# Advice on hand-taming Cockatiel



## Embo (Jun 7, 2012)

Hi everyone, 

as title suggests I need some advice on how to tame my mum's cockatiel.

She's had him for about 3 years now and we have no idea how old he is - he definately wasn't a very young bird when she got him. I'm guessing he must be around 5 now, if not older. 

He's been with us all this time and he still hisses, flaps & backs off whenever anyone approches his cage. He settles when he realises you're just changing food/water but remains wary.

He seems happy enough otherwise - he eats well, constantly preening and sings. Just not a fan of us people. It's a shame because my mum would love to have him out but we can't because of how he is. 

Her last cockatiel was awesome, so tame and such a dude so this is quite upsetting for her. 

Any advice much appreciated. Thank you all in advance!

If I've missed anything please feel free to ask - but it is my mum's bird & don't have much involvement with general husbandry. Thanks!


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

Just the standard stuff- talk to him whenever you go by the cage, leave your hand in the cage for gradually increasing times, offer him treats by hand- millet and greenstuff can work- and so on. As he's already adult, he may never get as tame as the other bird, but it's worth a try.


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## martyb (Sep 5, 2007)

Ron Magpie said:


> Just the standard stuff- talk to him whenever you go by the cage, leave your hand in the cage for gradually increasing times, offer him treats by hand- millet and greenstuff can work- and so on. As he's already adult, he may never get as tame as the other bird, but it's worth a try.


As above, sometimes they dont like you to look at them when speaking so just sit near him with your hand in or even when you haven't got your hand in and chatter away about anything or when reading just read out aloud.

I have know older tiels to become as tame as young birds when the time and effort is put in,


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## Embo (Jun 7, 2012)

Thank you for the replies, I will pass the advice on. 

It just seems strange how he still gets all flappy when we walk past his cage after 3 years. I suppose he's just a timid bird.


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## Dean c (May 16, 2012)

You will have a real hard time taming such a bird of this age 
Akthough its possible its very difficuilt 

If she could part with him it would probly be better to find someone who can put him in an aviary and get a very young bird which wikl be much easier to tame


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## Oh How Original (Nov 24, 2010)

Ours is exactly the same and he's been with us for ages, I was told it's almost like being viv defensive from a snake point of view, so I just put my hand in and told him to get on it, the first few times he just bit me, but after a few days he eventually got the idea, and once he is out he's fine, have you tried just getting him to climb onto your hand?
You don't even need to bring him out of the cage the first couple of times he does it, just get him used to the idea that climbing onto you is perfectly safe.
I've never seen it as a problem because now ours actually climbs onto my hand he's fine, being a bit aggressive inside his cage doesn't bother me.


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