Build A Trusting Relationship With Your Cockatiel And Taming Your Cockatiel Taming Your Cockatiel Taming your cockatiel does take some patience. With a bit of patience and time, it is very doable, especially if the cockatiel is young. The first step to building a trusting relationship with your cockatiel is getting him to be comfortable around you. Start by giving him some warning before approaching his cage or try calling his name when entering the room. At first, you will need to move slowly around your pet until he learns to relax around you. Once he is comfortable having you in the same room as him, you can then slowly start taming your cockatiel. Place your hand inside the cage with him and gradually coax him onto your finger. At first your bird will flutter away from you, but if you continue doing this on a daily basis, he will learn to share his space with your hand. Once your bird is comfortably settled on your hand, you can try slowly removing him from his cage. Make sure his wings are clipped before taking him out. Never cut his tail feathers. When your cockatiel is comfortable with you, you can coax him to step up onto your fingers. Gently nudge his chest with an outstretched finger and say the word ‘up’ when he climbs onto your finger and ‘down’ when you place him elsewhere so he learns the associated words and learns to follow your commands. This will come in handy when you want to put him down for the night or back into his cage. Keep your training sessions to about fifteen minutes long, as cockatiels don’t have a long attention span. Make each session fun for you and your cockatiel. Once your cockatiel is comfortable with you, you can experiment with scratching him and petting him. Most cockatiels love to have their heads scratched, and lots of them under their wings, or low on their backs just above their tails where their preening glands are situated. You will know what your cockatiel likes, as he will relax totally and ask for more or grind his beak. Here are some more great ideas for taming your cockatiel. Click Here for more interesting reading on taming your cockatiel. Sharing is Caring Share on Facebook Share Share on Pinterest Pin it Share on TwitterTweet Post navigation What Is Feather Pecking And How Do You Deal With It?What Should Breeding Cockatiels Eat? 6 Comments Hi There I’ve just recently got a new tiel (approx 9months old), and he’s taming well. I have him up on my finger out the cage after a week. However, he keeps wanting to fly back to his cage, and is always looking for an opportunity to “escape” although I treat him with a lot of TLC and gentleness. I also have him eating millet from me now when he’s on my hand. How can I get him to ENJOY our time together and not want to fly off the whole time?? Thanks for a great site. Rea Reply Sorry I took so long to reply. By now you should be seeing an improvement if you have been consistent with him. If not, see what you are doing just before he tries to fly away. It might just be that one act that he doesn’t enjoy or something you are doing may be making him nervous. All birds are different and some just take longer than others to take to you. Reply I have a 6month old cockateil and he has 3 sharp shafts but no feathers on his back just below his head. Will these grow out or should he see a vet. Reply These shafts do eventually open out and turn into beautiful feathers. This also happens after they moult. Reply Hi, I found a tame cockatiel in my garden, we think he flew away from its owners or got lost, it was raining and I went outside and it came to my hands without hesitation. We brought him inside and gave him food and water. How do I know whether it’s hurt or if it’s cold?? Reply If you have him inside and it is warm, then he is probably just a bit nervous if he is shaking. But keep an eye on him, because if it goes on longer than a few hours it could be that he is sick from being out in the elements. Reply Leave a Reply Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Email * Website
Hi There I’ve just recently got a new tiel (approx 9months old), and he’s taming well. I have him up on my finger out the cage after a week. However, he keeps wanting to fly back to his cage, and is always looking for an opportunity to “escape” although I treat him with a lot of TLC and gentleness. I also have him eating millet from me now when he’s on my hand. How can I get him to ENJOY our time together and not want to fly off the whole time?? Thanks for a great site. Rea Reply
Sorry I took so long to reply. By now you should be seeing an improvement if you have been consistent with him. If not, see what you are doing just before he tries to fly away. It might just be that one act that he doesn’t enjoy or something you are doing may be making him nervous. All birds are different and some just take longer than others to take to you. Reply
I have a 6month old cockateil and he has 3 sharp shafts but no feathers on his back just below his head. Will these grow out or should he see a vet. Reply
These shafts do eventually open out and turn into beautiful feathers. This also happens after they moult. Reply
Hi, I found a tame cockatiel in my garden, we think he flew away from its owners or got lost, it was raining and I went outside and it came to my hands without hesitation. We brought him inside and gave him food and water. How do I know whether it’s hurt or if it’s cold?? Reply
If you have him inside and it is warm, then he is probably just a bit nervous if he is shaking. But keep an eye on him, because if it goes on longer than a few hours it could be that he is sick from being out in the elements. Reply
