Cockateil help

Thanks, I have him seperated from Merlin, my 1st cockatiel, and am trying to let the new one see me and try and get use to me, but this is definately going to be a project. =) Thank God I'm up to the challenge. I am trying to give him foods I am eating, but when I get near the cage he gets nervous and starts his defense hiss and flapping. and usually at night around 8pm he starts this loud high pitched scream. I am trying to ignore it and just move into his visual field without making eye contact just to let him know it's ok. He is not eating, or least I have not seen him at this point, but he definately has variety in his cage. Seeds, millet, fruit, and the regualr cockatiel food. I know I did the right thing by taking him in, I just hope he comes around in the weeks to come.

I think you're doing all the right things. Good luck.

I have 2 cockateils 1 is about 18 at least thats what the vet thinks. and the other is about 3 months old. I had another one as well, but unfortunately he had to be put down. my oldest who is named rosie unfortunately when I got him I was told he was a she...lol anyways I started out with not wanting birds in my house. but I am an animal lover, and one day my husband called me up saying that the place he was working at had a cockateil and they wanted to get rid of it, asked me if I wanted it. I told him NO WAY do not bring a bird in this house...lol That lasted for about 5 mins. just long enough for him to tell me the people were sick of it and were going to throw it outside in its cage and let it die. I coudlnt let that happen. This was in the middle of the winter too! So I told him to bring it home, and I started to read everyting I could on the net and even went to the library..lol well when he brought him home he told me he was only 1 yr old and that he was a she...lol so I started trying to get him to come around, and slowly it worked. but I decided to take him to the vets to get him checked up on cause he looked in my eyes like he had been neglected, the beak was way too long and nails were the same. thats when the vet told me he was about 18 and on his last leg. bye this time I have already fell in love with him and it broke my heart. the vet then went on to tell me not to even bother trying to train him but just to leave him in the cage cause it would be too stressfull. Well I didnt listen...lol I worked everyday for about 10 mins just opening the door and putting a wooden spoon handle in his cage getting him to learn to go up on it. then I would bring him closer to the door until he started to get fussy then I would stop and put him back on his perch just talking softly as I did this and I would close up his cage and that would be the end. well one day he totally shocked me. I opened his cage and this time instead of going to the back of his perch he came right to the door. actually stood on the door. so I just talked to him and waited to se what he would do. Wanting to let him make the choices and let him pick his own pace. well he cannot fly. but he climbed down from his door onto the table and that when I put out my hand and said up. he climbed right on and then for the longest time every day he was out of the cage walking around on my floor and or sitting on my shoulders for at least an hr. when he would get acting cranky or tired I would put him back in. mind you he never got very cuddlely but to me it was still better than him beeing locked up. Now though I really do feel he is closer to his end cause he sleeps more than anything, and if he actually comes out twice aweek for a 1/2 an hr each time we are doing good. But I still love him very much and I do believe he had atleast some enjoyment before his time. As for Rocky he was the one I had to put down. I also adopted him, or should I say he found his way to us. A friend of a friend didnt want him. So we took him in as well. He was a biter he squawked everytime you went near the cage and he acted like he hated people. but he was very young as well he was only 6 months old. So after about a month of him getting used to his cage and realizing that talking to him and the spoon trick wasnt going to work. I tried something that most say you shouldnt do. I actually just picked him up out of his cage and held him, yes he bit acouple of times and squawked like a banche. but I didnt react to either one, infact I just kept talking to him and trying to lightly pet his head for about 10 min, after 2 mins he stopped squawking and about 8 mins he stopped biting, I then put him back in his cage. The next morning to my surpise he didnt yell when I went to his cage, but infact climbed on his door, and as I opened it he was pushing with his head to get it opened faster...lol and as fast as it was opened he was climbing out onto my arm and he was always out from that moment on. He was my suck, he would hug and loved to be kissed, he would even put his head between my glasses and my face just so he could well I would say he was giving me a hug..lol as for my new baby well he was handfeed and got from a very loving breeder so I never had a problem with him wanting attention. I just wished I knew if he was a male or a female..lol when I got Cutie-pie I was told that he/she was too young to tell. But I am so still learning as I go and really have no clue on how you tell....lol Anyways. I guess what I am trying to say, is use your best judgement and try different things to get your new best friend to trust you. even if you think its off the wall cause it just might work, but at the same time watch your bird and see if they can handle it and if its the best way for them. I really do believe they tell us in there own way how they want to go about it.