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From: grass@uiucdcsb.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.pets
Subject: Re: Cockatiels
Message-ID: <16500006@uiucdcsb.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 31-Jan-85 17:10:00 EST
Article-I.D.: uiucdcsb.16500006
Posted: Thu Jan 31 17:10:00 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 2-Feb-85 10:56:07 EST
References: <521@mhuxt.UUCP>
Lines: 33
Nf-ID: #R:mhuxt:-52100:uiucdcsb:16500006:000:1665
Nf-From: uiucdcsb!grass    Jan 31 16:10:00 1985

I have had parakeets and cockateils at various times.  The cockateils are
my favorites.  

I had one that bit pretty hard when I got him.  I gave him time to get
used to me and used to my room.  In a few months he decided I wasn't so
bad, then there was nothing he liked better than sitting on my hand or
shoulder.  At the time he was the only bird I had, and I guess he decided
that being civil would get him more attention.

The parakeets I have had have always become tame faster when they were
only birds.  I have a pair of them now.  They will sit on my finger
for very short periods of time when they are out of the cage, but 
otherwise they want nothing to do with me.

My experience with cockateils is that they are friendlier, smarter
and even somewhat gentler than parakeets.  I have never had a
cockateil bite me as hard as my parakeets sometimes did (especially
when toenails were being clipped).  Any bird will want to bite
if you chase them around the cage and then grab them in your hand.

I have heard that cockateils
and parakeets can get along well (better than parrots and parakeets
would), I don't think that I would want to just throw them
together and walk away, though.  Let them see each other from their cages,
and if you later let them out together, I would keep a close watch.
Probably if you have just one cockateil and one parakeet, they might
accomodate each other just to have another bird to play with.  Definately
keep them in separate cages and feed them separately (after all, they do 
have different needs).
			
	- Judy Grass,  University of Illinois - Urbana
	  {ihnp4,pur-ee,convex}!uiucdcs!grass   grass%uiuc@csnet-relay.arpa