How to choose a baby cockatiel from a breeder?

[caseymayyne]

I didn't know which category to put this in so I just chose species.

Anyway, I went to the breeder yesterday, and there were 3 baby cockatiels. I'm not sure exactly how old, but only a week or two away from being weened. There was a pearlie, and two greys. The pearlie was kind of flighty and didn't like to be held much. The one grey was running over to my hand and nibbling on it, and screaming the whole time. And the second grey was just sitting there, preening himself and if you went to pick him up, he didn't really care.
My question: Are these behaviors going to translate into adulthood?
And, which one should I choose?

[Roger P]

My suggestion would be to spend some more time with the three birds and let the bird pick you. whichever bird seems to make the best connection with you, that's the one to go with. If it doesn's feel right with any of them, then I would suggest waiting for another clutch, be it with this breeder or another one. You don't want to start off with reservations on day one. If you are picking from these three, it seems like though the one grey was nibbling on your hand and screaming, at least it was interested in being near you, unlike the other two. Just my two cents. Good luck, let us know what happens!

[Shani]

Flightiness is something I think that the pearl will always have, yes, but with consistent training/handling it will lessen with time, and certainly doesn't mean it will be an unaffectionate bird. All birds have their individual personalities, and some are just a little more skittish than others.

The screaming/nibbling sounds like a baby thing to me, especially since it isn't weaned yet. If it's "feed me" squawking (as I assume it is) he'll stop when he's fully weaned. The nibbling is also generally a baby thing - either assuming you have food in your fingers or exploring. If it's actually full on biting, then that's a different story. (I've never heard of babies full on biting though, so I'm assuming it's something he'll grow out of).

As for the indifference... well, birds aren't generally going to be bonded to you right off the bat. Are you mistaking indifference for the fact the tiel was comfortable around/with you?

As for which one you should choose - I'd say none. No offense, but you don't seem particularly endeared with either of the 3 birds. Roger's pretty much spot on about letting the bird pick you. You'll know when you've found "your" bird - I'd suggest to you to look elsewhere if you haven't had that connection with any of the 3 (and I assume you haven't since you're asking us to choose one for you).

[caseymayyne]

I really liked the grey one who was calm. The only thing that made me question it was the fact that the breeder said that the other grey one chose me. I wasn't sure if the nibbling was a good thing or a bad thing. As far as I could tell, the 2nd grey cockatiel was comfortable around me. I've never really had experience with baby cockatiels. I've only had older ones.

[entrancedbymyGCC]

I second the idea of spending more time with them. Take in all the advice you get hear and everything the breeder has said (I'm assuming you've found a breeder you think is good and honest) and I think you'll know when you've found the right one. That sense of connection, whether it's real or illusionary, usually makes or breaks the deal with most pet acquisitions.