Verified answer

I am SO glad you know about cuttle bones (AND can spell it).

Your bird would like a swing, with colored beads on it if possible, cardboard strips woven through the bars at the perches. And she would really like real perches, not dowels. I cut perches from my apricot trees but any tree that is not sprayed with poison (I know you would not do that) with the bark and leaves attached will be well loved by any parrot.

I chop carrots, feed broccoli and well washed apples to all my birds. I clip the broccoli to the cage side so they must pull at it to get the treat. Berries are another fave - black berries and raspberries are yummy for them.

Good luck and good you ask ahead instead of AFTER you get the bird.

Hi there.

Cuttle bones are good for cockatiels so that you dont have to add calcium suppliment in their diet, its easier to just have a cuttle bone, like you dove has. They like to chew on it too.

Toys are important though, I know you said that you have gotten that answer or what not? but they are needed, just one or two fun toys. You can even make them yourself.

They absoloutely NEED fresh and clean water in their cage at ALL times.

Food - you can get cockatiel mixed seed and pellets to feed her, along with treats sometimes like appple, ceriel, and others, just make sure to not feed her anything dangerouse to her like alvacado.

Hope this helps.

Food: Pellets, seeds and vegetables/fruits, I feed Zupreem colored pellets, and Ecotrition seeds. I hide seeds in a foraging tray that I made out of a gift box ($1 at the dollar store!), I used shredded paper, and hide the seeds underneath. Vegetables you can give them in a separate dish, but you have to make sure they will actually eat them. One of my birds will only eat when he sees me eat it, so that's a great way to get them to start. Read this for healthy food as there are poisonous fruits/vegetables and seeds!, and there's a ton of other information: http://www.cockatielcottage.net/diet3.html

Toys: You have to see what your bird likes. Jasper will bang his toys around in his cage, but he loves to shred (most tiels do). They also enjoy leather straps, and wood, so almost every bird toy they may enjoy, but they make like one more than the other. I made both of my tiel's some toys with supplies from the dollar store. A great money saver. You have to make sure you purchase safe products though! You may find this helpful for DIY toys: http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=242

Necessity: Variety of perches: Rope, wood, etc. Rope perches allow you to get creative! Cuttlebone I only feed to my girl because hopefuly he is a girl and if she's laying eggs she will need the calcium, and plus she seems to like it. Jasper won't touch it so I don't bother but it's very cheap. Water and food dish obviously. Toys (don't overload it so that they can't move). I think that's all I can think of right now?