# Can a cockatiel that was not hand fed be tamed?



## Charlotte__

I got a cockatiel today, and no where around me sold ones that had be hand fed so I got a 9 week old lutino one which was raised with it's parents, and I came across a book which said a cockatiel that isn't hand fed is near enough impossible to tame! Is this true?


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## Marinam2

oh yes i bought one years ago and she was the soppiest thing ever....used to twiddle my eyelashes and would never let my mother leave the room.....

She would investigate everything and very friendly.......i didnt really put that much effort in to making her that way either and she came as fierce as anything....i had to use a glove to pacify her in the early days....

I suspect that would be frowned on now. I restrained her with the glove stroked her head a couple of times a day and i kept her cage in a quiet room of the house. One day she just jumped on my finger and that was that.


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## Zoo-Man

It is possible to tame a parent-reared Cockatiel. It will take time & patience, but it can be done. I wouldn't use gloves, as most birds will be scared of them & it will hinder the taming process. Be brave & use your bare hands to offer treats. You may well get bit, but thats just part of parrot ownership Im afraid. Try getting the tiel to take a treat from your fingers through the cage bars first. Then when the bird is doing this every time, its time to try with your hand in the cage. Eventually the tiel should trust you enough to take the food from you. When the bird is doing this every time you offer food in the cage, try to bribe the biird into putting a foot on your finger. Reward as soon as the foot touches your hand. Eventually it should step onto your hand.


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## 123dragon

this isnt a direct answer but when i bred budgies if i had some that i wanted tame to sell as house pets i would take them away from the adults as soon as they were semi weaned so they still wanted emotional support from somthing, 
i would then just stand with them and i slowly become the thing they knew they could trust, 
maby that would work because it is only 9 weeks old


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## Lucifus

They can be but it takes a lot of time and patience. Cockatiels that live in stores tend to be a bit jumpy due to noisy environment, idiots banging on the avery etc. If its put in a quiet environment with a very patient person whos willing to build up a bond with the bird and it can be tamed.

Some however just wont have any of it.


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