What can I cage with a cockatiel?

Question
I have a cockatiel already. What other bird can I cage with it(besides another cockatiel) because it is lonely due to us not being home during the day. Please help.
Thanks

Answer
Hi Cori,

I think getting your bird a friend is an excellent idea. Cockatiels in the wild live in large flocks and your bird will most likely benefit from having a friend.

I currently house my budgies with cockatiels in a large outdoor aviary and they do very well together. I have seen a wide range of parrot species live together successfully. A lot really depends on the individual birds and how their environment is set up. (I would avoid lovebirds as they can be extremely aggressive.) You might try your local bird rescue groups or petfinder.com. You may be able to find a bird that has lived with a cockatiel.

You'll have to set up their environment to avoid fights. Budgies can be quite aggressive if they have something to fight about. Setting up their cage to reduce the reasons to fight is very important. Birds must also be in optimal health. A sick or malnourished bird may become aggressive, or get picked on by a cagemate.

To avoid aggression:

1. Have your birds regularly seen by an avian veterinarian.

2. Provide them daily with a nutritious diet that consists of pellets, fresh veggies and fruits, healthy human choices such as whole grain pasta, and some seed.


3.They must have enough space. A good minimum cage size (although in most cases larger is better) for a single cockatiel would be at least 24"x24"x24". You would want to double that for 2 birds of similar size.

4.Provide multiple food and water bowls if necessary. You can watch to determine if this is causing a problem. Some birds will want to eat out the same bowls at the same time. Others my take over the bowls and not allow others to eat.

5. Outside of poor health, the most common reason I see birds fighting is over a nest site. Do not allow them access to anything they may perceive as a nest. Paper to shred, huts to sleep in, etc. can cause a serious fight.

The introduction of the two birds is also important, this can make or break the relationship.

Here are some tips:
1. Put them together in a neutral environment, for example a new large cage that neither has ever been in. Then it does not belong to either one.

2. Make sure they have enough space to get away from each other. Have enough food and water bowls and perching to prevent fights.

3. Don't have one clipped and one flighted. They both should be the same (clipped or flighted) so one does not have an advantage.

4. Watch the first few interactions. If they need to work out a disagreement let them. I've seen more problems caused by us humans who try to get involved. If you feel a serious injury may occur separate them immediately.

5. If either bird is hormonal right now due to spring and breeding season I would wait until that behavior diminishes.  






Hope this helps.



Jennifer

www.feathersandscales.com