upatsix.com - Your Source For Pet Bird Information

I would definitely go to the bird show. While you may not find a youngster to take home with you that day, I'm sure you will be able to make contacts with some breeders that are 'relatively' near you who either have babies at home or have clutches planned for the year.

While there may be chances of exposure to illness or whatever, I doubt its all that different from a dog show. Most respectable breeders that are there to win will not be taking their sick birds or otherwise unhealthy birds to the show. I'm sure they have both their bird's best interests as well as competitiors interests at heart.

Be sure to talk with the breeders whose birds look the best and biggest and who are winning the classes. Chances are they are more knowledgeable and have birds with good pedigrees. I don't know where you located, but birds with Feret, Short, Maple, and Greeson are some breeders to look out for in cockatiel pedigrees.

Twix04 wrote:I would definitely go to the bird show. While you may not find a youngster to take home with you that day, I'm sure you will be able to make contacts with some breeders that are 'relatively' near you who either have babies at home or have clutches planned for the year.

While there may be chances of exposure to illness ....

First, there's a huge difference in a bird show and the much more common and dangerous bird fairs. Are you sure it's a competitive show you're talking about? If so, I agree it's a good place to meet breeders, and I agree with Darlene that it's a deadly dangerous place to buy a baby. You need to find a good breeder and buy a baby who's still safely in her aviary.

Since you'll need a second cage for quarantine, please leave the baby in that separate cage forever -- or at least until you've seen LOTS of mutual preening while you're right there supervising their out-of-cages play. Please do NOT leave a cockatiel locked into a cage with a budgie before that. You could come home to a dead cockatiel and have no one but yourself to blame for the murder.

Personally, I would get one that is weaned, if not then you have to finish hand feeding yourself, that could be 3 times a day. Plus the chance of not feeding properly are higher if you don't have experience - that could lead to infection or death.

Contact the people running the show and ask them what precautions they have in place to keep sick birds out. There are unscrupulous "breeders" out there that will try to unload a problem bird cheap. I was at a fair where a breeder was pushing me hard to buy a baby eclectus that still needed hand feedings 3 times per day. That was after I told her I would only buy a weaned bird since I could be out of the house for up to 12 hours due to work schedule and didn't have anyone who could feed while I was out. The woman said " thats OK - you could feed it later - I'll take 100 dollars off and you could bring him home now!" I was disturbed that she was hard selling like that.

Some people may say you get a closer bond if you hand feed yourself. My experience is contrary to that. I bought Luna at 11-12 weeks of age and I find it hard to believe she could be bonded more to me - it's amazing.

You coudlgo to the breeders chat boards and ask there about breeders in your area.

Ok

The bird show is May 12. Could i still call and find out?
Whats is a good cage for a cocktiel?
I am home alot. My parakeet is out for 8 hours a day with me. I think that is anoff time to care for a cockatiel too. My parakeet is very nice. I will not put the cockatiel and the parakeet together intill i see they have bonded.
Thanks

I would call now and find out. Ask them if they have a list of breeders in your area - you may get lucky.

Cage size - bigger is better of course, with the minimum suggested is 24x24. Bar spacing no more then 5/8". Time out of the cage - just like your keet.

Ok

I will call tomarrow and tell you guts what they say.

How should I get my parakeet (noel) and my cockatiel (dont have) use to each other?

So sorry!

I mean guys! Not cuts. My parakeet was on the keyboard again.

Sorry!

Hey, if you are looking for a cage, I found this site that has really nice good size cages pretty cheap! AND shipping is FREE! that is amazing-----I am going to get my next cage here when I get another tiel. The cage that is second cage down from the top of this page is almost identical to woody's cage, but without the stand. Not alot of horizontal bars, but I just put ladders in the cage and that solved that problem nicely.
http://demsondpetdepot.com/Merchant2/me ... ry_Code=PC

oh, and it doesn't say on the web site, so I emailed them and the bar spacing is 5/8

Wow

Thats not bad. I like a cage that is square, not round top. My parakeet likes to go upside down. She likes to take baths on the top of the cage.
But if my parakeet was not so picky i would get it.
I think i found one. I plan on getting a small one for the quaritine proccess. And then have the big one for both of them. But if the dont bond, then I will have to get another cage.

How does this sound?

Bump


LOL

I recommend always housing the two separately but letting them play together out of their side-by-side cages when you're right there to protect the tiel.