Won't stop trying to mate

[iloverockandroll]

My two lovebirds keep trying to mate. Every I turn around for a second, they try. They live in separate cages but get supervised play time together. So I keep breaking it up.

How do I stop it? They've never been trying for so long before. It's been almost two months now. They're 7 and it's never been so trying with them. I know one's a female but I'm not sure about the other one.

I moved things around in their cages but I can't move their cages to a different place in my room because they're too big.

I've taken everything out that they could use to nest with or in.

I've keeping the one I'm sure that's a female and more territorial out of their smaller cage to lessen her "nestyness". They have a five foot tall cage and a three foot tall cage.

Nothing has changed. No new food, a couple of new toys, but nothing else.

[kimsbirds]

Well, mating is natural and there's not much you can do about it. Problem is, sometimes it leads to eggs:whistle:
Try spending time with each individual bird away from their cages (take one bird to the living room with you for a while)...then switch birds and do it again. You want to keep them apart, but not confined to their cages. Would this work for you?

[iloverockandroll]

It could work but I'd probably only be able to hold them once a day then. No one likes me bringing them downstairs b/c they're so loud. So it would have to be like 2pm, I guess.

I don't like having to do it. They're so bonded :(

[michael]

You know I'm curious. Have these two been together long and have they ever laid eggs before? Because your not sure of the sex of one of your birds, exactly what type of behavior do they "both" exhibit? I think females will usually lay low, spread their wings, and do a few clucking noises. Although they both can share the same antics as far as mating is concerned sometimes the males can be quite different............:).............Michael and Goofy lovebird

[iloverockandroll]

One has laid eggs before, the other hasn't. They both display female behavior. But also both play the male role too.

I've had them both since they were babies.

[michael]

Thats very interesting. I've read one of your earlier posts about keeping your birds in separate cages followed by supervised play time as per a beak injury that occured to one of them. Beak trauma such as the type you've indicated can be very serious. I'm thinking its possible you may have two females even if only one appears to have laid eggs. Especially if none have ever hatched. Then too, how certain are you of which one laid all the eggs as many times thats an event we don't always get to witness. Are these two from the same clutch by chance?.........Michael and Goofy:)

[iloverockandroll]

I'm certain only one laid the eggs b/c they weren't there before I put her into the cage, only after.

The other one, that I'm not sure of the sex, used to be the dominant one when they were housed together. But they've totally switched roles since then.

The female bit the one that I'm not sure of's beak when the one I'm not sure of kept pushing the limits. I think that's when they switched roles.

The female is always starting fights.

[michael]

Well, at this point all I can say is its a good their not twins! :) I certainly wish the best for them both and hopefully there's no further injuries. Do you think you'll ever have the one DNA sexed just to be sure?............Michael and Goofy

[iloverockandroll]

Yeah, I keep putting it off though. No one in my family or friends want to help me hold her while I clip her nail.

I clip their wings myself but this is... quite a different procedure.

[linda040899]

If no one wants to hold your bird while you short clip a nail, feather sexing is also available. It's a bit more expensive, although not by much, but all is required is about 5 freshly plucked chest feathers.

[iloverockandroll]

I don't want to do that because, as you know, it pulls some skin with it and is painful.

[kimsbirds]

Actually its' less painful to the bird than clipping a nail too short, and there is no skin loss if done correctly :)
I choose to blood sex because of the higher percentage of inconclusive results from feather sexing.
I can tell you honestly that even with clipping a nail too short, there have been no ongoing pain issues with any of my birds, past and present. A bit of flour to form a clot, some pressure and within 3 or 4 minutes, all is forgotten and the birds gorge themselves on millet ;)

[iloverockandroll]

Lol. Just like wing clipping, but without the bleeding. Millet makes all bad things go away.