Some questions about my Cockatiel (feeding, bedtime)

[zigzag]

Hello everyone,

I just joined what looks like a great resource for bird lovers and am excited about being a part of the community here!

I've owned a budgy and a cockatiel before, but when moving we had to give them away unfortunately. Now, I've just bought another cockatiel, but its been quite a few years since... even named it the same, Freddie :)

I have a few questions...

Currently, he's a very picky eater, I have both a seed mix and pellets... but I cannot get him to eat most of the seeds, he only eats the ones he likes (tiny ones), much less pellets! I'd like to get him onto a pellet diet (mostly), what are the best ways to go about doing this? He's been living here for just over a week now and seems to be getting well used to both me and the surroundings. He is 1 year old this July.

Another question is about bed time... I noticed a thread here regarding it, but I couldn't find an answer within it. I go to bed fairly late (its 2:09 AM now) and I am afraid I am keeping Freddie up... will he get used to going to bed before me once he is more accustomed to his new home? I cover his cage, but I don't think he sleeps until I do. Is this bad? Any suggestions?

Finally, what would other cockatiel owners here recommend as the best snack foods for rewards?


Thanks!!!

[smallonion]

Congrats on your new birdie. You are asking all the right questions. I will let someone else answer the question about converting to pellets, because it can be complicated. Your bird should also be eating fruit and vegetables - but no avocado - it's poisonous to birds of the parrot family, which cockatiels are.

Parrots need approximately 12 hours of darkness at night. So I do think you should put Freddie to bed earlier. It might also be a good idea to put him to bed in another room if you are up making noise and keeping the light on. My bird, Humphrey, lives in the living room, but when she goes to bed (around 9:30, and I wake her up around 9:30 in the morning), I carry her in her cage to another room, cover her, and shut out the lights. That way my husband and i can talk, have the light and television on, etc. You'll probably find your bird is happier if he gets enough sleep. I think lots of others here will have more to add.

Best of luck with your new tiel.

Michele and Humphrey

[Tiki]

Mine won't eat pellets either, I think tiels just don't like them. I give mine a tiel mix with vitamin enrichment, toast, broccoli, sometimes corn-they are fussy with veggies too. They love millet sprays and I will give them a few sunflower seeds as treats from my hand. They are free-flying in an indoor aviary so they get plenty of exercise.

[Takoda]

All of my cockatiels eat at least 50% pellets. They go back and forth between Kaytee and Zupreem, depending upon which I can get ahold of at the time. I find most people just give up on their birds eating pellets pretty easily and cave in to the bird. What I use whenever I have this problem is the month long conversion process. If you have an older bird, it will take more time. Every bird is different.

Week 1: 25% pellet, 75% seeds
Week 2: 50/50
Week 3: 75% pellet, 25% seeds
Week 4: Mostly pellet with seed treats (which is what you're aiming for)

You can also try removing the seed for a few hours with nothing but pellets available. You can also try birdie bread, and mix in pellets instead of seeds. The key is perserverance! Cockatiels are extremely curious by nature, they will eventually try the pellets.

My cockatiels love veggies; they aren't too fond of fruits, but generally like dehydrated fruits. The veggies my cockatiels especially love are broccoli, kale, zucchini, peas... they don't tend to like carrots, although with a few of them it's just how I cut them. Some like sticks, others like chunks, some just don't care for carrots. A well balanced diet for your cockatiel should consist of pellets, veggies, fruits, grains and pastas, and a bit of seed. If you can find an awesome seed mix (meaning it has a couple dozen different kinds of seed) then I'd probably give a little more. Most of the pet store seed mixes are extremely limited in the variety they offer. Don't think that allowing your bird free flight time makes up for eating a mostly seed diet - you're never going to be able to recreate the amount of flight they get in the wild. And you will find it very difficult to offer the variety of foods they eat in the wild too, particularly, as stated, the seeds.

Treatwise, my birds enjoy Cheerios, nutri puffs (good for the tubby birds too!), spaghetti....

If you are going to keep late hours then, as suggested above, you need to cover the bird so it can sleep.

[Monica]

My vet suggested a 50/50 amount of seed and pellets. However, I do not use pellets, though I do offer fruits, veggies, breads, pastas, soups, etc to the birds. My conure and female tiel are most likely to eat most of the foods, let alone try them but it's better than no fresh foods whatsoever.

[zigzag]

Thanks everyone!

I've moved him further away from where I work and I do cover the cage, he seems to be adjusting. I will try to get him to eat pellets, but so far he tosses them onto the cage bottom searching for seeds or remains thereof.

[Skyebirdsmom]

Originally Posted by zigzag

Hello everyone,

I just joined what looks like a great resource for bird lovers and am excited about being a part of the community here!

