Two lovebirds...some advice?

[SprinklesMama1990]

Ok so I've had my one lovebird - Sprinkles who is now about 7 months old. Here's the thing she is an awful biter. She has her good days and bad days. Sometimes she'll come out and play and snuggle without ever biting. But sometimes she'll be mean! But with anger and purpose. I'm really surprised she hasn't made me bleed yet.

Well today I bought a second lovie. They are both peach faced. Sprinkles in her big cage. And today I brought home a 2 month old lovie named Starburst!. I'm afraid that sprinkles will attack Starburst or bite her etc..

I have them in separate cages. They've seen each other and Sprinkles seem interested and not mean. She's singing much more than usually and chirping up a storm! Starburst has been very quiet but they're both interested. They'll go up to their cages and try to get as close to each other as possible. And when I took sprinkles out she kept trying to get on starburst cage and vice versa when I took starburst out.

Do you think they'll be ok in the long run? Advice for getting them use to each other? Just because Sprinkles bites me doesn't mean she'll attack starburst does it?

Thank you for the help!

[linda040899]

Congratulations on your new lovebird!

The very first thing that needs to be done is 30 days quarantine! This is to protect Sprinkles, just in case the new bird is carrying an illness that you don't know about right now. Quarantine means different room, at least.

After quarantine, you can introduce them in side by side cages. If Sprinkles is the typical mature female lovebird, she may or may not accept a younger bird in her cage so I wouldn't plan on it, just watch how she reacts and supervise carefully.

Any idea if the new bird is a male or a female?

[SprinklesMama1990]

I have no idea which sex the new lovebird is honestly. The people I bought Starburst from were not sure either. I'm not a 100% sure that Sprinkles is female though. I'm assuming cause of the behavior she has. She's always shredding paper etc... And she seems a bit more temperamental but I won't be sure until she starts laying or not.

Sprinkles is quite bigger than Starburst it's interesting. Sprinkles is a biter but she's really not too territorial of the cage. I can go and there and get her and touch stuff and she doesn't bite much. She bites more out of it actually.

[linda040899]

You might want to DNA Sprinkles and see if you have a male or a female. Males are much more accepting of younger birds than females. From what you're saying about behavior, gender could go either way.

Sprinkles is larger, partly because of age. Starburst will fill out within the next month or so and he might look closer in size to Sprinkles. Of course, some lovebirds are just naturally smaller than others. It doesn't necessarily have anything to do with gender. I had one very large lovebird that I would have sworn was a hen. After trying unsuccessfully to pair "her" with a male, it finally dawned on me that perhaps the bird was, indeed, just a very large male! Sure enough, when I offered a female for a mate, it worked out beautifully! Silly fidma! My lovebird must have wondered what the heck was wrong with me! :rofl:

[SprinklesMama1990]

Wow - they must have thought you were crazy! LOL. Well it's day two now. When they're in separate rooms or I'm playing with one of them in a different room they chirp like to crazy to each. Although when they are in the same room the only one that's really chirping is my Sprinkles. She gets all close to the cage and pokes her beak out and tries to open her food door. While the new babe Starburst just kinda chills and looks at Sprinkles. Starburst hasn't chirped almost at all. Just kind of looks at Sprinkles. While Sprinkles just wants at Starburst. Starburst was housed with four other lovebirds when I bought him and chirped like crazy there. But now all quiet. :( I want my little singer back.

[bbslovie]

Hi, it's natural for birds to go through an adjustment time. They've just left the only home they've ever known. Starburst will come around and accept you as his flock in time, hopefully soon! Just be patient with him. :)



Barb :)

[SprinklesMama1990]

I'm letting Starburst taking his time and he seems to be getting my comfortable. But I'm worried I may have a problem putting them together. I had their two cages next to each yesterday for a little bit. I went to the bathroom and came back and it looked like Sprinkles had poked her beak through the bars and put her beak around Starburst's talon. Although I'm not sure. Cause Starburst was just sitting there - not trying to get away or making any noise. I would think that if Sprinkles really had her beak around his talon Starburst would have been chirping trying to pull away etc. Although when I got close to their cages they both jumped away so I couldn't tell if this was happening for sure.