I also have a year old cockatiel. I've placed their cages next to each other. I'm still hand feeding the baby, Jessie twice a day until Friday, and then only once a day for a week and then he's supposed to be weened. Last night for 2 hours before his feeding, he finally started eating at his millet spray. When I went to get him from the cage, he raged and cowered and backed off as if he didn't want me to touch him. He did the same thing this morning when I wanted to take him out to feed him. Am I at a critical point here? Do I need to take him out more and spend more time w/him? Is he just not wanting to be disturbed because he's enjoying his millet? It's this grinding raging and he won't calm down until a minute or two after I put him back in his cage. He still takes the formula like he's starving and is real good about it, but I'm wondering what all the rrrrrrr rrrrr rrrrring is all about. I "feel" like he's mad at me or doesn't like me. What do you think?
You put him next to another bird, now he knows he is a bird..........keep hand feeding him and spending time with him.........but once they are around another bird, their instincts become more bird like........if that makes sense...........you haven't lost him yet, keep touching him........
I purchased a hand fed cockatiel, however, I purchased him from a place the breeder sold him to.........once he was put into another cage with other birds, the hand feeding is now secondary, they now become afraid of humans..........it took a long time to get him back...........he was 8 or 9 weeks when I bought him and I made the mistake of not spending a lot of time with him at first........he's still a great pet and will not bite me and he will get on my finger........but it took a long time...........so keep spending time with him.........he'll be fine......
If the other bird is friendly and comes out, play with him too, the little one will watch and understand your ok.........
RIP Little Tiki.... =(
- marihand
on Apr. 24, 2009 at 9:57 AM