Sibling rivalry

[TinyTimneh]

i ended up purchasing a small 'friend' for my TAG, a tiny male cockatiel Sully (don't ask me what variation lol)

 

they never were out of their cages at the same time, and i never expected or wanted them to physically interact. but they did chat and talk from day one. but then things went south...

 

Sully now has been bitten twice, once on each foot and although he has healed i feel terrible. he now has to stay locked in his cage becuz despite a decent wing clip he was still able to flutter away and land on the TAG's cage... with disastrous results.

 

I either need to teach the cockatiel not be to so nervous with me or teach the TAG to like him. I cannot put him in another room and i cannot take him out of the room. Luckily, the TAG does not go after him when the TAG is out and about exploring, unless that exploring takes him climbing up the side of Sully's cage and I make sure that he NEVER has the chance.

should i give him away? i think the TAG's plucking would be worse without the cockatiel nearby to talk to tho. I have also thought about a severe wing clip in order to ground Sully so that he could come and out and play, but know that that could do more harm than good.

[Tari]

I would take off a few more feather a little at a time. Until he flutter to the floor and not across the room to the Grey's cage. I would move the cages as far apart as you can.

All my birds in time have learned not to leave the play gym. With time you can teach the tiel to do this. Every time mine come off I put them back. On the third time I put them back in the cage. Mine quickly learn to stay put.

About the plucking have you had your TAG vet checked? Many times this is about illness. Do you mist every day? How about foods? Have you tried remove one food item at a time for three weeks to see if maybe he is allergic to one of them?

Good Luck<br><br>Post edited by: Tari, at: 2007/09/01 19:30

[judygram]

Tari has given you some sound advice, and she should know, she has several different kinds of birds plus her grey.

 

I wouldn't try to give the bird away, you can manage with both of them, you just have to be more careful and do what Tari suggested and they can co exist in the same room but not on each other's cage.

[Talon]

Tari gives you great advice. They seem to like the company of each other, I would hate to see you take that away. Follow Tari's advice, and things I'm sure will turn around.

[TinyTimneh]

Thanks guys, everybody's still okay at my house. the move to the new place has made things much better, much less hostility between the two now that they both have their own corner and the TAG no longer feels as if the whole room is his.

 

there have been some incidents of the TAG landing on the 'tiel's cage but whereas before there was alot of hostility and chasing (and mauling of my fingers!!!) on the TAG's part he now will almost instantly step up onto my hand from the 'tiel's cage and does not seem to go after the 'tiel anymore (of course i ALWAYS react quickly so it's possible i've never given him the time to!!)

[birdgranna]

Although I am not against wing clipping( some of my fids are clipped for training purposes) perhaps your tiel should keep his wings in order to escape should he have to. I have 6 tiels and 8 large parrots. I never let the tiels out when the big guys are out and I am anxiously awaiting the finishing of a new room for my bigger guys to move in to. My tiels all have flight feathers now but they were clipped when I was training them.

[TinyTimneh]

well sully i'm ashamed to admit becuase of this problem is not super tame (he'll step up but is awfully nervous) and isn't quite as used to the normal handing jacko is (he startles usually and flies off if i move)

buut i just finally ralented and clipped his wings this morning (the frist five flight feathers on each wing) and now he flutters nicely to the floor. SO now he'll be able to come out and chill with me alot more so that he'll finally a happy and tame little guy! YAAYY