here I am rock you like a hurricane ([info]nicemarmit) wrote in [info]cockatiels,
@ 2005-01-16 16:06:00
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Friend or Foe?
My boyfriend's mom has a cockatiel who is cagebound and really antisocial (she wasn't handfed, is the explanation I've been given.) She tolerates people and lets her owner take her in and out of the cage, but doesn't tolerate any human touching other than that. I was wondering if it would be any different if I brought Molotov over to her house and tried to let them hang out. I don't know if this other bird would try to bite Moli like she does people fingers?

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[info]dizzydezzy
2005-01-16 01:25 pm UTC (link)
Some birds, even handfed ones, will not tolerate being touched other than stepping up. It has nothing to do with handfeeding, and not that much to do with socialising the bird - some just don't like it!

Using the fact that the bird was not handreared as an excuse to not tame and train the bird properly is just silly. I have a tiel that wasn't handreared or even handled at all before I got her, and with a little work she is a tame little sweetie, very social and loves to be out of the cage... and no biting :)

The reason this tiel probalby bites people's fingers is because he has learned that if he bites, they will go away or the human will make funny noises (tiels LOVE funny noises LOL).

I would not bring your bird over. As you already mentioned, the other bird might bite, especially if he's in or on his cage. I don't think the little fellah would feel very good about some other bird coming to HIS house and trying to invade HIS space...

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[info]kuwaizair
2005-01-16 03:46 pm UTC (link)
i'm sorry but what of us who dont like pain? should we dope ourselfs up so we don't feel anything? like when they bite your face, make you bleed or put a dent in your hand?
do they like it when they make other birds scream?

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[info]ltdead
2005-01-16 07:19 pm UTC (link)
Bites were actually fairly uncommon when I was working on taming `tiels. When I was working with untame `tiels I`d get about 1 a week that would break the skin. If it didn`t break the skin, it didn`t really count.

Spot was a different story. He was incorrigable, and I never was able to figure out his problem. He used to bite me several times every time I held him. This is a rare-case, however. I have never and hopefully will never meet another cockatiel like Spot.

There are also ways to tame which could allow you to avoid bites. This usually takes longer, and requires more perserverence. For example, you could teach the bird the basics of `clicker training` and then reward it for coming closer and closer to your hand until you`ve taught it to `step-up.`

Since this bird already steps-up for the owner, it`s just a matter of socializing it with new people. It`s actually much easier then `taming` a bird outright. Just have the owner take it to another room, away from the bird cage, and put it down in there before leaving. Then the new person can go in to work with the bird. Offer a lot of treats, rewards, and praise. If you can get the bird to step-up after the session, take it back to the cage yourself. If not, have the owner do it.

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[info]bumblebeez
2005-01-16 02:09 pm UTC (link)
the excuse you were given was just that: an EXCUSE.

if she wanted to tame the bird, she could.

i don't know how old the bird is, but if you really wanna tame it, don't give up!

i could think of tons of things you could try.. and i'm sure all the other posters have ideas, too.

so if you want ideas, just ask! you can find tons. :)

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[info]ltdead
2005-01-16 03:20 pm UTC (link)
Like the others said, with effort the bird can be tamed. It doesn`t mean she`ll ever like any touching, somebirds never will despite being very tame.

However, if you take her bird in for a health check and it comes back clean, you could bring Moli over for a visit. This is assuming that the other bird is an only bird and has been for years. And your bf`s mother doesn`t go to high-risk places like birdmarts. If she has other birds or goes to birdmarts/bird club meetings/etc... There`s a raised risk of disease transmission even if the `tiel passes the health exam. It may not be a good idea to bring Moli over in that case.

They may not get along well at first but they may soon be looking forward to the visits. I used to bring Sana over to visit my friends` bird, Corvy. Corvy had lived alone for years and wasn`t very tame. At first, he was very snippy and hissy with Sana, but they were soon enjoying each others` presence.
Just be sure to introduce them AWAY from the other bird`s cage, in some sort of neutral space.

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