Can't go along together???

[QuantumAM]

Hi, I have been experiencing some problems these few days, so I need some help.

I've just got my 2nd lovebird which is about 6 months old for about 4 days, she's bought by my dad cos he's complaining that Birdie (my first lovebird, male, about 2 years old) is making too much noise. Birdie has been rubbing his bottoms against a perch for a few weeks, and I thought that he needed a mate... but when Belle(the female lovebird) was introduced into the cage, they didn't socialize at all! Birdie continues rubbing occasionally and frequently bites Belle which freaks her out, which makes me feel so sad. Belle eats the food in the small container, but whenever I try to get near her, she moves to the other side of the cage. I can't even think of getting to touch her at all.

I heard that lovebirds which do not grow up together usually don't socialize well. Is there a solution to this?? I need some advice. Please and thanks.
>o

A photo of them: (Birdie's the one in front and Belle at the back)
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb39/dttsdtts32/DSC01704.jpg

[kimsbirds]

I'm sorry that the 'meeting' was not what you had expected, but unfortunately,you introduced the new bird MUCH too quickly. Lovebirds need to be seperate for many weeks, if not months, before even trying to have them together. Some birds can never be caged together. It is very possible that if left together so soon, you could end up with a deadly fight.

Quarantine is EXTREMELY important because birds can carry disease. They should have been kept in entirely separate rooms and the new bird vet checked including tests. Is there any way to keep them seperate for a while? You will need 2 different rooms, separate cages, etc, as well as a certified avian vet to run some baseline tests on at least the new bird.
Additionally, you have 2 different species of lovebirds, so breeding should not be allowed or encouraged. Any babies they might raise together will all be sterile and could encounter behavioural issues and confusion.

Male/male pairs are most likely to get along without incident. Female/female pairs will be touchy, and could possibly turn deadly, and a male/female pair will instinctively want to breed and lay eggs, raising all sterile babies with undetermined behavioural patterns.

[QuantumAM]

Oh no, that's big trouble. Birdie has gone to a vet before and I guess he's fine, but not Belle. So you're suggesting that a male lovebird should get a male companion? What can I do to make sure that Birdie and Belle can get along together without causing any problems, that they won't breed but remain as friends? Will it work with quarantine?

I'm also furious that the shop owner cheated on my father by claiming that both of them are of the same species and that they can go along together.>:
I should have known more about lovebirds too.:very_sad:

[Kali]

Don't be too upset. Yes, they SHOULD have told you about different species.
All of us have had to learn about lovebirds at some time.
I was very ignorant about lovebirds, that is why I searched the internet as you have done.

This is an excellent place to learn.

If you are only having lovebirds as pets they may eventually get along together, but if you put them together in one cage it could cause one of them to kill the other.

As kimsbirds said quarantine is VERY important.

Hope to hear more about your lovies and of course I must mention pictures please.:)

[Pips mom]

I hope that you have them seperated in different cages if one is biting the other. Lovies can sure have a nasty bite, and one good bite is all it takes to have a missing toe, foot, whatever. My lovie bit my bigger bird's foot and bit her toe nail right off.....and she has big feet! them little lovie beaks are so sharp! If it was me I'd put them in separate cages, but keep the cages close together so they can get used to each other and be safe with no danger of bites, bleeding, or lost toes!

[QuantumAM]

Thanks, I'll take note of that, but what are the possible problems that could occur for 2 lovebirds of opposite gender and different species after I put them together again?

[SillyFids]

Hi - sorry to hear your birds aren't getting along, but everyone's given you some great advice as to why that is. Hopefully you can salvage the situation so everyone's happy (birds, I mean!)

I actually have a question regarding the picture you posted - Are those chip clips on the cage doors where food & water goes? Im assuming your little ones figured out how to open the doors! lol

[Bubblelady]

Are those chip clips on the cage doors where food & water goes? Im assuming your little ones figured out how to open the doors! lol

Cute, I hadn't noticed those. I've always used a good old fashioned wooden clothes pin. Keeps the doors closed when the bird is in, open when the bird is out, and an outside perch!

