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My female tiel will be a year in December. I got her in Feb as a baby that was fed by her bird parents AND her human parents. When I went to the house to see her she was a friendly, social little clown so I chose her right away. When I took her home she turned into a terrified, introverted bird that would not move. It took her a couple months to warm up to me again. We were good friends for a while, until she was sick on and off for a couple months and I was treating her with both oral and injectable antibiotics. For a while again she hated me. We had a sort of truce for a while and it's really been on again off again for a while. I have let her wings grow out in hopes she'd learn to fly so she'd be more graceful. Recently I moved her to a large cage. Then all hell broke loose. She'd call for me for attention but absolutely refused to let me take her out. When I put my hand in there and say step up she freakes out like she has never seen me before. This has been going on for a month. So I caught her this weekend and put her back in her old cage and am probably going to get her wings clipped to try and make friends with her yet again.
So to my question, I was thinking about a second tiel anyways, this time a handfed one. I have NEVER had problems like this with past handfed babies. I love Bubo and would never neglect her whether she likes me again or not, but I really crave that cuddly little cheerful baby cockatiel who lets me scratch it's neck and chin. If I got a baby, who was tame and nice, and put it in with Bubo (after quaranteen of course) would it still be nice and tame? I think Boo is lonely as well, she calls constantly sometimes and I do work 40 hours a week. I'm not going to give up on Bubo of course, I like her too much.
Ok so I've rambled on, any Ideas??

Thanks
Sarah
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FireDrake Exotics
www.FireAndLilac.com

I am almost positive the new hand raised bird would remain friendly to you. However Bubo and the new one might not get along. Then again they might get along too.

I had Pepper who was loving and tame then got another loving and tame tiel and they despised one another. They only wanted my attention. It got to be a bit much.

With Bubo if you continue to talk genltly to her for a while through her cage she may just warm up to you again.

I have an untamed Kakariki and added a handreared cockatiel to her cage. They get on alright and the cockatiel has remained tame as anything. So I don't think you need to worry about the bird 'untaming'. That only happens if it's neglected continuously for a long time.

My albino laid eggs, and since then, she does not want me to hold her. The only time she let me pick her up was when she flew into the shower which had scrubbing bubbles in it. I have since switched to baking soda, and she let me pick her up, but she hates baths and when i gently sprayed her off, she bit.... oooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!! right through the skin next to the nail bed. I bawled my eyes out. But otherwise she does not like to be held anymore, and she was hand fed.

Is she still in nesting/egg protecting mode? When they think they`re protecting their next they`re vicious little critters and the best thing to do is leave them alone until the phase passes and she rejects her eggs. Then they usually revert back to sweethearts.

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FireDrake Exotics
www.FireAndLilac.com

Actually, I strongly feel that co-parented birds (like the one you have now) are almost always the best way to go. Hand-raised birds are easier, sure, but they also tend to be needier (and sometimes unhealthfully so). It`s important to find a breeder that encourages socialization in the young chicks, providing a wide variety of toys and food and teaching them to play with them and entertain themselves. Some breeders simply feed the chicks as quickly as possible with no time or attention spent on socialization, and with no parent birds to provide that socialization you end up with a needy, clingy, unhappy little bird that doesn`t know how to entertain itself. So be sure to ask the breeder about the socialization process they use on their birds.

It sounds to me like your cockatiel may have some confidence problems. The change from the breeder to your house unnerved her, and she became a little unmanageable for a while. Did you allow her a chance to explore the new cage before switching her into it? If she was unused to that cage it would explain her fear reaction. How does she react to new toys and perches? It may just be that in the future you`ll have to take pains to keep changes gradual. You could clip her wings for now, but once she`s tame again it might help her confidence greatly to be allowed flight.
For now, just win her over with lots of bribes. Does she have a play gym? Put some favorite treats on the gym and siddle it up next to her cage so she has to come out to get them. Then you can pick up the gym and move it away from the cage, into another room. You should have a much easier time working with her then. (If she`s really fond of her play gym you may have to get that out of the room as well, once you`ve carried her in there. If she doesn`t have a play gym yet, I highly recommend getting one.)

My Pepper is so NEEDY!! I bet she was exclusively hand raised. When my brother got her 7 years ago she cost $200.00. I think her mutation was unique at that time.

In the past I had hand fed babies, and yeah they were more needy than my current bird, but I liked that. The thing is, comparing my bird Bubo to her namesake 10 years ago, both would chirp at me when I walked in the door and keep on chirping for attention, but, the 1st Bubo would come to the cage door and pop right on out to my hand when I opened the door, the 2nd Bubo will not. When the 1st Bubo would have a damaged tail feather that needed pulling, he'd sqwak then come right back for scritches, very forgiving, if I try that on the 2nd Bubo she holds a grudge for a week.

Quote: "It sounds to me like your cockatiel may have some confidence problems. The change from the breeder to your house unnerved her, and she became a little unmanageable for a while."

I would have never called her unmanageable when I first got her. She was scared, that was obvious, but when I put my hand in the cage and said step up, she would step up. She never struggled like she does now. It took at least a month for her to become that cute social bird I saw at the breeders. She has never acted like that again, even when new things have happend she has never become introverted again.
She became unmanageable AFTER she was sick and I had to treat her twice a day for a long long time, including injections.

She seems like a very confident bird now. She doesnt freak out in new situations, new toys etc are investigated immediately, she will walk right up to the cat and nibble on his toes (PLEASE no lectures on cats, I take all precautions and he's a good cat)she will eat anything I hand to her.
She just doesnt want to come out of the cage, she will start screaming and flapping and jump off her perch and hit the ground. I back off but leave my hand in there so she can get used to it again and remove it only when she is calm. If I do get her on my finger and out of the cage, she will fly away immediately, and yeah she could fly very well. Then I'll go and get her and at this point she will sit with me nicely, but will still fly away suddenly at times.

Today she went to the vet for her annual exam and chirped happily in the carrier playing with the paper towel and chewing on the bars the whole way there. She had her wings clipped at the vets and later I had her out while I was on the computer and it seemed she was back to her old self for a while. The vet did say its not uncommon for females to start behaving differently because of hormomes. Bubo behaved herself wonderfully at the vet today, I was so proud.

Sarah
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FireDrake Exotics
www.FireAndLilac.com

Somewhat off topic, you say how proud you were of your bird at the vet's. I get this too My vets hardly ever get a tame cockatiel to deal with so hearing their patient is one of those vicious squawking biting creatures makes their heart sink. Then they meet Georgie who loves everybody even if they clip her nails and put stuff in her beak and hold her on her back! The vets are amazed and love her and I get a discount. It's brilliant