ok, so I have a male cockatiel who is about a year and a half, probably pushing 2 years now. Hes relativley hand friendly.. Theres a big atachment to him because I hand fed him since he was a baby and kinda sick. He steps up and sings real pretty, but thats about it interaction wise. I've been thinking about getting him a mate. I've been told to find an older female who was not hand fed.... is this true? also, my main concern is his behavior... I know with larger birds, they can become agressive when they mate... I wouldnt want him to stop being my friend.... Any thoughts and suggestions??

I am sorry I dont know the answer to your question just I am interested in cockatiels. so will be following this link. for sure

I'm sorry, I don't know much about this either. I would think that as long as you still spent a lot of time with your tiel, then he wouldn't get aggressive toward you.

My advice: Fine to get him an opposite sex playmate if that is your wish but I would NOT allow them in the same cage or to even be too close to each other (without constant supervision) - at no time - UNTIL you get yourself totally prepared to incubate any resulting eggs & to brood and handfeed if necessary. The babies (whether embryonic or hatched) need YOU to be ready to help them survive if case anything goes wrong. They need you to purchase all the necessary equipment in advance - to include an incubator, brooder, books on handfeeding and nursery management, formula, etc... & to make sure you have the time to devote to handfeeding around the clock (if necessary). After you study the books & think you know what to do, you then really should locate a local well experienced handfeeder for lessons in doing it right which includes learning crop feeding, crop evacuation, Sub-Q injections, IM injections, etc..... I would advise you to also have the basic meds on hand if you are going to get into breeding or otherwise have deep pockets to pay Avian Vets should you get into trouble.

Those were some things to think about before anything else.

Note: Yes you may lose him as a pet, then again you may not - depends on your relationship/bond with the individual bird and how you interact with him (both parents actually) once they start breeding. I have lost some as "pets" but have not lost others who still breed and still interact with me as always. JMO & IME.

Thank you, those are definitley things to do research on... I have expeirence in hand feeding, but I need to learn about everything else... To be honest, my main reason for breeding is just a need for the expeirience. I'd like to be able to raise some cute little birdies from birth (my birds are all rescues) and I'm always seeking knowlegde in all aspects of bird owning.. (I hope that makes sence) ... One day down the line, I would love to open a bird store (years and years and years down the line.) Anyways, I've been thinking about breeding my teil for a while now, but I doubt I actually will because I really dont want to take the risk that I might loose him as a companion.

Well, since those are your desires/wishes (not sure if you are "just-joshin" or not ) - whether now or "someday", I suggest you waste no time in getting the knowledge and "experience" learned & then locked into your memory banks (make written handy notes also for back-up).

I"ll repeat ..... I still suggest you find (ASAP) a local well experienced handfeeder and volunteer your time to that person in exchange for all he/she can teach you. IMO there is no better teacher than hands-on-experience. Ya can't get that from books or even in here, even though most of us will do all we can to help you if/when needed. We prefer however that you show & take the initiative to first seek out the hands-on learning experiences that will prove INVALUABLE in your desire to responsibly breed - whether that be only one clutch or many.....

Note: I may pull this post up someday, to show you openly, what was suggested to you - should you run into trouble someday by choosing to ignore good advice. I mean that not as a threat to embarass but as a way of hopefully getting you and OTHERS to do the right thing NOW for the lil ones whose lives will one day be in your hands. You seem like a responsible and caring guy so I know you will do it the right/best way. .

I have to agree with Joel about learning first. The chance of losing a playmate is there especially if you get a parent raised female. Also something else you may want to consider is that teils are often chronic egg layers so if you later decide you do not want to breed you may have difficulty in reversing the cycle. Separate cages forever. Have you considered a male hand raised companion? I don't see teils or budgies just as practice birds, they need to be loved and wanted with the same degree a larger parrot would get.

Well, I'm not looking for "practice." I would keep my little buddies and love them like my other fids. It was more of a thinking about thing. I dont think I will get him a mate, not now at least. Hes a friendly bird and very happy... I wsa just thinking about it mabe one day when I have a little more money or space for extra fids, theres a lot I thought of and a lot I didnt take into consideration as well, which is why I posted in the first place.... Thanx guys