# of lovebirds

[Avada_Kedavra]

I know lovebirds do best in twos. But would it be an absolut 'NO' to have 3 or 4 together if they had a big enough cage with enough space and got out a lot??

[Keltoth]

Short answer: Yes, it is a definate NO.

Long Answer: Lovebirds tend to pair up (hence the name "Lovebird"). If you put 3 in a cage, two will pair up and then attack and pick on the lone bird, whom they see as an interloper. If you put 4 lovebirds together, they will divide up into two pairs and then the physically stronger of the two pair will pick on the weaker pair. If you put 5 lovebirds together, they will break down into two pairs and a single, and then BOTH pairs will attack and harass the lone bird and can easily kill it.

The general rule of thumb is that you either place one bird by itself, two birds together, or you put six or more birds together. Three pairs of birds or more insure that no one pair can gain sufficient dominance over the others, as they are always outnumbered.

- Eric

[Janie]

I have three and while two share one large cage and the other has his own cage, they are all three out any time that I am home and that usually means 8 plus hours a day. They are in a bird room and have plenty of things to keep them busy (boings/toys hanging from the ceiling, two play gyms) and their cage doors are always open so that they can have some time alone if they want it but the three really do get along very well. My "senior" bird is about 10 and the other two are clutch mates who are a year and a half old. I never dreamed that all three (btw, they are all three males) would get along and I'm sure that three is the exception rather than the rule. I would never cage all three together. The only time they do not get along is when I am in the mix and they are fighting for the best spot on me. :D I did not ever leave the three together until at least 6 months after they were introduced. I watched them like a hawk to be sure my older bird would not ever get picked on and as it turns out, he is the favorite bird in the room. The younger brothers both like him better than each other.

I agree with Eric and would not place three in the same cage.

[DebSpace]

Well, looks like Keith and Janie have answered your question. I found this great board when I was looking for solace following the sudden loss of my sweet male lovie, Tux. I've owned and rescued birds most of my life, but have learned so much from the Lovebird Resource Library, threads and wisdom and knowledge of many of the members here. Be sure to check out the Lovebird Resource Library and safe toys section as you consider bringing other birds into your flock. I discovered several mistakes of my own and feel that I am a much better owner than I was before. This is a wonderful group of caring people who are passionate about birds. Hope we see photos of your birds soon!:whistle:

[shylevon]

The rule of thimb is 'Never two pairs in one cage'.

If the cage is very big, you can have three pairs, but you should not attempt to have three, four, or five birds in one cage. They will become territorial and will fight to the death. Sometimes, when birdies are very young, less than one year old, they can be caged together, but once they hit puberty, they will fight and rip each other to shreds. It is a very rare case indeed that these odd combinations work out, and all may look good until one day when everything goes wrong and things will happen so fast that tragedy will usually result swiftly. There are exceptions to all rules, but I wouldn't take the chance.

How big of a cage were you considering??

[jenny83]

Hi
I have seven lovebirds in ONE cage. They do not fight at all. They are like one big family.
I have been breeding lovebirds for several years now and the like it best when they are a flock, thats how they live in the wild.
But ONLY if the cage is big enough so each bird gets their own space.

[Keltoth]

Hi
I have seven lovebirds in ONE cage. They do not fight at all. They are like one big family.
I have been breeding lovebirds for several years now and the like it best when they are a flock, thats how they live in the wild.
But ONLY if the cage is big enough so each bird gets their own space.

Yup. As stated earlier, two or less - or six or more - is the general rule of thumb for cage-sharing. It does not surprise me at all that your flock of seven has no issues when they are all in the same cage.

I'll confess, I'm not sure what the point is that you are making, unless your intent was to reaffirm the notion put forth that more than six lovies in one cage usually meets with sucess.

- Eric

[Elle]

Phoebe, my rescue, started with 4 birds in one cage. They paired up and the stronger pair killed Phoebe's mate. They were in the process of killing Phoebe when we rescued her.

I have two females, one fisher and one peachface. They are very bonded. They are not caged together. They get enough time out of the cage to be together during the day and their cages are side by side so they see each other if they are locked up.

Because this works for me and I am able to ensure everyone's safety I am not changing a thing. :2cents: :)

[Janie]

Yup. As stated earlier, two or less - or six or more - is the general rule of thumb for cage-sharing. It does not surprise me at all that your flock of seven has no issues when they are all in the same cage.

I'll confess, I'm not sure what the point is that you are making, unless your intent was to reaffirm the notion put forth that more than six lovies in one cage usually meets with sucess.

- Eric

Eric, thank you for making this point again. It's important for people to be aware of which numbers do not work.

[jknezek]

I would agree with this board in the general wisdom regarding pairing. However, the odd numbers can work sometimes. I have 3 males living together in a large cage (approx 6'longX2'deepX3'wide). Didn't intend for it to work out this way. Had two pairs living in the same cage when it was divided. One of the pairs lost his "mate" due to sickness (also a male). I kept the cage divided but allowed for playtime for a couple weeks and all seemed to get along. Gradually I removed the divider for a day or two at a time when I was home as the single seemed lonely (I didn't want more birds). As time went on, I kept the divider out for longer and longer periods.

Does it work? So far. Would I have done it on purpose if I was creating a colony? No. I think there are some special circumstances in my birds including fairly loose bonds, the fact that they are all males, the fact that two of the separated birds lived together communally before I got them but chose to repair after I got them.

Mine have lived together this way for almost a year and a half with nothing but typical lovie squabbles. All are about 3 years old and judging by the amount of times I have to clean the boings and I catch them "playing" with it, they are all very sexually mature.

What's the verdict? Go with the board's advice. The people on here know a heck of a lot. A heck of a lot more than me. But if you find yourself in a difficult situation, don't be afraid to try things provided you can do it over a long period of time with a lot of supervision. And always have a backup plan. If I ever saw one drop of blood the divider would be back in a second, although given the complete lack of pairing in the three birds, I'd really have to think about who would go with who. Probably the bleeder would end up alone again.