u/zoomieskeeper

Nami, Piisuke, Robin, Chopper

Chopper is a white face. He looks like he’s emanating an aura.

Don’t know what he’s yelling about, but he’s pretty excited.

I got him a natural toy with bristles and he loves it. Rubs into it like he does my beard.

He recently started rolling over on his back under my beard and napping for a couple minutes. Then returning to terrorize the world some more.

She was a lil wet from a bath, and then decided to play with her corn toy. The red dyed corn pice rubbed off on her head looks like.

Scritches, rage, scritches, rage, climbs on my shoulder to preen, screams in my ear and flies off.

I mean look at that face. She’s soooo happy. I gave her a lil bath and held her till she was warm and dry. I think my day is just rotating who gets to cuddle with me. My children do not like to share the beard. I have to let them take turns under my neck.

Starting to get chilly enough in the morning to wear something cozy. He absolutely loves being snuggled up next to me in my hood.

TLDR; meet Nami. She’s in a quarantine cage not permanent. She doesn’t perch quiet yet. 3/4months at the oldest. bullied by others but so very sweet. My bleeding heart couldn’t leave her, she cuddled immediately and stuck to me.

If you want to read a story;

I went to get food for my babies from our store with my wife. We always love to look at the birds but always leave sad we can’t take anyone home.

I think they do choose you though because when I was near the tank of cockatiels one came over and shrieked at me. I put my hand in and she immediately stepped up and tried to climb flap up my arm and under my chin. The warmth. Under my beard. Cuddled into my neck. Letting me pet her all over the head and under the chin. Stayed attached to me the entire time and only pooped when I took her off my shoulder at the counter.

We believe she was born in May, and though there hasn’t been a first molt yet, the behavior makes me think girl. She sounds like my other girl tiel and responds to my boys but doesn’t sing or whistle like the others. She responds when I whistle with a call.

We decided to name her Nami. She’s in a quarantine cage for now. She is learning how to perch. I let her out the cage if she perches. She knows the door swings open with the perch.
She learned very fast. Shes eating. Weighed 85g consistently the past few mornings.

The woman at the store said the other cockatiels would stand on her tail and pull at it. Go for her wings too. (She had some blood on her. I couldn’t put her back. )She’d been there for about a week. She told me a little boy came in and taught her how to step up but his mom wouldn’t let him take her because they had others. She was happy that I was adopting her.

I can’t wait to see the beautiful bird she will become. I intend to make a vet appt for her to be seen. However she’s already stayed preening her tail feathers out from how messed and dirty they were.

She has the food she came with. I know it’s not all healthy but it’s what she eats right now. I know the drill for introducing pellets over time. Fresh veggies and chop too.

She hasn’t quite figured out how to climb or perch fully balanced. Her feet still are like baby feet. Kinda flop around and grab randomly. She doesn’t bite. Will pace as soon as she sees me in the morning for cuddles. Then contently preens in my neck or on my shoulder.

Wings clipped by store but she really does her best to fly to me if she can. The way she nudges into me and closes her eyes. Moves her head around to where she wants preens.
She stole my heart.

My other babies are starting to realize there’s another actual bird around. All of my other cockatiels came from rehome or discounted from store for being there too long and anti social.
They’re much happier now
This is the first one I’ve adopted as a baby.

He loves the moisture from my shower more specifically. He falls asleep beak grinding while the bathroom warms up.

First two are recent. The next two were this morning. He looks ruffled because he was at the vet

So we woke up and zoro’s belly looked expanded. I couldn’t feel his keel bone and immediately realized he had a pocket of air in his chest. We called and got him in as soon as we could. His chest felt all spongy and he was mad that I felt it, but he was otherwise acting normal besides being unable to put both legs down.

Xrays showed everything normal except for an enlarged spleen. So we aren’t ruling out a bacterial infection that could have presented itself like this. Also not ruling out him falling, hurting himself, and it not showing until now.

He was uncomfortable so they released the air. He has otherwise been his normal self. Maybe just a bit more tired today and not as chipper. I wouldn’t be either after that vet visit. I could hear him crying all the way in my room waiting for him. Ik he’s just vocalizing his distress but it’s still tough to hear.

When the tech came back to the room and tried to put him in his backpack he jumped out of her hand and flew over onto my chest and hid in my hair.

I learned a lot about their bones. How overtime they will reabsorb the air that leaked. Their air sacs can generally repair themselves if there’s a tear or something. They said they can release the air if more builds up but it hasn’t since the vet this morning.

He was prescribed an anti inflammatory/pain med and anti biotic

They took a couple swabs to test for chlamydia. He’s a good fighter. Just wants cuddles now.

Getting his morning scritches after I gave him his medicine. He likes to rage at my hand and then beg for scritches and repeat.

He likes to nuzzle his beak into my hand and into my neck. Also his beautiful blue wings are coming in. He’s still molting and doesn’t have all his flight feathers but I’m so proud of my baby. He can hover over towards me from his tree but can’t get any height.

This has become a daily routine. Chopper will start chirping and singing, Robin takes that as an invitation.
Fortunately, chopper isn’t very interested. He will occasionally shoo her away then look angry.

I have never seen him eating it whilst using the perches provided. Guess it tastes better that way

I stroked the bottom of his beak to his neck for the first time. he melted. That’s the first time I felt him relax his neck like that with me. He usually kept his head firm. This time he’s just like ahhhh.

He just kinda rolled over on my chest. Not the best pic. Didn’t want to ruin the moment.

Once in a while I spray a light mist to offer them baths. This time Piisuke did the asking for a bath pose. At least I thought that’s what it was. He turned around so I could mist under both wings.

It only occurred to me after I could have taken him out of his cage, but I didn’t want to ruin the moment so I kept going. He was loving it.

Sat at the top of his cage beak grinding under the sun lamp after that.