hi
just wondering if any of you have any tips for teaching them tricks
thanks
wendy
Cockatiels-any tips for teaching them tricks?
by orbison11 5 Replies latest jw friends
-
orbison11
-
shamus
We had a cockateil (cockaiteel?) when I was growing up. I hated it... no offence there.
It just screeched all day long, and did this angry high-pitched whistle, followed by a low pitched whistle that made you want to kill the poor thing.
We gave it to an elder who we hated... (just kidding)
Good luck teaching those birds anything. I hope that yours is 1,000 percent better than ours was.
-
Farkel
My ex-girlfriend and I bread cockatiels as a little hobby. (Can't any of you people spell it right?)
We had greys, lutinos, pieds and cinnamons. We also bred Conures: blue fronts, peach fronts, and cherry heads.
The only advice I can give is this: be sure and remove those feathers before baking them. It spoils the taste if you don't.
I've had a pet Yellow-Naped Amazon parrot for over 14 years and those here who've seen him can vouch for that fact.
All the rest is just teasing: I'm a bird person, and I had three St. Bernards before that. I loved them all, but my parrot is the best pet I ever had.
(If anyone says "budgie" I'll bust them up the side of their face!)
Farkel
-
RAYZORBLADE
Rayzorblade has a darling 2 year old female cockatiel.
Can they do tricks etc.? Absolutely, but you need to spend time with them, and not just expect them to simply pick-up whatever it is you are doing/saying.
Birds are incredibly intelligent little creatures, and they have phenominal memories.
My cockatiel: NIM, is a footless rescued bird. Some dumbass placed her (2 Years ago) in a cage with other birds, that were way bigger than her, thus looked at her as an intruder/threat, attacking her. In the process of their instinctive behaviour, Nim as a result, is less two feet.
She is, however, a great bird, and can get around on her two stumps, and can fly. I take her out of her cage regularly, cleaning her, and also spending time with her. Cockatiels will scream if you IGNORE them, neglect them and deprive them of stimuli. Birds love to play, socialize, and enjoy a clean cage. They also like exercise, and enjoy their human flock as well.
My cockatiel: she does NOT screech. She does chirp at me occasionally, and the parakeet/budgeriar (commonly known as budgie) named Baby, is a smart little cookie. She sort of talks, and sings quite beautifully when in the mood. I make sure she has fresh seed, millet, honey sticks, fresh water and a clean cage.
As a result, these two little darlings, cockatiel included, are quite entertaining. Cockatiels are very clever, and can be hilarious! If anyone has a problem bird (cockatiel/parakeet) give them to me. It'll take awhile, but I'll work with them, proving that love and attention, is one of the essential keys to raising a bird.
Farkel: your parrot must have been absolutely stunning and a real true companion.
Orbison11: There are many resourceful cockatiel pages on-line, and there are some forums associated with the sites, so give it a look.
http://www.cockatiels.com - it should be working...if not, let me know. (PM me)
Birds are not dumb! But they respond differently than cats, dogs and horses. Their brains are small, but we'll equate them to microchips: for a relative comparison.
Cockatiels can talk (males better than females), and have an extensive vocabulary. They can do tricks, but need to be worked with on a daily basis, in calm non-threatening environments. They can live up to...yes...30 years under ideal circumstances.
My two little girls, Baby & Nim, bring me endless hours of joy. Considering both are rescued birds, I can tell they love living with ol' Rayzorblade.
Rayzorblade: gone to the birds
-
shamus
Cool, Razorblade! I am sorry to hear though, that your bird has two stumps. Gross!
Our bird we couldn't even have out in the living room. It was that annoying. I think that Joey (the bird's name) had emotional / mental problems. He hated us, and to this day I have no idea why. One thing that he did do was whistle (like how you whistle at a woman)....
To shut him up we used to do anything.... take him out of his cage, anything! He just wouldn't shut up.
In other words, I really don't think that we neglected him. He was just an arse. It would be cool to have a bird that was not like that.....
-
RAYZORBLADE
Hey Shamus. Sounds like Joey the cockatiel, loved you guys.
He had no one else. He screeched because YOU were part of his flock. Birds are like that.
I know, it's irritating, but geez...I wish I had been around when you had him. I think Joey was seemingly mentally incompetent because he required, loads of attention, and when he didn't get it, he let you know...and man did he ever.
As for Nim and her two stumps, you'd be surprised how well she gets about. She's a clever and resourceful little girl.
Aztec and iiz2cool have seen my two birds (Baby & Nim)! They're great! Couldn't live without them.