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Taming older cockatiels...

Discuss the methods and techniques of clicker training, target training and bonding. These are usually the first steps in training a young parrot.

Taming older cockatiels...

Postby Molly&rio19 » Tue Jan 29, 2019 4:18 pm

So I just got my 2 cockatiels (rio and molly) last thursday. they are between 4-7 years old. Just an estimated guess. The lady who had them rescued them from a really bad home. Cage was literally layered in bird feces. She had to get a new cage and use a power washer to clean the cage they were originally in. Rio had escaped the cage and the original owner ripped his tail feathers out. So he is super skiddish. Which I know will take him awhile to come around. Molly on the other hand. Shes skiddish, but shes coming around pretty well. She wont let me touch her, but she will eat millet from my hand. I feel like I could tame her faster. But i dont really know where to start. She will scream when Im not in the room with her, i talk to her and rio when Im near the cage. their cage is in the living room where we are most of the day. I dont wanna rush into taming her, but she seems to be progressing well. I just need help figuring out how to work with molly a little more, maybe if rio sees molly interacting with me he wont be so scared...
Molly&rio19
Parakeet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 5
Number of Birds Owned: 2
Types of Birds Owned: Cockatiels
Flight: Yes

Re: Taming older cockatiels...

Postby Pajarita » Wed Jan 30, 2019 11:50 am

Hi, Molly, Rio and their new human! Welcome to the forum and thank you so very much for taking in birds that needed a good home instead of buying babies!

Now, Molly should not be screaming at all. Female tiels are very quiet when they are not overly hormonal or when they have a mate. The only female tiels that I've ever heard vocalizing (and I had a flock of 34 to 36 tiels years ago) were the ones that had not mates or were kept at a human light schedule and/or free-fed protein food so, tell us what their light schedule is and what you are feeding them so we can give you better advice.

But you do have the right idea in that Rio will learn to trust you faster if he sees that Molly does. Not that they would not trust you even if neither of them becomes tame because they would! That's the beauty of cockatiels! They are so naturally sweet-tempered that, if you give them good care and never impose yourself on them, they will learn to trust you and even love all on their own, bless their little hearts!

You don't say how long you've had either and that makes all the difference in the advice we could give you so tell us how long you've had them and what you have done in terms of daily routine with them and we will take it from there.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: Taming older cockatiels...

Postby Molly&rio19 » Wed Jan 30, 2019 2:50 pm

Hello, and thank you for your feed back!

There light schedule is from 7AM to 7PM.

As far as their food, im not really sure, the lady that had them before me gave me a large container of bird food. looks like mostly seed. I have only had rio and molly for about a week now. Molly is actually very vocal. She does screech, i think thats the word to use lol its almost like a high pitch, loud and longer chirp. I have caught Rio and Molly mating... ugh. But i do not want to seperate them as they have been together for years now.
Molly&rio19
Parakeet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 5
Number of Birds Owned: 2
Types of Birds Owned: Cockatiels
Flight: Yes

Re: Taming older cockatiels...

Postby Pajarita » Thu Jan 31, 2019 11:17 am

Well, they are hormonal because they have long days (they need to be put at a strict solar schedule because tiels are extraordinarily opportunistic breeders) and are being free-fed protein food. They need to eat cooked whole grains mixed with veggies in the morning accompanied by a different leafy green every day of the week. I've had tiels that would take a couple of bites out of a piece of apple or something like that but they were the exception to the rule. But they do eat the veggies in the gloop and they do love their greens!

Also, if they are mating, you need to make sure the hen has enough vit D3 and calcium so she doesn't become eggbound so, please, buy a good quality vitamin/mineral supplement for them (I suggest the powder kind that dissolves in water) and put a nice cuttlebone in their cage.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes


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