How much do cockatiels cost? In this article, all your questions about the costs of buying and owning a cockatiel will be answered! From buying a cockatiel to upkeep, food, toys, and disposables! I will briefly cover cages in this article for a more in-depth article on “Cockatiel Cages“
**Fun Fact** Cockatiels can live up to 25 years! Although, the standard cockatiel lifespan is 15 years. Cockatiels make a great companion for a large chunk of your life!
Table of Contents
- How Much Do Cockatiels Cost?
- Private/Pet Store
- What Is The Best Cage For A Cockatiel?
- Food, Toys, And Disposables
- What Do Cockatiels Eat?
- Cockatiel Toys
- Bird Cage Disposables
- Recap
How Much Do Cockatiels Cost?
Just like buying most things, you can find a private seller or pet store to help you find the right bird for you! Each comes with its own conveniences and obstacles. For instance, pet shops have the benefit of having pretty much everything you need in one shop, while private sellers are usually only willing to part with the cockatiel but have a wider range of cockatiels for you to choose from! Not sure about you, but the fewer trips I have to make, the better!
*Time Of Year* Towards Christmas time, it’s not unusual for cockatiels to go up in price!
What this section will cover:
- Private/Pet Store
- Age/Sex/Markings
- Type
Private/Pet Store
Private Seller
Privately, cockatiels can cost anywhere from $80-$250, depending on how motivated the seller is. Usually, how colorful a cockatiel is, the more likely they will be sold for a premium. However, private sellers are likely to breed cockatiels and end up with more than expected, which they will then sell for a fraction of the normal price, which is great!
Pet Shops
Whereas pet shops will have fixed prices for everything, which is great for consistency. However, pet shops usually lack the variety that private sellers can offer! Usually, cockatiels will cost anywhere between $80-$250. However, the standard price is roughly $50–$150 in a pet shop with the added benefit of being able to buy pretty much everything you need for them, then and there!
Age/Sex/Markings
Many things can influence how much a cockatiel costs. The main things people look at when deciding how much they are going to sell their cockatiels for are Age, Sex, and markings/how colorful and vibrant the cockatiel is!
Age
Age plays a big part when estimating a cockatiels value. Usually, when birds are younger, they cost slightly more because people will have them for much longer; you can bond with your cockatiel from a younger age! Leading to better mental development. Cockatiels live their lives with “partners” and tend to grow attachments with their handlers.
If you know you’re going to have your cockatiel for life, it will make sense to get them from as young as possible! This way, they see you as part of the flock!
Sex
Sex is another big player in the bird pricing game. If you have a female ideal for breeding, private sellers will price them for a premium as they are in high demand. However, the same goes for a male that has vibrant colors. Sellers will sell them for a premium as breeders want brighter and vibrant colors as they sell for a higher price!
Type
Cockatiels come in all shapes and colors. The brighter the cockatiel, the pricier! A more common cockatiel like the grey or yellowface might be a bit cheaper compared to a pearl or blue cockatiel! If you’re curious about the different types of cockatiels, Click the link “Here“
What Is The Best Cage For A Cockatiel?
Cockatiel cages come in many shapes and sizes. Ideally, their cage should be no smaller than 24″ by 18″ by 24″. If space is an issue, then there is some wiggle room with those dimensions.
There are a few things to think about when buying a cage for your cockatiel. Usually, cockatiel cages need a wide variety of things to be complete. A complete cage setup should include Perches, Climbing Material, and 3 Bowls.
Perches
Your bird needs two types of perches. Perches to climb around and strengthen their feet muscles and perches to stand on to rest their feet.
The main types of perches are Rope, Wood, and Platform Perches, and each one is vital for your birds’ lifestyle! You should get multiple types of perches to satisfy your birds’ need to climb!
Climbing Material
Climbing material is important for keeping your bird stimulated while getting around their home. You can get many types of climbing materials, from ropes to little ladders. However, they should be part of every setup in some shape or form!
Food/Water bowls (Plastic or Stainless Steel?)
All birdcages need a minimum of 2 bowls but ideally 3 if you can find the space! Each bowl provides a function. The first bowl will be for water, the second bowl for dry food (Pellets), and the third bowl for Fruits and Vegetables. It’s a good idea to keep their food separated for hygiene reasons!
There is a crucial reason the subheading says “Plastics or Stainless Steel” Ideally, you want to get rid of the standard plastic bowls and swop them out for stainless steel ones. Stainless steel bowls are easier to clean and don’t accumulate as much nasty bacteria
You don’t want them to get sick from what they’re eating out of!
