Once you've decided to get a bird, where do you go for the next step? What should you know before making the investment in a new companion? Below, I've listed some of the things that you should know before you stop by your nearest petstore and pick up your feathered friend.
1. Where to get your tiel from?
This is perhaps the most important step to do correctly. If you do not get your 'tiel from a place where birds are cared for well, it may well be a rocky first few days, if not months or years. How do you find a reputable place to get your bird from? The first thing I did was open up google and search for places that sold birds, and then I joined a forum and asked about what the more experienced owners thought of the places and how they looked. I did not take reviews for the locations very seriously, as I felt that some reviewers may not have known what to look out for if they were first time owners like I was.
The forums that I visit for all of my questions are an excellent resource for me. If my bird is acting strangely or has a change in her habits, then I can ask first to see if she may be ill, or if she's just feeling different that day. Additionally, it's fun to be in a place where other bird owners can come and talk about birds if your dog-loving friends don't quite understand what's so great about a flying fuzzball. (No offense to dogs ^ ^)
After signing up for a forum, I introduced myself and began asking questions. I asked first of all where the experienced bird owners had gotten their pets and where they felt it was best to get them. I then asked what I should look for when choosing a location. Some of the best places to get birds from are places like this:
They specialise, at least somewhat, in birds. Some stores sell only birds, but the majority sell many things in addition to them, such as hamsters, dogs, cats, etc. As a general rule, animals like birds that require very specific care and more interaction don't tend to be very healthy if bought from a large retail pet store such as Petco or Petsmart. This is not to say that no good birds come from these places, but birds are a one-of-a-kind pet. From very early on, they need to be handfed. Essentially, this means putting a special syringe in their beak and feeding them a soft mush similar to a parent's feeding method. Needless to say, this is time consuming and requires staff on hand for the birds most of their first 20-30 days and after that for a bit less time. The birds also need social care. They must be handled and spoken to to be socialized. Because of the sheer amount of work that this entails along with feeding, most pet stores leave it to the parents, and as a result, the babies grow up not appreciating human care or presence much. They are considered "untame", even though they are not wild.
There are however, many, many local pet stores with fewer charges and thus, more time for the staff to spend with each individual species of animal. This generally means that baby birds are getting more of the attention that they need and as a result, end up healthier, more socialised, and better equipped to be transferred to a new home. If you absolutely must, bigger chain pet stores can give you a bird that will live a good, healthy life, but it isn't as bright of a prospect as birds purchased from a local store or a bird-specific store. In the next section, I will be discussing how to pick the bird you are looking for. While a cage full of 'tiels is a new sight for you, remember that each one of them is an individual and should be carefully looked over to make sure that they are the right bird for you and will live a good life once you've gotten them home.
2. How to choose a bird
So, what to look for? Besides the gender of your bird and the flashy crest and cheeks, you should look for these signs when choosing your new bird. A healthy cockatiel will look like this:
-Have neat, smooth, clean feathers
-Have a clean vent and tail
-Have feet that look normal, are clean, and can perch and climb
-Have bright, curious eyes with no crusty bits around them
-Have light pink ceres and nares (nostrils) with no crusty bits
-Be curious. If the bird is hanging back when you approach the cage, or runs away from you before you reach it, it's probably not very tame or is fearful of people. You do not want your first bird to come with a year or more of work just to allow you to pet it. The bird should express some form of interest, whether it be standing a bit taller, looking at you, or even coming up to the cage bars to investigate you further.
-Be climbing, able to climb, or perching. If a bird is ill, it won't be as likely to move about or exert energy in ways such as climbing the cage bars, perching on its perches, or walking around on the floor of the cage. It will most likely just sit on the floor of the cage and look about if it is sick. Ill birds find it difficult to perch, so if the bird is avoiding perches or cannot stay balanced on a perch, it may be ill and you shouldn't buy that one.
