Questions about my new Cockatiel

**clintinKC** · 06-12-2012, 01:34 PM

Hello everybody,

I'm new to the forum, but I have a couple of questions I would like to ask about my new cockatiel.

Earlier this week I purchased a cockatiel from a local breeder here in Kansas City. She's very sweet, doesn't bite or scream, however, I'm a little concerned with her movement inside her cage. I will put her on her comfy perch or her wooden perch and she will move around on the perch for a couple of hours, but never come off of it, not even to eat. I've had to tell her to "step up" onto my finger and I will move her to her food and water dish and then she will eat or drink. Also, she hasn't even played with the toys that are in the cage.

My question is, is she still getting adjusted to her new cage and is that why she won't move to different areas, play with toys, or eat unless I take her to her food or water? Or is she still too young to understand that her cage is HERS.

Any responses will help. I've had two cockatiels in the past, but they were always very active inside their cage, even when I initially brought them home, so that's why I'm concerned.

Thanks for any info!
-Clint

**clintinKC** · 06-12-2012, 02:32 PM

Also, she doesn't really seem to like head scratches. Could this also be because she isn't truly adjusted to everything yet, or maybe she just doesn't like them?

**clawnz** · 06-12-2012, 02:36 PM

I would not panic at this stage.
It can take them awhile to settle in to new home.
Look to see that she is pooping? If so and it looks normal then she maybe eating when you are not watching, some are shy when nervous, and do not like to be watched when eating.

This should only take a few days if she is tame. Just sit beside the cage and talk to her as much as you can. Do not try to force her to do things. Let her feel you are trying to help her.

**clintinKC** · 06-12-2012, 02:41 PM

Originally Posted by clawnz

I would not panic at this stage.
It can take them awhile to settle in to new home.
Look to see that she is pooping? If so and it looks normal then she maybe eating when you are not watching, some are shy when nervous, and do not like to be watched when eating.

This should only take a few days if she is tame. Just sit beside the cage and talk to her as much as you can. Do not try to force her to do things. Let her feel you are trying to help her.

Her poop does look normal, that was one of the first things I looked for. However, I didn't think that she could be eating when I wasn't watching.. LOL.

She comes out of her cage when I want her to and she plays well (she especially likes to crawl up my leg and onto my shoulder). I guess since she's only 6 weeks old that could explain a lot of things. Thanks for the help.

**clawnz** · 06-12-2012, 10:53 PM

Six weeks is very young for a tiel to be fully weaned.
If you can weigh her and check regular just to be on the safe side just to make sure she is not loosing weight.
I would say that Tiels normally wean at a later age than this. More so if they are hand reared.
These are only my opinions and I have had a Tiel wean at 5weeks, but that is not the norm.
She is pooping so must be eating I feel.
All in all it sounds like things are good.
As for head scratches some do not get into that or even being cuddled. Take your time and fully bond with her and things may change.

**Pipers Mom** · 06-17-2012, 06:27 AM

6 weeks is young to be fully weaned. Cockatiels are docile creatures and its going to take time for this baby to adjust to its new surrondings. Some tiels take longer than others. Try speaking softly to your new arrival and let it become familiar wity you and your voice. You need to be patient to earn your baby's trust. Congrats and good luck to you.

What did you name the new arrival and do you have any pics?

**maxollie** · 06-17-2012, 08:53 AM

Welcome to the community!! Sounds like everything is going well with your new baby. It takes time for tiels to adjust to their new surroundings, but it sounds to me like she isn't afraid of you, and is spending some out of cage time interacting with you. All of those achievements are great considering her young age. Patience always wins out when it comes to training and interacting with tiels. And I'll just bet that after you've had her for awhile she will let you give her scritches. Good luck with her, and I hope to see pics sometime. We LOVE pics of all birds here.

**clintinKC** · 06-18-2012, 06:30 PM

Update: The day after I created this thread she started moving around a lot more! She loves being out of her cage, but there are times I can tell she doesn't want to come out as well, which I suppose is normal.

Anyway, sorry for not posting a picture or her name. We decided to name her Slash. We have a dog named Axel and a Cat named Rose, so the name was perfect. LOL.

Here are links to two pictures I have of her. The first one is the day we got her, and the second is just a couple of days ago: