Step two of introductions.. how?

[momo]

Hey Everyone,
As most of you know now.. I have Spotty our newest.. not so new any more.. addition.

After nearly three weeks of being in the same room with one another.. interaction through the bars..screaming... lots of beak fencing.. and toe biting.. :x

They have seem have calmed down a bit. So how do I introduce them in the flesh? I have found a moderately mutual place. The only issue is that Spotty doesn't have flight whereas Elmo has. So I will need to carry Spotty the bath tub but I know when Elmo sees that I have Spotty he will probably crawl down my arm and try to start world war three.

How much beak fencing and fighting do I allow to go on? I know that no amount of time in the same room will stop them from fighting when they both are allowed out at the same time.

Spotty is getting along stronger and smarter. Elmo still lands on Spotty's cage.. now to much dismay to Spotty.. He will come up to where elmo is and chase her off.

How long do I let them out together at the same time? I know there is no hard and fast rules regarding this.. but I want to make sure I do this right.

[michael]

...............After nearly three weeks of being in the same room with one another.. interaction through the bars..screaming... lots of beak fencing.. and toe biting.. :x

They have seem have calmed down a bit. So how do I introduce them in the flesh?...........How much beak fencing and fighting do I allow to go on?........

Spotty is getting along stronger and smarter. Elmo still lands on Spotty's cage.. now to much dismay to Spotty.. He will come up to where elmo is and chase her off.

How long do I let them out together at the same time? I know there is no hard and fast rules regarding this.. but I want to make sure I do this right.

Are you sure their ready to be introduced in the flesh? ... Just my thoughts..... Even if they have settled a bit, I really don't like the sound of all the beak fencing and toe biting thats been going on. Maybe a little more time? .... I know things can get complex....For example. Introducing lovebirds while their caged is often a bit trickier than it sounds. You try to keep them separate, so then, how are they supposed to have out of cage time unless there's some physical contact? .... Really, I was not surprized to hear Mz Elmo took the opportunity to frequent the top of Spotty's cage. It can be risky, but then you just have to do your best to avoid injuries by supervising/intervening, or perhaps even temporarily placing one in a separate room.

One thing was certain when I intro'd Goof and Beeb's. Regardless of the situation, I was not about to "allow" any fighting what so ever. I guess you could say thats my answer to how much fencing you should "let" them get away with. Reason. Although a few toe bites do normally occur for pecking order, injuries can become very serious or even deadly in a matter of seconds for newly introduced companion birds. Besides, i'm the leader of the flock, and regardless whether or not they choose to follow my rules, i'm still going to exercize my authority both verbally, and with a very nice squirt bottle.

How and when you should introduce them sort of depends on their current level of acceptance. Lovies, especially hens, can be very protective of their cage. If Spotty's a male (is he?), for starters, I would not want him near Mz Elmo's cage. In Elmo's and Spotty's case, I would say its a must they be intro'd in a neutral area (as planned) away from their cages. Although the bathroom is fine and does provide a bit more control, reaction time for a discrepency could become instantaneous while a bit more confined. So be prepared.

How long should you let them out together? Again, that depends on how well things go between them. Maybe start out with short intervals, see how they do, then gradually taylor it around the usual amount of time you would allow them to be out.

Certainly, there's no hard and fast rules here. And really, I am by NO MEANS an expert on lovebird introductions, but just thought i'd offer my views. ....... If it were me though, I would give them a little more time to adjust before heading into the pit. .........:2cents:.........Hopefully some other members can share their experience............:)

[momo]

Thanks Michael.

Spots doesn't go anywhere near Elmo's cage.. he stays in his cage most of the time because Elmo is out. I try to give Spots some out of cage time but because he was aviary born he doesn't quite know what to do when he's out. I try to re-direct him towards a play pen but he has no idea what to do with them. Most of the time his out of cage time involves scritches and falling asleep in my hand.

I let them out together yesterday; Unfortunately Spots has no confidence outside of his cage.. for obvious reasons. Elmo would lunge but I would yell a big NO and clap and she would fly off. After a while Elmo just flew off and didn't care about Spotty. I think I will wait until Spots grows his wings. And until then; not allow any beak fencing what so ever.

Did you let Goof and Beebs on each others cage? I find if I tried to keep them in their respective cages they just don't care but once Elmo is let out. She goes over to suss what Spot's is doing.

[michael]

...........Did you let Goof and Beebs on each others cage? I find if I tried to keep them in their respective cages they just don't care but once Elmo is let out. She goes over to suss what Spot's is doing.

