Need advice about cockatiels

[lilangel1518]

Hello everyone, Im new to the bird forums. So I am thinking about getting a bird. I was just going to get a parakeet b/c they are less expensive and ive had them before when i was younger. however i went to the petshop today. they have hand-raised baby cockatiels that will be ready next week. my grandma and i were able to pet them and hold them today. they just chirped and wanted to come out of the cage and be held it was so cute. i fell in love. i was curious if a cockatiel was a good pet for practically a first time bird owner b/c the last time i had parakeets i was really young. also they are asking 130$. is that a reasonable price? thanks so much for your help

~Amber

[HJKaga]

cockatiels are pretty good birds for first time owners. I have had a few of them and they are great! The price depends on what coloration they are. Do you remember what color they were?

[lilangel1518]

well the one i loved was a pearl and i believe she called one a latino and then there were 3 others she called greys or something standard like that. all of them were being sold for the same price

[HJKaga]

the grays are usually sold at stores for $100, the pearl and the latino would be worth the $130. You can get a grey cockatiel from a breeder for usually around $60-$70, so stores sell them for about $100. If you want the pearl or the latino then $130 is a decent price considering you are buying from a petstore and not straight from the breeder.

[lilangel1518]

thank you so much for your help. i just emailed a breeder near me to see what birds they have available and the prices. i really want a friendly loving bird. we'll see what reply i get :)

[Chicknesholay]

You could also look at bird shows/fairs around your area, breeders bring their birds there and their prices are marked down a ton. I just got my first cockatiel there that was hand fed, vet checked, a pied, and an absolute darling for 50 dollars. I know there is a bird show in St. Petersburg on the 5-6th of August. So thats just an idea, that you could look into. Good luck with what ever you decide to do.

[Canni]

Generally its a better idea to go for a breeder and one who doesn't sell to petshops.. they care about their birds and generally have already introduced vegetables into their diet. And yes around $100 is a fair price for a hand reared bird they take a lot of time and effort to raise!

[pixibubbles]

ugh... bird fairs can be a minefield or bacteria and germs and poorly birds... not to metion the stress...

i know soem people who have had great experiences... and some who have heart breaking ones... if you really liked this lutino in the shop then buy them... my advice to anyone buyign an animal comes down to oen thing... the bird for you is the one that when you see it you cant stop thinking about it and keep going back to look.... you just get this little... Click and think... i want THAT animal. maybe its me being silly... but the animals i;ve had that click with instantly have been amazing...

if you liked the one you saw go get lol