Getting A Cockatiel... a Few Questions = /

Question

Hi! Okay... i need lots of help from some people please! =]]

Okay, im 15 years old and ive had a parakeet for like 6 years now and i treat him very good... but hes not very friendly so i dont play with him a lot...

Anyways, im getting a male cockatiel this month and i was wondering a few things for those of you who have time to answer these many questions i have =]...

1. would Mac be a good name? would he be able to say that name?

2. what is a good, healthy diet for a cockatiel?

3. when i get him home, on the first day... how many days should i not take him out for? he is going to be hand-tame, and young... should i leave him in there for like 2-3 days, while sitting by the cage and talking to him or reading a book aloud to him?

4. i am planning on clicker training him... what is the first thing i should teach him with the clicker?

5. what are some tricks i could teach him other than - flap, wave, rollover, and spreading his wings?

6. how many times a day should i take him out of his cage?

7. i am getting a ring toss thing for cockatiels... and im going to train him to put the rings on the pole thing... should i click and give him a treat for every ring? or after he finishes putting all of the rings on?

8. what treat should i give him for learning treats?

Please, can someone answer these questions for me? and if you have any additional information I should know, please go ahead and add it. Thank you SOOO much!! This would be sooooo helpful to me and Mac!! ^.^ Thank You!! =DD

10 Points for best and longest answer! =]]

Answer 1

mac is a great name he will be able to say it and be able  to say things about it

a good helthy diet you can get at   a pet shop and   on websites

if you want him to talk and say certian things play a tape for him all day untill he says it.

i say that you should play with him the first day so he can get used to you and learn you his family

the first thing you should trian him to do is say mac and cheese

wave flap bonce talk  smile spread his wings ect)

you should take him out at least twice a day if you trian him well

i think thats a great idea

animal planet .com is a great website for birds

please check out my question I'm riasing two baby chickens

and if you like mine please rate me best

good luck with your bird

i hope this was resoursful and long enuff

Answer 2

im 14 and ive had lots of birds ive have love birds,cockatiels conures,african greys ect lots.

and my cockatiels were the best beginner birds.

the best diet for them to keep them healthy is to feed him pellets witch are frutie and all birds like them and acationally give them seed for treats if you give them seed for regular feed he may become unhealthy and wont look pretty.

he will be able to say the word mack if you keep saying it around him all the time.

you can teach him to sit on your shoulder,to not p**p on you or the floor to go in his cage ect there lots just go to google and look at all the things you can do with him.

you should let him out alot and play with him all the time what i did was i would give my cockatiels hair ties dont give them the ones with metal on them.

and my cockatiels would run around with the hair tie flipping it around and put it on the neck they can easily get it on and off.

but i wouldnt try this with bigger birds it my get stuck 0.o.

anyways when hes out make sure there is no sharp objects he can axcidentally fly into and get hurt.

(this will most likely happen if his wings are clipped)

and cockatiels love mirrors if he doesnt have a companion even if he does theyll still love it all 3 of my cockatiels loved to sing in the mirrors all day to entertain them and every once in a while rearange there cage toys around ect so they dont get bored and depressed.

for more information just email me anytime k:)

Answer 3

My cockatiel is 17 and i raised him since he was weened. I think i may of be some help.

1. Mac is fine and yes, he should be able to say it.

2. A good diet for a cockatiel is some seeds, some pellets. also lots of fresh fruits, fresh veggies and some meat here and there. They will eat insects in the wild, therefore they are meat eaters. Though many like to believe that isn't hte case. Makes me laugh. All this on a daily basis. I also add in things like some rice here and there too.

3. I dont' believe in leaving a bird sit for a few days. The moment i brought mine home i held him. I held him at the pet store first so he was used to me. I was the the bond between the store and home. If i came near the cage, he'd come rushing to the door hoping i'd take him out and hold him.

4. I don't agree with clicker trianing for a bird. A larger bird maybe, but not a cockatiel. Repetition is the key. It took me 3 months of daily saying Hello to mine to even get it to repeat it somehwat. Took a year before he'd say it to anyone else but me. Takes a long time to train a bird, so patience is the key. A clicker will only teach him to make a click sound. but that's my opinon.

5. Hello, bye bye, Mac, wave (lifting up and opening and closing his claw). Dance, wolf whistle, whistle tunes you like.

6. i keep my birds cage open when i am home. I had a ladder built to reach the floor and he comes to me quite often. I play with him for an hour a day, but i break that time up.

7. again, i don't agree in clicker training, nor treat training either. I train only with affection and lots of good feed back. Oh, good boy. It's the second thing my bird ever learned to say and i never tried to teach it. But it's what he heard. I dont' say bad bird ever. If not doing what i want, i leave it be and walk away. No attention. Doing good, loads of attention and lots of high pitched happy sounds.

8. i can't answer this one either.

Eeekkkk. i just finished this email and finally read your ending. I normally REFUSE to answer questions that offer up the 10 points c**p. Now i am deciding on deleting this out or not. Hmmm. I prefer to give help when and hwere i can. Not for points!!!! Points are stupid and pointless. ha ha ha ah hha!

Each and ever cockatiel has it's own favorite food. Mine love cheese. It is not healthy for a bird to eat very much dairy at all. But a tiny pinch would make my birds or dogs go nuts and do just about anything for me. So that's what i'd train with if i trained wiht food. If the bird isnt hungry, it won't care what you have in your hand. That's why i train with affection, somethign all animals want.