He also drops a lot of seeds, but I can feed them to my quail.

Ooh misting. Sounds good to me, I'll try it out on him tomorrow. My quail's didn't mind getting misted on hot days, but my chicken was terrified of the spray bottle...

Once again, thanks guys. All answers were very helpful.

 

[Allisha]

I just empty Kiko's bowl when the shells of the seeds make up the majority of the food in the bowl.