To seperate .. or not?

[jen]

Hi everyone!

I hope I have this in the right category :)

Here is the situation.

My two newest lovies of unconfirmed sex (I was TOLD the green peachface was the male and the lutino the female) however the lutino has been regurgitating food to the green and also likes to hump anything he can. *sigh*

They are about a year old. I was told they were brother and sister.

They are moderately tame, can be a bit nippy. I have them caged together and been wondering if I should separate them, -so they don't mate, and also to see if they will tame up better that way.

However I'm worried they won't take it well :( I would be happy to get them each a new gf/bf (once I confirm their sexes )
I got the little kits to do testing, just been trying to convince hubby he wants to hold them for me when I give their toe nails a little clip. :)

Forgot to mention they are in a pretty large cage now, and I have 2 other extra large cages, so that isn't a problem at least :)

Thanks for any tips!

[Pips mom]

I'd leave them together for now and just get that DNA test done asap. If you end up having two females I think can create a problem, otherwise if they're friends now, both male or male and female, then they should be fine together. Please be very careful if you're going to get blood from a nail! I've heard many horror stories from people who have tried this and even people who just clip their birds nails and got it too short. I've clipped my bird's nails quite a few times, including Pip's and I've never had any problem....I only clip the nails that look long to me though, just be really careful when trying to get blood from a nail....you don't want it to end up bleeding more than you need it to!

[jen]

Thanks Pips Mom!
I've clipped bird nails before, and my dogs too :) I always go slow and just a little at a time.
My pup cracked a nail once, and the blood was everywhere, I can certainly see how the same thing would be extra bad for one of my feathered friends!

Thanks again!

[Chickobee]

You can use cornstarch or flour to stop the bleeding when you clip nails for the DNA test. If you are careful it shouldn't be a problem.

When you do the test you will need enough blood to soak all the way through the paper on the test card. If the nail is just barely bleeding you can massage the foot to get a tiny bit more blood to come out. I try this first and if it doesn't work then I clip a tiny bit more of the nail.

The birds get over this really quickly and in a minute you can't tell you've done anything at all.

[jen]

Well the toe clipping for DNAing went no problems, and in fact so did the wing clipping.. we hadn't clipped this pairs wings since we have had them and were wondering how much of a fight we would have on our hands.
However we used the towel method and they were calm as could be. :)

Since then they have been much better birds, a lot less nipping going on! :) Hooray!

[jen]

on another note, they are still regurgitating to each other like crazy, and today I saw the lutino mating with the green. sigh.

I thought I lost them both this morning, but no, they were playing hide and seek under the paper on the bottom of the cage. Little stinkers. :)

[linda040899]

I thought I lost them both this morning, but no, they were playing hide and seek under the paper on the bottom of the cage. Little stinkers.
:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
I have a few cages that don't have grates on the bottom and I have lovies that love to play that game! Wonderful place to build a nest.... Unfortunately for mine, I clean the bottoms of my cages without grates religiously every night so if they start building, they have to start all over again. It does tend to keep them busy....

[jen]

Dna samples were put in the mail monday. :)

On another note, my lutino is getting so much worse :( he is now 'mating' with my arm, shoulder whatever whenver he is on it, or he uses his rope perch, or the chair, his sibling, or well.. anything.. all the time. I tried to take him off my shoulder today and he flew up and bite my face, hard, not a little nip, took off some skin and made me bleed.
needless to say he got put right back in the cage.
My green though is calm as can be still. No biting (or mating)

I'm seriously thinking of separating them, if they are he and she I don't want sibling babies :( and maybe them being separate will calm my lutino down. ?? Maybe I can find him a girlfriend. sigh