Training shy cockatiel

[siggy79]

Just got a 4 month old hand reared cockatiel about a few weeks ago. I have been steadily trying to gain her trust. When I go near the cage she looks towards me and she seems to be okay with my face. But when I put a finger up to the cage she starts to open her beak as if about to bite. When my hand is in the cage she hisses and pecks (only actually bites occasionally).
If i put my hand in the cage she will take food from my hand - mainly seeds or sunflower seeds from my fingertips. But I have tried so many treats and she is not fussed on anything - she loves millet. I'm not sure whether I should take the millet out of the cage and only offer her millet from my hand?

But even after feeding from my hand for a time she still hisses and pecks. I'm not sure what to do or how to react when she pecks. usually i stay still and speak soothingly.

Now I have her feeding from my hand, I'm not sure what my next step should be. (by the way this is my second cockatiel, the first one I had when I was a teenager (i'm 29 now) and I got him when he was very young and he was just silly tame lol)

[tielfan]

It would be best to not put millet spray in the cage and only offer it by hand. If a seed mix is part of her regular diet, be sure to leave that stuff in the cage so she gets enough to eat! Cockatiels think that millet spray is MUCH more exciting than loose millet in a cup, so she'll still want the spray.

Does she come out of the cage? She might be more cooperative if she's out. A lot of birds feel compelled to defend their territory, which means the cage. If she's out, you'll also have a lot more elbow room to try things like using millet spray to gradually lure her onto your hand.