Multi-Bird Homes...How do you do it??

[Mona]

I have five. They do get along okay but I have to keep an eye on them. I think they are species compatible. I would never get another species that could not stand up to the Senegals (which can be aggressive). You can check out my website at www.flyingparrotsinside.com for detailed information.

Thx

[pollyparrot]

Hi. Two years ago I adopted a senegal that had been given up to my avian vet. From the little I know she would attack the husband and ended up losing her home for it. The vet had clipped her flight feathers. After about a year they grew back and I was thrilled. While she had begun to buzz my timneh, it had not gotten aggressive until more recently. After 2 outright attacks I have since been afraid to take both out at the same time. Can they hurt one another? Is there any value in letting it play out (if they are unlikely to hurt each other)?

I'm really upset about the development because they end up with less time out and it's upsetting for me. The senegal is extremely jealous and is especially upset when I give the timneh cuddles. She'll hold a grudge and nail him at the first opportunity she gets. I wish he'd defend himself but I've heard senegals have a way of bullying others. I've tried putting her in her cage right away but I feel it's too strong an instinct and she hasn't appeared to learn any lesson from a time out.

Any thoughts or advice? I've contemplated doing a light trim. I wish there was a way to allow some flight but not enough that she feels she can perform these directed attacks. It's hard to decide what's best - alight trim with more time out, or less time out with full flight. She loves to take laps around the house and to fly to me.

[pennyandrocky]

i don't know about sengals except what i read here but i would not take flight away it would probably make things worse. my cockatoo wanted to snatch my greencheek out of the air when he would buzz by her head but since she gained flight herself she's calmed down even allowing him to be on couch with her. i would not let them settle it between themselves one could end up dead.

[Naurthon]

Dante and Nikko get along reasonably well. They talk to each other and seem generally to enjoy each other's company. I don't really ever have them on the same perch or anything. I'm too afraid of an accident of some sort. Dante is so much bigger than Nikko that he could seriously injure Nikko in a heartbeat, and I don't want to take the risk.

Maxwell hates Nikko and attacks him at any opportunity. I rarely allow both birds out at the same time, even under supervision, because Maxwell seems to be waiting for me to be distracted for just a moment so he can attack Nikko. Max has injured Nikko's foot and Nikko appears to be afraid of him. It is definitely a down-side in my little flock.

On the plus side, since their cages are all in the same room, they can provide each other with some company when I am out of the house. So even if they aren't best buds, they still give some social interaction while I am away.

[Khaiqha]

I have a ringneck and my roommate has a tiel. My irn has actually snatched the tiel out of flight, so we're always very careful when they're both out. I've tried changing my irn's attitude toward the other bird - rewarding her when they're both out and whatnot. It's sorta worked - the irn doesn't seek out the tiel now.

[Cage Cleaner]

[lwis]

Cage Cleaner, I totally agree with you on letting the birds work things out for themselves (of course you would use discretion with the amount of aggression that you would allow before intervening. If my mom interrupted and spoke for me every time I didn't 100% get along with someone, I don't think I would have any social skills or friends, for that matter. Thank you for the response.
I don't think there is any doubt that we will get Darwin a friend in the future, but I think we will wait till we have a little more space to ourselves and a more set schedule. In the meantime, we will focus on training and socializing Darwin so that when the time comes to get him a friend, thing will hopefully be a little easier.