I've owned a budgy and a cockatiel before, but when moving we had to give them away unfortunately. Now, I've just bought another cockatiel, but its been quite a few years since... even named it the same, Freddie :)

I have a few questions...

Currently, he's a very picky eater, I have both a seed mix and pellets... but I cannot get him to eat most of the seeds, he only eats the ones he likes (tiny ones), much less pellets! I'd like to get him onto a pellet diet (mostly), what are the best ways to go about doing this? He's been living here for just over a week now and seems to be getting well used to both me and the surroundings. He is 1 year old this July.

Another question is about bed time... I noticed a thread here regarding it, but I couldn't find an answer within it. I go to bed fairly late (its 2:09 AM now) and I am afraid I am keeping Freddie up... will he get used to going to bed before me once he is more accustomed to his new home? I cover his cage, but I don't think he sleeps until I do. Is this bad? Any suggestions?

Finally, what would other cockatiel owners here recommend as the best snack foods for rewards?


Thanks!!!

I found this link from the Cockatiel Society on converting from seeds:
http://www.cockatiels.org/articles/n...n/convert.html
Good luck, I've had to convert several birds, it can be done. And my Tiel loved unsalted plain Utz pretzels as a treat...and Nutriberries!!!
Linda & HRC~

[smallonion]

Can I just say, Takoda, that your avatar is one of the cutest things I've evern seen in my life!

[Takoda]

lol, why thank you!!!

i think they are cutest in their "porcupine" stage!

[Franciscus]

Here is a list I compiled for bird caregivers (Parrots include budgies, lovebirds, and cockatiels):

Parrot Care Basics

All parrots need food and fresh water daily. The food should preferably consist of quality pellets as well as fresh vegetables (Swiss chard, broccholi, spinach, carrots, peppers, beets, including tops, sweet potatoes) and some fruit. Cooked pasta, sprouted seeds, and cooked legumes can also be offered. Fresh foods should be removed from the cage after 3 to 4 hours. A poor diet is the number one reason for poor health.
Never give your bird alcohol, chocolate, caffeine, avocados, guacamole, rhubarb, high sugar or salty foods, or fried food. Do not share food with your bird as people have bacteria in their mouths that are dangerous to birds.

A large enough cage with appropriate barspacing is also essential to a parrot’s wellbeing. It becomes the birds place in your home, kind of like it’s own room. It is very important to keep the cage clean. It’s best to line the bottom with black and white newspaper so you can monitor dropping colour and consistency, a change could be indicative of illness.

Parrots, being intelligent, very interactive and sociable, need at least a few hours out of the cage, supervised, with at least a half hour of direct attention every day. The direct attention would best be spent teaching tricks and proper behaviour rather than only cuddle time, which should also be provided.

Parrots need safe and appropriate toys to keep them stimulated and healthy. They should have several of different types of parrot toy in their cage at all times. The types are foraging toys in which treats are hidden, destructable (wood, rope, etc.) non-destuctable (acrylic, steel, etc.) and sound making toys (bells, “juke box”) It is best to have a variety of toys which are rotated on a weekly basis, some removed from the cage and others added. It’s better to have too many toys than too few.

Parrots should get regular health care, with a vet visit with a bird qualified vet at least once a year. Birds hide their illness so there are things a vet would notice, probably before it’s too late.

Parrots also need to be bathed or showered on a weekly or more basis. This would preferably be done on mornings so the bird has a chance to dry off before going to sleep. If they don’t dry properly they can get a fungus in their feathers.

Parrots need 10 to 12 hours of dark uninterupted sleep every night, the same time each day.

Birds are sensitive to toxins in the air. Eliminate non-stick frying pans, as welll as other teflon coated appliances from your home. Never clean the oven with birds near by, only when you can properly ventilate the kitchen and have the bird located far away. Other dangers to their respiratory systems are aerosols, scented candles, air freshners, carpet cleaning, and cigarette smoke (cigar, pipe, etc)
as well as Febreezetm

Never leave a parrot unsupervised with other pets, or young children.

When teaching your bird or interacting with it, use positive re-enforcement, such as treats, praise, and petting. Never punish, it would only serve to damage the trust your bird has in you. If a parrot is screaming in your presence for example, leave the room and return when the bird is quiet. If the bird screams while you are not there, don’t go into the room untill it’s quiet. Unless you are coming home after being out a while, it is then OK to go in and greet the bird, give it a treat, then wait for him to settle down and go and interact with him.

Always be willing to learn more about your bird. Buy some parrot care books. Guide to a Well Behaved Parrot, is great, as well as magazines such as Companion Parrot Quarterly. You can also join the Ottawa Parrot Club.

Enjoy your companion. With proper care and behaviour management, parrots are fantastic family members.