The tiels really need their nails cut. I know how to do it exactly, but I'm scared if I do it I'll hurt my reputation with them. How would I go about that without scaring them too much?

Bring some millet with you and give them quick breaks with millet after each foot you finish clipping. Give them a nice 10 second millet reward after your done. You can do it longer if you wish. I did it to my birds and they don't love me any less than before i have done it.

Cockatiels are pretty forgiving about things like this, and it shouldn't do any long term damage if you have a good relationship with them overall (and I know that you do). Many birds are calmer if you loosely cover their head with the towel that you're using to restrain them - it's apparently less scary if they can't see what you're doing. They'll still be able to get air as long as you don't hold their chest so tight that it can't move up and down - that's the big no no of bird restraint.

Peach loves my husband so I have him hold her with a small cloth and he scritches her head while I clip.

Okay, B's nails are just plain bad now. They're curving around to the foot and looks like they'll interfere with his perching if I let them go any longer. I am going to try to do it myself today to save a trip to The Bird Shop and $3.

I know how to, but I am just scared he will hate me for it.

I cut Beaker's nails just now. It wasn't really that bad. Daddy got B in the towel after I showed him how to hold a bird using Perfect Polly. He held him and I cut. Whole thing took less than 2 minutes. Jaid had to come out too to keep Beaker calm and he sat on daddy's arm watching him hold B and commenting on the matter as I was trimming.

I gave them both some millet for being good boys. Poor B. He's having a rough week so far. Had a night fright and lost his left wing and now had to get his nails trimmed. I hope his week improves. I guess it can be tough to be a birdy boy sometimes.

I wrote such a nice post before yours but my phone died in the middle and it was gone. I haven't had the energy to re-type it up. I'm glad the clipping went well.

It turns out that Perfect Polly is good for something besides making us laugh!

Cockatiels are very forgiving if you have a good relationship overall. He won't be happy that you clipped his nails, but he'll get over it quickly.

About a minute into to it, he just relaxed and went soft. That made it so much easier than when he was wiggling around.

I'm proud of him. He did well.

Good job well-done