Food, Toys, And Disposables
This section is where the bulk of the monthly spending is going to come from. The great thing about food, toys, and disposables is they aren’t going to cost you an arm and a leg each month! Once you have a cockatiel and cage, the major money spending is over!
Now you need to decide how you’re going to feed and keep them entertained, all while keeping the cage clean (Disposables)
Let’s get started!
What Do Cockatiels Eat?
I will give you the main diet of what a cockatiel eats in this section, but for a more in-depth look at what cockatiels should be eating as well as why a seed only diet should be avoided as well as the difference between Organic or formulated pellets, click the link to my “What Do Cockatiels Eat” article!
Seeds, Pellets, Fruit, and Vegetables
This is pretty much what your cockatiel diet is going to consist of! The ideal diet of a cockatiel needs to be balanced! Most people try to stick to 80% of your parrots’ diet to come from pellets (Organic or formulated). While the other 20% comes from fruit and vegetables!
The reason I’ve gone with pellets and not seeds is, the majority of research I’ve looked through states that a seed-only diet leads to malnutrition and chronic diseases because seeds can not fulfill the nutrient requirements that your cockatiel deserves!
Your bird deserves to try all the wonders that international shipment has brought to the 21st century! Please don’t be shy when it comes to trying new things for fruit and veg! Do you see something that you think might make a delicious treat for your bird? Google it quick in the shop and get a quick answer!
The Clean 15/The Dirty Dozen
If you’re interested in more about either of these, “The Dirty Dozen” or “The Clean 15”, I will add a link to their respective websites! They are both defiantly worth a read! All you need to do is click either image, and you will be redirected to their website.
Let’s move on!
Cockatiel Toys
The key to keeping things fresh for your cockatiel is “Something New” You may be thinking, “does that mean I have to keep buying them new toys?” Simple Answer, no. Have a collection of about 4 or 5 toys that you rotate every week or so. This way they think they have a new toy to play with and trust me, your cockatiel will appreciate it!
If your cockatiel is a bit loud and you’re looking for tips on how to keep the noise down, here is a link to my article “Are Cockatiels Loud” this should give you some great ways to keep the complaints to a minimum!
Bird Cage Disposables
Birdcage disposables are the things needed to keep the cage clean and inhabitable for your bird to live and enjoy a healthy lifestyle! From liners to catch the droppings and make the cage easier to clean to cuttlefish bone to keep your bird healthy and keep their beak healthy!
Birdcage Liners
Whichever way you look at it, birds are messy! From food droppings to bird droppings, cage liners aren’t necessary, but boy, do they make cleaning the bottom of the cage easier and less gross!
There are many lining options to choose from. Usually, you can use a newspaper, which does the job just fine. However, many custom cage liners you can buy that fit your cage perfectly have benefits that a newspaper can’t guarantee!
Here are a few benefits of custom cage liners:
- Guaranteed to be disinfected from harmful bacteria.
- Fits perfectly in your cage.
- It makes it easier to assess if droppings are healthy.
Cuttlefish Bone
Cuttlefish bones are great for your birds’ health and keep them stimulated for a while! The bone of a cuttlefish is packed full of nutrients that are great for your bird! with the added benefit of keeping your cockatiels beak trimmed and in great condition!
The thing with cuttlefish bones is the calcium content. Birds need a good supply of calcium sure but if their diet is well balanced then too much calcium can be an issue. If your bird eats too much calcium they can become hyperglycemic, but not too worry, give them a whole cuttlefish bone to last them 2 weeks to a month and that should be plenty!
The perks of cuttlefish bone:
- Great source of nutrients, including calcium for your cockatiel.
- Cuttlefish bones help with bone formation and help to prevent blood clotting!
- Cuttlefish bone is cheap and a great source of calcium, plus a great play toy!
This leads me on to the final section!
Recap
If you’ve made it to the end and are now reading the recap! Thanks for reading! In this section, I like to cover the article’s highlights and go over the necessary information.
Highlights Of The Article:
- Cockatiel costs roughly $80-$150 but can cost more privately!
- We have covered what every cockatiel cage setup should consist of!
- What you will have to buy monthly: Food, Toys, and Disposables.
- We have discussed the 80/20 rule when it comes to your cockatiel diet!
Any Questions you have relating to this article or just for me in general, leave a comment down below in the comments section.
Disclaimer: I am not an expert on bird behavior or bird diet. These methods should not replace getting expert advice in any shape or form. If your bird does show any adverse reactions to any foods, seek a veterinarian’s guidance as soon as possible.
Amazon Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Thanks for giving me some information about the price of cockatiel. This article is so useful to me. I will consider before buying them. Finding the best price to buy it.