It's been a while since I joined this forum, but I'm back --- actually a bird owner now, at that. Forgive me if this is the wrong section.
We adopted a female normal gray cockatiel, who's currently named Gracie. I have no idea what her current age is, but she's at least one.
My first question has to do with the conditions she was kept in. She came with a too small cage (old and dirty, to top it off), and obviously I want to replace it soon. But, how many days should I wait before replacing it? Should I allow her to settle first?
Secondly, she was bounced around quite a bit. She only stayed in her last home for a week, but the toddler who lived there gave her a fear of hands -- she was allegedly tame before that. How hard will taming her be, in your opinion? Is there any specific method for a bird getting over trauma, or is it just the usual?
The last questions aren't quite so urgent, but questions, nonetheless. When a bird is harness trained, and you take them out to the store or for a walk, do you bring water? Food? How exactly do you go about that?
Does anyone have name / toy suggestions?
Any other tips are appreciated.