I'm getting a cockatiel!

[wolfsoul]

Did I even spell it right? hahaha

Odd how my mom won't even let me get a 5 dollar buddy for Icarus, yet she's letting me buy a 70 dollar bird!! Still need to do more begging I guess

Well, we were at the petshop, and I called her over to the tiels to show her the prettiest one. It was very thin (not in a bad way) and was a beautiful dark grey, but it had yellow spots all over it's head! SOOO gorgeous.

So I said "You know you want one..." And she's like, "Yeah, I'm not going to pay that much for a bird." I'm like, "I will."

So she said that the money I make dog walking can go towards the bird, and she's not paying anything. I'm converting the rats' outdoor cage to a bird cage (we never use it anyways, it's too hot outside) and I already have some seed and I'll need to get a double dish and other things.

Too bad the bird I want will probably be gone by the time I get 70 dollars I don't even have a dog walking job yet If it isn't there, then maybe I'll go over to the cheaper pet store and get one there. My heart is really set on this one bird though. I think it was younger, and it just kept looking at me.

I want to name it Lupe (Lu-pay) but what if it's a boy? Is that a boy name too? Also, how do I know what sex it is? Don't worry, I'll do tons of research, but if you have any sites for me, that would be great!

Thanks

[RockyRoad]

I don't know anything about birds, so I can't be of much help, but I just want to say congrats! Good luck coming up with the money, I'm sure you will.

[GoldenRetrLuver]

You lucky bum! I hope you get it! You could go to the vet and ge it "sexed", that way you know if its a girl or a boy. You should PM popcornbird...

[apcrs5122]

Congrats! I want a tiel really bad. The only way to be sure of the sex of a bird is to get it DNA tested, but with tiels, females tend to have yellow markings on the underside of their wings. Males tend to be more vocal, and brighter colored (I think about the color). I think Lupe is a really cool name, and it could be a boy or girl name. PCB will probably have lots of info for you

[tikeyas_mom]

you are so lucky, my mom said I can have a cockateil, a budgie, or a finch but only ONE and it has to stay in MY room and it has to be payed with MY own money, I am leaning toward finch because cockatiels are hard to care for and need constant attenion and the one I have now is evil . Budgies I am not really fond of "other then spanky miss you baby". I have never had a finch befor so, I might try them pluse they are cheep lol. The cockatiel at total pet are hissy and mean jordan, good luck .

[popcornbird]

Originally posted by tikeyas_mom
you are so lucky, my mom said I can have a cockateil, a budgie, or a finch but only ONE and it has to stay in MY room and it has to be payed with MY own money, I am leaning toward finch because cockatiels are hard to care for and need constant attenion and the one I have now is evil . Budgies I am not really fond of "other then spanky miss you baby". I have never had a finch befor so, I might try them pluse they are cheep lol. The cockatiel at total pet are hissy and mean jordan, good luck .

A finch over a cockatiel? Wow. LOL Although I love finches, I wouldn't ever take one over a tiel or other *parrot*. They aren't easy to tame, and they don't like to play or hang out with people as tiels do. I don't see how cockatiels would be harder to care for than a finch though. Its just that cockatiels need/love more attention, and are much more friendly and intelligent. BTW, for a finch, you MUST have a pair and not one. Finches are not like parrots who like human companionship and are happy single. They NEED a finch companion, so getting ONE finch should be out of the question.

Wolfsoul, how cool! Congrats! Just one thing. You mention your rats old outdoor cage.........

You need to make sure the bar spacing is right for a bird. They shouldn't be *squares*, and they should be spaced 1/2-3/4 and inch apart. The bird should NOT be kept outdoors for many reasons. First of all, birds are strictly indoor pets, unless provided with a secure, weather-proof aviary. 2nd, they will be wild and will fear humans if kept outdoors. 3rd, there are MANY dangers for a little bird being outside, even if its in a cage. 4th, birds kept outdoors are prone to getting diseases from wild birds or from cold/hot weather. Lastly, cockatiels are tropical birds and may not do well outside in different climates. I don't know if you are keeping him outside, but I just thought I'd mention. Cockatiels are VERY sweet companion birds and love to spend time with their humans, riding on their shoulders, singing and dancing, talking and whistling, giving kisses and cuddling etc. They are NOT hissy, unless they aren't giving enough love and attention, or if they were neglected in previous life, as in the case of Cheeko, who had other owners before coming to Tikeyas mom's home.

You mentioned you already have seed. How long have you had these seeds, and what kind are they? Seeds in the pet store are made according to the nutritional needs of each specie, so you need to feed them fresh COCKATIEL seed, and not just *any* seeds. Also, seeds are not enough of a diet for a tiel. They need to eat more pellets, veggies, whole grain bread, etc. along with seeds for their nutritional needs.

Cockatiels need a lot of interaction and live long (20-25 years average, but many live well into their 30s.) Getting a cockatiel is a life-long responsibility and you need to be prepared for that.

[tikeyas_mom]

hee hee popcorn, I guess I'll have to talk to my mom about two. . I dought it though, If I cant get two I wont get any because there are 10 in a small cage for 13$ each at pampered pets near by. they probably would miss eachother.

