Birds We Currently Have Up For Adoption
The
National Cockatiel Society
The National Cockatiel Society was organized first and foremost to educate Cockatiel owners on the care of their beloved friends. Over the years, the NCS has expanded its purpose to include:
-
The education of its members on the proper care, handling, nutrition and breeding of cockatiels.
- educational and informative articles through its bi-monthly Journal.
- Support of avian research related to cockatiel nutrition, reproduction and the study of disease.
- Encouragement for the breeding of superior color mutations through the study of genetics.
- Encouragement of selective breeding, closed banding and record keeping.
- Establishment of a standard of excellence for judging the ideal cockatiel.
- Establishment of an NCS Judges Panel of qualified judges to maintain a uniform quality in judging governed by the standard.
- An annual National Cockatiel Society show each year;
- Encouragement of ethical, thoughtful and constructive interactions among its members and fellow aviculturists.
Cockatiels
From Minnesota!
Westwind Aviary is a small aviary, established in the spring of 2011 after joining the National Cockatiel Society and then leg banding our flock under our leg band code #NCS 01W.
We are a small home grown operation with a total current self imposed limit of three cages and 15 birds. we have a total flock size at the moment (8-16-2011) of 11 birds. All off spring and breeding stock are NCS leg bannded and register to Westwind Aviary located here in east Central Minnesota's north woods near Denham.
These Cockatiels are Quality parent rised gently handles Cockatiel's ready for your training program.
Taking Care of a Cockatiel
Starts Before You Choose One!
Make sure before you get a cockatiel that it has been hand raised. A good rule of thumb that has always worked for us is to see if the bird will perch on your finger, if it does, then you are on your way to selecting a very friendly bird. By all means, take your time and do not surrender to pressure from a salesperson at the pet shop by telling you that "they only sell hand raised cockatiels." This is not always the case. Be patient and visit as many stores as you can, when you see a tiel that will climb on your finger then by all means go for it. Of course do make sure that it's healthy by checking its feather condition and to see if it has any discharge from the nostrils. Again take your time in selecting your cockatiel, they can live up to 22 years!! A cockatiel is a friend for life.
• Never force your cockatiel to do something it does not want, This can make your bird aggressive.
•
Make sure your training sessions are in a quiet area, preferably near
the cage, as the cage's perimeter is your cockatiel comfort zone. TV,
radio and any other loud noises like the washer or dryer should be
avoided during lessons. Windows should remain closed and at this time
and no cooking should be happening in your kitchen.
• Keep your sessions short. Two or three 10-minute sessions every day works best to retain your cockatiel’s attention.
•
Find a special reward that you only give to your cockatiel during
training. A food reward should be something small and easily consumed
within a few seconds. Or, if your bird enjoys praise or a head scratch,
offer these instead of food.
• Keep it positive and offer lots of praise if your cockatiel gets even part of the trick or training correct.
•
Remember you are teaching a small bird, not a dog, an infant or a
dolphin. Be patient at all times. It will take lots of time, repetition
and dedication.
• Do get a book on cockatiels. Your car
comes with a manual, why not get a book on your cockatiel? Check out
some of the books we recommend here.
• Don’t be intimidated.
If your cockatiel is acting aggressively, stand nearby until it calms
down. When it is calm, you can leave. Now your cockatiel knows that
aggressive behavior gets it nowhere.
• Your cockatiel will
learn best if you continue to reward and encourage it with each small
step it takes in your training sessions
