<CENTER>Cockatiels(Nymphicus Hollandicus):</H2></CENTER></B> <br> <br> <img src="http://www.ub.tu-clausthal.de/PAicons/n_hollandicus.gif"align=bottom> <br> <dl> <dt>Cage Size- <dd>A cockatiel should be kept in a cage designed for such purposes. Far too often I have seen cockatiels kept in a cage that is much too small for it, such as a budgie or parakeet cage. A cockatiels cage should measure: 18" X 18" X 24"; at the very least, with a bar spacing of 1/2"-3/4". I prefer cages larger than that, so that more toys can be added for the bird's amusement, but with the same bar spacing. The bar spacing is very important, because anything bigger than 3/4" and the cockatiel's head can become lodged in between the bars, and the cockatiel will panic when it can not remove it's head from between the bars and could break it's neck and die. The cage should come with a minimum of two bowls, one for food and one for water. I recommend that you purchase at least two more, so there will be a food, water, fruit and vegetable bowl. I also have one more, that I put some of my tiel's <a href="btoys.html">toys</a> in so that they aren't all over the floor of his cage, and he can still get them out and play with them whenever he wants to. But, that is personal choice. A bonus in a cage is one that comes equipped with a pull-out drawer for ease in cleaning. If it is at all possible, I recommend the purchase of a cage equipped with one. It is much easier pulling out a drawer and dumping soiled newspaper in a garbage bag than having to take apart the whole cage to change the papers! Also, a seed catcher is a wise investment. Anyone who has put a bird cage, especially a tiel's cage, near a couch knows what I am talking about! <B>One thing not to buy:</B> I don't recommend the purchase of cage covers. Tiel's are very susceptible to what is called "night frights". Night frights are caused by one or more things; it could be a sudden light flashing in the room like a car's headlights when it drives down the road, pesky pets(like a cat or dog) visiting them in the middle of the night after everyone else has gone to sleep(my cat used to be real good about that!), or bad dreams. I am not certain if it has ever been confirmed that birds dream, but cats and dogs do so why could a bird? <B>In my opinion:</B> In my opinion, I recommend removing the floor grating that will come with the cage. Tiel's love to play and explore on the bottoms of their cages. Just be sure that there isn't any spoiled food there, and they will be fine. <br> <dt><B>Perches</B>: <dd>At least two perches should come with the cage, though most I have seen come with 3 or 4. Don't worry if your cage only came with two, you can buy some at your petstore(a good alternative to that is using branches off of <a href="bplants.html">trees</a>(click on trees for list of safe woods & plants to use around birds)in your yard, just be sure that they have not been treated with pesticides or fertilizers!). They should be of varying lengths. The largest should be 1", then the next one 3/4", and the last one 1/2". The variety of widths helps to keep the muscles in the birds feet and legs strong, if they are allowed to get weak, the bird can be paralyzed. The widths of the perches should be large enough so that the birds toes don't touch, but not so large that the birds feet look flat or strained. There are also plastic chain perches available at your petstore, and others made of cotton or sisal rope, or <a href="btoys.html">cement</a>. Make sure to watch a perch made of cotton rope, because with extended wear and tear the rope can become frayed and the bird can get their legs, toes or head caught in the fringe and die, or require amputation of an appendage. So use those with extreme caution and use common sense. Cement perches are real nice, as they help to keep the birds toe nails worn down. A good spot for one or more of these is in front of a food or water dish, or in front of a favorite toy. I don't recommend placing them at the highest spot in the cage though, because I can imagine that standing on cement all night long can not be good on their little feet. <br> <dt>Litter: <dd>The bottom of the cage should be lined with newspaper(the black and white pages only, because the colored ink ones are toxic to birds and will stain their plumage!). Using newspapers is a great way to recycle, and are basically free. Do not use gravel paper, because the gravel on the paper is harmful to tiels, they don't need gravel and can die of impaction if it is ingested. <B>In my opinion:</B> In my opinion, don't offer gravel to your tiel, either on paper or in a cup, no matter what the petstore personnel tell you. Many early deaths in cockatiels can be attributed to using gravel. Because cockatiels do not eat their seeds whole, they crack them open and eat what's inside, they don't need the gravel to aid in digestion. In fact, only passerines(canaries, finches, etc.,etc.)need gravel to help them digest their food, since they eat their seeds whole. <br> <dt>Diet: <dd>Cockatiels do very nicely on a varied diet. A healthy tiels diet should consist of the following: 35% seed mix, 30% fruits and vegetables, & 35% pellets. It is very important that the total amount of fruits and vegetables don't equal over 50% of the birds diet, as this will cause loose, watery stools which will lead to dehydration quite quickly. Most fruits and vegetables that are good for you are good for your tiel, just be sure to wash them well first. Stay away from: avacado, rhubarb, chocolate, caffeine, and a high amount of salt and sugar! On my links page, there are a few sites listed that have bird <a href="bfood.html">recipes</a>(or click on recipes, for my own list) on them, where you can find ways of being sneaky and making your bird eat fruits or veggies that they don't particularily like. Always be sure to give your bird fresh, clean water daily. During hot summer months you may need to change the water more frequently, to avoid bacteria build-up. Cuttlebone and mineral blocks are also a very important addition to your birds diet, as they will provide any missing vitamins and minerals, as well as providing the bird with a source of calcium. <br> <dt><a href="btoys.html">Toys</a>: <dd>Cockatiels really enjoy playing with toys, and usually anything marked cockatiel size is appropriate. Make sure that the toys attach to the cage via a Quick Link(also called a C-link). They are available at your local hardware store, in case a toy you want to make your own bird toys, or you want to modernize other toys. Stay away from: toys that are made out of thin plastics, toys that are small enough to be broken or