As a general rule, the bird should look like it has a some life in it! If she/he looks tired, weak, or inactive, it probably is. This can be hard to tell, as birds are masters at hiding illness. You can also ask the store owner which bird they think is healthiest-looking. Most, but not all stores will give you time to take the bird to an avian vet and have it checked over. This is highly recommended, as the vet will be able to tell you if the bird is sick, when it may look perfectly fine.
3. When to get the bird
It is a good idea to get all of your supplies first, and then get the bird. When I picked up Arya, I made two trips. The first trip was to get the cage, food, perches, toys, and all of the supplies that I needed to get her set up. When you get home, set everything up. Put the cage together if it needs to be assembled, put down some substrate, hang up perches, place toys, and whatever else you may include for your bird. Set it up as if the bird is already living in the cage, leaving nothing to be done after you have the bird. This is because it is very stressful for the bird and you to be reading assembly instructions for a cage while your bird is sitting in an unfamiliar situation in a box or travel cage. After you have everything set up, go back and get the bird. Bring it home, put it in the cage, and leave it alone for a few minutes. I've made another post about how to interact with your bird for the first few days. You can read it here.
4. What to get the bird
Of course, you'll need a cage, but what else is necessary? This section is more of a list, so you can use it as a checklist of sorts.
-Cage. This should be at least 18" x 18" x 24". I have a larger cage for Arya, because I am at school for most of the day and she is alone. While she does fly in and out of her cage, when she has to be inside of it for an hour or so, she has room to entertain herself until she can come out again.
-Substrate (Bedding). I use newspaper, unshredded. Black and white is best, as there are no dyes for them to ingest if they choose to chew on the newspaper. Newspaper also doesn't release dust the way pine or aspen shavings do and can be digested more easily than these if your bird does choose to nibble at the bedding.
-Toys. You'll only need 2-4 toys to begin with. Your 'tiel will probably not play with them for the first few days, and may never like one or more of them. After your bird is adjusted to their surroundings, you can get more toys and rotate them in and out of the cage to keep your cockatiel happy and entertained.
-Perches. Perhaps the most important aspect of the cage, your bird's perches must be large enough and comfortable to their feet.
-Food and water dishes. Self-explanatory, they should be easy to clean, because birds are notorious for making a mess with food and at times, bathing in the water dish. You can have more than one set, and it is recommended that there be two food dishes, one for pellet, and one for fruits, veggies, and seed mixes. The water should be replaced at least daily, and for some owners, there is a twice daily changing of water.
-Bathing dish (optional). Some bird like having water available to bathe in while inside their cage. I, personally, either mist Arya down with a spray bottle or simply take her in the shower with me so that she can catch some spray and wet her feathers. Getting the feathers damp helps to reduce dust for those with allergies or asthma, and it helps keep the feathers in tip-top condition. Newly grown-in feathers, called blood feathers or pin feathers, are coated in a keratin sheath that the humidity of a hot shower or the dampness of a spray bottle help to soften so that the bird can pull off the sheath while preening. These feathers are very uncomfortable for birds while they are growing, and in the wild, other flock members will pull the sheath off for each other. In the home, you can help out by giving them access to bathing options. (You can also rub off the sheath by yourself, but that's another story)
-Cuttlebone. Your bird needs calcium from a steady source, and since glass windows and doors block uvb rays, your birds may develop vitamin deficiencies that cuttlebone can help to replace. Additionally, hens lose lots of calcium and energy while laying eggs, so it's an especially good idea to have them around if you have any hens. (Your female cockatiel will lay eggs at some point in her life, whether or not there is a male around). Also, they like to have cuttlebone to scratch at with their feet and beaks, a slightly healthier alternative to having them clipped or shaven down every so often.
-Treats. Things like millet or seed work well. These are both for training, and just to give your 'tiel every now and then.
-Food. In addition to the seed mix and the greens your cockatiel will be eating, they will need some pellet. This will help to add necessary nutrients to their diet and will give them some flair in the daily eats. I have made a post on proper diet and nutrition for your bird here.
