Teen cockatiel, not yet tamed completely. Help?

I got my cockatiel for my twelfth birthday, I'm now sixteen. His name is Frodo, he is a male, and he is quite a cutie... when he's not snapping. You see, I begged my mom for a year to get a bird and when I got one, I really didn't know what to do with it. We got it from a no name pet store and so he's definately not a hand fed cockatiel. He's been difficult with me since the day I got him. I used to take him out a lot more, and bring him to the kitchen downstairs, (when I used to clip his wings). I stopped doing this when his wings grew back because one day someone opened the front door and out he went. I found him down the street scared stiff.
I also don't really have much time anymore, Grade 11 is becoming work loaded, and when I'm not working to stay on honour roll, going to group clubs afterschool, or seeing my boyfriend, I'm sleeping. I really hate that Frodo doesn't get out of his cage, but I suppose he has the budgie. (My sister got two budgies for her birthday one year. When the first one died, she thought the second was too noisy, and so left it in the hallway. I took it in, but I think it's been even harder trying to tame Frodo when it's in my room too.)
I took the mirrors out of his cage also, even though it is cute to see him dance with himself. All I want is to make him happy! He's so attacted to his cage! Can someone give me some tips to tame an angry pre-teen cockatiel? I just wish he wouldn't be so angry when I take him out of his cage.

 

Hi and welcome to the forums.

Male cockatiels are the hardest to tame and most never become tame.
Wing clipping is one way to calm him as he will need to depend on you to get where he wants because even though he can still fly a little he can not get up heights that he wishes, so making catching him alot easier.

The more you handle hime the more likely he will be come tame, When first trying to hand tame him i suggest using a pair of thick gloves as cockatiels bite really hard, Just simply hold him as often as you can for about 15-20 minutes and this may also calm him down.

But like i say you may never tame him, I have one male cockatiel that hates being touch and will snap everytime you go near him, Now The most tame of my cockatiels is Meeko my female and she is so tame you wouldnt believe, I had to hand feed her from 3days old because her parents killed the other chicks, She will be 4 years old in september.

Being persistant is the key to taming him, But like i say male birds are alot harder to tame and most never become tame.

Mike

 

I don't think I need gloves. I can hold him, he bites, but not hard. I'm not scared of him biting me, I think they're mostly just warning bites. He lets me hold him, but he's always persistant on going back to his cage, and doesn't pay attention to me when I'm telling him 'up-up!' and trying to get him to step up on my hand over and over. He flies around my room just so he can get back to his cage or the budgies cage.

I want to get his wings clipped so I can take him downstairs again, but I'm scared he'll completely hate me after... Should I get another family member to bring him for me?

 

He should not hate you for clipping his wings as it just makes them go quiet because they try to fly high and they realise they can't do it.

I would get his wings clipped and keep on with the up commands, Does he have a favourite treat as you can put this in your hand aswell and he will associate your hand as getting something nice.

Having the budgie in the room will not help training as he will be distracted, Birds usually use bite as a warning as that is there only defence against predators, They also nibble to check things out so when he bites if you pull away quickly he will learn that biting will get you to let go.

When you hold him dont let him out of your hands until your ready to put him down and he will soon learn your not wanting to hurt him, Most cockatiels will accept this and feel safe and want to be with there owner, My female sits with me when i let her out of the cage she will fly to my shoulder and sit there playing with my hair or earring, But again i did handfeed her so she is used to being handled.

All my chicks goto there new homes only when they are hand tame which i start this training from 2weeks of age so that they get used to being handled and i have yet to have there wings clipped as they are relaxed and calm with me holding them well the females anyway, they males are a little more independant and prefer not to be handled, But i never give up.

Just keep trying if after 6months you can still not get him to calm down and relax then chances are you won't.

Sorry i could not be of more help

Mike

 

For the past two days I've taken him out for around 25 minutes, pretty much just talking to him and trying to get him to do the ladder (you know, finger ladder). He wasn't very responsive yesterday, he was constantly flying over to the bird cages. Today though, I put the bugdie cage on the floor, put a shirt over half the cage so he couldnt see it, and put a shirt over his own cage. He was still kind of annoyed at me, I tried offering millet spray after he listened to my commands but he wasn't interested... but I think I found something he likes. He seems to like when I blow really hard on his head. He puts his head close up to my mouth and kind of wiggles back and forth. So everytime I got him to step up twice, I said 'good boy!' and blew on his head. He seemed more obediant when I used this as his reward... he wasn't so noisy and didn't snap very much.

Is he a weirdo? Do other cockatiels enjoy being blown on? XD Maybe he didn't even like it, but it seemed like he did.

 

No this is normal behaviour its actually arousing to birds, But you should not really blow at them as this can cuase them to get a chill, Have you tried scratching behind his head gently you will find he will like this better.

Once you find things that he likes when he is out of the cage the more he will start to listen.

Keep it up and you should end up with a tame bird before long.

Mike

 

goffin with split bill .... just adopted ... Help

I just adopted the most awesome bird he is a goffin cockatoo ... about 5 yrs old so well behaved! but he has a split bill can this be corrected at all?
Please help

 

A split bill needs to be checked over by an avian vet it could be that he/she will trim the beak every so often until the beack is back into its normal state, There also used to be a glue type substance that vets used years ago to reseal the split.

Split beaks are usually caused by lack of vitamins or minerals in there diet.

Sorry i would bot be of more help on this one..