should i get 1 or 2 cockatiels ?

[coco12]

hello! I am planning to get cockatiels in the future but I am not sure whether I should buy one or a pair? actually, I go to school so I will not be having much time to spend with the tiels. But if I get a pair of them (as chicks) I will not know which one is male and which one is female as it is nearly impossible to identify the gender before they are adults. I don't want them to breed. What should I do? Will they still and with me, if I bring them as adults.

(I am sorry for my English. It is not my first language.)

 

[JewellBird]

Hello, and welcome to the Avenue. You mentioned in your post that you will be going to school and "won't have much time to spend with the tiels" if you won't be able to spend very much time with them, giving them the attention and care they need maybe it would be a good idea to hold off on getting a bird for a year or two. Birds can be a lot of work, between cleaning their cage daily, washing their water and food bowls daily, making fresh vegetable chop and other foods for them, cleaning up around their cages, deep cleaning their cages, and also cleaning any other playgrounds they might have and then still trying to find quality time to spend with your birds. If you're already unsure if you'll have much time to spend with them, just think of how hard it might be to keep up on basic care and trying to find time to spend with them. Also, vet bills can get pretty pricey and appropriately sized cages aren't cheap either. Definately consider all of this and more before getting any birds, especially since you already aren't sure how much time you'll even be able to spend with them.

 

[coco12]

Hello, and welcome to the Avenue. You mentioned in your post that you will be going to school and "won't have much time to spend with the tiels" if you won't be able to spend very much time with them, giving them the attention and care they need maybe it would be a good idea to hold off on getting a bird for a year or two. Birds can be a lot of work, between cleaning their cage daily, washing their water and food bowls daily, making fresh vegetable chop and other foods for them, cleaning up around their cages, deep cleaning their cages, and also cleaning any other playgrounds they might have and then still trying to find quality time to spend with your birds. If you're already unsure if you'll have much time to spend with them, just think of how hard it might be to keep up on basic care and trying to find time to spend with them. Also, vet bills can get pretty pricey and appropriately sized cages aren't cheap either. Definitely consider all of this and more before getting any birds, especially since you already aren't sure how much time you'll even be able to spend with them.

Thank you for the reply!

Since now lockdown is going on I am able to spend most of the time at home but whenever the situation will end, I would go to school for 8 hours and I am scared of the fact that will my bird get lonely when I will be at school. I know that it is recommended to keep cockatiels in the living room but my living room is very near to the kitchen and the fumes will harm the bird. that is why I considered getting a pair of them as I will keep them in my room and there will be nobody in my room when I am not home. I know that bird supplies can be very expensive especially the cages and the vet bills but I have talked about it to my parents and they agreed to take care of the bird supplies. I won't be able to buy the expensive flight cage but I will surely buy the biggest cage I can afford and will provide the bird with all its basic care and necessities. but I am not sure if I will buy two cockatiels chick and they turned to be of the opposite gender and they mate will I be able to cage about the chicks and whether I will be able to bond with the birds if get them when they are adults? as that might be a safe option as I would know the bird gender and there will be no chances of breeding.
And thanks for taking your time and attention to this post and reading it.

 

[coco12]

Thank you for the reply!

Since now lockdown is going on I am able to spend most of the time at home but whenever the situation will end, I would go to school for 8 hours and I am scared of the fact that will my bird get lonely when I will be at school. I know that it is recommended to keep cockatiels in the living room but my living room is very near to the kitchen and the fumes will harm the bird. that is why I considered getting a pair of them as I will keep them in my room and there will be nobody in my room when I am not home. I know that bird supplies can be very expensive especially the cages and the vet bills but I have talked about it to my parents and they agreed to take care of the bird supplies. I won't be able to buy the expensive flight cage but I will surely buy the biggest cage I can afford and will provide the bird with all its basic care and necessities. but I am not sure if I will buy two cockatiels chick and they turned to be of the opposite gender and they mate will I be able to cage about the chicks and whether I will be able to bond with the birds if get them when they are adults? as that might be a safe option as I would know the bird gender and there will be no chances of breeding.
And thanks for taking your time and attention to this post and reading it.

*I am sorry about the second half of the paragraph I missed out on some lines and it and now it just sound so weird. so I am just rewriting it


But I am not sure if I will buy two cockatiels chick and they turned to be of the opposite gender and they mate will I be able to take care of the eggs and the baby chicks. I have heard that after giving eggs the birds will get very weak and it can turn out to be dangerous if the egg binding happens. Might be a safe option to get 2 adult cockatiel from the same breeder(there is no adoption centre near my house(┬┬﹏┬┬)). I would know the bird gender and there will be no chances of breeding. But will the cocktails still bond with me when they are adults?

 

[sunnysmom]

I think getting adults is a good idea. Some mutations can be visually sexed, some can't. A breeder might be able to tell too based on the parents' genetics. Adult birds can still bond with you. All of my birds have come to me as adults. It is natural for birds to lay eggs. However, the concern is when birds become chronic egg layers. It's not common but can happen. A good diet can help with the depletion of nutrients from egg laying, as is making sure an egg laying bird has enough calcium. Even a female by herself can still lay eggs. She doesn't need a mate to do so- it's just the eggs, obviously wouldn't be fertile. Whether the birds are near the kitchen or not, it's important that you don't use teflon products. Teflon fumes can kill birds. It's also important not to use candles, air fresheners, etc.

Something to think about though is what happens when you are out of school? Do you plan to go to college, etc. Many dorms and apartments don't allow birds. Although I think young people can be great bird owners, often young people have life changes that make it difficult to continue to keep the birds, unless they're "family" birds and parents are willing to continue their care.

 

[coco12]

I think getting adults is a good idea. Some mutations can be visually sexed, some can't. A breeder might be able to tell too based on the parents' genetics. Adult birds can still bond with you. All of my birds have come to me as adults. It is natural for birds to lay eggs. However, the concern is when birds become chronic egg layers. It's not common but can happen. A good diet can help with the depletion of nutrients from egg laying, as is making sure an egg laying bird has enough calcium. Even a female by herself can still lay eggs. She doesn't need a mate to do so- it's just the eggs, obviously wouldn't be fertile. Whether the birds are near the kitchen or not, it's important that you don't use teflon products. Teflon fumes can kill birds. It's also important not to use candles, air fresheners, etc.

Something to think about though is what happens when you are out of school? Do you plan to go to college, etc. Many dorms and apartments don't allow birds. Although I think young people can be great bird owners, often young people have life changes that make it difficult to continue to keep the birds, unless they're "family" birds and parents are willing to continue their care.

Thank you for your reply, you really helped me to make the decision. I still want to wait some months to research more about them as I don't want to impulsively buy them.

It is still some years left for me and I have not yet figured out the plans for my future and would I would like to go to college or do something else.