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HaleBoppPeachyluv
06-17-2009, 02:44 PM
(sigh) So my parents are on vacation again & this time it's a loooong one. TWO MONTHS. Once more, I agreed to fidsit for their lovie hen, Hina. My mom provided cage, food, toys... and both birds are in spots that let them see outide, and are placed near where the breeze & sun goes thru, and still allows them places to retreat to out of the direct sun & breeze.

Their cages are about 3 feet away from each other. Today is the first day they're spending all day in the same room. When Hina came over yesterday, she was in the bedroom bc we forgot her little table stand & we had to put her on a night stand temporarily.

Both birds started chirping as soon as the sun came up, and Hina started ringing her bell. She's always had a bell & can compete with the salvation army in noise level & persistance! Sunny does not have a bell, but chirps with the best of them.

It's about 8:30 now & they both seem to have finally settled down. They both spent most of the morning climbing the walls of their cages, staring at each other and cheeping back and forth.

I brought sunny out briefly while changing his food/water & it was back to biting the mommy--which I learned was displaced aggression last time Hina came to visit--and quickly got put back before she made a dash for Hina's cage.

I'm thinking a clipping might be in order for Sunny. She's not fully flighted, but her flights are growing back in. She doesn't go up so well, but can easily cover the distance in our small living room.

Anyway... since Hina will be here for 2 months, what are the chances these two will actually become friends?

Hina is probably around 6yrs old, possibly a year or 2 older (mom forgot to keep track of when she was brought home) and Sunny is about a year old. Hina is definitely a hen (with eggies to prove it) and we've been calling Sunny a "she" but have no idea actually, and I'm inclined to believe Sunny might really be a boy.

Thanks for any opinions!

LovelySydney
06-17-2009, 02:59 PM
Your parents sound like my parents with vacations - I feel like they are always jet setting around!!:) As far as your two lovies becoming friends, you'll really never know until one day they start preening one another!! Gus & Oslo I totally lucked out on, they adored one another. But I know there are stories of the birds never enjoying one another and trying to even hurt each other. A clip could help Sunny's behavior but really I just think you should keep an eye on both when they are out. Have one in the cage and one out and vice versa. If you get to a point after a week or so of thinking how they might be together, give it a try (supervised of course) and see how it goes!! Hopefully the become friends but at the same time if you DO have a boy lovie then they may become REALLY good friends and never want to part!!!:happy:

BarbieH
06-17-2009, 03:02 PM
Does Hina have eggs right now?

If you suspect they are both hens, I think the chances are pretty slim that they will become true friends. You might move their cages closer and see how they react to each other. I wouldn't risk having them out at the same time.

Wing clips sounds like a reasonable safety precaution for both birds in this situation. However, I wouldn't be concerned with the possiibility of their being friends. Hina won't be a permanent resident, so there's no need to even consider it at this point.

lemonypickett
06-17-2009, 03:19 PM
I agree with the wing clipping. I can't let my lovies be fully flighted, they are crazy!

If Sunny is a boy, and they bond.... that will be hard for him when she goes home. I am tending to lean towards hoping that they tolerate, but don't fall in love with each other.

Keep us posted. I remember all your posts last time you fidsat. You are quite the trooper for signing up again! lol