# Having a cockatiel cage inside a budgie aviary. Genetics question



## hawer (Jul 16, 2019)

I got a pair of cockatiels yesterday and put them in a cage inside my budgie aviary. I already know you can put cockatiels and budgies together in an aviary, but my budgies are not in condition and I don't want to put up nests but the cockatiels are so I have them in a cage inside the aviary with a nest box attached to it outside. the budgies seem curious and 2 of them go onto the nest box frequently. the male goes in and out of the nest a lot. should I take them out or leave them be?
(8 budgies are in the aviary. 2 cockatiels in the cage inside the aviary.)

what would the chicks be if I breed them? the male is a normal grey and the female is pied. 

pictures:


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

You don't want budgies and cockatiels in the same aviary in a breeding situation. Budgies are notorious for staging a violent takeover when they want a nest that's occupied by cockatiels, with broken eggs and dead/injured babies as a result. 

If the tiel parents don't have any hidden splits, then all the babies will be normal grey. If the male is split to pied then about half the babies will be pied, but I don't see any signs of a pied split. If the male is split to cinnamon, lutino, and/or pearl you'll be able to get female chicks in those colors, and if both parents are split whiteface you can get whiteface chicks.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

It's not a good idea to breed the cockatiels right now. They just moved into a new home so their life has been seriously disrupted, and they might not feel safe enough to be good parents at this time.


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## hawer (Jul 16, 2019)

tielfan said:


> You don't want budgies and cockatiels in the same aviary in a breeding situation. Budgies are notorious for staging a violent takeover when they want a nest that's occupied by cockatiels, with broken eggs and dead/injured babies as a result.
> 
> If the tiel parents don't have any hidden splits, then all the babies will be normal grey. If the male is split to pied then about half the babies will be pied, but I don't see any signs of a pied split. If the male is split to cinnamon, lutino, and/or pearl you'll be able to get female chicks in those colors, and if both parents are split whiteface you can get whiteface chicks.


The budgies can’t get inside the cage nor the nest box. i asked the previous owner and he said that you better move them to another place because cockatiels get scared easily and might hurt themselves. What do you think? Thanks for the genetic answer.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

I don't know that the budgies would frighten the cockatiel parents, but it would definitely annoy them to have other birds close to the nest. Cockatiels are territorial about their nest area, especially the males, and there'll be a lot less stress on the parents if the budgies are somewhere else.

Cockatiels are very prone to night frights, and in a new home they'll be more likely to have them since it's still an unfamiliar place. The hen usually sits on the eggs at night, and if she gets scared and leaves the nest, she won't go back in until there's enough light for her to see that it's safe inside. This is a major cause for eggs and babies to be lost, because they may get chilled and die if they're left unattended for several hours.


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## hawer (Jul 16, 2019)

tielfan said:


> I don't know that the budgies would frighten the cockatiel parents, but it would definitely annoy them to have other birds close to the nest. Cockatiels are territorial about their nest area, especially the males, and there'll be a lot less stress on the parents if the budgies are somewhere else.
> 
> Cockatiels are very prone to night frights, and in a new home they'll be more likely to have them since it's still an unfamiliar place. The hen usually sits on the eggs at night, and if she gets scared and leaves the nest, she won't go back in until there's enough light for her to see that it's safe inside. This is a major cause for eggs and babies to be lost, because they may get chilled and die if they're left unattended for several hours.


 I have been checking them a few times each night and I can see them most of the day from my window, they seem very calm and uninterrupted by the budgies. and the budgies also seem to leave them alone at night. would advise moving them or leaving them where they are? I absolutely don't want to stress them. also, what are the ideal temperature and the lowest or most they can bear? thanks for your time and advice.


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