thinking about buying a cockatiel, help needed

[sana]

Thank You soo much Bonny! I really hope I get the talking one

Well, I have another question. How many times should I feed them in a day?

Well, about being its flock, I'll be happy to do that! My summer vacations end on 8th September, so hopefully, I'll be able to spend a lot of time with the birdies.

Please pray I get them real soon!!! I've asked my dad and he says we can buy them!!

I have a small other question. Should I buy the cage from the petstore, or have it made myself?

[Bonny]

I feed my birds once a day in the morning. They get their water dish rinsed out & cleaned before I put fresh water in each day. The fruit like apples gets put in the morning & taken out the end of the day. They also will need a cuttle bone to attach to the side of the cage. That is a form of calcium. Do not feed the cockatiels sand or grit it will pack their crops. Some books may say that but they can end up with an impacted crop.

The cage came from the pet store. It is a cage made for cockatiels. The bars in the cage vary in size these are approximately a half inch. The cage measures 24x17x17 1/2 inches. The cage has a white coating on the bars.
Make sure the bars of the cage are not lead. Lead will kill the birds it is very toxic for them. The birds use their beaks to move around the bars so can end up with lead poisoning that way. They also like to use their beaks to play with toys. Make sure the toys do not have lead in them or lead paint on the toys.

There are larger cages too. It depends on how many birds you put in the cage. I had only one cockatiel in the cage for the size I just mentioned.

You just never know if these birds will talk. My hen whistled & I learned her whistle & would whistle back. I called it our flock call. She would whistle when she heard me come home & greet me. I just loved her so much & still miss her terribly. These birds are so sweet & they just tug at your heart strings.

I will warn you though. It took a year & a half before my hen trusted me. She was a rescue & had been abused. If you buy young hand fed birds it will be an easier transition. You have to win their trust with lots of patience.

They can also bite & grab your finger or hand if they become irritated in some way, where they don't want to be handled. They can learn a step up onto your index finger. I would put my index finger down by my hens feet & ask her to step up.

A well check by your veterinary would be good also. If you can find a book about cockatiels at your local library or the pet store should have one to purchase it would be a good idea.

[BitsyNaceyDog]

Cockatiels are great pets!

You asked about feeding... Birds need to have food always available to them. A pelleted diet is best (I prefer non-colored pellets). If your birds have been on a seed diet prior to your purchasing them, and you decide to switch them to pellets, you'll need to take some time to wean them. Some birds wean onto pellets faster than others. I've found cockatiels to wean pretty quickly (several days/couple weeks).

Fresh fruit and vegetables are also great. My birds love leafy greens hung from the side of the cage, apples, peas, corn, jalapenos, the list goes on and on. Birds definitely have their preferences. You may have to offer things to them time and time again to see what they like. None of my birds like bananas, however my friend's bird loves them more than anything else. Unlike Bonny's cockatiel, mine prefer vegetables over fruit. It really does vary from bird to bird. Mine also like pasta (I prefer multi-grain).

Birds can also be picky as to how they get their food. One of my birds will not eat fresh fruits and vegetables from a bowl. I have a couple hanging toys that I put her fresh food in and she eats beautifully from those.

You asked if males can be housed together... Yes, they can! A pair of males is what I usually suggest people get. Females are great, but their egg laying can be problematic. As for sexing, it depends on the color morph and the age of the bird. Some cockatiels can be visually sexed very easily, others cannot be sexed visually at all. Cockatiels can be kept alone, but generally keeping 2 together is better.

Toys are also important. Bells and mirrors are favorites! Bird toys can be expensive to buy, but you can make a lot yourself. Twine and rawhide string are great places to start, then just get creative. Old keys, large beads, and old dog tag, etc. can all become great toys. Birds can also get easily board with their toys so it's great to change them often. They can play with cardboard toilet paper tubes and things like that too.

They also love to be misted with water. (If you mist them in their cage, be sure to take their food out so it doesn't get wet.)

[sana]

Thank YOU!! We have looots of toys, my nephew have a whole carton of them, Thank God so, I don't think I'll need to buy many birdie toys

We have sprays, that I can use to mist the birdies.I wonder what my birdies would like, veggies or fruits? Hope its both!

Did you get their cage from a Petstore?

[BitsyNaceyDog]

Yes, I've mostly gotten my cages from pet stores. I've ordered a couple online too (they come disassembled).