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Okay, so you've decide to welcome a new member to the family and want to be sure you're prepared for the new addition. Here are some basic things that you should know BEFORE bringing your new tiel home. (ALWAYS research any animal you're considering adding to the family before buying, you may just discover that the pet is just not right for your family.) LIFESPAN Are you prepared for a commitment of 15-20 years or longer? This is the average lifespan of a cockatiel. I have heard of a few 30+ year olds before. BEHAVIOR Cockatiels are very intelligent, social companion birds. They will provide you with love and enjoyment throughout their life if you care for and love them properly. They enjoy being a part of the family and their activities. Even when you're just sitting watching TV they'll preen you, play with your jewelry or snuggle into your neck for a nap. They love to 'help' type on the key board while you're on the computer. At meal time watch out because if they see you eating you'll be sure to have a tiel on your plate in no time, haha. Many times I've had a tiel in my cereal bowl or sitting in the middle of my dinner and I always share so long as there's no salt or sugars in the food. Actually, this is a good way to get a picky eater to eat fresh foods if they won't touch them in their cage. Talk to them, play with them, give them head scritches, provide new toys. They need stimulation from you and toys. I rotate toys every few weeks so they don't become bored. Could you imagine what a depressing life you'd have if you were a bird stuck in a cage with nothing to do and no one paid any attention to you? Some tiels can learn to talk and are great at mimicking whistles. Normally the males are better at this than the females. BUT don't buy a tiel with the notion that it will become a talker because it may never learn a single word. Here are a few links where you'll find cockatiel sound clips. Grey Tiel sings in his outdoor cage male tiel sings piccolo solo Tchaikovsky's 4th symphony Reggie, male tiel sound/video clips Tiel singing the "Winnie The Pooh" theme song Stan whistles a tune and says "here kitty kitty" Should I Get Male or Female? One or Two? Some people don't mind either gender but some have a preference. Both make excellent lovable pets and each individual cockatiel whether it's male or female is a unique individual with very different personalities. Females tend to be quieter and more docile than males and can sometimes be more cautious. Males can be loud when singing but also tend to be more outgoing. Males are also the more likely of the two genders to learn to "talk" and are very good at learning whistle tunes. Females don't normally learn to talk. Cockatiels can be very happy living alone provided they have adequate exercise & stimulation. If you're away from the home during the day you can leave the radio or TV on low to help your cockatiel feel less alone but if you do work long hours or can't provide enough interaction then maybe a second tiel would be the best option. Tiels are flock birds and do enjoy the company of others. Usually once you own a cockatiel you can't seem to stop at just one. These little birds are such adored pets that a second, third, etc.. usually make their way into your home and your heart. Do you want 2 males, 2 females or one of each gender? In my opinion if you have no plans on breeding then get two of the same gender. They can live together happily provided you house them in a decent sized cage. If you do have one male & one female and have no plans on breeding then be prepared to deter them from reproducing or house them in cages side by side and allow them out of cage play time when someone is home to let them out. Should I Breed My Pet Cockatiel? COST Just because a cockatiel is small doesn't mean it's a cheap pet. Remember besides the cost of the bird these things will cost you:
CAGE & ACCESSORIES House your cockatiel(s) in the biggest size cage you can possibly afford and place in your home. They need room to exercise, to play, climb and spread their wings. A size of about 20" x 20" is probably the smallest size I'd go for 1 tiel and the bar spacing should be no greater than 3/4" because you don't want your tiel to get it's head stuck through the bars. The cage should also have all or some horizontal bars because tiels love to climb. Round cages are not a good idea and should be avoided, they cause anxiety. The cage floor should be covered with a metal grate to keep your tiels from picking at their droppings/spoiled food. I use black & white newspaper for the bottom of the cage, no colored flyers/papers. Also avoid using corn cob bedding as it is unsafe and unsanitary, it's a breeding ground for bacteria which will cause a lot of problems for your tiels health. Change the papers as often as needed, every few days or even daily if fresh foods have fallen to the bottom. Don't let it go longer than a week. The cage bottom should also be cleaned once a week and the cage should have a thorough cleaning/disinfecting at least once a month. I use a diluted bleach solution for this but please make sure everything is rinsed well afterwards. Your tiels cage should be equipped with several different size/shape/material perches. This ensures comfort and exercise for your tiels feet. It's also a good idea to have one cement perch in the cage to help keep your tiels nails from overgrowing (just because you add a cement perch does not mean that their nails never need to be trimmed). Do not use those sandpaper perch