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So do you feed bird seed along with that? and if so, how much?
Earlier you talked about bird “breeds.” This brings up an important difference between birds and most other commonly kept pet animals: they aren’t different breeds, they are actually different species. Each evolved in a different environment, and has different dietary needs (unlike different breeds of dogs and cats).
Parakeets and cockatiels evolved in the dry Australian outback, and in nature seeds of various sorts do make up the bulk of their diets. They will both eat greens, but not in large quantities, and they will both drink less water than many other bird species (although of course clean, fresh water should always be available to them).
My birds are conures, small parrots that evolved in the forests of South America. In their natural environment seed would be only a minor part of their diet, but they’d eat a lot of different fruits and greenery, as well as the occasional insect. So I feed a lot more fruits and veggies to my two, and strictly limit the amount of seed they get, as too much isn’t healthy for them. A healthy diet for your cockatiel would make my conures sick. With birds, diet has to be tailored to each species; there’s no avian equivalent to Purina Dog Chow which will keep every type of bird healthy.
Oh, and here’s a tip: you don’t necessarily need to swap out your bird’s seed daily, but do take a good, close look at what’s actually in the dish. Parrots tend to stand on the edge of the dish, pick up a seed, and after opening it drop the empty seed hull back into the dish. So a “full” dish may actually be only full of chaff, with no actual seeds left in the dish! So you always want to check.
So do you feed bird seed along with that? and if so, how much?
My birds get one dish of chopped veggies and fruits (swapped out daily) and a second dish filled to the brim that contains 25% Higgens Safflower Gold for conures (a mix of seeds and various dried fruits, contains no sunflowers), 25% Higgens Sunburst for conures (a similar mix, but this does contain sunflower seeds), 25% Roudybush Maintenance Diet (small pellets), 25% Harrison’s Adult Lifetime Diet (a different brand of small pellets), and about a teaspoon of finely ground mint/herbal tea mixed in. I only swap this dish out about every 6-7 days (although I check its contents daily to make sure it actually still contains food and not just seed hulls), because birds can be like picky children and I want them to have to eat the “yucky but good for you” stuff (the pellets) and not just the “ice cream and cake” ( the seeds, especially the sunflower seeds). They ALWAYS have access to food and fresh water, just not unlimited access to the most nutritionally problematic stuff (which for my pair would be sunflower seed). Occasionally I may add a very small amount of crumbled hard-boiled egg or grated hard cheese to the veggie bowl as a treat, but I don’t do that very often.
Find out what your breeder has been feeding your new friend, and start out with that. Slowly supplement with a good brand of pellets, as they are nutritionally better than seed alone, and add a small amount of some fresh greens a couple of times a week, and you’ll have a happy and healthy cockatiel.
My birds get one dish of chopped veggies and fruits (swapped out daily) and a second dish filled to the brim that contains 25% Higgens Safflower Gold for conures (a mix of seeds and various dried fruits, contains no sunflowers), 25% Higgens Sunburst for conures (a similar mix, but this does contain sunflower seeds), 25% Roudybush Maintenance Diet (small pellets), 25% Harrison’s Adult Lifetime Diet (a different brand of small pellets), and about a teaspoon of finely ground mint/herbal tea mixed in. I only swap this dish out about every 6-7 days (although I check its contents daily to make sure it actually still contains food and not just seed hulls), because birds can be like picky children and I want them to have to eat the “yucky but good for you” stuff (the pellets) and not just the “ice cream and cake” ( the seeds, especially the sunflower seeds). They ALWAYS have access to food and fresh water, just not unlimited access to the most nutritionally problematic stuff (which for my pair would be sunflower seed). Occasionally I may add a very small amount of crumbled hard-boiled egg or grated hard cheese to the veggie bowl as a treat, but I don’t do that very often.
Find out what your breeder has been feeding your new friend, and start out with that. Slowly supplement with a good brand of pellets, as they are nutritionally better than seed alone, and add a small amount of some fresh greens a couple of times a week, and you’ll have a happy and healthy cockatiel.
Because in the wild they'd be consuming some aromatics (in small quantities), in addition to the sorts of fruits and veggies we tend to grow. It's just a supplement, not an essential part of their diet.
Because in the wild they'd be consuming some aromatics (in small quantities), in addition to the sorts of fruits and veggies we tend to grow. It's just a supplement, not an essential part of their diet.
So I bought the bird home, and he just sat on a perch with his back towards me, for a while he was interested in my voice, as I sat by the cage for awhile, but then fluffed himself up, turned his head around and put his beak in his wing feathers. I sat by his cage and played music softly, also played some cockatiels whistling...and talking, chirping and such.
I called the pet store, they said, he is most likely stressed from the ride home and the new surroundings....
to let him sleep and to give him up to two weeks to get used to my voice, while sitting by the cage....then after I should start putting my hand in the cage....
I hope he becomes adjusted, I've been playing classical music for him softly....and covered the cage around 8 pm with his cape.
She told me he was hand raised and he should warm up to me quickly...so hopefully he will. I plan on leaving music on for him when I leave...
His name is Giz
Thanks to all of you for all your advice....in the future, any more advice would be welcomed.
Just curious is he old enough to be eating entirely on his own or his he still getting 1 or more hand feeding per day ? Hand fed birds, even if already weaned, tend to become very attached to their owners and that is a good thing. Don't give up trying to interact with him, even if you don't take him out of the cage yet. Best wishes.
I have had both parakeets [ more than 12 at a time ] and 1 cockatiel.
the cockatiel is a larger, more durable bird that will live quite a few more years than a parakeet. The hardest part, is gaining the skills and patience to clip toenails and if you choose, feathers. I feel the wings only need to be clipped the first year or two. When your bird "loves you" they can ride around on your shoulder, nuzzle your cheek, and they wouldnt dream of flying away. (Also, be real - a domestic bird eats 3+ times a day gets fat and doesnt fly often so the breast muscles atrophy. Wild birds GOTTA FLY to stay alive.)
My birds were trained well enough that when sundown came, they would voluntarily go back inside their cage (I had build a rooftop playground/playpen, they were free to exit the cage at any time. A cover helps them go to sleep, but dont worry theyre birds so they will get up with the dawn (unless you live in a cave with no windows).
For diet, I recommend the widest variety you can provide, that stimulates the birds' mind as well - same as variety of toys and climbing apparatus + perches. For instance: actual branches from a peach tree are a tremendously satisfying experience for the bird to strip the bark and nibble the leaves. A machine smoothed wooden dowel is no fun and doesnt provide a variety of footholds and positions and thicknesses.
1 bird = it will be dependant on you for stimulation and play and more inclined to learn how to talk or whistle. My dad had a signature whistle he used to feed the dogs, eventually the cockatiel was an impressive mimic - much to the irritation of the dogs.
One clear advantage to birds: they can detect seismic waves moving thru the earth's crust better than CalPoly Pomona's million dollar earthquake equipment. Living in Earthquake country my whole life, my birds always gave me a 7-second warning before the earthquake hit. They had a signature, panic squawk reserved just for earthquakes.
My birds were 15 very happy years of my life. But they sure do poop alot.
You can potty train a bird. It takes a lot of work and you need to ave a bird that wants to please you. But it can be done. A lot of it is training you so you realize when they need to go and hold them over a garbage can or out the window.
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