chip&dale
07-25-2011, 09:42 AM
Hi
I just bought two love birds on Monday and the person said they were about 10 weeks old. They still have black on their beaks so I know they're still young. One is named Chip, the other Dale. We bought them together and they have been together since birth, as far as I was told.
#1 Chip is very timid and shy. Dale is the outgoing one. The first few days they were okay, they came out and were exploring their surroundings. Then late last week, we noticed that Dale was picking on Chip. He'll bite at his neck area and Chip will start squealing - either in fright or pain. It doesnt look like Dale is biteing hard (and no blood or feathers have come out either), so I'm not sure if the squealing is Chip's way of saying he's being submissive or if its pain. I dont want to separate them because the few times they have become separated, Chip has become distraught and looks for Dale. Where Dale goes, Chip goes. Is this normal? Should I separate them? I try to break it up when I see it, but obviously can't be there all the time to do so, and it sounds like Chip is in pain. Dale will sometimes go out of his way to bite him (at first it was just on their nests but even after removing their nests they were fighting..).
#2 these birds did not come trained for step up. Since we do let them out of the cage, I have to chase them and pick them up to put them back in the cage. So now they're kind of afraid of my hands and when I try to teach them step up, they fly away. I could not let them out until they step up ..but then they may never get out! any suggestions?
#3 I've had other birds (always one at a time though) and they were always curious about food, so it was easy introducing treats and human foods. Chip & Dale couldn't care less. NO curiousity about anything. How do you introduce new foods/treats to them?
Thank you all for your help.
I just bought two love birds on Monday and the person said they were about 10 weeks old. They still have black on their beaks so I know they're still young. One is named Chip, the other Dale. We bought them together and they have been together since birth, as far as I was told.
#1 Chip is very timid and shy. Dale is the outgoing one. The first few days they were okay, they came out and were exploring their surroundings. Then late last week, we noticed that Dale was picking on Chip. He'll bite at his neck area and Chip will start squealing - either in fright or pain. It doesnt look like Dale is biteing hard (and no blood or feathers have come out either), so I'm not sure if the squealing is Chip's way of saying he's being submissive or if its pain. I dont want to separate them because the few times they have become separated, Chip has become distraught and looks for Dale. Where Dale goes, Chip goes. Is this normal? Should I separate them? I try to break it up when I see it, but obviously can't be there all the time to do so, and it sounds like Chip is in pain. Dale will sometimes go out of his way to bite him (at first it was just on their nests but even after removing their nests they were fighting..).
#2 these birds did not come trained for step up. Since we do let them out of the cage, I have to chase them and pick them up to put them back in the cage. So now they're kind of afraid of my hands and when I try to teach them step up, they fly away. I could not let them out until they step up ..but then they may never get out! any suggestions?
#3 I've had other birds (always one at a time though) and they were always curious about food, so it was easy introducing treats and human foods. Chip & Dale couldn't care less. NO curiousity about anything. How do you introduce new foods/treats to them?
Thank you all for your help.