Edmund's buddy and other news

[Eric&Rebecca]

Hi guys,

As some of you know we have been researching getting Edmund a buddy for a long time. At first we were looking at cockatiel's (parent raised not hand raised like Eddie). However a member of this forum suggested looking at Aussie grass parakeets and today we finally decided. However, they won't be sharing a cage just the same room but it'll still be company for Eddie.

We are adopting a parent raised red rumped parakeet! (male). The breeder has had both cockatiels and grass parakeets for many years and we found the perfect little guy. He is fully weaned and ready to go but he is to undergo full vet checks before coming to us. He will be 8 months old and his cage is all set up and ready.

The breeder said that we will perhaps be able to keep them in the same cage as they get on well with other birds and they are housed together in the aviary he was raised in. However, this is not important for us and we don't intend on doing this unless they get on really really well but its always a possibility I guess. He is absolutely adorable and we can't wait to pick him up on Saturday

Also a big thank you to the help people have given us on this forum as Eddie is now eating pellets, veggies/fruit and seed diet! Finally!!!!

[pionus]

That's great, i can't to see pics of Eddies new friend!

[friend2parrots]

Congratulations, and looking forward to hearing more about him!

[liz]

Be careful. When I put in with my he bullied them. They stayed up in one corner out of his way and he had the rest of the flight cage.

Tiels will accept any other tiel.

[Eric&Rebecca]

Well in some cases yes however I know and our avian behaviorist has said this too that this isn't always true either. We have had budgie who got on with both tiels in the same cage and there was never a single case of bullying or dispute although I understand that is very rare and people say that will never work and its dangerous! Quite frankly we'd never take the risk again, we were just lucky. These are ex birds now but got on very happily and one tiel and the budgie still live together with another member of the family.

Additionally, I have also known from other family member's, for tiels to refuse to accept other tiels which resulted in permenant separation and almost the loss of an eye! However in most cases I agree liz this is true. The avian behaviourist said that grass parakeets and tiels go very well together too and are just as likely to get on and two tiels if you use the correct introduction procedure. Hence we were left with a Bourke or a Red Rump. We then went to see a breeder who said exactly the same thing. Although, I stress again I realise it's not guaranteed in the same way putting another tiel with Eddie would not be guaranteed.

Like all birds and putting them in the same cages I don't think there's any guarantee with any mixture of birds even the same breed or gender. Agreed some are more likely than others and there are combinations that you just should not have but still you can never be certain that introducing a new tiel will work.

As I said we are intending to keep them in separate cages if the match doesn't work then they stay separate. Perhaps we will try and end up in the same situation as you or perhaps we will end up with a different situation. It's just a game of wait and see. We have the facility for both outcomes and if it doesn't work out we will still love them both

The introduction process as been well researched and our choice well informed by members of this forum, an avian behaviourist, an avian vet and a breeder of both birds as has our choice of a red rump. There is someone here 24 hours a day (apart from the odd night out) which won't be happening for a while I don't think and birds will always be supervised.