They make very good pets. They are very lovable birds which can
be taught to whistle songs, talk and become a part of the family.
These birds live about 15 years and require a fairly large cage
and space to fly at least once a day. They can be trained to
stay in and around their open cage.
SIZE of a cockatiel is 12 1/2". WEIGHT of a cockatiel is
80 to 80 gm.
Some of the varities are: LUTINOS, PIED, PEARLED, GRAY,
CINNAMON, WHITEFACE and FALLOW.
THE BEST LOCATION-for your Cockatiel is the living room because
there they bird can most often see the family with whom it is
going to live and can get acquainted with all its members.
The cage should be located in a bright corner near a window.
VERY IMPORTANT: The place for the cage must be absolutely
draft-free. Even slight drafts can make cockatiels sick.
Cockatiels can tolerate relatively low overnighttemperatures
as long as draft are avoided.
CAGES-Cockatiels are powerful fliers and creatures of wide open
space; therefore, they should have a roomy cage, preferably the
size recommanded for larger parrots. Smaller cages can also be
used, such as the larger budgie cages, but in this case the
bird should be released daily for excerise flights around the
room.
THE PROPER DIET-bird seed mixtures for a parrots-of which
the cockatiel is one. They are composed of varyine
proportions of kinds of millet and of canary grass seed,
rape seed, buckwheat, oats black and white sunflower seeds,
and wheat kernels. Such a mixture contains all the
carbohydrates needed, enough fat, protein, minerals and some
vitamins. Fresh water and fresh vegetables are also an
important part of their diet. It is recommended occasional
feedings of whole-wheat bread crumbs. The importance of grit
and cuttlebone to the good health of your bird cannot be
overemphasized. Both these items contain essential minerals
and trace elements. Grit is essential for the proper utilization
of seed items in particular. The grit is stored in the gizzard
in small quantities after it is eaten. The thick, muscular
walls of the gizzard expand and contract, and this action,
combined with the particles of grit, serves to grind up the
food so it can be easily digested.
DETERMINING AGE-if there are adult birds present for comparison,
the general size and proportions are helpful in detecting
youngster. The young are noticeably more slender than adults,
and they do not reach full size until the age of about nine
months or after the first moult, although they are the same
length as adults. Very young birds are fairly easy to detect
on the basis of their light gray bills. At first the bill is
pinkish, but by the age of about two to three months it has
taken on a grayish hue. Young birds also frequently have
"guills" or undevelopd feathers on the top of the head, just
behind the crest. Juveniles have essentially the same coloration
as adult females birds. They have yellow and gray bars on the
underside of the body as well as on the tail feathers, and also
large spots on the primary wing feathers.
DETERMINING SEX-It is not always an easy task to distinguish the
sex of the young especially if they are under five or six months
of age. However, it is easy to differentiate in the Gray.
Males have a bright yellow face with yellow extending into the
crest, and a brilliant orange spot on each cheek. Underside of
the tail is dark gray. A male develops adult plumage at the
first moult which may take up to its first year to complete.
Females have a slight yellow tinge on the face and crest;
cheek patches a much duller orange. The under surface
of their wings often have yellow spots; the undersides of their
tails have irregular horizontal bars if gray and yellow.
Wing spots and tail bars are usually visible on the female by
6 months of age.
CLEANING CAGES-cockatiels are relativley tidy animals and
it is not really necessary to clean their cage on a daily basis.
Cleaning spaced at 2-3 day intervals will suffice. The floor
should be lined with newspaper or a commercial cage liner.
SOME HELPFUL HINTS-it is a good idea to line the sides of the
cage with a fine wire screen, several inches above the bottom,
it act as a barrier which prevents messy scattering of seed
on nearby furniture and floors.
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