tr@wind.bellcore.com (tom reingold) (10/19/88)
We didn't know how to train our cockatiel when we got her, so I just went by my intuitions. Later, I read some books, talked to some other owners, and read netnews. It turns out that most of the things I did were right. But I have learned a lot. The thing that I had not heard of was hand feeding. Our cockatiel used to be content eating seeds from her cage-mounted feeder. When we offered her other food, she would refuse it. Eventually, she liked certain things, such as rice, pasta, crackers -- anything either made of grain or with salt. But she would not eat these from her feeder, only from our plates or left safely on the table. (She has always been afraid of hands and fingers. I don't think we can do anything about this now, if we ever could. She is not afraid of *us*, just hands. She loves being kissed on the head and on the back of her neck. Just no hands, please.) Now she will eat just about anything. The thing she liked the least at first was sweet things. Now she loves fruit. If she is hungry enough, she will eat from our hands but cautiously. She won't eat the very sweetest things, which I suppose is a good thing. But basically, if she sees us eat, she wants some of whatever we have. If we are eating something hot or with onions, she will take a bite, then shake her head, throwing the food out of her beak. Is this disgust. I saw hot peppers for sale at the pet store. I was told that parrots love these. Will cockatiels too? Someone on the net likened hand feeding to the way humans like to eat together. It's a social thing. "Would you like to eat alone?" Makes sense to me. So our the only thing our cockatiel eats from her feeder is still seeds. Now her favorite way of being fed is by mouth. My wife thinks it's disgusting, and I understand, but it's so much fun! I push a crumb or little particle of whatever I am eating out onto my lips and she grabs it as if I am her mother. With this method, she eats the greatest variety of foods. I guess because she trusts me. When I stop feeding her this way, she pecks gently at my mouth, just like a chick would. This is the ultimate feeding method, as far as the bird thinks. Are there any other bird owners who will admit to doing this? Tom Reingold PAPERNET: |INTERNET: tr@bellcore.bellcore.com Bell Communications Research |UUCP-NET: bellcore!tr 445 South St room 2L350 |SOUNDNET: (201) 829-4622 [work], Morristown, NJ 07960-1910 | (201) 287-2345 [home]
bmg1@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (Brett) (10/20/88)
In article <11065@bellcore.bellcore.com> tr@wind.UUCP (tom reingold) writes: >(She has always been afraid of hands and fingers. I don't think >we can do anything about this now, if we ever could. She is not >afraid of *us*, just hands. She loves being kissed on the head >and on the back of her neck. Just no hands, please.) This sounds just like Bonzo. (grey cockatiel) I would say he's certainly gotten more used to hands in the 3.5 years I've had him, (he'll hop on my proffered finger without hesitation) but he still can't deal with being petted on the back or touched near the beak. But likewise I can kiss him on the beak (in fact, if my face is near his, he'll give usually give me a birdy kiss). >Now her favorite way of being fed is by mouth. My wife thinks it's >disgusting, and I understand, but it's so much fun! I push a crumb >or little particle of whatever I am eating out onto my lips and >she grabs it as if I am her mother. With this method, she eats >the greatest variety of foods. I guess because she trusts me. Bonzo will take food from my mouth (yeah, i admit it), usually a sunflower seed. Although he will take them out of my fingers too, as long as I'm gentle. brett