Can I cage my male Tiel with my baby Tiel?

[KeetsforMe]

I have a normal gray male tiel thats about 2 years old. I also have a 14 week old baby tiel. I was wondering, since they get along so well when out of their cages could they be caged together? My male will talk to the baby all day, and if she/he leaves his sight, he will yell until we bring the baby back into his view. Would they be happy together? His cage is HUGE, so there is ample room and they are both healthy.


WWYD?

[erzsebet]

My situation at my home is my roomie (mindibun) has 2 tiels which are about 3yrs old and I wanna say 8yrs old. My two tiels are around 15 months and 12 months. Both my two tiels adore hers and vice versa. We keep the cages next to each other and everynight when its bed time we find that they have switched themselves around. In my cage I'll have my 15 month and her 3yr old and hers has my 12month and her 8yr old. And they love it and get along great. Now when its bed time it doesn't matter who goes into which cage. Being a big age gap hasn't been a big deal for us and from the looks of it sounds like your birds are on there way to bonding like ours!! If you are concerned try combining the cages next to each other for a week or so so when they sleep they see what its like to have the other tiel next to them. Work them closer together by maybe 1 night a week they sleep together and the next week 2 times and so on. That way it won't be so sudden for them as well.

[KeetsforMe]

If my baby turns out to be a female, what can I do to prevent them from producing babies?

[erzsebet]

I would assume you should separate them but caged them next to one another. I deal with all 4 male tiels. But even so they have all bonded to one another the way you have described above. Misty & Phoenix love one another so much that when you separate them Misty yelps and bites everyone till you give him back his Phoenix. If you want to wait to see if they tiel is a female before making the step into moving him/her into the older tiels cage just keep their cages right next to each other till you receive the DNA results. That way the older bird can keep his eye on the baby and then from there you can gradually introduce them into a cage together.

[ralstonka]

When I had my first male and bought a chick (well, he actually picked her) I put them in the same cage without incidents. You just want to be around for at least the first day just in case. Adults usually won't fight with babies.

If the baby turns out to be a female just don't give them a nestbox. Eventually she will lay eggs (but she would do this without him too) and you should buy "fake" eggs and replace them when she lays (don't just remove eggs without leaving fake ones, it will make her lay more eggs).

[erzsebet]

i agree getting a nesting box would promote the possibility of of having them mate. so definitely stay clear of that if you find out your little one is a female