Cockatiels are very gentle and doctile birds, so normally, they do get along ok with parakeets, but I can't say the birds will accept each other. That depends on the birds. Its important to remember its best to house them in different cages, but to allow playtime together under supervision. I have no clue what she means by doing something to the seed hulls. I've never done anything to my tiels' seed hulls. They open the seeds and eat them themselves. I believe you should ask the tiel's former mommy this question. Maybe the tiel has a medical problem that she needs help in opening the hulls or something..............I dunno. Let us know what she "meant" by that. Some good websites to look at for information:

www.cockatiel.org

www.cockatiel.com

Good luck and congrats on your new bird! Is she tame? Tame tiels can be the sweetest little things! Let us know how things go. I hope this helps.

The average lifespan of a cockatiel is 15-25 years, but they can live well into their 30s and some have even been known to reach their early 40s (I heard). I wish you many happy years to come with your sweet tiel! If she is tame, it shouldn't take long at all for her to adjust enough so you can hold her. My birds are extremely tame, but they tend to shy out from strangers, so it may take time if the birdie you are getting is shy from people she doesn't know. Check the websites out. You'll get good info from there!