# Cockatiels in multi-bird homes



## PiedPiper (May 5, 2009)

For those of you with both tiels and other parrots living in the same household I was wondering if you had any tips.
Note that none of my birds really like each other, although the two smaller birds (my tiel and linnie) aren't really dangerous to each other. my main problem is the grey, as he is very bird aggressive/territorial with other animals (sometimes I think that away from his cage it's only curiousity-- as he wasn't raised with another bird so doesn't really know what they're about-- but I'm too afriad to wait and see what he will do).
So for those of you with birdies of greatly differing sizes that don't get along how do you make things work? Obviously if I'd known the grey was so inhospitable I wouldn't of purchased such differently sized species--maybe not even another bird. But now that everyone is here I'd like to make things work and make sure everyone is healthy and happy (my grey is flighted and has to stay that way--yes I know it complicates things).


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## Tony's Tiels (May 21, 2009)

The only way I have seen this work in a wide variety of situations is...
each bird has to be given free time seperatlely, while the others are safely in their cages.

It sounds like in your situation, the birds may need seperate rooms.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Yikes!...many years ago when i first started I had some African greys. I learned real fast that they are very territorial. I have a bird named Lefty because he happened to fly and land on the Greys cage. They moved so fast and ripped his leg out of the hip socket. He lived, but I decided to just stick with tiels for years.

A few years ago I became interested in mousebirds because they are a very docile quiet bird. I don't have them mixed with the tiels, but when I have a mouser and a tiel out they are curious about each other and compatable.


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## bigmikey36 (Aug 5, 2008)

I have 4 tiels and 2 green cheek conures and they definately do NOT get along. The conures will attack the tiels if they are out at the same time so they never are
Mikey


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## Cannuck2007 (Feb 29, 2008)

We have 8 tiels, 2 lovebirds an amazon and a Black Capped conure. Our amazon is very territorial about his cage area and the other birds cannot at any time go near it.

Our young femal lovie only likes our male lovie, our male lovie will get along with the tiels though. The conure I wouldn't chance with any of them (he's still in quarantine though). 

We have seperate out times and use different rooms. It's the only way to make it work.


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## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

my tiels and budgies get along and lived together for the longest time (well my origional flock of tiels and budgies) now they're all in the same room but since I started breeding they don't live so freely any more, When I had just a handful of each (budgie and tiels) they had the option to go in a cage and go to bed or just sleep where they wanted - their room was bird proof and they couldn't get out of their room. All cage doors were left open at all times - I had them long enough to know the budgies and tiels got along, and wanted to be together ( i went through long hours of them screaming for each other back and forth for well over a month Because they wanted to sleep together at night in the same cage - being out all day together was not enough for them They wanted to be together 24/7 BUT that is when I only had like 4 tiels and 6 budgies 

none of my quakers like other birds (well they don't even like other people other than the people they chose) so the 2 green quakers have the living room to their self, the blues are in the bird room set up for breeding but they get taken to the living room for their out of cage time. 

Love birds - NOPE won't ever let them be in the same room with any other bird again 

my very first love bird Roxy i got her at 2 weeks old and hand fed her, She grew up with a Budgie (Gizmo) they were around the same age. LOVED each other (as friends of course) always played nicely and got along great (the complete opposite of what i was told) but then Roxy hit 6 months old and changed for the worse she no longer got along with Gizmo OR Us for that matter. 

Then I had Bonnie and Clyde in the birds room along with Roxy and Pugsley BUT the love birds would have separate times out of the cage. Well I had to put a towel over Roxy and puglseys cage (they were in one that was divided so they could see each other but couldn't get to each other because they wanted to mate and roxy was still too young) the towel was fine for Pugsley he never bothered any budgie or tiel when they landed on his cage - wasn't good enough for Roxy she still bit toes through the towel So she got a piece of ply wood put on top of her cage (they tiels and budgies only landed on top of their cages never climbed around on the sides) 

Never thought of Bonnie and clyde they were always so docile It was hard to believe they were love birds(after Roxy showing her true colors) well They managed to attack one of my baby budgies through the cage bars bit her toe off, and almost took out her eye 

she is all better now (this was almost a year ago) But since I moved The lovebirds reside in my room(with the exception of a few living in my sons room because i don't have room for all their cages in my room at this moment) But they're around no other bird. I can't even let any of them out if another set of love birds are out because they will fight so when i let a love bird (or set of love birds depending on the cage) out for a few hours all other cages have to be completely covered 

It is hard to manage equal time between them all so they all get out for the day, But we manage it as well as we can. If a few doesn't get out as much on one day as the others then those ones are let out first the next day.


