So we have a bird we took in that was my step grandma we know nothing it’s an older bird and I think he is molting i don’t have money to take to vet.. what are not things to do? I also have a younger kids that like to hold him a lot so we keep them away at this time… thanks
Hi Megan,
Cockatiels can lose a lot of feathers if they get scared or stressed. But if there are any bare areas of skin, then something else is going on. There are bird rescues that will take an older bird like this, if you don’t feel like your home with young children is working out for an older bird. Birds do need veterinary care at times, and this is part of the responsibility of owning a bird, so do keep that in mind. Cockatiels are prey animals, so they do not like to be grabbed. If the kids are trying to grab him, this can be very stressful for him. The children need to be taught to let the bird sit on their finger or hand, and to never grab the bird. They should also know never to get the bird out without an adult present. Cockatiels can bite very hard when threatened or stressed out. They don’t bite and let go like most other birds. They will latch on and grind their beak, which would be very traumatic for a small child.
We have a lot of bird care information on this website. I’ll give you the link to the main pages where you can choose topics you want to learn more about.
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
Brenda
