Lovers Quarrel?...

[conspiracykc]

To be honest, I have no idea if our lovies are of the opposite sex. I was in shock when the one I concluded to be the male laid an egg two days ago. I've seen her hump the peachfaced one a lot of times already. Is it possible that a female is humping another female?

Also, I got them separated after she laid an egg since she's getting aggressive again(biting, being territorial). I would like to put them back together though since they look lonely. This afternoon I put their cages in front of each other. She came near at first then went inside her nest box. Peachie on the other hand stayed excited til I separated the cages again. Usually, she goes near and try to bite Peachie's foot (Yes, I've separated them before) but she didn't. I'm thinking of removing the nest box as it is the main source of her aggression. If it doesn't work I'll buy another cage to create a new environment.

I'm sorry if it's long but I hope you can help me. Thank you so much.

[linda040899]

Is it possible that a female is humping another female?
Oh yes!!!! I have "pairs" of known hens that get along very well. I've seen hens both lay clutches of eggs and the hens incubate those eggs side by side.

You know you have one female, and I suspect the other is a female, as well. You can DNA sex to be sure if you want to do that. Hens will go through periods where they get along and then they don't get along. Keep in mind that the squabbling can get deadly and you may find a dead lovebird as a result. The loser is usually the least dominant of the 2.

[conspiracykc]

Thank you for your reply linda. I guess it's goodbye for them. It's just that I'm going to work soon and I can't give them the attention they need. Will they be okay with just their cages side by side? I'll consider the DNA sexing once I get my first paycheck. How much does it cost?

[linda040899]

You can definitely keep cages side by side. You can even let them be together as long as they are supervised. Sleep in separate cages and apart during the day when you are not there. Avian Biotech does DNA sexing for about $20.00. Feather sexing is about $25.00. You can order kits online.

[conspiracykc]

You can definitely keep cages side by side. You can even let them be together as long as they are supervised. Sleep in separate cages and apart during the day when you are not there. Avian Biotech does DNA sexing for about $20.00. Feather sexing is about $25.00. You can order kits online.

I tried putting them together today but she tried to bite again. What a pugnacious but really cute creature. :confused: I need a bird whisperer.

Thank you for the advice linda. I won't give up. >o

[linda040899]

The aggressor is the one laying eggs and that's hormones. Perfectly normal. You may have to wait until the egg laying phase is over. :)

[conspiracykc]

Thank you for all the advice linda. It's been a week since I've put them in a cage together again and there are no injuries so far. They still fight over some things though. I've got another problem. Since they've been together they started losing feathers again, I guess from preening each other and scratching. I separated them again because from what I've observed they were fine when they were apart. Anyone who has experienced this?