cranky Cockatiel

[AllanYork]

so i have a 6 month old cockatiel. she doesn't like my hands very much. i have had her for 10 days. how long before she starts trusting me more? i am not sure if she was hand fed when younger.

[limpyduckling]

a hand fed bird will trust your hand.

[cheezehed]

When we first bought Punkin he seriously didn't like us lol. He would hiss at us if we talked to him through the cage. We would open the door for some out time and our other tiel would come out and he got the idea that he could too. He still wasn't sure about people and would only go back in the cage if we held up a wooden dowel for him to step up onto.

After working with him I got him to step up onto my hand held out flat. He wouldn't travel that way, just step on it and jump off. Today he will step up on our hand easily, but still won't cuddle or sit on our shoulder like the other tiel will. However, he's made progress in the 4 months we've had him. Every day he trusts us more, and the more time you can spend with him the better. Nowadays he sings, and jabbers, and hangs upside down and deconstructs every toy I make for him lol.

[AllanYork]

lol, yeah i just need more time with her i guess

[aidee]

Don't wanna resurrect an old thread for nothing, but for anyone else having the same problem -- my tiel was the same way. Check out below what I posted on the clicker training thread.

When you buy a clicker, get your bird out of the cage with a stick or handheld perch and onto the top of his cage. Then, get as close as you can to him without him biting you. He'll probably be hissing and look really mad at you and his crest will be down.

As soon as he closes his mouth or stops hissing, give him a click and calmly move your hand away -- you don't wanna scare him on the way out (even though he'll probably start hissing again).

Then reward him by giving him what he wants -- you out of the room :P I mean, that's why he's hissing and nipping: he doesn't want you there. Spend 2-5 minutes outside the room or on the other side of the room. Don't give him any attention at all during this time.

Remember, if he nips at you when you have your finger close to him (while you're waiting for him to calm down so you can click), try not to budge at all. That'll teach him that the ONLY way to get you out of the room is by being nice.

I was able to touch my bird's beak and crest feathers in 3 or 4 days by doing this.

Originally Posted by aidee

Yip - either clicker training definitely works or I have a really tame birdie :)

I got my 4-month-old cockatiel about 6 days ago. At first, he would start flapping about his cage whenever anyone got within 5 feet of it. So, I bought a clicker and would stand there until he stopped flapping. As soon as he stopped, I would click it and walk away for 5 minutes.

That same day, he let me put my hand in his cage.
The next day, he let me touch his head.
On the 3rd day, he was stepping up when enticed but was REALLY nippy (biting hard sometimes).
By the 4th day, he was stopped most of the biting.
On the 5th day, he was stepping on command (even when my finger was really far away, he would use his beak as a third foot kind of thing).
Today, the 6th day I've had him, he's learning to fly from one hand to the other when enticed.

What was holding his training back was the fact that I could only reward him verbally, since he was still afraid to eat treats from my hand. I tried sunflower seeds, pellets, etc but he wouldn't eat them because my fingers were too close to his mouth. Tonight, I found some millet spray thing that he does eat from my hand!

Tomorrow, I'll try to teach him to wave and keep working on the fly-on-command :-)

[newtocockatiels]

My new cockatiel bites to the point of drawing blood. I have had him only since saturday. I have made progress with him. He bites me still and gets on my hand after that. I don't think he knows how hard or easy he bites. He even got where my nail and my finger go together. That hurt alot.....Well, now just a second ago I was try'n to do something to his cage where he was sitting and he lunged at me. I am not sure if we are going to keep him...Might trade him for a female. Since they seem a lot easier to deal with then this male. Anyone have any ideas what I could do? I seriously don't want to give him up but not if he continues like this. The guy I bought him from said he was hand feed. They both were so why is sweetpea our other cockatiel different?

[Monica]

It may be one of a few things.... The guy either lied to you, or the bird just wasn't handled frequently to remain tame.... or the tiel is simply defending it's territory and friend/mate.

You should try keeping him for several weeks/months before deciding he's not right. Some birds just take longer to accepting being handled than others.

[newtocockatiels]

He was sick. He was not eating so I took him to the er vet last night and called around 11 pm and he was doing fine. Then I got a call at 1:28 am and he passed away. Freak'n sucks. Sorry. Just it isn't fair. I had him for a week. I have to go pick up his body today. I don't know what to do besides contact the people that sold the bird to me.
We are not going to buy a bird where we did. I am going to get one at the next bird show in the tampabay area. Anyone wants to know let me know. Thanks.

[Monica]

I haven't heard of birds biting due to being sick... I'm sorry you lost the little guy though! I hope the store will do something for you (instead of turning you away - stores should have a health guarantee for so many days), and that you find a healthy happy bappy!

[newtocockatiels]

Yeah....I hope they do too. I have contacted them and I am waiting. Personally I just want my money back and let me go to the florida bird shows that are around here. Where there are very, very knowlegdable people are. If no has gone to one. I recommend it. These people give information. How to train your birds. They even sell birds at the time of when they are hatched. However they keep them until some of them are weened.

I have a bunch of cards from people that are useful. One of them live in the tampabay area. The neat thing was she had anxiety attacks. The birds helped her. My animals I have help me and cheer me up. I have a bad back. Surgery 2 years ago and I have had injections and pain relievers. These birds are like therpy to me. It makes me look how goofy my birds (bird) was and how they act like a crack monkey. LOL.....That was sweetpea. I need to make a new thread I have a question that I need to ask.