My cockatiels are like my kids. I bathe them, I cook for them, & I worry about them. I have four, two girls and two boys. Tiels are a lot of work, but worth it. When I first got Alex about 8 years ago I would do what the pet stores said. I would take her out about once or twice a week and feed her mainly seed. That is WRONG. I know that now.

The best advice I can give you is that tiels eat pretty much what you eat, not just seed and pellets. My tiels love green beans, tuna, ham, scrambled eggs, potato salad, etc. Each tiel will be different. Also remember tiels need a lot of calcium, especially females. I wish pet stores would tell people that stuff right off the bat. My avian said when you cook for yourself give them some. (Watch the salt and sugar, NO chocolate, alcohol duh!, or avocados) I change the water daily and I add vitamins to it.

Also, weather permitting, my tiels like to go out in the sun (in their cage of course) I bathe them by putting the hose on mist and misting them that way, but only when it's warm enough. They sit in the sun misted and loving it.

I change the cages ( I have two, one with my girls in it and one with my boys in it) about once a week. I usually do a full cleaning, but sometimes it’s just a quickie.

I also have a separate issue with my birds that you probably won't. Alex is a bad egg layer, which is why I have four birds now. Alex lived with Danny and got egg bound so the vet wanted them separated. Well, they were lonely so I got Milton to live with Danny and Evie to live with Alex . I also give them daily supervised visits because Danny LOVES Alex and I couldn't keep them separated forever.

This seems like a lot of care, but if you make it part of a routine it really isn't bad. Plus, a hand raised cockatiel will be really affectionate and makes it all worth it. I would suggest getting a pair. Male & female if you don't mind the possibility of babies (A TON OF WORK!) Two females will be quiet, but they still can lay eggs without a male. Two males will be louder, but obviously you don't have to worry about egg bindings or anything like that.

Keep in mind I'm a 23 year old girl with an active social life, a boyfriend, a job, two dogs, and a lot of other responsibilities and I have no trouble fitting my cockatiels into the mix.

Sorry for the looooooooong post, but that's the quick basics of owning a cockatiel.