Cockatiel Care

Most Cockatiel owners will tell you that Cockatiels do make wonderful pets and have sweet demeanor. Cockatiel care is very important for a healthy pet.  As with most other parrots, the manner in which the bird is raised, handled, and kept is an important factor in determining the temperament of the bird. Cockatiels that are handled on a regular basis will become and stay tame quit easily.
As with most pet parrots the well-socialized birds are gentle and friendly.

cockatiel care

Some cockatiels enjoy physical contact from there human friends, lending themselves well to taming. Many cockatiel owners develop regular bonding rituals  with their birds, engaging in preening, scratching, and even petting. Cockatiels that wish to be petted will often lower there head or nibble at the owner’s fingers to indicate that it wishes to have its head and neck scratched (two places it can’t easily scratch on its own), and will emit a low squawk to show its pleasure. Cockatiels which are hand-fed and purchased from a young age are more readily suited for physical contact.

Cockatiels are very calm birds and once they are out of their adolescent stage and settle down a little, I have not found them to be very messy at birds all.If feed pelleted diet so there are no seed hulls to scatter there will be very little mess.  While you have to expect some mess with any type of bird (or any pet for that matter), after years of keeping birds, I have learned some ways to get around the mess. First of all, keep your cockatiel cage clean by changing the paper on the bottom every day. This will help keep debris to a minimum, and always let your cockatiel out of its cage when changing the paper. Some birds will flap their wings in the cage and spread debris, but if you let them out daily the will flap at that time and not make a mess. Another tip to keep the area clean is never fill your birds food dish all the way to the top. You are just asking for trouble if you do, If pet even places one foot in a full dish pellets or seed, there is bound to be scattered all over. Cage skirts that can be fitted to your bird’s cage will contain a large portion of the mess.
Cockatiels are generally hardy and have the potential of live 20 — 30 years with good care. While the average life span is probably less than 10yrs, simply because people do not take care of them properly, there have been accounts of cockatiels living 38 years. Good cockatiel care is essential in order to keep a cockatiel in good health. A correct diet is the most important element in keeping a pet a cockatiel in good condition. With the development of various pelleted diets, there is absolutely no reason why every pet cockatiel should not be on a good diet today. Even if your cockatiel eats a pelleted diet, it is still necessary to offer fresh fruits, vegetables, greens and other foods every
day.It ia also important to offer fresh, clean water at all times to your bird. Make sure you clean and scrub those food and water cups with soapy water.Keeping the cage and food dishes clean is just as important as the diet.

The paper cage lining should be changed at least once a day, more often if necessary if fresh foods are fed. The cage should be washed completely every week or so depending on how dirty it gets. Perches of different diameters and shapes help prevent foot problems. I make sure that all of my birds have a variety of perches and at least one flat porch in their cage.

Keeping a cockatiel healthy psychologically is as important as its physical health. Providing a playground that will enable your pet to be out and away from its cage is very important. A wide array of suitable toys rotated on a
regular basis should be considered a necessity, not a luxury. And most importantly, time spent with the owner on an every day basis will enable your cockatiel to develop into a happy, well- adjusted pet