Question about cockatiel

[Sunny_the_tiel]

I have a young male lutino cockatiel. I work anywhere from 3-5 days a week and am home on the weekends. I am usually gone from 8-6 sometimes a little longer. I was just wondering if it would be in my cockatiels best interest if I got him a buddy. But I don't want to break the bond I have with him. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[MonicaMc]

Unfortunately, there is no way to tell how he will respond to having a buddy around.


Casey, my first cockatiel, hand raised, is my sweetest tiel. She was an only cockatiel for several years before I was given another. She enjoys the company of other tiels, but to this day, she still flies to me for scritches.


I never planned on having more than two cockatiels, but people get giving me birds they no longer cared for, except for Tomi Girl that I removed from her previous home. All in all, I've cared for 8 cockatiels. I still have four, found 3 new homes, and lost one last year due to health problems. None of the other tiels have been as tame and sweet as Casey has!

 

[Sunny_the_tiel]

Thank you, if I am to get another, it will most likely be from the same lady I got Sunny. She has a great price and they were hand fed.

 

[BirdyShanna]

There is indeed no telling how Sunny will react to a buddy. If it's a mate (one of the other sexe) you have a pretty chance that they'll form a couple and Sunny'll give you less attention... If it's the same sexe that will very probably be not the case and they'll just be buddies and a team, and will come to you as a team.
If you want the possibility of babies in the future you can best take a mate, and one that's not related since they'll breed even if they have the same parents. If you take a companion and want to breed later and get a mate after all, you'll get jealousy over the one mate so you need two.
I think every animal deserves a companion, it's better for them . Even my African Grey Wokkel, -who's terrified of other greys if they come too close- feels better with company of her own intelligence -in this case another grey; Coco-. So that's how I ended up with all my birds! One leads to two, that leads to three... Then I end up with a budgie...

Hope I explained it clearly enough since I'm not sure f Sunny's a male or female (**** or hen)

Okeey... apparently the name for a male 'tiel got censored.

 

[MikeyTN]

If you want him to be bonded to you, it's best not to get him a mate! Males have the higher tendency to turn mean if you give them a mate. Out of all my pairs, I can handle the females, but not the males as they're all very mean. I can only handle them to a certain extent....

 

[Sunny_the_tiel]

Okay, thanks for your input. I'll keep it in consideration. I have 2 parakeets would keeping them in the same room do the same as getting another tiel?

 

[MikeyTN]

Keeping them in the same room is fine, just not the same cage if you want them to be bonded with you.

 

[Sunny_the_tiel]

Awesome, once we get Sunny's new cage I'll get them all in the same room.

 

[BirdyShanna]

Yes, that's a good idea, this way he has company, without pair-bonding.

My budgies are accepted just fine by my 'tiels, though the little buggers tend to terrorize the bigger ones a bit from time to time . I don't keep them locked in their cages, they have a whole room to themselves so they can mix.

Btw, I have seen the opposite with nesting pairs; my females tend to get more mean and the males just relax and hang back with me. Though if another male gets close...! But the budgies are allowed near the nests, they can even sit in the opening without being chased away!

So I think putting them all in the same room is an excellent idea. It's like getting a donkey to keep your horse company

 

[Niner10Tango]

I had a female lutino for about 11 years and then I rescued another male normal gray cockatiel. He was very tame when he came into my home but once he laid eyes on my female, he turned very aggressive towards me, especially while I was handling my female. Personally, if your going to get Sunny a buddy, it should be a male.