Possible Mate for Jake

[Paulette]

I would like to know what you all think.....I was going to go and look at some very young lovebirds today (2 mo. old) unknown sexes, RF and PF, hand fed and not tame. I met a lady at the bird fair-she'd given me the # at the pet store where she works and said all their birds were tame) in a town that is about 40 min from me....so I called today just for the heck of it, they don't have any lovebirds available presently, but she has a hen that is 2 years old that just lost it's mate and is in mourning, hasn't eaten in 2 days and they are giving it millet spray today in hopes it will eat. It is a breeder that produces visual violet offspring and has offered it to me at a phenominally low price. I was hoping for a tame bird, but that is proving to be a difficut find.....and Jake is shoulder and hand tame, but not snuggly by any means. The lady offered to buy Jake, but I don't think I can part with him. So....which is better?

[LauraO]

I would keep Jake and get him a mate rather then sell him or give him away. He's going through a difficult time with you just getting him and now him losing his mate. Stability and understanding is what he needs most.

You may also want to keep in mind that he may not be ready to have a new mate and may still be in mourning himself.


Just my :2cents:

[Paulette]

Yes....I don't think I can part with him.....what do you think about the birds available to me?.....Sunny and Peaches keep harassing him....so I definately want to get him a mate to even things out again.

[linda040899]

Paulette,
I would go with the 2 yr old hen. Keep in mind you have 30 day quarantine but the change of scenery may take her mind off the fact that she just lost her mate. I would not sell Jake, as he's been through a lot in recent days.

[Mummieeva]

Paulette, can you move jake to a diffrent room for a bit? He might want some peace and quiet and maybe the other 2 will leave him alone. Baggy was very sad when she lost Kiowa. But she had Whisper to feed and care for. I would get the other lovie for Jake if you think it is right thing. If I had the funds I would at the time of got another mate for Baggy.


Steph

[Paulette]

Ok, thanks Linda....that is the answer I was hoping for. Jake seems to be doing very well at least he is eating. I got him a beanie baby (blue jay) and that totally freaked him out. And with quarantine, I was thinking the sooner the better.

[Paulette]

Well, I'm in deep now. The hen was even more beautiful than I could have imagined. :omg: possible Blue series American Dilute. Her previous mate was a PF Lutino (just like Sunny). And I got another breeder pair possibly Blue series Amer. Violet and Creamino with Peach brow.

You'll have to look at pics in the photo gallery.

I fear that Sunny & Peaches are siblings, they were bonded but not in the same cage when i got them, first breeder said that she wasn't sure (via email after I got them home), today I asked her if she had name of person who traded them to her and I feared they were siblings, she said no info but definately not related. They are the exact same size and both sweet (don't bite), does this lead anyone else to beleive they were hand feed siblings?

If they are sibling and they mate will their offspring be sterile?...I remember another post that said siblings could mate only one genereation, but having no information about their parents, well sucks.

I could eventually pair the new hen with Sunny. And pair Peaches with Jake. The only thing is that the new hen is 2 years old. (Sunny & Peaches are thought to be 1 year old). So the new hen might not even accept Sunny.

Any thoughts would be welcomed. If I had a Giant Cage I could just put them all in and let them figure it out. :D

[Mummieeva]

Me myself I would still with plan of getting her for Jake. But then again that is me. She might take to Sunny better becasue of color. But Jake is closer to her age. maybe others here can answer you better.


Steph

[Paulette]

Steph.....Yes that is a definate concern and I know it had been mentioned before in other posts.....something about an older male will accept a younger female but an older female will not accept a younger male. Even my husband who doesn't know anything about birds said leave Sunny and Peaches together and keep her for Jake. I really need to name her.

[Mummieeva]

A few names Popped into my head when I saw her. Amber,Sierra,and Hope were a few..lol.


Steph

[Paulette]

Hey Steph.....I love those names.....especially Sierra & Hope. I was thinking a "S" name. My husband wanted Sara, but I can't go there. I was thinking Sage maybe since she's that pale greenish color. Mike got Jake out on his shoulder after we brought the others in last night and he flew right to her side of that split cage, so maybe Hope is more appropriate because I think Jake hopes she is for him, he was awfully taken with her until she bit his foot. He squeeled like a baby and then he pouted the rest of the evening in his cage. Too funny, you could really tell he was pouting, he had his head tucked down. I have named the others Violet and Tweety. Actually Tweety was my husband's idea, but I think it fits. I've got the breeder pair in the split cage without the divider as suggested by the lady I got them from. The hen is in a smallish cage I got a couple of weeks ago for 4 bucks, no grate but a big door that flops down. They can hear each other and lots of squeeling going on.

[Rubygem]

:omg: Did I read this right???? You didn't quarantine your birds? What if they have been exposed to something that your flock hasn’t been exposed to? Aren’t you scared of losing more birds? <sigh> Maybe I just need new glasses after all. :D

Rubygem

[Paulette]

Hi Ruby.....I know.....I know.....but my husband doesn't know anything about birds or obviously quarantine. I should have told him before, but he knows now and my house has never been so loud. We named the single hen Hope per Steph's suggestion. The 3 birds I got were in a split cage with a divider. The lady suggested to leave the breeder pair (Violet & Tweety) in the split cage, but remove the divider and give Hope her own cage with her toys, because they had been biting her through the bars, so that is what I did.
But I tell you on the way home in the car the single hen squeezed through to the other side and all 3 birds were together in half of the cage, they were all so scared that they didn't hurt each other, but I was a nervous wreck all the way home.

I have baby budgies this morning, I am so excited!...I can't see them,but I can hear them cheeping, so there has to be at least two. Jake keeps going to that cage (blue budgies) I thought it was because he thought Sara was there....Hope's mate escaped in an aviary and killed baby cockatiels and was killed by the adults. Do birds typically do this? kill other's babies? and why?