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Taming A Cockatiel
I've said it once, I'll say it again: persistance! When you first bring home your cockatiel, for the first few days just sit beside the cage and softly talk to the cockatiel, sing songs, read from books, make eye contact. Let your cockatiel get to know you slowly. When you change out the food and water, speak softly to your cockatiel and tell them how pretty they are, how glad you are that they are going to share your home, introduce them to your home and to you.
Then, begin just placing your hand inside the cage - don't try to touch the cockatiel, just place your hand inside and let it rest there so your cockatiel can see that the hand is not a danger.
Then go to the next step - teach your cockatiel to step up. Once you have your cockatiel stepping up you can then do more bonding rituals like holding a piece of millet on your chest and let them fly to you and land on your chest and eat the millet. Once they come to know that you are not a threat, they will land on your head, play with your jewelry, sit on your shoulder and step up on your finger when you provide a finger and ask them to step up.
Always appear sure and confident. Don't hold your finger too far away from them - they shouldn't have to step too far to get on. Never draw your finger away when they are stepping up or they will lose trust in you. If they are unsure and want to test the safety and sturdiness of your finger, they may first reach out with their beak to test. Do not be afraid. They are not going to bite, just touch with their beak.
If they do ever bite, whatever you do - don't respond. If you yell or scream or flail they may get excited and think it a fun game and continue to bite you. One way to get them to stop biting while on the hand is to shake your hand gently like an "earthquake". Never ever hit or yell at your bird for any reason. They are sensitive and will lose their trust in you and only react scared and defensive and will fly away from you and not want to be around you. This is exactly the opposite of what you want.
It is important to always approach them as happy and loving and non-intimidating. As they are prey animals and you are a predator with 2 eyes looking forward, at first - just look at them with one eye - so they will not be afraid.
For your first attempts of bringing your cockatiel out of their cage - a small safe cockatiel-proof room is best - like a bathroom - with the toilet lid down and the mirror covered - someplace where you can easily retrieve the cockatiel if he flies away.
Teach Your cockatiel to Step Up
One of the first things you should teach your cockatiel is how to step up. When the cockatiel is in their cage, hold a wooden dowel gently against their belly - just above their legs and say "Step up". Be sure to say "step up" each time so that they learn the command. Be consistent. Use millet to lure them onto the stick. Be sure they get a treat each time they do what you are trying to get them to do and praise them in a happy high pitched voice. They will hop onto the dowel and you can move them to a different perch in the cage. Practice this over and over every day until they are unafraid. You can then bring the dowel out of the cage (in a safe room - free of cockatiel dangers like open windows/doors, un-curtained windows, open bowels/pots of water, other pets, etc) and practice step-ups there.
Once your cockatiel has mastered step-ups onto a wooden dowel, you can move on to teaching them to step up onto your finger. Hold the dowel with your finger pointing out onto it, getting your finger closer and closer to the cockatiel's feet each time you do it. Once the cockatiel is getting onto your finger on the dowel, you can begin trying to get them onto your finger, holding out your index finger in a point just as you did with the dowel.
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Bird Food Recipe Tips
- Be sure to refrigerate all homemade bird food if storing them for later use.
- Never serve bird food straight from the oven or stove. Always allow heated food to cool before serving to your bird.
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