Buying 2 Siblings?

[bird_luver24]

Hey Everyone,
My Breeder said they would give me a HUGE discount if I would be interested in them both. But, can siblings being male and female stay bonded together for the rest of their lives?...Or If I """DID""" possibly even consider it would I have to put them in different cages?

hmmmm????....I think I might justbe better off buying just the one. He said they both love to sit on his shoulder and nibble on his ears and they know how to step up and get held and out of cage time everyday..He checked their pelvic bones and cant be completely accurate ecspecially at this age but, he is 70% sure one is a male. Soooo, We will have to see....:)

[linda040899]

Hi Kelly,
Check the eye shape. Pelvic sexing is merely a guess but I can usually tell just by looking if eye-ring lovies are male or female.

If the eye shapes look different, chances are that they are male & female. Two males would most likely get along very well. Two females are a bit more questionable but I have several pairs of hens that do just fine. Worst case scenario is that they live in side by side cages.

Male and female would most likely produce offspring once they become adults. You can get away with this kind of pairing as long as the parents are completely unrelated but you and only breed brother/sister one generation down. All offspring would have to be paired to unrelated birds. I, personally, don't recommend this kind of breeding unless you have a very good reason to do it.

[Susan27]

I have a question about this. My 2 new lovies are clutch mates, and the breeder 'guessed' with pelvic exams that they are both hens. If they turn out to be male and female (if I am understanding the previous post), they CAN have babies, but their babies CANNOT have babies with each other?? They are so pretty and I would love for them to have babies...but only if it is genetically ok.

Susan

[bird_luver24]

Thanks I think I am just going to stick with one. I definately do not want any suprises and since this will be my first birdie I think it is best to just get one. There are always millions of lovebirds out there that need homes so, I can always get another down the road if i choose to. :)

[Janie]

I have a question about this. My 2 new lovies are clutch mates, and the breeder 'guessed' with pelvic exams that they are both hens. If they turn out to be male and female (if I am understanding the previous post), they CAN have babies, but their babies CANNOT have babies with each other?? They are so pretty and I would love for them to have babies...but only if it is genetically ok.

Susan

Susan, it is not recommended to breed siblings. Not even if they are from a different clutch but have the same parents. Experienced breeders have done it on occasion but only one time with a brother/sister pair and only if they are trying to get a specific color that this pair might produce.

I do have a pair of clutch mates but had them DNA'd before I got them and they are males. I have since read that maybe I should have gotten two unrelated males because clutch mates sometimes don't get along as they mature. Mine do get along OK but nothing like they did in the first six months. They are caged together but I would not hesitate to separate them if they start fighting. Both of mine prefer my older male, Oliver, over each other.

[bird_luver24]

Hey! :)
What would you guys reccomend for picking up my new birdie in? I was thinking about buying a bird traveler cage but, by the time I get to buy it It will be to late and I will have already picked up the bird. Sooo, any recommendations would be really appreciated!! :D

[linda040899]

I, personally, would look for a small bird carrier. Traveling with a bird in your hand or sitting on your shoulder while you are in a car can be very dangerous. This is very important, even if you have to delay pick up for a few days.

[linda040899]

I have a question about this. My 2 new lovies are clutch mates, and the breeder 'guessed' with pelvic exams that they are both hens. If they turn out to be male and female (if I am understanding the previous post), they CAN have babies, but their babies CANNOT have babies with each other?? They are so pretty and I would love for them to have babies...but only if it is genetically ok.

Susan
Susan,
Male/female siblings can most definitely produce offspring, unless they happen to be eye-ring x Peachie hybrids. The babies from this kind of pairing can also produce more offspring but should not be allowed to do so because the relasionship between those babies is far too close. If the parents of your two lovies are already brother/sister, your 2 should not be bred to each other, if that makes sense.

There are also times when you can have a pretty pair but without analyzing the genetics involved, you won't get what you think you would get.... :)

[bird_luver24]

Linda, Oh no I would never even consider that!
I talked to the breeder and he is going to supply me with something to take the bird home in! :) If I cant get a carrier!

