Hello everyone!

I have 3 chicks, 2 of them are 15 days old and the 3rd is 14 days old. I want to make them tame and cuddly. Do you have any tips that I can do to make them love me?

I could co parent them, but their crops are always full. With Marshmallow, the parents didn't feed her well, so I had to co parent.

Any ideas?

Just keep handling. That's all it takes. I know none are allowed in the house and you would be the only one handling them, but I doubt any other female in the house would want a friendly adult, but in order to assure that, the chicks should be raised by both sexes of people, but since the birds are your thing, there's really no need.

Handling them as much as you can is the key, Baruch.
Being so cute and small, I think you can try smuggling them in the house and giving them to your sister and even to your mom... if you explain to her that if they are tame you will be able to sell them maybe can help your case... Tell her that nobody wants to buy unfriendly birds
Unless you want to keep them all?
I used to keep them in my lap on snuggled on my neck as much as I could, and when they started begging for food I'd put them back in the nest.
They will hiss at you every time you pick them up but they will stop immediately. Tielfan told me that it's a reflex they have, to hiss when you open the nest, and it doesn't mean that every time you re-start from scratch; the handling will build up, so to speak, and they'll become friendly in no time.
Good luck and keep us posted on the taming progress!

Thank you both!

I never knew birds can pick genders because that's the only gender that held them.

I am keeping my babies. I always keep them! I refuse to sell one of my angles.

My parents don't mind when they are in the house, they only care when they live in the house because they are very dusty.

I never brought them inside because I thought they would get chilled. But as you can see, they love sleeping on my hand. When I open the nest, they will peck at my finger.

I will definitely keep you updated on how they go.

They will hiss at you every time you pick them up but they will stop immediately. Tielfan told me that it's a reflex they have, to hiss when you open the nest, and it doesn't mean that every time you re-start from scratch; the handling will build up, so to speak, and they'll become friendly in no time.

Thank you so much for posting this! It really gave me hope! I never knew it was a reflex until you mentioned it...and it actually, really makes sense

The hissing is a natural instinct that kicks in the moment their eyes open. They know you're not their mom or dad, and they feel threatened by anyone who isn't their parent. Here are three babies from my first clutch telling me to get lost: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcMKZtr4NeM

If you can keep them away from their parents for an hour or two you can do some hand feeding right before you put them back in the nest. It'll be best to block the parents out of the nest while the babies are out. They won't be happy about this, but they'll be even more unhappy if they see the empty nest.

Those babies are terrified Which birds are they in your siggy?

The parents only go in the nest to feed the babies now. They only go in the best at night, since the garage is hot itself.

When I want to take the babies out, I let Marshmallow and Bio come out for playtime...they don't even realize that I took them.

For some reason, Marshmallow doesn't mind when I hold the babies outside of the nest box, but when I peek in the nest while she is in, she tries to bite me. Interesting...

I didn't keep any of those babies, but they're the older clutchmates of Teela and Squeebis. I originally had six babies squalling at me, but the youngest three had pooped out by the time I got the camera so I took them out of the shot. I don't think they're terrified so much as ANGRY! They want to scare off that "not mom or dad" thing that's daring to look at them.

Cockatiels have a natural instinct to defend the nest, but there's no natural instinct for a situation where unfledged babies are out of the nest. Shodu always seems confused when I have the babies out of the nest. She seems to sort of recognize that they're her chicks, but the situation is so weird to her that she seems a little threatened by them too. I don't let her get too close to them because I think she might attack them if she got close enough.

Thank you!

I am back here because I need some more advise.

What are some fun ways that I can handle the chicks?

I ask because I honestly am starting not to handle them enough, the 3rd baby is terrified from me and the two old ones try to bite me before stepping up. I know that's how they test the perch but the way they bite me is like they want to bite but after they realize the finger isn't going away and they step up.

Another question, how should I hold them? By cupping them? Head scratches? Perching? The thing that discourages me is that they always fly, for no reason. And not only do they fly up to the top of the top perch. They don't come down! haha

I like when they fly, I always take them out like 2-3 times a day and make them fly a lot, but it's annoying when I need to take pictures of hold them.

Can you give me tips on how you made your babies so loving? I know I made Marshmallow tame but that was because she was an only child. I always hold the oldest first and I loose my patients before I get to the 3rd. As you can see, that's why there are so little pictures of him compared to his brothers.

This is te first time for me having baby chicks, so I am no experet by any means but I can share what I have been doing. The oldest is 2 wks old now and I take them out twice a day for a fairly long time. I put all three in a container and sit it on my lap and then handle each one for a while. I talk to them and rub their heads and underneath their lower beak. All 3 of my adult tiels love to be rubbed under their lower beak. Then throughout the day I open the box, ofcourse they hiss and cry but I start talking to them in a soft voice and before long they stop. My granddaughter is here this weekend and I have her sit on the couch with a towel on her lap and she can hold one. She has even learned to gentley pick one up and hold it in two hands. She talks to them and sings to them.

Starting next week I will take them out more and as they get big enough to perch I will do more with them. They are so sweet.

Andlike everyone else none of the adult birds are bothered by them when they are out of the nestbox. But when they are in it, there is a different story. Even when I clean the nestbox Bitsy and Roscoe are not happy.

I love my birds. They are wonderful for me when I have a down day. I don't mnd the chirping or the pooping. And I love when they help me with my chores by sitting on my shoulder and "supervising". Smokey has slept with me a few times. He perches on my shoulder which is not always the most compfortable but he is company. And surprising enough I don't get pooped on at night.

Good luck with your chicks. I have always said that if you take the time to watch and listen your birds will tell you what they need. Of course, the little ones don't know everything they need at this point except food and warmth so we have to show them what fun it can be having a human companion.