Why does Cockatiel act COOCOO inside cage

[Fluffypuffy587]

I got a new Male Cockatiel in March. The 2nd day I had him he screamed till I let him out. He wasnt friendly at all and when I picked him up he bit me really hard till I had bloody bite marks and claws marks down my arm and hands. I was able to tame him completely on that same day. I just worked really hard on it. Now he gets really excited to see me and begs and cries till I let him out. I can not pick him up at all till he comes out. If I stick my had in his cage to get him out he goes spastic. When he comes out on top of cage I just pick him up. he kisses me, crawls on me and tolerates a few moments of me rubbing his head and giving him a "bird hug". But when he is in his cage and I have to reach to get him out or feed him its a different story. So I try to avoid sticking my hand in his cage unless he is willing to come out. Should I bother with getting him use to my hands in his cage or let it alone and have it be a safe haven for him? I just dont want him to be afraid of me. I do love him allot

He is in a cage with 2 parakeets. They are both very friendly and were hatched and hand raised by myself. They dont care if I stick my hands in the cage...they rather like me doing that...So they absolutely love it when I play with them with their toys.

 

[ladybirdb12]

What you have going on is normal, the cage is his house, his safe haven that he CONTROLS. Just open the door and let him come out, you are respecting his wishes, parrots are not like dogs or cats, having a bird they tend to own you, and the both of you can or will be best freinds, but as best freinds respect each others wishes.
I wouldn't put the cockatail in the same cage with the buggies, one little tiff and something bad will happen.I have buggies that will rip my cockatails up, lol size don't matter.
Training a cockatail in one day is amazing, most of the time it takes days, birds don't like change pushed in to them,
As for feeding, you can get his food ready when he is outside of his cage playing and he don't see you. Or you can put something that scares him like stuff animals on top of his cage, he knows about fingers but he has no ideal about that thing on top of his cage that might kill him in his eyes. Then take it off when your done and hide it so, he will not get used to it.I have an African grey that gets very mad if I put my hand inside his cage, but I use a T stick to get him to step up, or he goes on top of his cage where I can pick him up.but if I have some one that taking care of him when I am not home for a few days, I tell them to use the stuff animals trick he has not bit anyone that feeds him by using this.
please get him or the buggies a new cage, one day and I WILL HAPPEN YOU WILL HAVE A TOE MISSING FROM ONE OF YOUR BIRDS.
They can play together on a playpen, because they can run to get away if they fight.
also clip their wings, I am saying this because I lost my beloved buddy due to my stupidness and 8 years later I am still greiving.
some people don't know this, but if you have toys DO NOT USE A MIRROR, they will bond to their image.
enjoy your friend,

 

[ladybirdb12]

Oh here's some fun things that also helps with bonding and its very fun
when your having dinner or any meals, have a plate for him, they love rice, whole wheat bread and they have a great time with popcorn(no salt or butter)
When my birds are out, we have a popcorn party!!!!! I put a sheet down on the floor and a bowel of popcorn lol its a blast watching them rip and throw the popcorn everywhere. This also shows them that your a flock member. Of course, I have more then three birds lets just say I have many and everyone is my best friend.
Eggs are good for them to with the egg shell cooked with it, just no butter or salt.

Here some fun toys to, string cherrios (cearl) and put it in the cage plus string popcorn.this keeps them busy and lol they watching you clean up their mess, you can see them laughing as they throw another piece on the floor. LOL JUST BIRD HUMOR.

