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| Specific Care Information: |
Relative Care Ease: Relatively Easy |
The
Cockatiel requires much less specific care than many of its larger
cousins. With a good balanced diet and regular veterinary care your
cockatiel should do very well. As is true with most parrots, a
Cockatiel's lifespan is directly affected by the quality of its diet. A
seed only diet is insufficient. A good diet is a combination of
pellets; there are several good commercial brands, as well as fresh
dark leafy greens, fresh orange, green and yellow veggies, and a small
amount of a high-quality seed mix. The average lifespan is between 10
and 16 years, but when fed a healthy, varied diet and given a safe,
nontoxic environment, a Cockatiel can live 20 to 25 years - some will
even live into their 30s!
It is important to keep your Cockatiel's wings clipped. A loud noise or
sudden movement can spook even a tame Cockatiel, causing it to
frantically fly into windows or walls at speeds sufficient to break its
wings or neck. Cockatiels do very well in large cages, with many toys
to keep them from becoming bored. These birds require social
interaction in order to maintain their emotional well being; place the
cage in the area of the house where family members spend most of their
time, such as a family room or den.
If you have bird allergies, you may not want to get a Cockatiel. Like
the African Grey Parrot and Cockatoos, Cockatiels produce a fine powder
down. This powder dust may cause those with allergies to suffer.
Above from petcentral.com |
Cinnamon Pearl
Cockatiel
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| Cage |
| - The best advice
we can give is to get the largest cage you can afford. A minimum size
for a cockatiel is 24" by 24" by 24". The bars should be no farther
apart than 3/4", and it is helpful if at least one wall of the cage is
constructed of horizontal bars, to make it easy for the bird to climb
around. Stay away from dome-topped cages, because the bird's foot can
become caught up near the top where the bars meet. Cages with play-pens
on top are a good idea, or buy a separate play-pen to give your bird a
place to play by himself while it is out of the cage and not on your
shoulder. Caution: Do not leave the bird alone while he is out of his
cage. There are too many things he can get into which will harm him,
like electrical cords and toxic plants. Since you will need to clean
the cage at least once a week, choose a cage that can be easily
cleaned. Newspaper is the best floor covering for a cage; you can
inspect the birds' droppings occasionally to assess the state of his
health, and can take up the top sheets frequently to remove the dirt.
Make sure feed and water dishes are not placed under perches where they
can become soiled by the bird's droppings. Perches should ideally be of
at least two different diameters; the more natural the perches are, the
better the exercise for the bird's feet. Never put a sandpapered perch
in your bird's cage. If you are bothered by sharp toenails, you can get
special terra-cotta or cement perches which will keep nails dull
without injuring your bird's tender feet. - Keep the cage out of direct
sunlight, unless it is large enough for the bird to get away from the
sun. They can overheat easily during the summer. Put the cage where
there is activity; your bird is a colony bird, and lives in large
flocks in the wild. Birds this intelligent can become bored easily.
They need socialization with "their" people, and they love to play with
chewy toys. We have a selection of appropriate toys for cockatiels.
Indulge, but be careful; a cage with too many toys can be hazardous to
the bird's safety. - A small travel cage is suggested for
transportation. No matter how tame your bird is, if it is on your
shoulder and is startled during a trip in your car, it can flutter
under a foot or brake pedal, causing a serious hazard. These are
available for a reasonable price at Fancy Pets. |
| Food |
- Be sure to offer a variety of foods, because once a cockatiel
is "set in his ways" about food, it is very difficult to introduce new
things into his/her diet. Miscellaneous tidbits from the table are
fine, just avoid feeding your bird foods high in salt, sugar, or
grease. People health food is bird health food; people junk food is
bird junk food.
An ideal diet (according to a study by Univ. of Calif.
at Davis) should consist of:
25% vitamin fortified cockatiel seed mix
25% pellets or crumbles for cockatiels
25% vegetables, fruits, and dark leafy greens
15% rice/beans/corn mix (available commercially or create it yourself)
10%
bread, pasta, etc.
- Avoid salty, sugary, and greasy foods.
- There are some things in our
home environment which are dangerous for birds. Many houseplants, like
philodendron and poinsettia, are toxic to birds; spider plant, Boston
fern, wandering jew and many others are fine for them to chew on.
Avocado skins and pits are toxic; best keep these away from birds
altogether--the fat in them is bad stuff, too. The fumes in many
household cleansers, insecticides, etc. are also not good for your
feathered friends, and non-stick coating can produce deadly fumes when
overheated (above 450). |
| Grooming |
- Our best advice
is to keep the wing feathers trimmed. Birds with untrimmed wings CAN
and WILL fly away. We have trimmed this bird's wings properly so that
it cannot fly away, but still has enough stability so that it can't
injure itself if it tries to. You can trim new feathers as they come
in, following the line we created. If you are uncomfortable doing that,
any pet shop or veterinarian can help, or you can return and we will do
the trim job for you. The cockatiels love to be sprayed with a hand
sprayer or mister from the hose. Keep the bird out of drafts until it
dries out. During the winter you can use a blow-dryer on it, but don't
allow it to get too hot.
Rest
- Most birds need about 10-12 hours of sleep a night, or they get
crabby or become ill. We cover our birds at night, because their cages
are in the active area of the house, and can't get good rest. These birds are used to waking up about 6:30 in the morning and "going to bed" about
7 or 8pm. |
| Illness |
| - Locate a good
veterinarian in your area, preferably one who has had considerable
experience with birds. Signs of illness include sitting quietly on the
perch for a long time with feathers fluffed; discharge around the
nostrils; watery stools (although if they are eating fruits and
veggies, this is normal). The best therapy is warmth (you can put a
heating pad under the cage, cover the cage on three sides, and remove
any perches so the bird stays close to the heat). If the bird does not
seem better in a few hours, you might need to see your vet, because
once birds show they are sick, they can go downhill quickly. |
| Miscellaneous |
| - The purchase of a
book is a good idea. There are a number of good books out there, but be
sure you buy one with a recent copyright date. We also recommend
subscribing to a bird magazine such as Bird Talk or Sally Blanchard's
Pet Bird Report. Other books and magazines are available, and we would
suggest buying more than one since no two are going to say the same
things. Check the copyright date, because the area of raising, feeding,
keeping, and training birds is still relatively new and there are a lot
of differing opinions. Learn what you can and then make your own
informed decisions. |
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