[bird_luver24]

It makes perfect sense to me about brother and sister shouldnt mate. I have Never been a fan of inbreeding with any animals. Atleast that close anyways...I think Brother and sister would take it to far for me even if there parents werent related but, I am not a genius with genetics soo, Ill shut up lol..:rolleyes:

[Kathryn]

Pet stores carry specimen cages made of clear acrylic with a cover that has a lid that fits and a door that opens. There is a little handle too. They come in various sizes and are vented. I place a folded papertowl in the bottom and my babies make a safe ride to and from the vet.
A light weight cloth makes a good cover while in the car or walking too and from the car or sitting in the vet office so baby isn't frightened by strange animals.

[bird_luver24]

the only carriers pet stores around here have is the smaller card board boxes with holes punched in them for ventilation...You can buy these specially made off sites to but, I would rather try to get my hands on an actual nice bird carrier if I can....I have found one for 11.99...So, I think I am going to get it. :)...It is from http://DrFosterSmith.com If I can order it now then I can get it before the baby gets here but, we will just have to see...

Thanks! :D

[linda040899]

Check for small animal carriers, i.e. carriers that are for small dogs or cats. The one I use is for almost any kind of small creature. All I do is add a perch and it's been modified for a bird! :)

[bird_luver24]

Great Idea Linda..lol..I am retarded I have one sitting in my basement...I went down there to look around for something to use and there was one sitting right in front of me it is a really small one I use to use for when I bred my rabbits to take them to buyers....I guess I will use this...But, that Bird Carrier does sound good to me though..I can use it for any kind of vet trips I need to make or anything else I need to move the bird for. It comes with a perch in it and it jsut makes it fast and easy for me! Atleast, I have something to bring my birdie home in though. :)

[Janie]

Susan,
Male/female siblings can most definitely produce offspring, unless they happen to be eye-ring x Peachie hybrids. The babies from this kind of pairing can also produce more offspring but should not be allowed to do so because the relasionship between those babies is far too close. If the parents of your two lovies are already brother/sister, your 2 should not be bred to each other, if that makes sense.

There are also times when you can have a pretty pair but without analyzing the genetics involved, you won't get what you think you would get.... :)

Linda, I sure did learn something new today! :D I thought that breeding siblings was not a good idea. I knew that mother/son or father/daughter was OK but I misunderstood about siblings. Thanks for clearing that up!

Susan, disregard everything I said! Sorry! :whistle:

[Janie]

Kelly, I have this carrier, http://www.petco.com/Shop/Product.aspx?R=2615&Nav=1&N=0&Ntt=carriers&cp=3&Nao=24&sku=818135&familyID=9601& and I really like it a lot! It's sturdy (hard plastic) and easy to seat belt in. I think it cost around $32 at the stores, on line is cheaper, but there is no shipping involved. I know you don't have time to buy one now but you might want to take a look at this one if you have a PetCo nearby. :)

[linda040899]

This kind of breeding should only be done by experienced breeders and only if they are looking for something in particular. I've bred brother/sister Abbys simply because I needed birds to outcross with other unrelated Abbys! Mother/son or father/daugher are only half related, as the babies get half the genes from one parent and half from the other. Brother/sister are fully related and if there happens to be an unseen genetic defect, it's very likely to show up in the offspring of related parents.

[Janie]

This kind of breeding should only be done by experienced breeders and only if they are looking for something in particular. I've bred brother/sister Abbys simply because I needed birds to outcross with other unrelated Abbys! Mother/son or father/daugher are only half related, as the babies get half the genes from one parent and half from the other. Brother/sister are fully related and if there happens to be an unseen genetic defect, it's very likely to show up in the offspring of related parents.

Alrighty! :D I feel better knowing that what I thought I remembered was right! "Experienced breeders" is the key. I knew that breeding siblings has been intentionally done when a breeder is looking for something that can't be found otherwise. Just thought it important to mention that it isn't something that should be done w/o experience or a good reason. :)