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ARTICLE
| BUYING A NEW BABY COCKATIEL © 2003 LINDA S. RUBIN Originally published in October 2003 issue of BIRD TIMES magazine "All Rights Reserved" |
| The first consideration when purchasing a new cockatiel is its age. Young birds are preferable to adults, because younger birds are easier to train. Handfed baby cockatiels make ideal companions, because they are already tame and used to human handling. Given time and gentle handling, all that will remain is the close bond that will develop between a growing cockatiel and its owner. Although handfed cockatiel chicks make delightfully tame and affectionate companions, not all cockatiel chicks need to be handfed in order to make wonderful pets. The key to obtaining an exceptional companion cockatiel is to acquire a chick while it is still a youngster, whether handfed or parent-raised. Yet, advertising a chick as handfed does not necessarily guarantee that it is tame. Handfed chicks that are mass- produced, but given little time, TLC, or that are treated roughly during handfeeding, may become fearful of humans. Those that haven’t been handled for long periods of time since weaning may also begin to lose their tameness. Conversely, parent-fed chicks that are lovingly handled each day as fledglings may become more gentle and unafraid of humans. It is worthwhile to inquire how the chick was raised and how often it was handled before making assumptions about its tameness, based on any label. Some aviculturists prefer not to handfeed, but rather handle chicks in the nest each day. Daily handling, when practiced faithfully, can be just as effective in producing tame cockatiels because it is the art of handling, and not the act of feeding, which tames down birds. The bottom line to keeping up with daily handling is consistency. Aviculturists may find this a challenge when life becomes busy. The choice of handfeeding, instead, forces the necessity of handling all chicks, because meals simply cannot be skipped. Most aviculturists wait until chicks are approximately two and a half weeks old before removing the chicks from their parents. One advantage to leaving chicks with their parents the first few weeks is that chicks will benefit from parental feeds, which act to fortify the chicks’ immune systems and help fight off disease. Chicks that are handfed by aviculturists from day one are essentially robbed of this opportunity. With few exceptions, a nine or ten week old baby cockatiel is fully weaned and ready to go to a new home. Although many cockatiel chicks can wean closer to seven or eight weeks of age, some aviculturists prefer to keep them an extra week or two to be certain. Always purchase a weaned cockatiel! Purchasing an unweaned cockatiel chick could put the chick in grave danger, especially if you are not informed or given weaning instructions. An unweaned cockatiel chick may not be able to recognize edible foods and as a result will lose weight and rapidly starve to death. Part of responsible weaning practices includes taking over the parents’ role of teaching young birds which foods to eat. Reputable aviculturists will not sell unweaned cockatiel chicks, especially to novice owners. The formal avicultural community generally regards selling unweaned chicks as an unethical practice, although exceptions may be made to experienced handfeeders. Fortunately, in addition to handfeeding formulas, some bird manufacturers are coming out with various brands of weaning foods available through pet stores and distributors. Signs of an unweaned chick include continuous begging; loud, screaming episodes accompanied by head pumping; standing high or stretching upward while crying; and attempts of pecking at “unseen” foods. Little food, if any, is eaten; the water cup is untouched and fewer than normal droppings are found in the cage. A weaned cockatiel chick is fully feathered; it does not beg for food, eats well on its own, and has a full crop (a bulge on the upper chest) at night. Private aviculturists, who raise cockatiels for pets and show, often close band their birds with seamless, aluminum, leg bands bearing the breeder’s individual band code. The breeder’s band code may be traced through the Membership/Band Chair if the breeder belongs to a national organization such as the Cockatiel Foundation, (www.CockatielFoundation.org). Many breeders also often a pedigree or birth certificate with the weaned bird, stating its ancestry, color mutation, band code number, and other useful information. A cockatiel’s leg band is more than just decorative jewelry or a means of learning its ancestry; it is a vital method of personal identification that proves the origin and ownership of the bird. As federal and state laws change, a system of permanent identifying is becoming more and more important and closed banding is one means available. Alternately, unbanded birds may have a microchip injected under the skin by an avian veterinarian. Whether handfed or parent-raised – be sure to purchase a cockatiel that is both young and fully weaned - and you will enjoy a safe and rewarding relationship with your new companion. |
| "Providing Resources to the Cockatiel Community" The Cockatiel Foundation, founded in June 2007, began out of a growing need in the avicultural community to offer its members programs for pet owners, breeders and exhibitors, in addition to services never before addressed in the cockatiel community. CF is establishing a Cockatiel Adoption & Placement Program to hrlp in the placement and rehoming of cockatiels to new, permanent "forever" homes. CF offers a wealth of information on color genetics, mutations, and breeding research. CF is addressing the needs of our Youth Members in the CF Youth & Education Program developed for tomorrows' next generation of cockatiel afficionados. Please visit our unique LOST & FOUND Center to report and reunite birds with their owners! Joining the Foundation When you join the Foundation as a Member, you will receive many benefits, including the Cockatiel Chronicle and have access to the Members' Only Yahoo Group for chat, PHOTO CONTEST, Members' Articles & more! Please read about our Membership benefits and peruse the website. COME JOIN US! |
Cockatiel Foundation, Inc.
| Linda S. Rubin is an aviculturist, lecturer and avian educator of 30 years, with an international byline in avicultural magazines around the world and author of several books at www.CockatielsPlusParrots.com. She is the cockatiel expert columnist for Bird Talk’s website, BirdChannel.com, writes as an overseas columnist for Cage & Aviary Birds (United kingdom), and she serves on the board of directors as National Specialty Vice President for the American Federation of Aviculture, Inc. She is the founding president and genetics consultant of the Cockatiel Foundation, Inc. Linda is a certified panel judge for the Cockatiel Foundation, and the Society of Parrot Breeders & Exhibitors, judging shows throughout the US, Puerto Rico, and Canada since 1984. |
c. 2008 Mike & Betty Petty