Last post I meant to spell buggies to budgie lol cant spell with a darn

 

[Fluffypuffy587]

What you have going on is normal, the cage is his house, his safe haven that he CONTROLS. Just open the door and let him come out, you are respecting his wishes, parrots are not like dogs or cats, having a bird they tend to own you, and the both of you can or will be best freinds, but as best freinds respect each others wishes.
I wouldn't put the cockatail in the same cage with the buggies, one little tiff and something bad will happen.I have buggies that will rip my cockatails up, lol size don't matter.
Training a cockatail in one day is amazing, most of the time it takes days, birds don't like change pushed in to them,
As for feeding, you can get his food ready when he is outside of his cage playing and he don't see you. Or you can put something that scares him like stuff animals on top of his cage, he knows about fingers but he has no ideal about that thing on top of his cage that might kill him in his eyes. Then take it off when your done and hide it so, he will not get used to it.I have an African grey that gets very mad if I put my hand inside his cage, but I use a T stick to get him to step up, or he goes on top of his cage where I can pick him up.but if I have some one that taking care of him when I am not home for a few days, I tell them to use the stuff animals trick he has not bit anyone that feeds him by using this.
please get him or the buggies a new cage, one day and I WILL HAPPEN YOU WILL HAVE A TOE MISSING FROM ONE OF YOUR BIRDS.
They can play together on a playpen, because they can run to get away if they fight.
also clip their wings, I am saying this because I lost my beloved buddy due to my stupidness and 8 years later I am still greiving.
some people don't know this, but if you have toys DO NOT USE A MIRROR, they will bond to their image.
enjoy your friend,

.No this acctually not my first time putting a Cockatiel in with Parakeets. My first cockatiel ever loved the parakeets and it became very difficult to separate them as he would cry because they were friends. Same thing with what I got going. But they also love me so much that when I open the door they fly on my head and I have to pry them out of my hair... They have an extremely large cage to roam in. They are very social animals and need lots of attention if they have no other friend or mate to look at other then their own reflection. Thats more of an obssesive behavior if they arnt given any attention. And its not a problem for me. They get plenty of play time outside of cage.

I just found it very odd that he goes nuts inside cage. but when hes out he is calm as can be.

Haha yeah they gets lots of snacks. cereal, unbuttered popcorn, pieces of bisquits. Everytime I eat cereal Tweety my Male Parakeet tries to dive head first into my bowl. He fell in once when he was 6 weeks old 0.o. lol,, I ate granola bars and accidently left the packages on the table. They were shiney rappers. And when I came back Tweety was trieing to take a bath in them. He thought it was water? lol. It was really funny

 

[Fluffypuffy587]

But ty for tips. I will just have to get use to a pet that is flighty and respect the boundries of one whom was not hand tamed by myself. He is a sweet bird regardless =D Posted a pic of him in my byc album. Plus one of them all together

 

[ladybirdb12]

I was thinking, maybe if you can try this, if he likes millet then only give him millet on your hand inside the cage, maybe work with him that way
Another way I use a bottle of water that has a jet stream and every time he goes for your hand inside the cage spray him of course saying no bite, soon all you have to do is show him the bottle
I say this because I have a VERY MOODY LOVEBIRD LOL and when I put my hand inside to change her food, she attacks (during nesting time) so I show her the bottle and she hides in her tent.
My birds knows the the bottle either to hush or training them to stay off the floor,plus training them stay away from the dog.
I never handfeed a budgie boy I bet that was hard, I handfeed a cockatail that' just popped out of an egg and for that's stressful tiny little beaks.

 

[Fluffypuffy587]

Yeah I can do that

And I learned something that works great instead of a water bottle. If you are wondering how I got him to like the parakeets I will tell you. He absolutely couldnt stand them when I got him. Well because they can be annoying sometimes lol. I put him next to their cage for 3 straight months. He could see them and they could see him with the protection of the bars. One day he seem quite interested and was even whistling at them. I open his door and let him on top of their cage. I added a mirror on the top as a distraction area. I let the parakeets out keep the parakeets door open so if they get scared they can go back in the cage. When he hissed or acted like he might bite one I stuck my palm right up in his face and said no. I did it for 15 minutes. Half the time he was distracted by his own reflection =P. everyday I let him out with them a little longer and longer. Kept sticking my palm in his face saying no. Eventually he got the Idea hey its not cool to pick on the smaller guys. They get allong just fine now and actually will kiss them and whistle at them.
Instead of an object your body is more of the enforcer and you are the boss. he isnt. =P

