Keeping Cockatiels as a Cage Bird

By Jennifer Jones

 

Although your new cockatiel is tame and friendly, his new home will be very strange to him. Remember, he must adjust to a totally different environment – his new cage, the room he will live in, new faces, strange noises, etc., and he will probably have travelled in a car for the first time. He is also very young and will need to be caged for most of the time so that he can have the opportunity to eat throughout the day and get enough rest. This is very important.

 

When he reaches your home, place him in his cage with food and water and let him settle down. For the first few nights, leave a light on in an adjoining room so that he is not completely in the dark. I would not recommend that you let him out of his cage for at least the first two days. He will be very nervous at first and will probably be rather quiet. If he is eating his seed and drinking, don’t worry. Talk to him and offer him a piece of millet spray in your hand to gain his confidence. Once he is used to your hand, place a finger under his breast and encourage him to step onto it. He will also like his head scratched. He may back away from you at first and it may take a little while before he is confident enough to perch on your hand and have his head scratched. NEVER chase him around the cage and grab him! Once you have gained his confidence, let him out of the cage, but ensure any windows or mirrors are covered up. Cockatiels fly at great speed, and many have met an early death because they have flown into a window or mirror. Take care of other hazards – open fires, cookers, open windows and doors, and cats. Even if a cockatiel is very tame and is content to perch on your shoulder, never take it outside. If startled, a cockatiel will fly off at speed and get lost and very few cockatiels that escape in this manner are recovered. Another hazard that I would specifically mention is non-stick cooking utensils. Saucepans, frying pans and roasting tins covered in Teflon give off fumes when heated to a high temperature, which are lethal to birds. These fumes appear harmless to humans but will kill birds in seconds.

 

His cage should be as large as possible with horizontal bars. A tall, round cage is definitely NOT recommended. Perches should be of varying diameter, half inch to one inch, and preferably be of natural wood. Willow, apple, and hazelnut branches are actually beneficial to your cockatiel when he chews the bark as they provide a natural source of nutrients. Position the perches away from the containers containing seed and water. Do not use perch liners made of sandpaper. These are said to keep toenails from growing too long, but sandpaper can make your cockatiel’s feet sore and vulnerable to infection. For the same reason, do not use sandpaper liners at the bottom of the cage. Use a whole newspaper to line the cage and remove a layer daily. If your cockatiel's toenails grow too long, clip them with nail scissors, but be careful as they can bleed if cut back too much. If you do not feel confident enough to do this, your Vet will undertake this procedure.

 

Diet for a young cockatiel is very important as he is still growing, and a good diet throughout life will ensure that he stays healthy. He is used to a good quality mix of seeds, egg food and fresh greens. He already enjoys apples, broccoli, watercress, salad cress and cucumber. You can also introduce him to fresh carrots, celery and fresh sweet corn when in season. Avoid giving him human foods such as crisps, biscuits and cake. He needs egg food until he passes his first major moult, as feathers need protein to grow properly. Give him egg food at least three times per week and then once per week when he is fully grown. I use Birdcare ‘Feast’, but CeDe or EMP are as good and are available locally. I mix the commercial egg food with lightly boiled frozen vegetables as follows:

 

For one bird: lightly boil a teaspoon of each, carrot, peas and sweet corn, drain thoroughly and crush the cooked vegetables with a fork. Add enough egg food to make a crumbly mixture. Your cockatiel is used to this mixture and will eat it readily – especially the sweet corn.

 

Cuttlefish bone is traditionally provided for calcium, but this alone will not provide enough as most of the cuttlefish goes straight out in the droppings. One of the most important supplements I use is Birdcare Calcivet, a liquid calcium supplement containing vitamin D3. This vitamin is vital for proper calcium absorption, and a deficiency will result in weak nerves and muscles and is the greatest cause of feather plucking. Birds that live outside with good access to natural sunshine (not through glass) make their own Vitamin D3, but indoor birds will need a supplement. I also use Birdcare ‘Daily Essential 1, a vitamin/mineral supplement, each day. One pinch of this powder in the bird’s daily drinking water will keep him healthy. ‘Calcivet’ is added to the water, as per instructions on the bottle, once a week. Fresh drinking water should be provided each day in a clean container. If your cockatiel

fouls its water with droppings, it should be changed immediately as bacteria will quickly multiply and make your bird ill.

 

As birds kept indoors cannot access rain, a light misting of water with a garden hand sprayer will help your cockatiel keep his feathers in good condition. This is particularly important if a bird is kept in a warm room.

 

Once your cockatiel has settled down, let it fly daily for exercise. It can be a mistake to let it have so much freedom that it does not consider its cage as home. An unsupervised cockatiel can also do a lot of damage to furnishings. During the summer, especially if young children are in the house, it is easy to forget that doors and windows are open. It is much kinder and safer to have a pet bird used to living in a cage with regular supervised periods of free flying. Provide toys made specifically for birds out of non-toxic materials but avoid those with a coarse type of string or rope attached that can be shredded. The shredded pieces can choke a cockatiel or cause its crop to become impacted. I know of at least one cockatiel that has died in this manner. If possible, provide your cockatiel with washed twigs from fruiting trees – apple, hazelnut, pear or willow. Cockatiels get much enjoyment and nourishment from stripping and eating the bark.