# When is the best time to get a second cockatiel?



## Mystified (Jun 21, 2010)

My current cockatiel is now 10 weeks old and I have had him/her for a week. He is hand tame and loves to be held and I feel that we are really to starting to bond. Currently, I am off for the summer, because I am a teacher, so we are getting to spend lots of time together. However, once school starts, that time together will be drastically cut. I plan to get a second cockatiel to keep him company (I don't want him to be lonely) but I don't want to get one too soon and perhaps not develop a strong bond. Should I get another hand fed one now and bond with both of them separately during a quarantine period or wait a few months? Thanks for your advice.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

The hubby bought two tiels and a month later I got two tiels. We bonded just fine with all four of them, so its really up to you if you want another one right away or want to wait a while.


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## Ezzie (Jan 19, 2010)

It all depends on when you feel most comftable putting another tiel with yours. I got buddy after 3 years with Birdie alone, and although there not the best of friends, i do think they have bonded somewhat.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

The best time to get a second bird is sometime after your first bird has become thoroughly bonded to you. If you get a second bird too soon, the birds may bond primarily to each other instead of to you.


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## Jenny10 (Feb 27, 2010)

Hi, I have two hand reared girls who live together now and are fine although they are not best friends and it is a race when I open the door who can get there first for attention.

I had Tira about 4 months before I bought Coco my second hand reared, and initially I housed them individually even after quarantine and just allowed them to interact with each other when out the cage. What I wanted to add was there is no problem with going out and getting another bird now, but it does depend on how you plan to house them, if you go the route of leaving them in separate cages for a while but allowing them to see each other and play with each other out of the cage it still allows you more time to bond with both birds, while still allowing the birds to have that company when you are not about, of course I am assuming you eventually want them to be housed together, but do make sure you have that bond with both birds first, they are a flock bird and as long as you are a firm member of the flock there will always be room for 3 members.

Another thing just to consider, sometimes a tiel will not want to live and share his home with another bird, so getting them to interact first with each other out their cages will help for when you do want to house them together, you may even get a bit of squabbling at first, so you might need their individual cages anyway so you can return them to them before leaving the birds alone in a cage, I don’t know what your budget is but when I moved my two girls in with each other I bought a completely new cage to both of them so it was neither ones territory, and they settled in the cage together with no real arguments straight away, but they do have the odd little bicker over certain toys, and food bowls, I have kind of wandered of topic a bit, this is no ways trying to put you of a second bird, but just things you should consider and how you actually want them to live together long term and hopefully this will help you in planning for your second bird.

Jenny


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## Mystified (Jun 21, 2010)

Thanks for all of the replies.  

I think I will wait for a second bird to find us. It took me a little over two weeks to find the one I have now and I was actively looking for him. I will just keep my eyes open and whenever I find a second one that picks me me, that will be the one. Whenever it happens, it happens. 

I have taken all of your advice to heart and I thank all of you for sharing your expertise with me.


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## braveheartdogs (May 14, 2009)

tielfan said:


> The best time to get a second bird is sometime after your first bird has become thoroughly bonded to you. If you get a second bird too soon, the birds may bond primarily to each other instead of to you.


I agree. I would spend some time really bonding with this bird and then add a second one later on


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## dude (Mar 29, 2010)

I had my dude roughly 11 weeks before I went and got pip. (Dudes now 17 weeks I think and pip is 9 weeks I think. LOL. Have to look that up , i`ve lost track of days/weeks) Although pip is still in quaranteen. I figured being young they are going to easily accept one another , rather than wait years and dude will be loanly all those years while I`m at work and will have a harder time allowing a bird in his life since he hasn't had anything to do with other birds. And as far as I know pip also came straight out of handrearing to a shop then to me.


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