 

[Fluffypuffy587]

Are you have problems with birds biting? I read allot on it when I had that problem before I did it. You cant be afraid of pain. If its a parrot though I certainly wouldnt go out of my way and say to try this if you plan on have a severed finger lol

You stick your hand in the birds cage and turn you hand into a fist and put it in the birds face (birds react to fingers if its a huge fist well then its a sign you are bigger then the bird). If it bites you dont react or freak out. I have seen so many times people are so scared when a little bitty bird is going to bite you. Its not going to kill you its just a little birdy. If the bird bites you gently push your fist into the birds beak. if the bird bites let it bite you. It has to know that cage is yours and not the birds. The bird isnt flying or frightened. It just knows if it bites you you will leave the cage.

Same thing with chaseing outside of cage. Dont be afraid pick that bird up and hold or even hug it without giving the bird a reaction when it bites. When it stops bitting it seems to calm right down in your hands and its a different bird. It seriously took me one day to get Boobear to like me.


But the one I posted before hand and this one work good. I figured I would do different things for dif situations

 

[ladybirdb12]

Wow you did great!! The work you did to get boobear liking the budgies and yes that makes a lot of since,
as for me getting bit oh no am not afraid lol I have a grey, cockatoo and a macaw.it has happen and it will happen again most of the times is not watching the body language that they give.
I have many cockatails, lovebirds and three budgies, I hand raised cockatails and sometimes lovebirds
As for training with a water bottle, it works with a lot of training, like my lovebird (Gizmo) when you read up on lovebirds, during nesting time they are very protected over their cage, Gizmo is a female she is more aggressive, then a male lovebird,keep in mind she does not have a mate, she was handfeed loved out all the time very spoilled. But nature called and she was building a nest in her cage, its like she couldn't help herself, she had to protect her space, her food dishes is heavey ceramic dishes as the plastic was being tossed as toys lol. If I do get bit, yes I take her out cup her in my hands lol sometimes upside down they like that. I do not want to bother her if she is nesting and laying eggs, that might stress her out and could get egg bind.
My first lovebird that I hand raised his name is Chripy, anyone can pick him up he wont bite,he was raised with a cockatail named Scuffy both males and they bonded, they are not protective over there cage at all.
My cockatoo (Lady) when I got her she was 6months old,I did my homework before I got her and my best friend had got one a year before me, I learner WHAT NOT TO DO as my friend was going crazy with a very loud bird at all times of the day.
I was lucky to be able to stay home (didn't need to work) my house was quiet,so Lady grew up in a quiet house, yes I had kids but they were quiet to.I taught lady how to play by herself, I had a box of toys on the bed and I just watched her play. Cockatoos are very demanding of very moment of time that you have. Also the spray bottle came in the training, keeping her off one of the tables which was for the two cockatails we had and it had stuff on it that she could eat though.I taught her not to scream still using the bottle, reason If cockatoo screams are you going to scream back? NO THATS WHAT THEY WANT, attention, they scream at their mate sitting right next to them, so using a bottle you say hush very softly and then show the bottle,lol I do have a very quiet cockatoo she is 16 year old I never raise my voice to her. She loves everyone.

I will tell you more tomorrow its really late and I have my pepper (cockatails)wanting to go to bed .talk with ya later

 

[ladybirdb12]

Your method of training is great. Have you ever thought about giving a cockatoo a forever home? There is so many that needs someone like you.
As for the way I train mine its about the same, it is giving love. Plus understanding birds (parrots) each type of parrots the breed is different but the very and most important is showing them love,respecting their wishes.
A lovebird is so different from a cockatail but they both need lots of love.
a cockatoo is so much different then a macaw but they still need that love.
I have alot of birds, and I have to treat them the same so hence the bottle.
at times I will have about ten cockatails on my lap, a cockatoo under my chin and a lovebird hiding in my hair lol everyone is getting love.