taken apart by your tiel(unless it is designed for that purpose, there are a lot of puzzle toys out there for tiels!), toys that attach via a dog leash snap or keyring, bells that have lead clappers, and jingle bell type bells. A playful tiel can get a toe, foot or beak trapped in the above mentioned toys, which will either result in injury or even death. Mirrors are enjoyed by tiels, but because they have good imaginations, they may think there is a real bird looking at them. Some people say that mirrors distract a tiel from becoming tame, but I don't agree. My tiel Petey, has had a mirror in his cage since one month after I bought him, and I haven't experienced any problems with him. (Except that he does have a tendency to get mad and yell at the "other bird".) You do have to watch mirrors with male tiels though, they have been known to regurgitate food onto them, as well as some other inappropriate activities, thinking that it is a mate for them. Make sure the mirrors are made of plexiglass or plastic, as glass mirrors can break and cut the bird. Ladders are another excellent toy for tiels, just make sure that if the tiel can put his head in between the rungs, that he can also get it back out! Also, watch a tiel carefully, that has never had a ladder before. They tend to be quite clumsy and will fall off a few times, just make sure that the bird doesn't hurt itself. Swings are another good toy for tiels, and most tiels love them. They mimic the swaying of branches in the breeze. There are many different ones to choose from, but use the same caution as when buying toys. <br> <dt>Daily Chores: <dd>Daily chores include- giving your bird fresh food and water, checking toys, cuttlebone and mineral block for wear and tear, scrubbing the bowls, changing the papers, scraping perches, and giving your bird time out of it's cage. Most bowls that come with todays cages, are dishwasher safe, so cleaning them is a cinch. Perches can be scraped, by using a specially designed perch scraper, or plain old sandpaper. Doing this daily is important, because perches get soiled with food, water and droppings and will harbor bacteria if not scraped daily, which can make your bird ill. Giving your bird time out of it's cage will be a favorite chore. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways; you can put your bird on your shoulder while you work, read, or watch TV. You can also allow a bird with unclipped wings the freedom of flying in a safe room. Make sure to cover all of the windows and mirrors, as your tiel won't recognize these as barriers and may fly into them injuring itself. One on one contact with your bird is essential, spend time with your bird without the TV on, the radio playing, without any distractions for both you and the bird. You can spend this time grooming and petting your tiel, or teaching him/her words. This helps with the bonding process and your bird will learn to trust you more because of it. <br> <dt>Weekly Chores: <dd>Weekly chores consist of: misting your tiel with warm water. Misting your bird gives it a bath, and many tiels enjoy it. Misting should be done with caution, though, don't mist a bird while it is in any direct air flow, either from an open window, a fan, or an airconditioning vent. Also, don't mist the bird while it is cold in the house. The best time is around noon, since that is the time when your house will be the warmest, and will give the bird plenty of drying time before going to bed. <br> <dt>Bimonthly Chores: <dd>Bimonthly chores consist of: scrubbing and rotating all toys in the cage. You need only use hot water for scrubbing the toys, and an old toothbrush will help to remove caked on droppings. Be sure to let them dry completely before being put back in the cage. Drying can take as little as a couple of minutes for acrylic toys, or a couple of hours to a couple of days for wooden and cotton rope toys. Rotating toys helps keep your bird healthy and alert. Birds can get bored with the same toys day after day, and need variety in their life. It helps, when you go toy shopping, to purchase duplicates only in different colors of certain toys and to keep certain toys for rotating. You can keep these in a cardboard box, and when you rotate the toys, put the old ones in this box. Then next time these will be the new toys, and so on and so forth. This should be done, twice a month at the very least. <br> <dt>Monthly Chores: <dd>Monthly chores consist of: breaking down the cage and scrubbing it from top to bottom. Take the cage apart, at least once a month, and scrub the base, tray and bars of the cage with hot soapy water. Mild detergent can be used for stubborn spots. You will also be due for toy scrubbing and rotating. While you are cleaning the whole cage, put your tiel in a room(with a door), where the tiel will be safe from children, other pets, and where it can not escape outside. A bathroom is a very good room for this. Give your tiel some toys, like the ones that are being rotated in, so your bird has something to do while you are busy. <br> <dt>Vet Trips: <dd>Just like humans, birds need yearly check-ups. These will help set your mind at ease, and can help to detect any problems that your tiel may have emotionally, physically, or dietarily. Make sure to take your bird to an avain vet, or at least to a vet that has some experience with birds. Your bird will also need to go to the vet if it is showing signs of illness, some signs are: listlessness, change in appetite, water intake, behavior and droppings, and urates. <br> <br> The photo at the top of the page is a head shot of a male, normal grey cockatiel. Photo is courtesy of: The Online Book of Parrots <br> <hr> <hr> Having trouble deciding what to name your tiel? Click <a href="bnames.html">here</a> for a list of bird and other pet names! <br> Back to<A HREF="caresheets.html">The Caresheet List!</A> <br> Back to<A HREF="pets.html">My Pets</A>. <br> Back to<A HREF="index.html">Main Page</A>. <br> On to <a href="btoys.html">Making Bird Toys & Other Accessories</a>. </object></layer></div></span></style></noscript></table></script></applet><script language="JavaScript" src="http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mc/mc.js"></script><script language="JavaScript" src="http://us.js2.yimg.com/us.js.yimg.com/lib/smb/js/hosting/cp/js_source/geov2_001.js"></script><script language="javascript">geovisit();</script><noscript><img src="http://visit.geocities.yahoo.com/visit.gif?us1241113943" alt="setstats" border="0" width="1" height="1"></noscript> <IMG SRC="http://geo.yahoo.com/serv?s=76001068&t=1241113943&f=us-w3" ALT=1 WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=1>