# Today I just rescued a Cockatiel from a Flea Market



## Boichot1956 (Feb 11, 2009)

I was looking through a Flea Market and I heard birds singing so Jamie, Jenny and I went to look at the birds. I happened to see a whole lot of Cockatiels crowded in a cage. I saw a Cinnamon and yellow pied cockatiel with just a few feathers on its head a couple of feathers left on the left side of its face. It still had feathers on its chest, and wings. Part of its back was plucked and one side of its face was completely plucked and its tail feathers were plucked. At this time I can't tell you if it was a male or female but it was pretty noisy in the beginning. The lady in charge of her booth told me that the people just brought them in that cage and wanted her to sale them. She said they were very young birds. She said that being in the cage that they were in they started to fight and pluck the feathers of the others. She told me that not many people would buy a plucked pied cockatiel but she told me that I was a good person to want to buy the cockatiel. She sold me this pied cockatiel for $25.00. He is eating but what more can I do. Should I place it in a hospital cage with a heated lamp. I have been trying to work with this baby to get it to trust me. Its body is warm where the feathers were plucked, but the good sign is that it is eating.

Please contact me as soon as possible.

Victoria Jean Bushaw-Boichot


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Make sure the bird doesn't have mites or lice that could be causing the feather loss. Yes, do set it up in a hospital cage with heat available if wanted but able to get away from if not. Also if you are able, please have a fecal test done on the bird to be sure there aren't other little nasties like worms to deal with.

Thank you for rescuing this lucky 'tiel! Would love to see pictures.

Terry


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## Boichot1956 (Feb 11, 2009)

*Today I just rescued a Cokatiel from a Flea Market*

Here is another picture of Pumpkin and my two year old cockatiel Jazz. I don't know how old Pumpkin is but as you can see by the picture Pumpkin is considerably smaller than Jazz my female cockatiel.


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

Oh... the poor little thing 
But I would keep them isolated from each other for a couple weeks.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

oh what a good thing to do! I would of got him out of there myself.. I have a soft spot for cockatiels as I have two myself and love them dearly.. Tank and Marsha. I would do as waynette has said and isolate this one, you do not want to transfer anything to your other bird. what I would do is have a vet check for him and tell him how you got him and follow the advice and go from there.. Im glad he is in better hands. )


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## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

oh poor poor guy
yes please keep him in another room away from your birds for at least a month, 90 days would be even better

when you handle him make sure you don't handle your birds without a good hand washing and even changing your clothes

a hospital cage might be nice for him, no lights though, he's too naked it will burn him
i would put him in a small cage with no perches, putting a heating pad under half the cage
line with cozy fleece and cover 3 sides with a fleece blanket
i have a cockatiel who i rescued from a pet store that looked just like that years ago
he actually lost them due to stress
most of his feathers came back but the ones around his neck and head are thin, i call him my punk bird, he has hairstyle like billy idol back in the day


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Oh how cute he is. I'm glad you took him. I would have wanted to take all of them, although of course you can't. So sad.


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## Boichot1956 (Feb 11, 2009)

I found out that Pumpkin is a pied pearl cockatiel through pictures that I saw. Pumpkin is beginning to grow a few feathers on the crest and other areas on the top of his head. Pumpkin is also starting to grow some feathers on both sides of his face above and around the eye. Pumpkin seems to be doing well eating and drinking and is getting use to my hand. Pumpkin still shy's away from my hand but will after about 15 to 20 seconds will step up on my finger and sit there to let me pet him. When Pumpkin tries to fly when I let him out of the hospital cage for a while he will go toward the sliding glass door that I have closed all the time because bees come in somehow through the sliding door, it does scare him so he tries to fly and screams out until I put him on top of the cage then he quiets down. Pumpkin can be very noisy sometimes and that is one of the characteristics of a male cockatiel. If that is the case then Jazz has a mate. For the most part Pumpkin is doing well. I will try to update pictures as his feather growth is more pronounced. He is preening himself and scratches the top of his head. He will become a cranky little guy no doubt because of all the feathers that will be growing in soon. Anything I can do for Pumpkin to easy the stress of growing feathers? Let me know.


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## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

sounds like he is doing great
i'm sure you win his heart in no time
to help him during his forced molt, make sure he always has a nice big bowl to bathe in, he may like a mist bath too
you can put a little aloe juice in to soothe his skin 
make sure he has lots of yummy fresh foods every day along with his seed
shredded greens, carrots, broccoli, give him part of a hard boiled egg with the shell on, they love Cheerios, whole grain cooked rice, peas, corn
there are lots of recipe's you can find online for them


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## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

oh, and sprinkle fresh foods with a powdered avian vitamin like lafbers


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## Boichot1956 (Feb 11, 2009)

*Today I Just rescued a Cockatiel from a Flea Market*

Here it is June 4th and Pumpkin is doing fine. I sent a picture from my cell phone but it hasn't come in yet on either email address that I sent it to so I am still waiting. His tail is a beautiful yellow and he is quit noisy. I know that Jazz my female cockatiel is not noisy, but Pumpkin is and that is one characteristic that qualifies Pumpkin to be a male cockatiel. I will put the picture up when I get it downloaded on my desktop. Harry my green cheeked conure is preening Pumpkin right now as I post this


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

What a wonderful update!

Looking forward to an updated picture.


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## Boichot1956 (Feb 11, 2009)

*This is what he looks like today*

This is what he looks like today.


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## Boichot1956 (Feb 11, 2009)

This is what he looks like today.
View attachment 24191


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

does him and that parrot get along with him ok?... I would not let them be unattended.


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## Boichot1956 (Feb 11, 2009)

Oh yes, they get along fine. I will be gone the first part of the day and come back and they are napping or welcoming me home. Harry is still a baby himself. Jazz my female cockatiel will let him eat with her. They get along just fine. Harry the conure will preen Pumpkin's face real gently, not saying there aren't times that he gets accidentally rough, but he stops and leans his head to be preened and Pumpkin will preen him as well. The only thing is with Harry, he doesn't pluck the feathers off my cockatiels but when my diamond doves that are in a cage put their tail feathers through the bars of the cage Harry will pluck a feather and play with it until he accidentally loses it then I have to stop him from plucking anymore tail feather off my diamond doves. I squirt him with a water bottle. He doesn't like that. I make sure that he can see the water bottle and that stops him for a while.


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

I know this is not a funny situation, but your tiel kinda has that punk rocker look going for it He will be beautiful when fully feathered. Or should I say handsome. Don't want to upset him!


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## pigiesNdovies (Nov 21, 2011)

aaaaaaah......now i feel more happier cuz i did same thing but 2 a dove. she has permanent wing broken and was being pooped/steped on by the rest while n the flea market. she eats ALOT but wont ever fly ever again. cant wait till i go 2 collge n finish college n buy a home with BIG backhard so i can turn it into a huge aviary zoo patio for birds to fly n feel happy. 

didnt know fleas/bird bugs make feathers fall off....gona memorize that so when i move alone i can rescue birdies at my new place. im so happy 4 the birdy!!!


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