Considering another cockatiel

[Safamirza🤍]

Hello I have a male cockatiel named Kiko, who’s around 2 years old.

I am very interested in getting a friend for him. Al though he’s with us all the time and is very happy, sometimes I feel like he feels lonely and no one understands his language. My only concern is that he seems to be a bit of a jealous type of bird, so I’m afraid he might not like having another one around.

I have some questions:

- I don’t know if I should get another cockatiel or a different type of bird. I also don’t know if I should get a male or female for him. I understand that if we get a female they might end up having babies and since they will always be having babies during breeding seasons, what would I do with the eggs? I Don’t even know how to care for a female cockatiel who’s about to lay eggs. My parents suggested a female so he can have a little family of his own.

- I would have to purchase a bigger cage before. I don’t know the exact dimensions of Kiko’s cage but it’s only big enough for one bird. How big of a cage should I get for 2 cockatiels and how many perches and toys should be in the cage? Or should I purchase a smaller cage for 1 bird and just have them live in separate cages?

- Does the age of the bird matter? Kiko is around 2 and I’m considering a bird that is close to his age.

 

[Jcas]

There is no way to guarantee that two birds will get along, but in general it seems that cockatiels and budgies are two species that are relatively accepting of new birds. I have budgies not cockatiels but I do I like to keep two budgies at a time as I do feel they’re happier with a friend of the same species. I’ve never had any serious problems introducing a new budgie to my old budgie.

Getting another cockatiel would probably be your best bet for an easy introduction of a second bird. I was told that it’s a good idea to get a second bird who’s younger than the first bird as the younger one will be more likely to be submissive to the older bird. I don’t know if this is true, but I have always introduced younger birds to older ones without a problem.

In my experience, two males are a good option as this prevents the potential headache of dealing with eggs and the possibility of babies. Birds need a “ flock” more than they need a “ family” .

You will need two cages to start with as it’s usually best to quarantine the new bird until you’re sure it’s healthy. You also want to keep the two birds separate when you first introduce them to help prevent fights. When introducing a new bird, I place the two cages side by side for a week or two so that the birds can get to know each other without risk of fighting.

A couple things to consider: 1. when you have two birds they may be more interested in each than in you.
2. There is a possibility that they won’t get along and will have to be kept separate. Is that something you are willing to do? Hope this helps a little

 

[Safamirza🤍]

There is no way to guarantee that two birds will get along, but in general it seems that cockatiels and budgies are two species that are relatively accepting of new birds. I have budgies not cockatiels but I do I like to keep two budgies at a time as I do feel they’re happier with a friend of the same species. I’ve never had any serious problems introducing a new budgie to my old budgie.

Getting another cockatiel would probably be your best bet for an easy introduction of a second bird. I was told that it’s a good idea to get a second bird who’s younger than the first bird as the younger one will be more likely to be submissive to the older bird. I don’t know if this is true, but I have always introduced younger birds to older ones without a problem.

In my experience, two males are a good option as this prevents the potential headache of dealing with eggs and the possibility of babies. Birds need a “ flock” more than they need a “ family” .

You will need two cages to start with as it’s usually best to quarantine the new bird until you’re sure it’s healthy. You also want to keep the two birds separate when you first introduce them to help prevent fights. When introducing a new bird, I place the two cages side by side for a week or two so that the birds can get to know each other without risk of fighting.

A couple things to consider: 1. when you have two birds they may be more interested in each than in you.
2. There is a possibility that they won’t get along and will have to be kept separate. Is that something you are willing to do? Hope this helps a little

Thank u so much for this. You mentioned a lot of helpful and important things!

 

[Saravp]

Cockatiels in general are usually open to other birds and friendly with everyone. Humans and birds alike. Maybe if you have a birds rescue near you you could foster a bird first to see if they get along and then if they do you can easily adopt. With a female it's complicated. If you plan on clipping their wings then i suggest a male. If you clip a females wings, her muscles will grow weaker and weaker. If her muscles are too weak it increases the chance of egg binding because she doesn't have the muscles to push the eggs out. If you plan on not clipping her wings and are sure that you can handle and prepare for a family and all it's complications then maybe getting a female is the right choice. If you get a male you have to be careful with introducing them because of their need to dominate.
Im not sure about the size of the cage but it can never be too big. Maybe getting two cages to begin with would be a good idea to let them see each other but not meet face to face. Once they get used to each other then transfer them to the larger neutral cage which is neither ones territory. Age shouldn't matter too much i don't think so it's really up to you.
Good luck!

 

[wrench13]

NEVER get an additional bird unless YOU want one. Getting a 'friend' for your bird can result in all sorts of changes in the flock dynamics you currently have, with only a very few results being towards the positive. I;d say one out of six that everyone is happy and remain on the same terms as originally. You will certainly get 1/2 the time spent with your parrot, 2x the food and toy costs, 2x the vets bills.