Frequently Asked Cockatiel Questions By Eleanor McCaffrey, Copyright Notice: No portion of this text or text information in answers may be copied, printed or reproduced without permission from site owner. Thank you Arlene for the wonderful picture of Jake! Click on a Question for the Answer. 1. My single female is laying eggs. What should I do? 1b. I have a question about breeding, can you help me? 2. How can I tell if my bird is a male or female? 3. I work or go to school all day. Should I get a 2nd bird? 3b. I have allergies should I get a cockatiel? 4. If I get a 2nd bird will the 2 bond and be less friendly with me? 5. I'm getting another bird. Can I put it in the same cage as the one I already have? 6. Can I keep a parakeet, budgie or lovebird in the same cage as my cockatiel? 7. Do I really have to quarantine a new bird? 8. What type of cage should I buy? 9. Where should I put the cage? 10. Should I have the cage all set up when I bring my new bird home? 11. What should I put on the bottom of the cage? Is newspaper ink poisonous? 12. What should I do when I bring my new bird home? 13. How do I tame my bird and teach the Step Up Command? 14. My bird is turning its back on me and facing the wall. Why? Click on a Queston for the Answer 15. Why is my bird is trembling when I talk. Is it getting sick? 16. I haven't seen my new bird eating or drinking water. 17. My new bird isn't eating. What should I do? 18. Will my bird starve if it doesn't eat? 19. What are night frights and how to I prevent them? 20. How many hours of sleep does my cockatiel need? 21. Should I cover my bird's cage at night? 22. What is a blood feather and why is breaking one so dangerous? 23. What should I do if my bird breaks a blood feather? 24. What are the symptoms of a sick bird? 24. What are regurgitation and vomiting and what are the causes? 25. What do normal droppings look like? 26. What is the ideal temperature for pet birds? 27. How do I clean and disinfect a cage and how often? 28. Why are drafts bad for birds? Click on a Question for the Answer 29. My bird bites and won't come out of the cage. What should I do? 30. Why does my bird hate me, scream and act so afraid of me? 31. How can I tame my bird? 32. How can I teach my cockatiel to talk or sing? 33. What tricks can I teach my cockatiel? 34. Should I feed my bird grit and is safe? 35. Help, I can't get my bird to eat vegetables! 36. What type of foods and vegetables can I give my cockatiel? 37. Is chocolate really bad for my bird? 38. How do I get my cockatiel to eat pellets? 39. Does my bird really need to be eating pellets? 40. My new bird is on a seed diet. When should I change to pellets? 41. Should I put a mirror inside of my cockatiel's cage? 42. How do I give my bird a bath and do I really have to? 43. How often should I give my bird a bath? 43b. Do cockatiels get mites, lice or fleas and what should I do about it? Click on a Question for the Answer 44. Why is my bird hissing and what does it mean? 44b. My bird is screaming. Help! What should I do? 45 My bird is making a grinding sound with its beak. What does this mean? 46. My birds feet get really warm/cold. What does this mean? 47. My bird keeps backing into a corner. Why is he doing this? 48. Why does my bird fluff up its feathers then shake them out? 49. Why does my cockatiel lift one foot up into the air? 50. Is it normal for a cockatiel to hang upside down like a bat? 51. Why is my cockatiel shaking its head back and forth? 52. Why is my bird sleeping on one foot with its head tucked under the wing? 53. Why is my bird picking at its feet ? 54. Why does my bird stretch out 1 wing and 1 leg? 55. Did you ever hear of a cockatiel wagging its tail? 56. Why is by cockatiel banging on his toys? 57. My bird is tapping on the cage bars. Why? Click on a Question for the Answer 58. Why does my cockatiel move his crest up and down? 59. Is it normal for a cockatiel to sneeze? 60. Why does my bird sleep inside of the food or water dish? 61. What is a bird's body temperature? 62. Is yawning and neck stretching normal? 63. How can I tell how old my bird is? 64. Can my bird get sick if I have a cold or the flu? 65. What is molting? 65b. What are those tiny flakes on my bird's feathers? 65c. Why is my bird covered with powder? 66. How long does it take for a new feather to grow in? 67. My bird is picking through feathers all day. Is this preening? 68. My bird is rubbing his tail back and forth on a perch/toy. Why? 69. Why won't my bird play with toys? 70. How can I travel safely by car or plane with my bird?             Graphics Courtesy of Graphic Garden Lisa's Original Country Clip Art Page Design, Layout and Contents Copyright Cockatiel Cottage