Question for all of your bird lovers...would a Keet and Teil get along?

[Rose's Gal]

I'm going to be getting a new cage for my Parakeet and while I was shopping around, I realized that Parakeets do much better in pairs than by themselves.
I've had Abby (my Parakeet) for three years now. She still refuses to let me handle her, so she doesn't get a lot of one-on-one time. I let her out to fly, but sometimes she doesn't even want to come out of her cage.
I'm trying to decide that when I get the cage if I want another bird, and if I do, what kind I want. I've always like Teils and I'd really like one but the questions that pop into my mind are:
1. Would Abby attack the Teil?
2. Would they be able to share a cage without squabbling?
3. If so, what size of cage would I need?
4. How easy would it be to keep them in the same cage? (I mean, different size toys, perches, diets...)
5. How much more expensive is a Teil than a Keet? I know that Teils cost about 80$ more, but what about supplies and such like that? Is their overall cost (excluding the price of the bird) a ton more expensive than a Keet?

Or would I be much better off just trying to find a handtamed Keet? lol

 

[PixieSticksandTricks]

Do NOT leave a Parakeet and Cockatiel in the same cage or alone together EVER. I have seen so many accounts of "oh the they like each other" or "the parakeet could never hurt that Teil) and then the Keet kills the Tiel. Why? Because the Keet has a sharper beak and the Tiels beak is not made for fighting. I have seen Tiels with their throats ripped out and dead. People can't beleive this little birds are more aggressive or dangerous to the tiels.

But if you look at at Tiels in the wild the never really fight they mimick fight but they never actually attack each other. Tiels are peacemakers of the parrot world really. I will get you some links on Tiels and Keets.

Also my Tiel (RIP) was $200 around here.

 

[Rose's Gal]

I was reading about it and alot of people were saying that the Keet would most difinitally be the thing to worry about, but alot of people seem to house the birds together with no problems. Some people were saying that the Keet would kill the Teil, others were saying that they could, and others where saying the could, but they could also get along very well. Does it just depened on the bird?
All of the Teils I've seen have been around 100$ and handtamed, whereas the parakeets are 20$ and not handtamed.

 

[smkie]

if you buy a parakeet that had lines on his forehead all the way down to his cere (nose) you will be buying a very young bird and that is the best age to start taming your bird. There are pros and cons to any bird you would choose, a parakeet has great potential (one even held the world record for the most spoken words) so it really boils down to how much time you spend training. A parakeet can learn all kinds of things!
Hand raised baby cockatiels are very nice, a sweet disposition. THey do shed a dust from the wings like cockatoos that will get into everything. It is a fine dust that sifts. feels a lot like talcum powder. Some people have allergies and you should never sleep in a room where cockatiels are kept. If you have one try turning on a flashlight in the dark near the cage you will be amazed.
They too are easy to train, personally i would take a parakeet everytime over a cockatiel but that is because i have had the honor to know quite a few that were trained for a bird circus, as well as one i had that was an "old soul". Don't know if any of that helps you with your decision, but i would truly read up on parakeets before you think they are a "lesser" bird.

(a hundred dollars for a hand tamed cockatiel is a good deal..they cost much more here)

 

[Rose's Gal]

Oh, I don't think that Keets are a lesser bird, I just like Teils. lol And all of the birds I've seen in the stores are older birds. Not old enough to have their cere change either brown or blue, but they aren't young either...I don't know if that makes sense though. lol

Hmmm....I've never heard about the dust before. I'm going to try and find more info on that first...I won't have a problem with it, but my mom, who is a neet freak, might. lol

 

[smkie]

i always went by the lines on the head not the cere color. Good luck i think the price on hand raised baby tiels was very reasonable! I had a greater sulpher crested cocaktoo for awhile ( i gave it back for it was a murderous bird i swear it would take a hunk out of you to show You what it thought of your efforts) and the dust from his body was unbelievable!!!!!! When you touched him it felt like you were burying your fingers in a vat of oily talcum. Cockatiels are not that bad.

Mostly you wouldn't want to have a tiel around someone that is already respitory challanged, eg asthma, or emphasemia (sp?) or acute allergies.