About Tara Expertise I can answer questions about: LoveBirds(peach faced/fischers and masked), Cockatiels, Budgies, LoveBirds, Finches & Doves such as: Housing, feeding, breeding, exercise, toys, homemade toys, why an 'all seed diet' isn`t the best choice, why mirrors aren`t good to have with *some birds, which birds need gravel and which ones dont, , life spans, what you need to know before you get a bird or birds, Simple things like wing clipping and claw trimming, Bathing and entertaining your bird. I CAN NOT answer questions about Health problems/or mites.
Experience I have own Three Handfed Peachfaced Lovebirds.
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Hi,
I have been doing a lot of reading and research on getting a pet and have been debating between a budgie and a cockatiel. I live in a home with 3 children, ages 13,6 and 3years old. I work part time and have time to devote to a pet. I am looking for a social fun pet that I can interact with. I don't mind cleaning cages and feeding daily requirements for birds. I don't mind noise, but constant loud noises may be a issue.
Are budgies less noisy than Cockatiels? Are Cockatiels more demanding on time and care? I have heard that female Cockatiels can be difficult with their hormone fluctuations and laying eggs. Could you differentiate between the two as pets and care?
thanks,,
Vicky
Answer -
Hello Vicky, And thank you for your questions, I will glady help out with your problem.
I've owned both singel budgies and single cockatiels as well as pairs of both and both at the same time so I have good experiance with almost any situation of owning them. I've owned a single male budgie, he was not handfed but grew fond of us quickly, he would come out on a finger or shoulder but was never really paid That much attention to and wasnt the best pet he could have been, He was a male and Very noisey, tweety to himself at all hours(exepct during the night as long as the lights were out that is). I also had a female handfed cockatiel awhile later I'd still had the budgie(now noisey budgie's) but they were kept in different rooms, anyways my cockatiel was very friendly and would cry for me when I left her, she would snuggle close on my shoulder and play with my hair she was the best and never had egg problems until she wasn't given much attention anymore and she and her handfed female cage parten then both bored and wanting attention layed eggs.. the first female had never laid a single egg before I couldn't spend much time with her anymore and got a friend that she hated. My sister has a male cockatiel he was handfed and was just a sweet little guy when she got him, he can even say a few words but he is now not given teh attention he was before because she has gotten cats, and he has turned quite nasty tempered because of the neglagence as he was used to daily outings before the cats. All in all I think a single budgie weather male or female is louder then a cockatiel of eaither sex, Well maybe not louder but I personally think budgies get anoying with htere constant chattering, high pitched chirps and twettering, A cockatiel will scream for you(its not that loud) when he misses your attention or wants out of his cage, A female isnt nessairy quiter then a male thou a male is more likely to squak/tweet and talk. Both are easily cared for and make loving pets, The best pet I think is a ahdnfed just weaned baby cockatiel... thou a handfed just weaned bdgies would make a great pet as well... but thye are smaller and more easily injured by hadnling then a cockatiel. You must be aware thou that any bird can bite and I don't reccomend allowing choldren of any age handling the bird without supervision as what happens if he/she is holding the bird and petting it and it bites... will the bird be flung aggesnt a wall? or drop to the floor? Either will not bite if handled correctly and aren't bothered when they do not wish to be. Are you aware female birds of any type can lay eggs out of boredom? even budgies? If a bird is tame and friendly and isnt handled for a while(sometimes a week without hadnling is enough) the bird becomes hateful and mean and will no longer be a friendly cuddly pet, so I must tell you that which ever you get you must be able to spend a few hours a day wtih it, playing with & talking to it for it to remain happy & healthy. Be sure you can provide this before buying as lack or time is a very popular reason for getting rid of a pet bird. A budgies will live up to 10 years and a cockatiel up to 15, bare this in mind also. I am not trying to put you off from getting your pet but rather incuraging you to take your time and choose wisely. Also on another note if you get one bird and get another of the same sort later because you have not enough time for your pet he wil change in persoanlity, and no longer yern for your company but rather perfer the company of its friend. A cockatiel takes as much care of a bit more then a budgie depending, a cockatiel needs a bigger cage hence needs more time for cleaning, the cockatiel needs more time to clip wings, and misting(to keep clean) takes a bit loner becuse of size. Diet of either bird is pretty much the same. I reccomend a 50% pellet, 25% seed & 25% fruit/vegetable diet as an all seed diet is highly likely to cause the bird to become fat and at risk of liver desiese. I hope this helps you out with your choice, I welcome any more questions you may have, I wish you luck and a Happy new year.
Hi Again,
Thanks for your information. I have been doing a lot of thinking and reading about a pet budgie or cockatiel. I think I might be interested in a cockatiel, but I am really wanting to get a male bird and I understand that it is difficult to see if it is a female or male, based on age of the bird and colorings. Can you tell if a cockatiel is male or female?
I know that the budgie cere is blue if it is male over 5 months old or so, but not sure about the cockatiel. I guess their colorings are more so than the female. I am just afraid that I would get a female and have more problems with it.
So you were also saying that you find that the cockatiel is more of a quiet bird than the budgie? Is it because the budgie is a constant chatter and the cockatiel chatters occasionally?
Any more feedback would be greatly appreciated!
thanks,
Vicky
Answer Hello again Vicky,
Genraly speaking if you are getting a young cockatiel of about 2 months of age you can not tell its sex. Sexing a cockatiel ahs nothing to do with its cere color at all. Depending on color your avrage colored grey cockatiel will start getting yellow checks when its about four mnoths old if it will be a male, A pearl cockatiel is a diffenet story, the male loses most or all of its pearling when he's full grown, A lution cockatiel is near inpossible teh female will have very pale bar mnarknigs on the underside of her tail however. The only reliable method of sexing a young cockateil would be to watch a group for awhile and see whos more bold and chirpy... these would be the males. A young budgies 68 weeks is however easier to sex, the cere of a young male is deep pink to purple, a young female is pale pink or very light plue or even white. Again if your unsure about the sex sit back and watch a group for a bit the males are bolder, tap tehre beaks on the cage and chirp more. Yes I think cockatiels are quiter because they don't contastantly chatter as budgies tend to do. I hope this helps somewhat again if yuo need further help feel free to email me again.
