A nest box is definitely not necessary in fact I would strongly urge against it. It can make the taming process much harder. If you aren't already you do need to provide a variety of toys, things with bells, with thinner wood like popsicle sticks, possibly a bungie and/or a swing.



As far as food, are you sure he isn't eating, just because you don't see him eat or his bowl looks full doesn't mean he isn't eating. Check his bowl carefully, a full bowl can be full of shells or husks instead of the actual seed. I have seen birds die of starvation because their owners didn't think they were eating so never or rarely changed their food in their bowls. Even if your bird is not eating all of it's food you will need to dump it out, clean the bowl and refill with fresh at least once daily. If you are still positive he is not eating, are you using the same diet as he had been being fed? Changing to healthier or different diet can sometimes be great but when switching to a new home they should be settled and eating well before trying to go with a healhier diet. If you are not sure what he was being fed check with the previous owner/store to make sure. Then give him time to settle. If food is provided and the bird is healthy they will start eating, I haven't seen one yet starve when it is healthy and has no dietary changes. Also watch the color and amount of droppings to make sure they look healthy. I know sounds gross but must bird owners will tell you this is a necessary part of bird ownership. If possible use newspaper, white newsprint, papertowels or cage liners in the bottom to be able to see the droppings and if your new bird is dropping its shells down after eating the food.



To tame you will need to be patient. Let the bird settle in first. Depending on how tame the bird was first will help decide how to start out. For an already tame bird, you should be able to offer a favorite treat to get him to come out to your hand so you can handle. For one that wasn't tame take it slowly. Let the bird settle in. Spend time in the room with him, talking and just being around him so he gets used to seeing you and hearing your voice. Figure out one or more favorite treats (millet usually works well) and save this treat for special times. At least at first let him come out of his cage on his own. Don't "chase" him. If after a week or so he still won't come out you may try gently taking him out in a towel, being careful not to squeeze the chest area. Some people use a towel to tame a cockatiel. They remove the cockatiel from the cage wrapped in a towel, go into a small enclosed room and sit with the bird in their lap while talking and lightly scratching the top of the head. As the bird stays calm they loosen the towel eventually only having it lightly around the bird. If the bird is still calm they will completely remove the towel. In an enclosed room it shouldn't be hard to catch the bird should he decide to try and fly away.

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Subscribe to this Thread ] [ Show Entire Thread ]