Will an old cockatiel accept a new one?

Question

I've had a single (we think it's male) cockatiel for 11 years.

He's never had a buddy.

I feel bad, so, I'm considering getting him a bigger cage. And a friend!

Also, I forget, how long does the average cockatiel live?

Answer 1

I put a baby cockatiel in with an older (4 years old) cockatiel.  At first they seemed to be getting along fine, but when I got back from the store a few hours later (i went out to get birdseed), the baby's head was ripped right off and the older one was covered in blood.  The eyes were gouged right out of the skull, I can only hope that it was already dead when this happened.  I wouldn't recommend it.

P.S. It tastes like chicken, only a little tougher and not much meat.

Answer 2

Cockatiels usually live approximately 21 yrs.  You can try to introduce them to each other but I would do it in a neutral area as he may be protective of his cage unless it is large enough for two.  I would introduce them outside the cage and if possible keep them in seperate cages but close for a week or so before allowing the other to move in.

Nancy Daniels

www.parrotadoptontario.com

Answer 3

Average cockatiel will live for 20 years with proper (not seed!) diet.

An old cockatiel will accept a new one.  I "rescued" a cockatiel from my bfs relatives.  He was the only bird and never got attention from his humans other than a bang on the cage or a pen stuck through the cage.  

Anyway, after getting him and making sure he didn't have any health problems, I got him a friend.  While they were in their seperate cages/rooms for quarantine period (recommended for 30 days to make sure the new bird didn't have any "hidding" illnesses that show up with the stress of moving) they would squak at each other.  When I moved the cages together, they took an INSTANT liking to each other.  Now if he can't see her he will squak insecently until he "finds" her.  It's really cute.

I had a single male that was introduced to another male, and they got along wonderfully too.  So, if you don't want babies, you can get him another male to be pals with.

Please remember to keep them in seperate "air space" for at least a couple weeks so they don't get each other sick in case of hiding illnesses.

Also, I would recomend either leaving them in their seperate cages next to each other (that's what I did, but their cages are always open so they can interact) or buy a whole new cage and put them BOTH in it AT THE SAME TIME, that way they don't fight over territory.  Old bird with old (or new if he moves in first) may think new bird is invading his territory.  

Also, captive birds don't live to their full life expectancy on a seed diet.  Put them on pellets.  I use Harrisons.

http://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/

Good Luck!

Answer 4

Don't put your new cockatiel in the same cage as your old one right away.  Take them both out of the cage when you are around and let them get to know each other first.  You should also have the cages in the same room next to each other.  Some birds don't ever get along well enough to stay in the same cage unattended, but many do like having a buddy around.  The life span is generally around 15-20 years more or less.

Buddy would actually be a cute name for your new cockatiel.