Should I get a second bird?

[jake123]

I have have had a bird for 2 years and thinking of a second one, what do you think?

 

[dishgal1]

I have a green cheek conure, I have also been contemplating getting a Sun Conure. Just can't decide what to do. We have a great relationship and I don't want to do anything to destroy that or hinder it. Also if they didn't get along which is possible it would be double duty spending individual time with them. The Sun is larger and could really hurt him if he wanted to. I am kinda leaning toward "if it aint broke don't fix it". I certainly don't want to do anything to damage what I have. Everything is so perfect right now so why should I want to insert a potential problem ....Just my 2 cents.

 

[KatherineI]

There's much more to consider than just "What do you guys think". None of us can given an opinion because, we don't know anything about your situation. Apartment or house? How many hours do you get with your current bird to spend? How many hours is your current bird in his cage a day? What breed/species of bird do you have (important to factor in when deciding what the second breed will be, if you get a second)? Does your current lifestyle allow for a second bird? What about costs? You need veterinarian care for your current bird, now double it when you add a second bird. Can you afford 2 veterinarian costs? Avian vets aren't always cheap! What about food? Toys? Cages? A good cage can last a few decades, some could even last the lifetime (and beyond depending on the life span on the bird) of the bird. And many birds go through toys like they're water. A proper diet isn't necessarily cheap either, as I'm sure you're aware. Pellets and/or seeds, plus their fresh fruits and veggies. Double what you're already spending. Is that doable?

I think birds are definitely like potato chips (or as we say in our house, Oreo's), you can eat just one, but you'd really like 2-5

I have a Green Cheek Conure and a Goffin's Cockatoo. They don't get along yet (it's a slow process and I've had the Goffin's less than a month), so I have to divide my "bird time" by 2 as I can't give them attention at the same time. This could change later on. So you have to give things like "What if my birds don't like each other" into consideration. Most people would also recommend a quarantine of 30 days when bringing in a new bird.

Ultimately though, you can do whatever you want and the decision is really only yours (unless you're married or in a cohabitational situation) to make.

 

[mtdoramike]

As long as you realize that getting a second bird is double the commitment, double the food, noise, time.