Well first, both my lovebirds are confirmed males, so i'm sure this helped level the playing field. Really, I have no idea what would have transpired had one of them been female. ... Had that been the case though, and if it were possible, I would have only intro'd the female in or around the males cage and placed more effort towards keeping the male away from hers. Still, these are just basics, so there would be few predictions. .... As far as allowing Goof and Beeb's on each others cage, thats a real toss up. Amazingly though, neither one showed an interest in each others quarters for quite some time. While it was much later that Goof began trespassing, I believe this may have been more of a natural curiosity than the jealousy I spoke of earlier in my posts. Sure is fun to watch :rolleyes:. ... Oh..and no, B.B has yet to embark on the contents of Goofy's cage. Probably because Goof's the big shot aggressor. Poor B.B.

Whether or not our pairs will ever get along without maintaining some distance is yet to be seen. Bonding on the other hand, well, lets just say is a bit futuristic. Also too, after reviewing loads of information, it appears to me, either they hit it right off from the start, or its going to get a bit bumpy for awhile. Best we can hope for, is they need not be physically separated on a daily basis. .... So,..do you think there's a chance Elmo might get interested in Spotty? .... If i'm correct, unlike many males who will (for choice of a better word) adhere to just about anything, it really sounds like Mz Elmo has yet to come across a suitable mate. Has she ever checked out Spotty's cage without him being in it?..............:)

[BarbieH]

either they hit it right off from the start, or its going to get a bit bumpy for awhile.I think that's a good summation of what I have observed so far. I remember when Gracie first saw George, even from the distance of their separate cages. :blush: That was quite a display she put on!

So far we have introduced two sets of males to each others' cages, and like Michael said, I think the gender makes the difference. Is Elmo being rather hormonal right now? Is she nesting? When George first came to our home, we kept his cage distant from Gracie's for two reasons: first was the quarantine, and second was the fact that Gracie was nesting. Had a feeling that any new bird in our home would be unwelcome.

You could try rearranging Elmo's cage and giving her a wing trim (aka, attitude adjustment). Controlling her flight might also help you when/if you decide to bring them out together, outside of the cages. At least Spot could get away and Elmo couldn't chase him very well.

[LovelySydney]

When we brought Oslo home he just sat in his cage and minded his own business. Gus would call to him and scream and yell and Oslo would yell back but for the most part pay no mind. When Gus got away from us and snuck to see O upstairs we found him climbing all over the cage, trying to find a way in:rofl: When they were together it didnt take long at all for them to fall in love, but I know it isnt that way with all birds (obviously). There was a fair amount of toe biting on Gus's part, mainly when O would try to eat some millet or explore the top of the cage. For the most part they were fine BUT that being said, they were both DNA'd males and Im sure this made a big difference.

Good luck!

[momo]

Two guys get along better than two girls.. sounds like the human world!!


A small update..

I think the treaty of lovebirds is close to being signed..

I have pegs on Spotty's doors because Elmo had learned how to open them... *face palm*

Anyways now when we are all sitting down unwinding for the night. Sitting on the pegs is Elmo's favourite place to sit now. The only issue is.. when Elmo begins to crawl over Spotty's cage. Spotty will crawl towards Elmo.. mostly for a small round of sparring. But Mummy keeps a VERY close eye on both of them and doesn't allow any sparring.

But I find the both seriously mimic what each other do. Intentionally or not. They will eat at the same times. Preen at the same times. This morning Spotty had a bath and then Elmo had one afterwards. This is the first bath Elmo has ever had without having my mum or myself trying to entice her to jump in!!

The only flip side is.. when one yells.. the other yells. I swear Spotty only yells at Elmo to tell her to shut up.

Spotty has also taught himself how to play with his toys! He has this chew/preen toy that has become his favourite toy. It's kind of like a two year old with a blankee. He chew it in his mouth but not swallow it. He just loves to "suck" on it. He's also learnt that the bottom of his cage isn't a bad area to play on either.

The aggression between the both of them have subsided SO much. I still wouldn't trust them out together. I think I will only let them out together once Spotty has his wings back and I have used positive reinforcement for Spotty to realise that being out of his cage isn't a scary thing.

[LovelySydney]

Things sound like they are going in the right direction - thats great!! I hope they become good friends. Its so true about the mimicking, Gus did everything Oslo did and vice versa - it was really amazing to watch! & the bath's were the first thing for Oslo! Once he saw Gus doing it, he was sold, it was too cute.