Cockatiel Care Continued
Cleaning the environment
All parrots have very sensitive respiratory systems and digestive systems. They can easily become sick from bacterias and fumes in the air and around/in the cage. Cleanliness is important. For frequent cleaning in the cage, I wash the surface area with "poop-off" to remove droppings, rinse and then rinse with a grapeseed extract and water solution to reduce the bacterial load in the cage area. You could Bleach the cage monthly (more frequent if you've a recently sick bird) but the bird must be removed from the cage and the cleaning done in a separate area of the house. Make sure you rinse the cage very well after bleaching and let dry thoroughly.
Grooming
Your cockatiel can and will take care of some of their basic grooming needs, but there are some things, that you, as your cockatiel's owner will need to perform, or to have an experienced bird person, preferably an avian vet perform to help keep your cockatiel safe and healthy.
- Wing Trims/clipping - To prevent your cockatiel from flying away or even injuring himself in your home, you will need to trim, or have trimmed, the primary wing feathers. It is important to note that you must not ever cut/trim the blood feathers, only cut/trim the feathers that have clear colored shafts.(the shafts are the center tube part of the feather). If you do accidently cut one, you will need to have the feather pulled before your cockatiel bleeds to death (you can learn how to do this in the downloadable first aid e-book).
- Toenail clips/trims - despite any perches you may have, you cockatiel will need to have the toenail clipped, as the long toenails will cause eventual foot problems, from snagging on cloth to difficulty perching. Make sure you only clip the very tip and to not cut into the "quick" or your cockatiel will bleed, applying pressure and cornstarch should stop the bleeding, if not see an avian vet.
A healthy cockatiel will be seen cleaning their own feathers known as preening. If you see them pulling feathers throught their beak this is normal. If you see them chewing/breaking feathers, and especially pulling out numerous feathers, they may be plucking. They will have bald areas, most predominantly on the breast or rump area. During the course of preening, they may pull out the occasional feather during the molting season, which is generally annually in birds older than 1 yr old. The molt will generally last 2 to 4 months and they may look raggedy, but will not have bald spots. Lutinos (white or yellowish cockatiels) may have a bald spot at (under) the head crest, but should fill in, may be thin (too much inbreeding years ago to produce the white/yellow mutation, has resulted in the thinner feathering of the lutino).
onal/food requirements
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