Cockateil owners

[SunnyTheConure]

Quick question what's it like to own a cockateil? Are they calm birds in that they sit on u and not fly around constantly like a budgie. And what is the major personality differences between linnies and cockateils.

 

[texsize]

None of my Tiels will sit with me unless I am eating.

One will sit with my wife for a little while.

 

[noodles123]

Didn't you just said you were having to potentially re-home budgies over allergies? Cockatiels are known for allergies/dander (when compared to other small parrots)....they are a powder down bird...do not even think about this if you are having allergies to parakeets/budgies...If you think that it is hard to keep up with a budgie, just know that they (budgies) are still considered more hypoallergenic by many (although they do produce a much lighter dander...far less than a cockatiel).

 

[SunnyTheConure]

I tested and found out it's not the budgies I'm allergic to but rather my pet cat so it's not an issue. I assumed it was the birds but the allergy test says otherwise. But this is something I'm not going to rush into. Are they bad for people with asthma I mean im not asthmatic but one of my family members are. The bird with be kept in the bird room with the door locked can dust travel through a locked door. Thay aren't allergic to birds though so would it cause issues they are allergic to dust mites.

 

[noodles123]

I mean, birds in general can be difficult for people with asthma, but it just depends. A powder down bird produces this fine, white powder that is part of their preening process. As allergies seems to be a serious concern, I'd avoid a powder down bird (not because it is definitely going to cause a severe reaction right away, but because I'd say the risk of a reaction is higher whenever you are talking about adding more particles to the air). To give you an example, they reccommend against housing powder down birds with macaws, as they are prone to allergic hypersensitivity to this dander.

Have they lived around a powder down species before? It is a different dander than what parakeets have, so I don't know if they could get like...a scratch test or something to check ahead of time, or something?


I mean, larger powder-down birds will produce more, but just research this ahead of time in terms of allergies/asthma. The dust is very vine and does easily get into the air and land on surfaces.

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

My guy would hang out with me all day if I let him. He can be "screechy" and loud at times ( come get me daddy I wanna be with you!)
He flies well but doesn't buzz all thru the house.


Jim

 

[Talven]

Many years ago we had a few Cockatiels. The amount of dander one bird can produce is astounding. Not a bird for asthmatics IMO. I get hayfever and if my sons bird shakes out her feathers when I'm close I'll spend the next 10mins sneezing.

Personality wise they are a very chill and independent bird as a whole but every bird is unique. My sons bird will happily sit and chill on the play gym by the food dish or on his shoulder. I've had others that will barely tolerate being handled. Certainly not a skittish flighty bird like a budgie.

I'm not familiar with linnies so I can't comment on the differences.

 

[SunnyTheConure]

The reason why I love cockateils is cause they have a Crest and such a calm personality. If u guys think it's a bad idea I will avoid them then. its fine though cause i dont want anyone to get I'll from it. They have been around cockateils before with no reaction but I wouldnt want to rehome so will have to rethink. Are there any other birds that are good at being calm.

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

BB is my first Cockatiel. He was 4.5 months old when I got him from a breeder. He is now 5 yrs old. I doted on him when I got him,handling him every chance I got. I can do anything with the boy now from picking him up to skritching his head and cheek to carrying him around in my robe pocket while he looks out. At times he'll even fly to me when I call him. He takes showers with me,even knows a few words and phrases,but at times coz he is so bonded to me he wont let me alone but I love him dearly.


Jim

 

[Talven]

The reason why I love cockateils is cause they have a Crest and such a calm personality. If u guys think it's a bad idea I will avoid them then. its fine though cause i dont want anyone to get I'll from it. They have been around cockateils before with no reaction but I wouldnt want to rehome so will have to rethink. Are there any other birds that are good at being calm.

I can't think of another bird that is as calm as a Cockatiel. Great with children as they are so calm and while they can bite hard they rarely do. The dander produced is very fine and could be an issue for an asthmatic if they were handling a Cockatiel or cleaning their cage but otherwise I would think the risk would be negligible if they had little or nothing to do with the bird.

 

[SunnyTheConure]

Yes they will basically have nothing to do with the bird and it will spend most of the time in the bird room

 

[noodles123]

It does get into the hvac system and clothing.

 

[SunnyTheConure]

What about if I kept cleaning the room and windows open and doors closed also there is no sort of system that would cause dust to travel throughout the house. But I will keep researching into this if I ever get one it's not anytime soon need to do lots of research before.

 

[noodles123]

It's hard to say, but if you look up key words like: "powder down" "asthma" "respiratory" "allergies" and "cockatiel" you will find a lot of information on how it's not the best pairing. It depends on the severity of the person in question and what their sensitivities are, but they are far dustier than parakeets.

I find my U2s dust in places she never even goes-- it covers my furnace filter and I already have 3 really nice air purifiers running 24/7. U2s are bigger, and misting can reduce it some, but you have also asked about "bird keeper's lung" and powder down birds are also more associated with that than non-powder-down birds.


You will not likely get it from a single cockatiel, but I'm concerned because I know how important allergies are to you and your family. The thing is, sensitive people can get it from a single exposure, so this really depends on extremely specific details that I do not have.


My mom is very allergic to cats. If I touch one and get near her, she starts sneezing and her eyes get red. She does not have asthma. Powder down is SO fine, can be really hard to control if you have someone with allergies and asthma in the same house, because you will not shower or wash clothes when you leave the bird room -- you will bring it with you, as will the HVAC system. At the same time,the impact depends on a person's lungs etc. A healthy person around enough powder down birds can develop respiratory issues, but not all do.


I am not telling you not to get a cockatiel-- but I am telling you that it seriously depends, and if you were concerned about budgies, I'd be more concerned about a cockatiel unless your family has spent a lot of time with powder-down birds and had no issue.

 

[SunnyTheConure]

Ok thank u so much for all the advice u have given me. Quick question if someone is immune suppressed from what I've read they are unlikely to develop new allergies because of the fact that there immunity is suppressed. So for the dust to be allergic to it u need to have an allergy to it right or is it different for cockateil dust.

 

[SunnyTheConure]

I think I will stick to linnies then or some other non dusty birds I have read that linnies are quite calm in there nature.

 

[noodles123]

No-- it's harmful even for non-allergic people in large quantities--- think about breathing in any fine powder...It's not necessarily going to harm a healthy person, but it still can. If someone has weak lungs, it is still an irritant, even if they are not specifically allergic to it...but again, just depends on how bad the situation is.

 

[SunnyTheConure]

I completely understand I'm not going to risk it if i ever do get any more birds they will be new world oily birds.

 

[noodles123]

It just depends, like I said. I have a very dusty bird and I had an "asthmatic condition" when I was young. I got her as an adult (years later) and I am okay so far, but I also am not the type to get seasonal allergies and I have never been allergic to an animal. I do think that over time (20+ years etc) that a really dusty bird can impact even a normal person (in theory--kind of like smoke or anything else). Again, it just depends--- you really would need more information from a doctor who understood birds...Maybe a seasoned CAV could advise as well.

 

[SunnyTheConure]

I will do that cause I keep seeing vedios and pictures and I fall in love with them.