Hello all... this is my first post. I need some advice - please!

 

okay.. So.. almost a year ago we got our first budgie. We got him from a pet store and tried our best to finger tame him. His name is Phoenix (Nixi for short). He is gorgeous! He is the man of the house,.. a prince. He talks, and runs around our living room and plays on his playground. He is the perfect bird, except for that biting habit. He will sit on our shoulder and bite your ear/neck (hard), and has a fetish for toes. He is quite vicious. If you put your finger out he will bite it very hard. He wont let us touch him.

 

After much contemplation, yesterday we got a cockatiel. We thought he could use a friend. I was under the impression that budgies and cockatiels generally get on okay. The cockatiel is very cute, and is a bit more tame. He loves shoulders and I'm going to work on making him finger tame - he's pretty good. So for most of today, I left their cages next to each other... hoping that they would be interested in one another. Nixi appeared to be more interested in the cockatiel than vice versa, and was trying to get as close as he could.

 

This evening I let Nixi out, and then the cockatiel a little while later (while supervising). Everything was okay at first and neither seemed to care about the other. The cockatiel then flew off my shoulder and landed on Nixi's cage. After a few minutes Nixi went up to check it out and the cockatiel started to get fired up without Nixi even doing anything other than being in the same area. We pulled them apart and I put the cockatiel back in his cage. Nixi kept wandering around and 15mins later crawled up the cockatiel's cage. The cockatiel was not impressed and was trying to bite him through the bars. I then moved the cockatiel and covered his cage.

 

I'm not sure what to do?? I feel that perhaps it's the cockatiel who has a problem with Nixi, not so much the other way around?? I could be wrong though. I thought Nixi, being our prince, would have a problem. Anyway, so now I'm feeling like they are never going to get along which will be a disaster. Or, I guess, means there will be a cockatiel up for adoption!

 

Can anybody help us? Is there something I could do to help this situation?? Am I doing something incorrectly??

 

I greatly appreciate your help,

Jess

There is never any guarantee that two budgies will get along, let alone a budgie and a cockatiel. While they will generally tolerate each other, they can also do each other a lot of harm if they dislike each other. Not to mention, these are two VERY different types of birds. Cockatiels are more laid back and docile but they can be aggressive when they want to be. Budgies are a bit more pushy but they're also much smaller than the cockatiel and could be badly injured by an aggressive 'tiel's beak.

 

Basically, you're going to have to keep them separate. I don't understand why this means rehoming the cockatiel though? Just keep them in separate cages and give them separate time out of the cage. It can be done. It's not the cockatiel's fault that you expected it to get along with a budgie. Getting a second bird purely because you want a friend for the first is a very bad reason to get another bird. The first and foremost reason should be that you WANT a second bird and you should always make plans in case the two don't get along.

 

That said, even cockatiels and budgies that DO get along should never be caged together so you would've had to let them remain separate anyway.

 

Also, I'm not sure if you're aware of this but any new bird should be quarantined in a separate room for at least 30 days (full quarantine is considered to be 90) so that you can monitor it for any signs of illness.

 

Let us know how things go and what you decide to do. If you still think it's best to rehome the 'tiel, maybe someone here will be interested in taking him/her.

Welcome to our forums this is a great place to learn and ask questions for sure.

 

1. I am reading that you didn't quarantine your birds, always make sure you quarantine and keep them in separate rooms if possible for a full 30 days. I just got 2nd bird Merlin and you will see in my siggy that they have about 23 more days to go before the big meet.

 

2. Tiels & budgies may get along but budgies are pretty bossy and too much for some tiels. The bossy budgie irriates the tiel the tiel get in trouble not a good thing. Also what you may be experiencing is jealousy between the budgie and the tiel.

 

3. You really didn't give the tiel anytime to settle down in his new home, he really has to get used to you first especially if you want a tamed bird. What I am hearing you say is you got the tiel because you wanted a tamed bird so introducing him to a untamed bird isn't going to help. Birds learn off of birds.

 

4. A better friend for your budgie would have been another budgie to be honest for future knowledge.

 

So what you need to do is split them up and do quarantine starting today. Spend alot of quality time with your new tiel and continued quality time with your budgie. When it is time to meet have them met between the cage bars for a couple days first and then try letting them out again together. Remember the tiel will only tolerate the budgie for so long, always supervise a tiel and budgie and never house them together.

 

I know more members will come on with more advice but that is what I can think of right now. Again, congrats, welcome to the boards and I hope I have assisted you some

I didn't realise they had to be kept seperate for 30 days.. perhaps that would be a good place to start.

 

Obviously, I didn't get the cockatiel just for a friend! I've wanted one for a while. Yes, the thought that they might not get along had crossed my mind. It will not necessarily mean having to get rid of the cockatiel (at least not yet). I never meant for them to be caged together, but it will be hard not being able to have them out of the cage at the same time. That is what I am concerned about.

 

However, I guess I have no control over them liking each other.

 

Thanks

That is a great place to start working through the kinks. I believe that if you intro them slowly you will see a big difference. Do the 30 day quarantine and then afterwards you can put them next to each other but their cages not to touch so no one can nip someones toes and do any damage.

