My baby cockatiel has started plucking his feathers?

i bought a young cockateil from my local garden centre,they said he was about 3 month old and his feahers around his neck and head hadnt grown in yet,a few weaks later he got all the feathers in and was happy and whistling all day,now he seems to have plucked all the feathers owt that were not there before when i bought him he as also started to hiss at my daughter and doesnt sing very much! i thing he is lonely and finding it hard in the cage all day, do you thing i should buy anoughter bird to keep him company

My baby cockatiel has started plucking his feathers?
How old is your daughter? Sometimes young children who don't know how to handle birds properly can stress them right out and get them plucking.





It is advisable to take your bird to a vet to see if the plucking is illness related.
Reply:1. I would suggest that you go back to the store where you purchased the bird from and ask for advice and more info on how keep such an animal.


2. Go to Barns and Noble or any good book store and get yourself a book/books and read up on information about your new pet.


3. I just checked on Google typing into the search box:


Cockatiel - a lot of websites with tons of information popped up. Go and try this and learn, okay?





Good luck with your little buddy
Reply:Please be a bit patient with your new bird. If you haven't taken him to an avian veterinarian for a well check up, then locate one that is avian certified and make an appointment. Rule out physical problems first. Birds are susceptible to a protozoan which is called giardia which causes them to itch and pluck feathers. There are other causes too. One could be boredom and stress.





Please remember that parrots are prey animals, and we are preditors, as are all animals whose eyes are like ours, faced in front of the face. This also includes dogs, cats, ferrets, rats, snakes and a few others. When they are stressed out they can pluck feathers, just like some people do who chew on their fingernails.





If it is stress related there are a few things you can do to ease him into his new home with less stress.





Parrots are flock/social animals. You have become his flock and he needs to know that you will take care of him and his needs. You can do this by making sure he is kept in a room that is where you spend most of your time. Sit by his cage and sing songs, or whistle tunes or read books out loud to him.





Begin stick training to step up. Purchase a small table top t-stand, or make one and use a small dowel stick for step ups. Take it and the bird into a small room, such as the bathroom.





To get him to step up, place a small dowel or stick above his fett close to his ankles and lightly push on them to get him to step up.





You may need to use a small hand towel to catch him. Also, if his wings are not clipped have the vet do it, or take him back to the store and ask them to do it for you. It will make him more dependent on you and easier to train. Hopefully after a day or two of stick training you won't need to continue toweling him.





Making sure the toilet lid is down, (birds can't swim). Practice sitting him down on the stand and then up onto the stick. Each time you sit him down on the t stand say "step down", each time you take him off of the t stand say "step up".





Do this for a few days 3 to 5 times a day and keep each session no longer than 15 minutes. Always end with him doing it right and praise him for it.





Next you can practice getting him to go from the t stand to the stick and then to your fingers. Hold you hand out like you would if you were going to shake someones hand, fingers together and thumb up. Do this several times a day for a day or two then start him stepping up from t stand and onto your fingers.





Now it is time to do laddering. It is doing just what it sounds like, have him step up to the left fingers, then back to the right and raise your fingers a little bit higher each time.





After a day of this you can try having him step up onto your fingers from the cage. If he hisses use the stick and go to the training room and continue step ups and laddering.





For emergency reasons it is always a good idea to keep your bird stick trained. If you are gone and someone need to get him out of his cage quickly a stick is easier and less likely to get them bit.





Also, after he learns to step up onto the stick he may decide to use the stick to run up it and bite your fingers, so I always have a second stick to shield my fingers that he is to step up on.





I hope this helps, email me if you need more help. Male Cockatiels tend to be a bit fiestier than females and take a little more patience.





Good luck.
Reply:give him a bigger cage along with another bird, it's stress thats making him do that.
Reply:i think you worked this one out for yourself





it sounds like he is lonely








all the best


Ian
Reply:Stress, yes get a second bird but in a different cage.