[tikeyas_mom]

psssttt: jordan read your pms.. hee hee *giggle*

[wolfsoul]

Don't worry, I won't leave the bird outside. I just put the cage in my room today. (Boy, was it a hassle!! Wouldn't fit through my door!) The wire on the top is 1.7 cm wide, as well as on the sides of the cage, but on the bottom the spaces are very small, much less than a cm wide (Can't find my good ruler??). If it's too big, I have some other wire that I can use to double it up...I still need to get some of those wood rod things to put across the inside..

Don't worry, I know to feed a variety of foods (I have rats, remember? lol ). The bird seed is new, I bought it for the rats (It has stupid corn in it, so I have to pick it out because the rats can't have it..Is corn okay for tiels?). It's not cockatiel seed, so I guess I'll have to get that...It's just wild bird seed...Gee, I thought all bird seed was the same *doh* LOL. It doesn't even have an ingredient list...aggh..

What kind of pellets are the best? Do tiels and budgies have almost the same diet? (This really cheap store sells Hartz budgie food for two bucks a bag! I want it lol. And is Hartz an okay brand?)

I'm very big on variety, so there's no problem with that. My rats only get what I think of as the best, and I'm always trying to make it better. My rats and bird will have to share foods too lol.

*trying to think of more questions*...hmmm...

[CathyBogart]

I don't know about the corn, but variety is the spice of life, so maybe you could mix some of this in with the regular 'tiel seed periodically? Along with lots of fresh stuff, we like to give the birds at work a variety of seeds and pellets. (The Ringneck 'Keets, for example, LOVE Parrotlet seed, so we mix a little bit in with their normal food about once a week.)

I LOVE making birdie 'salads' in the mornings. It's my favorite opening duty. Twice a week our bird lady goes to the grocery store across the street and gets all sorts of stuff for them! Of course, I sample almost all of it.... *laughs*

[wolfsoul]

Originally posted by WolfChan
I LOVE making birdie 'salads' in the mornings. It's my favorite opening duty. Twice a week our bird lady goes to the grocery store across the street and gets all sorts of stuff for them! Of course, I sample almost all of it.... *laughs*

Oooh, I give the ratties salads every once in a while! I take shredded romaine letucce, I chop up baby carrots, and I squeeze tomato juice all over it. Then I add croutons lol. They LOVE croutons, especially when I dip them in olive oil. Is this an okay salad for a tiel? (minus the olive oil, I don't put that in the salad lol)

[popcornbird]

Corn is okay for tiels, its actually good for them. My tiels LOVE corn! I usually give them the canned one, which is boiled corn. They LOVE it! Since you have wild bird seed, do NOT give it to the tiels. Wild bird seed may have certain things that are not meant for pet birds, and it may not be good for them. Leave the wild bird seed to the wild birds. All bird seed is NOT the same. LOL Your wire cage sounds like its spacing is too big for a tiel, which can be dangerous. As for doubling its wires, that's not recommended for birds, because it can be hazardous to their safety. I would recommend buying a new cage made for cockatiels, because rat cages are made for rats, not birds. The cage should have a tray at the bottom on which you can put a sheet of newspaper as their litter. The spacing should be 1/2-3/4 and inch..........no more, and no less. There should be at least two sides with horizontal bars. Cages with all verticle bars are fine as long as they have a horizontal bar going after about 5-6 inches or so. If there are no or too few horizontal bars, the bird can have difficulty climbing. The cage should be at least twice the wing span of the bird in width, and twice-3 times the length of the bird (head to tail) in height. It should be made of sturdy, non-toxic material, and preferably made for birds. You can find wonderful bird cages at almost any pet store, and they are usually made to look pretty also. Personally I wouldn't use a rat cage for a tiel, but is it possible that you can post a picture?
I've never fed my tiels Hartz so I don't know much about it. I feed them Kaytee and Zupreem, but recommended by my avian vet.

My birdies' favorite salad consists of broccoli, peas, cauliflower, corn, and carrots. Not oils/juices added. They LOVE it!

[wolfsoul]

How much is a cm compared to an inch? lol I'm no math expert. I'll go and take a pic right now....It isn't what I would call a bird cage or a rat cage, really. I suppose I would call it...a rabbit cage? lol...not too sure. It's a square...and it has a tray at the bottom...and it stands a bot off the ground. I'll brb and get a pic of it.

Is budgie food alright for tiels? The store that I'm talking about only sells budgie food...

[wolfsoul]

I took some pics, I'm saving them now. The camera is messed, it made my pics' colour all weird Anywhos, my computer is being screwy, so if I'm not back in ten, assume it won't work for me lol.

I even got some piccies of Frisco-boy on it, so you can see the size compred to him.

[wolfsoul]

okay, ummm excuse the odd colouration. My computer is stupid. I've been trying to post pics forever! I think my computer might have a virus I've been fighting with it all day...

Here goes...theis first pic is just the cage.. I have more with Frisco on/in it..