 

Slowly introduce supervised flight times together and you can see how well they tolerate each other. Right now I truly believe it is too soon to see if they get along. The tiel is getting adjusted to a new home, you, cage etc..that is scary and your budgie well he is the boss of the house and he is going to have to get used to sharing his flight time and you.

 

So I do believe when you work out the kinks under supervision they could very well get along.

 

by the way, do you have any pictures we love pictures.

I have the same problem with one of my tiels - he really agressive and protective over one of my budgies and will attack me viciously.

 

On the other hand another 2 of my tiels are terrorised usually by some of my budgies. None of them every are left out together unsupervised - someone would get hurt and I bet on one of the tiels everytime.

 

I guess its trial and error with any birds getting on. Im sure you will work out a routine that will suit both of them. Its a bit more difficult in my case - I have 11 birds all indoors hehe.

 

Good luck and keep us updated.

 

Welcome to the forums aswell.

Thanks Lovey,

 

Yes.. will be starting the quarantine straight away, and in 30 days will reintroduce them for a couple of days. Fingers crossed they get along better.

 

Jealously, I can see how that is possible.. as well as my budgie being bossy!

 

How long does it take for a bird to get used to their new home??

 

I didn't want another budgie.. I really wanted a cockatiel! I feel I underestimated all of this .

 

Thanks again for your help.

Jess

Another thing to remember is to not let one bird on top of the cage of the other bird if it's in its cage. Many birds have lost toes because the other bird will grab at them through the bars. If you follow lovey's advice about putting the cages next to each other, don't put them so close that the birds could reach through and touch. I've seen beaks injured this way as well.

 

When dealing with two birds that have such a difference in beak size, you have to be extremely careful when letting them out together. While they may learn to tolerate each other, don't ever press the issue. Two budgies that are being introduced don't pose nearly as much of a risk to each other as a budgie and another bird (or any combination of two different species). All it takes is a split second for the cockatiel to do serious, even irreparable damage to the budgie. If things haven't settled down once the cockatiel's had time to adjust, I wouldn't do anything more to try and make them be friends.

 

It can be tough to juggle a schedule around two birds that need attention separately but hopefully you'll find what works for you.

Terri excellent advice!!

 

Time adjustment depends. If your tiel has been handled by humans before and is showing that it is starting to be comfortable already then I would say a good 30 days. 2 weeks they start coming out of their shells more but I can tell you Pretty it took 4 months. But that is because he was in a pet store with no day to day human attention. I say attention because he had humans around him but that is different then actually stepping up, being talked to individually and loved.

 

If your tiel has not had human attention, hand raised then it may take him/her time to adjust longer.

 

I guess my question is to you what do you expect from your tiel, what is your view of how you want her to be. Example: if you want her to step up that can be accomplished rather quickly with consistent training sessions, if you want her to love you, preen you and follow you around that could be months or never (in my budgies case)

 

They are all so different, does that make sense?

Thanks eterri/lovey.

 

Have noted not to let them on the others cage. I don't want either of them hurt.

 

All different, of course. I understand what you are saying. I never expected them to be the same, I was just hopeful they could get along.

time will tell...in the meantime we would love updates and pics for sure

In the petstore where I have bought 6 of my 11 budgies, they are housed together on an open tree with tiels and lovebirds. They must have some issues, but every time I go in they all seem to be geting along fine. I'm going to ask next time I'm in what they do when they don't get a long, and what they do with them at night when the store is empty. Makes me nervous for them when I hear this stuff.

You've had some great advice. Don't forget to use the quarantine time to tame your tiel. I have found tiels easier to tame than budgies - I must admit tiels have stolen my heart since i have had tame ones for a couple of months.

Budgies are basically nasty - my ringneck (imagine the size of this bird!) is petrified of my budgies - and they are not scared of the ringneck at all :(Laughing out loud): Whilst if the tiel did decide to attack it could seriously harm your budgie, the biggest problem will be the budgie irritating, teasing and annoying the tiel!

 

I give my birds all supervised flight time together, and they mostly get along. When one is hormonal, obviously I have issues, but the rest of the time they get along. So, most days in my house, you will find a ringneck, budgies, tiels and rainbow lorikeets all interacting together. This came about from carefully introducing them, and never leaving them unsupervised when out. It's fun!

I give my birds all supervised flight time together, and they mostly get along. When one is hormonal, obviously I have issues, but the rest of the time they get along. So, most days in my house, you will find a ringneck, budgies, tiels and rainbow lorikeets all interacting together. This came about from carefully introducing them, and never leaving them unsupervised when out. It's fun!

 

What do you do when you they are out and start going for each other? How do you stop them?

 

Also, how did you carefully introduce them??

 

Thanks again for all of your advice!

When they have a go at each other, just walking up and saying 'No' is enough. If it happens again, then the troublemaker goes back to their cage.

 

I introduced them by placing the cages in the same room, and letting them 'talk'. Then I moved the cages closer, but not touching, so they could see. Next, I let the original birds out, for a look see (it's their territory, so I feel they should be the first to say Hi). Then, when the new birds are comfortable with all the changes, I let them out too, and just watch. Never had any problems, apart from when the birds are hormonal.