# should I get a second bird?



## jan_ellison (Oct 29, 2012)

We have had Larry for about 1 month, and he is a fantastic cockatiel. He has become like a new baby in our house. he loves the kids, my husband and I and wants to be with us 24/7.... which is OK for us. I love animals and am worried though, that since they are social animals it might be better for Larry to have a second 'bird' friend. But I am also worried about thi:

We have had him with us alone for about a month, will he likea new bird now? I have heard they have to be from the same laying to bond with each other?

Also, if he does bond with the new bird, will he stop wanting to be with us. I guess we want him to still sit on our shoulder etc all the time... we just want him to have another friend up there with him. We want what is best for Larry .....

Has anyone gotten a second bird ... at a later date? Did they get along? Did they still enjpu being with you and your kids?
 thanks Jan


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## Erinsmom (Sep 7, 2012)

That they have to be from the same laying is most obviously not true as then you wouldn't be able to pr up birds to mate. Also male to male and female to female bonding is also seen with cockatiels. 

He won't stop wanting to be with you as long as you keep up the handling of him daily and look for a bird who also loves to be handled.

Birds like people can take to one another or dislike each other for no apparent reason...you'll not know for sure until you try.

I have done it both ways and have found that the single bird is more bonded with their person but that's not always a good thing unless you have alot of time to devote to them. I personally after quarantining a new bird would keep them in separate cages next to each other and let them get to know each other safely. That will also help if you find they can not be housed together. also make sure to keep handling at a minimum of an hour a day.

Best of luck which ever way you decide to go!


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## OldCity (Nov 27, 2012)

I'd say to think carefully about why you would be getting another bird. If *you* truly want another one, then go for it. If you're assuming that you can make a good thing better by adding a new friend for your current birdie, perhaps reconsider the rationale, particularly since your current bird is so new to the house. Give it a few more months at least... just my $.02


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## jan_ellison (Oct 29, 2012)

Thanks for the thoughts.... both good. Lots to ponder. We handle/play with Larry about 6 - 10 hrs a day and would do the same with the second. I just think that he might want to also have someone around when we are not. We will have to think a bit longer about it.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Another thing to think about is quarantining, you have to quarantine the new bird for thirty days when you first bring them home to make sure the new bird doesn't give your old bird anything. So you need a 2nd cage and a separate room.

Also you'd need the 2nd cage in case the birds don't get along together and can't be housed together.


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## billabong (Nov 22, 2012)

Erinsmom said:


> I personally after quarantining a new bird would keep them in separate cages next to each other and let them get to know each other safely. That will also help if you find they can not be housed together. also make sure to keep handling at a minimum of an hour a day.


Hi Erinsmom

I am doing just what you described, I have brought home an adopted 3 year old female to try out as a companion to my 7 year old male, and I have put them into separate cages near eachother. How long do you do this before you introduce them into the same cage?

I have briefly let them be in the same cage, but my male is rather timid, so I am not pushing it.

Jan,

It sounds like your Larry is a lucky fellow! My experience and hearsay is that cockatiels can be quite fussy about which other cockatiels they like and dislike. An avian vet who helps rehome cockatiels needing adoption, will pair them up for a weekend in his bird room. He says he knows by Monday morning whether they have bonded or are at opposite ends of their cage.

Currently, I am using the 'softly, softly' approach to introduce a 3.5 year old female (Muffin) who needs rehoming to my 7 year old male (Nandy). They are in separate cages. I purchased Muffin from a breeder to whom she had been surrendered. Poor little hand-raised Muffin spent 6 months in an aviary and she hated it. But the point is, the breeder understood that you can't tell straight away whether 2 cockatiels will take to eachother. She said you need at least 2 weeks before you can tell.

I am lucky because this breeder has guaranteed she will take Muffin back (and give me my money back) if it doesn't work. Though I don't think I will have the heart to do that anyway.

I am hoping that Muffin and Nandy will bond. I will let them have a nesting box to satisfy their instincts, but am planning to sterilize their eggs, as I don't really want to go down the breeding road. This is what the avian vet recommended to me as the best policy - to pair up 2 birds of the opposite sex that like each other, and let them mate and lay on their eggs, but sterilize the eggs if you don't want the chicks. That way they can satisfy their instincts and live a life as birds, as well as keeping their bond with you. He said you still need to handle them daily to maintain that bond.


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## jan_ellison (Oct 29, 2012)

*We did get a second*

Just a quick update. We decided to get a second bird... . Oberon. He (we think he is male, since he is quite large and is a big talker). The two birds : Larry and Oberon, get along really really well. Larry (who we had for about 7 weeks before we got Oberon) is a people bird. He calls out to us if e leave the room or are not in eye sight. He loves to play either on us or near us. Oberon (who has always had Larry), calls out to Larry if he is not in direct line of sight. Oberon likes us but is bonded to Larry. They are both wonderful birds with very different personalities.


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

I'm glad to hear it's going well.


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## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

So you did not quarantine? 

How scary.


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## jan_ellison (Oct 29, 2012)

I did quarantine for a couple nights. I had the cages side by side. They would sit as close to each other as possible in their seperate cages. They got along really well outside the cages, so we decided to try them together. they loved each other right away. They are both babies and so that probably played a part. Oberon (our new one) also really likes the guinea pigs. he calls out to them. They aren't so sure of him, since he tries to preen them.


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## xNx (Jun 6, 2012)

jan_ellison said:


> I did quarantine for a couple nights. I had the cages side by side. They would sit as close to each other as possible in their seperate cages. They got along really well outside the cages, so we decided to try them together. they loved each other right away. They are both babies and so that probably played a part. Oberon (our new one) also really likes the guinea pigs. he calls out to them. They aren't so sure of him, since he tries to preen them.


Quarantine should be done for much longer and in separate rooms to make sure nothing travels through the air and gets passed on. I'll be brutally honest, i don't see why you got another bird if you weren't gonna quarantine it, you were definitely putting your other bird at risk.
At the end of the day it's your bird and you can do whatever you want...


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## Shayla Fortune (Nov 29, 2012)

I agree... quarantine is definitely recommended, and for good reason too! Birds hide illness _very_ well and it isn't always caught until it is very obvious, and then it can be too late. Here is an article I suggest you read about quarantine: http://www.birdtricks.com/blog/why-you-must-quarantine-the-new-bird


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