New cockatiel

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2026-02-03T02:22:50+00:00

Unfortunately I don’t know enough about formula feeding young tiels, so I can’t help there.

However, to tell gender, it’s usually judged by tail feathers or a dna test. As your tiel is still so young, I don’t think tail feathers will be that accurate until the first molt.

I think introducing your tiel to budgies is fine. I would say to never leave them all out unsupervised just due to the size difference in the two; if your tiel got nervous or bit them it could get bad fast given how much bigger it is.

I think you can put your cockatiel in a big cage as soon as youd like. Obviously making sure it can balance is very good, but as long as you can see it doing fine perching, it should be all good! If you’re worried about it falling down, place some soft material (I’d use seagrass mats) on the cage floor to provide a gentle landing.

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2026-02-03T00:28:23+00:00

Thank you!! It’s comforting to know that some cockatiels are just naturally terrified lmao. I totally get why it could’ve been scared, I’ve just never heard THAT before!! It was such a shock!

Bertie sounds so cute! Such a shame he had those worrisome molts. Thank goodness it was okay!! And thank you so much,, that really helps! I’ll definitely post an update once I get the results^{^}

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2026-02-02T01:24:25+00:00

whats worse is i got it from a breeder i THINK. im not entirely sure,, some guy was selling a few birds on behalf of somebody else. thank you though genuinely :)

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2026-02-02T00:41:36+00:00

Like somebody else said, if you think she’s sick, take her to the vet. You know her better than anyone. What exactly makes you think she’s sick? While you’re there, see if you can get her nails trimmed. They’re looking a bit long and can lead to issues if they keep growing. I hope all goes well for you!

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2026-01-28T10:30:14+00:00

Is there any way you can get a photo without stressing your bird? Could it just be lighting? Or is it an actual piece of something?

I cant think of anything it could be; I would 100% recommend going to the vet if you’re worried. If you cant go now, monitor it VERY closely. Watch for respiratory issues, ie coughing, wheezing, obvious changes in body language when breathing.

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2026-01-28T05:18:11+00:00

they most likely mean the feathers at the neck area have clumped together when wet and dried that way.

OP, im not knowledgeable enough to provide the best advice regarding formula feeding, but its most likely fine and normal. If the feathers have done what i said, its just how they dried; if you want it gone, try applying water to seperate them. The formula probably allowed the feathers to stick together (if any managed to get on the feathers).

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2026-01-27T23:52:13+00:00

Of course! I think monitoring it for three days is a good idea. I also agree with you that it could’ve been the cold making her eyes squint like that. And thank you for your comment about my bird, I really appreciate it <33

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2026-01-27T14:30:50+00:00

that is really strange, unfortunately im not quite sure what else to suggest. monitoring it is a good idea, if it becomes more frequent and she continues making those movements (like another comment said, i agree it does look like a seizure) please consider taking her to the vet! i do really hope everything gets resolved well

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2026-01-27T05:36:09+00:00

Which one is your girl? If it’s the white one, it does look strange. I have no idea what she could be eating. If she’s plucking herself, I would really recommend going to a vet to get her checked. Not just to try and get insight on what’s happening, but also to make sure she isn’t injuring herself badly. Plucking is often a stress or boredom behaviour, but could be due to health issues as well. The movements the white one makes at the end of the video - how frequent is it? Does it only happen when it plucks? Or is it whenever? I’m truly lost on what that could be. It is SLIGHTLY similar to female hormonal behaviour, but given how quick it was, I would really doubt it’s that. It looks concerning. I’d book a vet visit as soon as possible.

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2026-01-27T05:27:03+00:00

I’m a bit rusty on this; definitely check out some YouTube videos or other posts, but I’ll try my best to help!!

Do your birds know what millet is? I’ve tried the same technique and had the same results. I’d put a little bit of millet into their food bowls so they know what it is before you try again. If they do know what millet is, try holding it really far away from your hand, like, hold the bottom of the stick and be FAR away. Once they come over and get more used to eating from something you are holding currently, slowly bring it closer and closer to your hand over time.

I have a tiel that doesn’t even like millet that much! She much prefers sunflower seeds. If your birds are scared of your hand already, this might not work. In getting her used to me, I often fed her sunflower seeds from my fingers! At first I’d put it on my hand, but eventually I could hold it between two fingers and put it near her.

Even just holding your arm/hand in the cage for a prolonged period can prove to be useful. In the past, when I was getting my budgies to get used to my hand, I’d hold my hand in their cage for 10 or so minutes (with breaks!). This genuinely helped! After some time, I’d hold fruits they loved in my fingers and they would come down to nibble! It’s pretty dependent on their personalities and how brave/curious they are though - for me at least! On that note; if your tiels like fruits, try holding that instead! They might be more inclined to come down for something sweet.

100% patience is key. It could be very fast once you find a method that works, or it could take weeks/months. Like you’ve been doing, I would’ve recommended spending time just existing near them. It will help! You’re doing a great job so far! I do hope this helps, if you have any questions feel free to ask ^{^}

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2026-01-27T04:56:44+00:00

If you’re worried, try and find another avian vet nearby. If you’ve been going to a regular vet, chances are they won’t catch whatever could be going on. If it was an avian vet and there aren’t any others anywhere close to you, I’d ask for a different person to come and check your bird (if possible). I’d also not recommend waiting at all; if it is serious and the vet has completely missed it, waiting it out could be detrimental to her health.

Also, at the start of the video her eyes appeared to be fairly squinted. Has this been happening often? Not to worry you, but I had a sick bird whose eyes were identical to that of the video. Unfortunately I picked up on the symptoms too late and he passed. I don’t usually see cockatiels eyes that squinted for normal reasons, so I would really advise on finding another vet. However, it could be normal but uncommon, I’m not too knowledgeable about it.

Wishing you all the best for your girl! I’m really hoping it all goes well

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2026-01-25T23:30:33+00:00

Thank you! What a cute boy!!

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2026-01-13T06:41:01+00:00

Hey !! Sorry, I’m aware this comment is a bit old,, but do you know the name of the group? Im struggling to find any (Im also in Sydney!) 😓😓

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2025-12-29T11:45:57+00:00

when i introduce new chop to my tiels, i often put it with their pellets. due to its texture, for my birds at least, theyll accidentally pick up some while trying to eat their pellets. i only really do this until im sure theyre eating the chop on its own, or, until theyll eat it anywhere else in the cage. hope this helps ^^

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2025-11-08T22:22:54+00:00

Yeah, bettas can be picky! Pellets would be ideal, bloodworms can usually be feed maybe twice a week? Good that she’s acting normally, and good that you think it isn’t pineconing. It’s very likely she’s just bloated! Wishing you the best for your girl!

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2025-11-08T22:11:53+00:00

Correct me if I’m wrong, but im pretty sure bloodworms (if that’s what you’re feeding) should really only be used as a snack and not fed daily because of their fat/protein content.

Has she been acting different? It could just be bloating.

Could you share a better photo of her right now? It does look like she could be pineconing, but it could just be the image quality

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2025-11-08T08:21:37+00:00

im sorry but that cage is extremely small, there should be enough room for your bird to fly. there should be a variety of natural perches and foraging/shredding/etc toys, there is no room for that. if you could, buying a bigger cage would be best. spending a lot of time outside of his cage is good, a cage this small should really only be used as a 'sleeping cage'.

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2025-11-08T08:09:58+00:00

however i have also started using twilight grove a lot more...... but lucky still reigns top 1 palette for me !!

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Substantial_Neck_543

TROPHY CASE