Plucking his cagemate and not allowing her to eat.

[Payton Leeroy]

I've just taken in a new pair of cockatiels after my last one passed. One is certainly a male, the other I am suspecting is female [pearl markings, doesn't whistle, really everything I look at suggests female.] Sometimes they absolutely seem to love each other, they'll sleep beside each other, groom each other, and Hansel will shriek if I take Gretel out of his sight, though she doesn't seem to mind if I take him away from her. However, he seems to think that he should pluck out all of her orange feathers over her ears when he's grooming her, and I've been able to see the ear holes since the first time I met them and brought them home last week. When he does this the two often start fighting, and unless it's time to sleep she doesn't generally like to let him get too close.

Recently I also caught him chasing her away from the food bowl, so added a second. Even though he was closer to the second bowl when he saw her eating he still went the farther route in order to "steal" the bowl she was eating from. This has me very concerned for her health, and if it continues I'll probably end up having to rehome one of them, as I don't have the room in my apartment for a second cage. But I really would prefer not separating them, especially when they are behaving like they are right now, sharing a perch and both trying to convince the other that it's their turn to get preened

These birds are supposedly around two years old, and while the woman I got them from was terrified to try and touch them, it's clear that someone had done at least a little training, as they seem to adore being around me. She's better at stepping up [partly because she's still not been able to fly again, where as he thinks he should fly EVERYWHERE!] They even seem to think they need to sleep on the curtain in my bedroom when I'm home for the night [which I have no problem with]. They were both clipped earlier this year, but new flight feathers are coming in [yay!] and Hansel is able to fly around a little, though Gretel hasn't made it to that point yet. Since living with me they've had quite a few showers [nearly daily], and are starting to enjoy their bath time. I'm hoping this will help Hansel focus on his own proper preening and less on pulling out Gretel's feathers. We're also working on getting them onto a better diet, as they were on the Kaytee cockatiel seed mix when I got them. So far Hansel has eaten a little bit of apple, but they still aren't convinced that it's safe to eat anything but seed and now nutriberries [only if I break them up first]. We will get there though! The vet said they both look nice, and I have collected poo from each of them to take in for a gram smear, though we're gunna wait on the blood work till I have them eating better foods.

So, in short, are there any other suggestions to help keep him from plucking her feathers and chasing her away from the food?

[marie83]

They might calm down as the settle in. In the meantime offer 2 food dishes, 2 water dispensers. If you cant fit two cages in how about getting a bigger cage with a divider in, or a double stacking breeder cage on a stand? then offering extra "out time" together if they dont calm down.

[Payton Leeroy]

Well, they don't seem to fight over the water bowl at all. I moved the second food bowl farther from the first, and when he went to eat from one she went to the other to eat, so yay! Maybe this new set up will work better.

The cage is quite large, and I've considered setting up a divider in it if they do continue fighting. It will be just a touch smaller on each half than it should be for each bird in width only [the cage width is 30 inches]. Honestly, I don't think it would help though, cause if I'm home the cage door is open and they are free to come and go as they like. Once they are to the point of flying well enough and knowing their way around the apartment I may allow them to roam when I'm not home as well, but for now I just don't feel it's safe with her not being able to fly. I'll keep dividing the cage as an option though, then switch what side they're on at least once a day so they don't get territorial over any part of the cage. Hoping that this move in food bowl did the trick though! At least with the food aggression. The feather plucking is another issue entirely, but not one that I feel will need to lead to either being rehomed.