Seperating my lovebirds.

[Bumble]

Hi guys, I will be seperating my lovebirds in order to tame them (by putting them in different cages). I also feel they'd do better seperate because sometimes one of them gets bored and bites the others foot. There's no damage to his foot yet but I'm sure over time, this could be a problem. They're quite young (6 months) and siblings so it might be a bit hard for them to be seperated.

Is there a certain way to approach seperating them without stressing them out?

[jen]

Will be watching this thread... as I've been considering separating my siblings too :)

[personatus]

I would just move them straight over and go from there, not alot you can do, they will soon get used to it don't worry.

[OrbiRock]

just go on with your idea... I just separated mine 2 days ago and it is all went fine...

[Chickobee]

It is always wise to know the sex of your lovebirds.

If you do not know their sex you may try to cage two males or two females together, with disastrous consequences as they mature.

Two males will sometimes get along well enough to be caged together, but two hens seldom will. As two hens mature they will be looking for nesting sites and defending their territory. Even if the two hens are from the same clutch, the more dominant bird may attack and even kill the other hen. This can happen suddenly--even if they had previously been getting along.

If you have a male and a female from the same two parents, and they eventually breed, there is a higher risk of genetic defects.

Two lovebirds who are not caged together will still keep each other company and may also be able to enjoy supervised play together outside of their cages.

With lovebirds there is no gaurantee that two birds will ever get along well enough to share the same cage--even if you have a male and a female. They can sometimes be very picky about selecting a mate.

Don't you just love 'em?

[personatus]

Sex shouldnt matter in this case, as Bumble said he/she is going to seperate them in order to tame them, not put them together.

[michael]

Sex shouldnt matter in this case, as the Bumble said he/she is going to seperate them in order to tame than, not put them together.

Whether caged together or not, in some cases, sexing could prove to be of benefit. ... Should unavoidable breeding occur among lovebirds sharing not necessarily the same cage, but the same houshold, it might not be a bad idea to confirm their gender ahead of time. Afterall, if only one bird lays eggs, how would you know whether or not they were fertile? ... Of course, you could just go ahead and boil them, but then, some owners may choose not to do that. .......Sharing the same houshold may produce other stipulations as well. An example might be the fact that its generally lovebirds who will decide on their relationship, and not the owner who chooses to separate them. .. Yes, you could go ahead and separate them anyways, but then, how much are you willing to enforce it should they ultimately decide to stay together? ... Really, you have to wonder whether keeping them caged separate yet in the same household will make the taming process any easier. .... Injuries are one thing, whereas providing separate cages would be a must. Knowing their true gender ahead of time though, might make some decisions a little easier. ..........:2cents:

[personatus]

I personally don't believe in unavoidable breeding. You either let them breed, or you don't. :confused: If you are unfortunate enough to have a hen who lays eggs regardless of precautions taken then you would know whether eggs are fertile or not by candling them. If someone choses to allow the eggs to develop, they are ultimately chosing to breed their birds and take on the responsibility of young birds.

Apart from the possibility of breeding etc, I do agree that it is of benefit to know the sex of the birds, especially when it comes to tame birds and understanding their attitudes and often hormonal rages! :rofl:

Still, whilst it can have it's benefits, I don't think essential knowing the sex, especially when planning to seperate the birds rather them introduce them together.

[michael]

Allow me to clarify a little. Because the choice to breed doesn't always reside with the owner, knowing their genders early on could be a benefit to someone who may not know how to handle their lovebirds eggs. ... This information is clearly not a question of belief, but rather, a way to help familiarize those who might not yet realize their birds could possibly mate, even if their kept in separate cages. ... While candling is certainly an easy way to determine whether or not eggs are fertile, for the untrained eye who's dealing with a "nesty" hen, that may not go over so well. That alone could result in unwanted babies.

While I agree its not always essential for some owners to confirm gender, offering them that option (and any others) might be of more help other than just telling them what to do.