covers, they're too hard on a birds feet which will cause sores. Provide a few different toys but don't clutter the cage too much. It's also a good idea to periodically switch out toys with new ones. This is done to prevent boredom, how would you like to be stuck playing with the same toys day in and day out? I shop on-line at a few great toy suppliers here in Canada, Chewzy Beaks, Birdie Boredom Busters & Parrotdise Perch and I also like to make my own toys once in awhile. A night light is also a necessity. Cockatiels are prone to night frights and can do a lot of harm to themselves. A light source at night time seems to help alleviate some of these frights. Covering the cage as well also seems to help, so long as the light source is evident to your tiel in its cage. DIET I feed my tiels a variety of fresh foods (please never leave fresh food in the cage longer than 2 hours as it will spoil) along with a good quality seed, millet and fresh water daily. They also get some pellets sprinkled on top of their seed but they are definitely not a main source of food, they're more of a treat than a food source. I don't believe in feeding a strictly pellet diet. I believe in a varied diet of natural foods not man made synthetic ones. Besides nutritious food, your tiel will also need a cuttlebone and mineral block but they DO NOT need gravel or grit. Gravel can actually do more harm than good by impacting the crop. Gravel/grit is meant for birds who do not husk their seed, cockatiels do. NOTE: AVOID chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, avocado, onions & rhubarb leaves (toxic to everyone). Canned foods should also be avoided since they have a high sodium content. Why Food Is Better Than Pellets Poison Foods, Metals & Compounds Picture Of A Cockatiel Fed An All Seed Diet! GROOMING
All my babies are clipped prior to going to their new homes (unless otherwise requested) but not before they have mastered flying & landing. Clipping a tiels wings is not painful for them (just like us clipping our nails) but it must be done properly (only the primary feathers are trimmed) and evenly (for balance purposes). If you've never clipped before than please see your veterinarian or other qualified professional to do it for you & show you how. The feathers will grow back in after a molt and will need to be clipped again. There are pro's and con's when it comes to a clipped vs. a non-clipped tiel so please research what is best and speak to your vet about it. Why & How Do I Clip My Tiel's Wings?
Once in a while your tiel will need its nails trimmed. You can bring your tiel to someone or you can do it yourself. Be careful you don't hit the quick when trimming because birds bleed differently than we do, their blood does not clot as easily which can cause an emergency situation fast. If you happen to nick the vein you can apply flour to the area and then apply pressure for about 2-3 minutes. If you can't get the bleeding under control after 5 or so minutes then I would immediately seek a veterinarian for help.
Should not be necessary but sometimes (for a variety of reasons) a beak can become overgrown. If you think your tiels beak is overgrown then please make an appointment with your avian veterinarian for advise and a trim if needed. To keep your tiels beak in good condition always keep a cuttlebone & mineral block in their cage. Clipping Cockatiel Wings, Nails & Beaks
Your tiel will need a bath at least once or twice a week. This helps to keep your tiels feathers in good condition but also helps to keep the feather dust down. You can use a shallow dish or spray bottle for this. I like to use a plant mister for my tiels which you can find at any garden centre. CATS & BIRDS Since I own cats and tiels I think it is important to stress how dangerous a cat can be to your bird. Cats are hunters by nature and no matter how docile and serene your cat may be just remember that their instinct is to hunt and that's something that can't be bred out of them. Just imagine how tempting a small bird walking/flying around your home can be. Not only can a cat injure or kill a bird with it's teeth and claws but it can also kill the bird with just its saliva. Even if your cat just paws the bird the bird could die as quickly as 24 hours. All mammals carry a bacteria called Pasteurella that is harmless to other cats, dogs and humans but deadly to birds. You should never leave your birds unattended if there are other animals in the house that aren't contained in another room. If you are going to take your bird out of its cage for play time then the best thing to do is lock the cat up in another room. You are also going to need to teach your cat that the bird cage is off limits. The best method that has worked for me is a water bottle. The cat will eventually associate the cage with the water and will get the idea. HOUSEHOLD DANGERS Besides other animals there are many other dangers around the home. Birds also have very sensitive respiratory systems which make a lot of things in your home dangerous to them that you may not realize.
In my home I choose to use Seventh Generation cleaning products. These products work very well and are free of VOC gases and toxic chemicals. Teflon Toxicity (PTFE Toxicosis) in Birds FINAL NOTE Please remember that these beautiful intelligent little birds thrive on attention, love and proper care. If you can't provide these things then please reconsider bringing one into your life. They are not a bird that likes to sit in a cage all day to amuse you, if that is more your bird then please consider a finch or canary. |