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## Mika (Sep 8, 2008)

I have two cockatiels, budgie and goffin cockatoo. The cockatiels and the budgie get along okay but the cokatiels do not like the budgie too much and he is bossy with them. The goffin does not like other birds. He is okay if I am close by and watching them, I can even hold the tiels and the too at the same time but need to pay attention. I can't leave all the birds out of the cages and leave the room because if I'm not around then the cockatoo will try to get the other birds, especially if they end up on the floor. It does make things more difficult that I can't trust the cockatoo and always need to supervise.


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

Spike does not seem to mind my budgie or linnie. Storm my linnie does not like Spike though so I keep them away from each other. I can still have them out together I just make sure that Spike does not get really close to Storm or she will scream and lunge at him and Spike will hiss back at her. Spike can be close by her but just not right infront of her for some reason. I find Spike knows this and he keeps away most of the time.


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## babybreau (May 19, 2008)

I have 1 tiel and 2 lovies. They do not live in the same cage but do get the same playtime. I could have housed them together, but I didn't have 1 cage large enough for all 3. 
The ONLY reason I could have done this is because they all hatched at the same time and were kept together in the same brooder so they grew up together.


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## kevncaz (Mar 25, 2009)

We have 3 (soon to be 4) Tiels but our new tiel honey is in quarentine so she hasnt been out with any other birds yet, but we probably wont let her out with our 2 exsisting tiels as they are very territorial and even if honey is just going over to say hello we would not like to allow them the chance to do anything, we also have 5 budgies but there are 4 in one cage and 1 in a cage as when we got him he was young, he got picked on by the older budgies and we are hand training him still, we let all the budgies out together but the tiels have to be away as the budgies do get a bit bossy and try hearding the tiels back to their cage so they can have to whole room to themselves, then we also have the 2 gerbils who have a playpen and we let them out but all the birds have to be away, so they all get free time to play and usually graze any seeds they didnt want in their cage and "saved for later" by throwing them on the floor, so its kind of busy in the evening making sure everyone gets out of cage time, but it beats sitting in front of the tv haha.
xxxxxxx kev and caz xxxxxxxx


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## PiedPiper (May 5, 2009)

Hmm well--I guess I'll take the separate room approach. As my three verbally communicate with each other I like to keep them in the same room when they're caged.
I plan to put a screen door on my bedroom and put some playgyms in there and whatnot (no cages, I don't sleep with birds in my bedroom if I can help it--it bothers my lungs sometimes plus it can't be good for you). The plan is that they can all be out of the their cages for the entire time I'm home and I will alternate time in the screened-in room vs. rest of the house between my three birds (with the linnie and tiel being together just because otherwise someone would have to stay in their cages).


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## Bea (Jul 26, 2007)

I think your plan is a good one. Separate out time is the only way i can manage my green cheeked conure and my tiels/budgies.


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## PiedPiper (May 5, 2009)

Actually I have a good/sad update... 
I am considering leaving Sully and my linnie Altair here with my father's family while I take the grey with me when I move. I do not want to, but with space considerations and limitations it is probably in both their and my best interests. I'll be coming back twice a week to visit them and take care of them. It breaks my heart to do this but I know that at least here they'll be in familiar surroundings with people they know.
Although I'm still attempting to see if I can take them all with me I know that it probably won't be an option.


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## Dudley (Jun 22, 2009)

I had 1 teil, 2 budgies, and 1 parrotlett living together in one huge cage. They all got along fine until I just got a new tiel and put him in with the girls. That has rocked the roost. The parrotlet is the boss (at 6mths old). She is giving Niki (new teil) the hard time, not hurting him, just chases him a bit, makes him nervous. If things don't settle in the next few days the little girls will move out and just Dudley and Niki (teil) will have the big cage alone, but playtime is a group affair. Just my quaker parrot is not in on the fun. He stays over in his area on his own playgym. Everyone is wing-clipped.


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