Copyright 2007 Cockatiel Foundation, Inc.
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ARTICLE
| INTRODUCTION TO COCKATIELS © 1999 LINDA S. RUBIN Originally published in June 1999 issue of BIRD TIMES magazine "All Rights Reserved" |
| "If we were suddenly denied the pleasure of all our birds except one, we would unhesitatingly choose a cockatiel to be that one pet." This quotation, from the widely read book Parrots and Related Birds by Henry Bates and Robert Busenbark, epitomizes the feelings of cockatiel enthusiasts who have experienced the unique joy of owning a tame cockatiel. In addition to its delightful, loving personality, a cockatiel is relatively easy to tame and makes an excellent family pet and devoted companion bird. They are also easy to breed and come in a myriad of color mutations guaranteed to fit most price budgets. The cockatiel, Nymphicus hollandicus, is a small parrot. As the sole member of its genus, it rightfully belongs to the cockatoo family known as Cacatuidae, sharing many of the characteristics of its larger relatives. Like other cockatoos, the cockatiel has a retractable crest which it raises up and down in response to alarm, excitement and other emotions. Owners can learn to understand their bird's emotional state in part, by observing the position of its crest. Just like cockatoos, cockatiels generate a "powder-down" which is responsible for the white powder that gives unbathed birds a "dusty" feel. While regular bathing is highly recommended, owners should use only plain, clean water. It is important not to administer any additives to the bath water or shower spray, because foreign substances could interfere with the natural powder-down that protects the cockatiel's plumage. Cockatiels generally don't defend themselves well and can be at the mercy of dogs and cats. Even small children can unintentionally harm a cockatiel and should be taught how to properly hold the bird and gently stroke its crest. While cockatiels make excellent family pets, select one person, initially, to be in charge of training. This will help the new bird to become familiar with the trainer and develop trust more quickly. Once the bird settles in and is responding to training, it can gradually be introduced to other members of the household. Obtain a young bird. Cockatiels are fully weaned and independent of their parents by 8 to 10 weeks of age. This is the perfect age to tame a bird and teach it to eat a well- balanced diet. Older birds are more difficult to train and require more work and patience. It is also more difficult to convert an older bird to a healthier diet, if it has not learned to eat nutritious foods. If you must have an older bird, be certain that you will have time to work with the bird on a daily basis. Training must be done consistently. Nothing is more heartbreaking than to see a bird condemned to sit in a cage because it has not been properly trained by its owner. If you do not have the time to train your new bird, it is best to purchase a hand-fed baby. Hand-fed babies are taken from the nest at 2 to 3 weeks of age and fed a formula several times a day, by hand, until the chick is weaned. This is the best method to produce tame birds. The act of gently handling the chicks during feeding causes the birds to become tame. They lose their fear of human hands and associate them with food. One exception to purchasing an older cockatiel is acquiring a bird which is already tame, or was hand-fed as a baby. However, some hand-fed birds, if ignored for long periods of time, can revert to a more wild demeanor. It is important older that birds demonstrate their tameness by stepping up on a person's hand, to show they have not become "hand shy." Although formerly tame birds can be retrained -- especially if they show interest in people -- it will take time and patience on the part of the owner to work with a shy bird. While hand-fed cockatiels are generally confident and willing to step up on a friendly hand or finger, new owners should realize it takes time to nurture a growing relationship between you and your new bird. As you begin to get to know each other, over time, a bond of trust will develop. Your bird will soon learn to fly to you, sit on your shoulder, and show interest in being part of your daily activities. Today, cockatiels are bred in great numbers and many pet shops specializing in birds offer young, hand-fed babies, purchased directly from bird farms and local breeders. However, even if a bird is advertised as "hand-fed," it doesn't guarantee it will be entirely tame and trusting. Some large breeders hand-feed birds in mass production; feeding chicks as quickly as possible without spending adequate time to gently handle each bird. Other breeders choose to raise a limited number of birds and spend more time handling chicks during feeding, to produce tame, trusting babies. They usually feed by spoon or syringe, imitating the parent bird's natural "chug-a-lug" head-bobbing movements, which are more satisfying to the chick. Such breeders pride themselves and base their reputations on raising very tame, hand-fed babies. Another advantage many breeders choose is to band their babies with closed, seamless |
| "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.
c. 2008 Jane Gillespie