[bookworm0550]

all you can really do right now is separate them in different cages. introducing birds is tricky. either they like each other right away or they don't and it'll take time. i don't think if they grew up together really matters or not, as far as if they will get along. I know people on here have birds from different times and they get along. i think someone has lovies that are 10 years apart (ducky and squeaky????).

even if they don't like each other right now, they can keep one another company.

anyway, maybe you can get something soft for birdie to rub up against cuz that perch doesn't sound too comfortable.

if it makes you feel better, know that my Pan is the odd man out. He still gets chased by Evolet though there have been times where she tolerates him and they can still jump around in their bird games. Joey's nice to him, but he can be mean too and there really is no way i can tell which mood joey will be in. i was very stressed at first, but now I can let them out and play w/ one another w/o major toe biting, w/o one bird out at a time, and so forth, but i still have to keep an eye out for Pan from the other two.

so I know how you are feeling and wish you the best of luck. it'll take time definitely.

[BarbieH]

what are the possible problems that could occur for 2 lovebirds of opposite gender and different species after I put them together again?

If they get along and they mate, they will produce undesirable offspring. If they don't get along, they could hurt or even kill each other. This is true, however, for lovebirds of the same species. The period of introduction needs to be slow, after the period of quarantine is observed. I would put their individual cages side by side to get an idea of how well they seem to like each other, or at least to get them used to each other.

[QuantumAM]

Hi - sorry to hear your birds aren't getting along, but everyone's given you some great advice as to why that is. Hopefully you can salvage the situation so everyone's happy (birds, I mean!)

I actually have a question regarding the picture you posted - Are those chip clips on the cage doors where food & water goes? Im assuming your little ones figured out how to open the doors! lol

Yeah! Birdie is so very clever! :rofl:
Anyway, somehow Birdie is found out to be a female instead when someone felt her pelvic bone, and I had no choice but to exchange Belle with a male from the same store owner. The male's slightly more active and I placed him into a new cage. Hope they'll go along together soon.:)

[cp.lovebird]

all you can really do right now is separate them in different cages. introducing birds is tricky. either they like each other right away or they don't and it'll take time. i don't think if they grew up together really matters or not, as far as if they will get along. I know people on here have birds from different times and they get along. i think someone has lovies that are 10 years apart (ducky and squeaky????).


Yes, Squeaky will be 15 years old soon and Ducky is just 1 & 1/2 years old! They are friends but they don't live together in the same cage. When I first got Ducky, I quarantined him in a separate room for about 5 weeks. I also had him get blood tests at the vet to make sure he was healthy. Then I moved Ducky's cage beside Squeaky's cage ( they are about 2 feet apart.) for a few weeks before I let them out together. At first they ignored each other when they were out. Then they started to play together and groom each other. I tried putting them in the same cage for about a week. It didn't really work out. Ducky is so young and energetic and he kept chasing Squeaky around wanting to play! Sometimes, Squeaky just wanted to rest. Plus I worried that Ducky was a bit aggressive around the food dishes and Squeaky wouldn't get enough to eat. So they "talk" to one another and watch each other when they are in their cages. And they have supervised playtime out together too.

Good luck with your birds! I think the only sure way to know their sex is to get a DNA test done. Has your Birdie ever layed an egg? That is another way to know for sure! :rofl: You will get to know your new bird's personality over time. By watching them both together carefully, you will know if and when the time comes to put them in the same cage. I would also watch that process carefully when you are home to see if they can coexist relatively peacefully in the same cage.

Congrats on your new bird! I hope your birds will become good friends.

[Chickobee]

Did I understand correctly that you have exchanged one of these birds? And, if so, do you now have two birds of the same species now?

It's good that you are clipping the doors on the cages closed. Lovebirds are so smart that they can easily figure out how to escape from parakeet/finch cages where the doors lift up. My sister loaned me a couple of those when I had to separate female babies who were fighting and they had them figured out in a matter of minutes. Little smarties!

Some of my attempts to match up a pair of birds have been successful and some have failed. They will have their own ideas about it for sure! So, I wish you good luck with that! When they are both hanging onto the sides of the cages talking to each other you will know they are starting to like each other.

As for testing the sex of the birds by checking the spacing on the pelvic bones--they are sure to be correct 50% of the time. :)

Do you have any pictures of your two birds now? (hint, hint)

[BarbieH]

I put two boys together after one lost his mate; the other always lived in his own cage, no mate.

For many months, they just seemed to ignore each other. This is not a bad thing. Eventually they started interacting with each other in a non-aggressive way. Before I knew it, they were preening and feeding each other -- and we were ecstatic with that! So when the time comes, if they are in the same cage and ignoring each other, take that as a good sign.