Can You Have Three Parakeets in One Cage?

While not all people enjoy having roommates, as far as a parakeet is concerned, the more, the merrier. In the wild, these birds live in flocks, and three of them or more can share a cage in your home. It isn't quite that simple, though -- you have to give them a cage of the right size and be mindful of how they all move in together, or else territorial or sex-based disputes could ruffle their feathers.

  1. Social Animals

    • Parakeets are social by nature, and even in a domestic setting, they love to have company. While your parakeet should enjoy some bonding time with you outside of the cage every day, getting him one or two roommates alleviates any potential boredom or loneliness. Provided that you meet the various requirements for safe, responsible cohabitation, several parakeets can happily live together in a single cage.

    Choosing Friends

    • You can't group just any three parakeets together in a cage. Arguably the best combination for your cage is three males, because females tend to engage in territorial disputes with each other. Mixing males and females may lead to hormone-induced strife in the cage, particularly when one bird wants to mate and the other does not. Of course, mixed-sex cages may also lead to pregnancies, so choosing birds of the same sex prevents you from having to deal with a growing family.

    Getting Acquainted

    • Ideally, you bring home three parakeets at the same time -- this means that nobody is invading anyone else's living space. If you have one or two parakeets already and want to introduce a third, then start slowly. Instead of simply thrusting the new bird into the existing cage, place him in a separate cage next to your other birds. This allows them to get acquainted and helps prevent territorial fighting that could otherwise occur. Allow the birds to access and socialize with each other on their own terms -- soon they'll all congregate in a single cage.

    Plenty of Room

    • The more parakeets you have, the bigger your cage should be. While two birds can share the same space as a single bird would, once you add a third they need more room. Parakeets favor the top half of a cage, so choose one that is longer than it is tall. While your veterinarian can make a recommendation based on the size of your birds, a cage for three should be at least 2 feet long, 1 foot deep and 1 foot tall.