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Another bird?

Postby Midnight » Fri Mar 04, 2016 8:35 pm

Hello!
Thanks to everyone who has helped me with my gold cap in the past :) We are now getting reading for a cage mate for her. I was wondering if she will change at all because of the new bird? How can I get them to share a cage? Will a bird usually accept a new bird in their cage? Is there anything I need to worry about? I've also heard that you should quarantine a new bird? They are from the same breeder so do I need to do that? What should I do of the birds don't get along?

Thanks!
Midnight
Parrotlet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 17
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Gold capped conure
Flight: Yes

Re: Another bird?

Postby liz » Sat Mar 05, 2016 7:06 am

They may be from the same breeder but coming at different times. You don't know what might have gotten in the breeders flock during the gap.
Quarentin within sound distance. They can learn each other like facebook friends.
Unless they come to you together you never never put them together. Even when they decide to live together you should always have another cage set up in case of emergency.
Stay with them at their out time while they are learning about each other. That is the only time they should be allowed together and while you are watching. Even if one invites the other for a sleep over you still have to be on your toes. Not until they are bonded friends can you consider letting them stay in the same cage.
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liz
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 7234
Location: Hernando FL
Number of Birds Owned: 12
Types of Birds Owned: DYH Amazon Rambo
BF Amazon Myrtle
Cockatiels: Shadow Tammy Flutter Phoenix Jackie
Andy Impy Louise Twila Leroy
Flight: Yes

Re: Another bird?

Postby Wolf » Sat Mar 05, 2016 8:00 am

Actually, I am very pleased that you are considering getting a second bird. Quarantine is always the best procedure to follow as there is nothing else standing between some disease and your bird(s) other than this quarantine period. I do understand that you are planning on getting another bird from the same breeder, and I will be very happy to help you with answers to any questions that you may have, but I also have a few questions, if you do not mind too much.

As of 01/22/16 you had your current bird for 2 weeks, so you have not had her for very long, right about 2 months, if my information is correct, so why now? Why do you want the second bird at this time? In the time that I have been reading bird forums and also answering them, this timeing is different enough that it suggests that there is something afoot and since I don't know what it is, I can't say if it is good or bad. It seems to me that you are still looking for an answer to something about your bird and your relationship with it. It feels as though you are thinking that somehow getting your bird a bird will help you in developing your relationship. If this is what is happening, then you are approaching this from the wrong direction and will not find that getting the second bird at this point in time beneficial to you. Will it be good for your bird? Probably so, but not for your relationship with her at this time. It will make you have to work harder to gain both birds trust and to create a bond with both birds which would no longer require you to meet their needs in this area.
Since you are new to birds, I just don't want you to make a mistake that can be avoided, or to have that mistake detract from you winning the trust of your little girl and failing to build your relationship and bonding with her. Getting her another bird of her own species and of the opposite sex and whom is not related to her is almost always going to benefit the bird if the ages or correct, but at this early stage of your relationship will probably only serve to double the work that you will need to do.

Please talk to me and let me know what is going on here and what it is that you are looking for in getting another bird, How are you expecting it to benefit your relationship?
Wolf
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 8679
Location: Lansing, NC
Number of Birds Owned: 6
Types of Birds Owned: Senegal
African Grey (CAG)
Yellow Naped Amazon
2Celestial Parrotlet
Budgie
Flight: Yes

Re: Another bird?

Postby Midnight » Sat Mar 05, 2016 9:00 am

Wolf wrote:Actually, I am very pleased that you are considering getting a second bird. Quarantine is always the best procedure to follow as there is nothing else standing between some disease and your bird(s) other than this quarantine period. I do understand that you are planning on getting another bird from the same breeder, and I will be very happy to help you with answers to any questions that you may have, but I also have a few questions, if you do not mind too much.

As of 01/22/16 you had your current bird for 2 weeks, so you have not had her for very long, right about 2 months, if my information is correct, so why now? Why do you want the second bird at this time? In the time that I have been reading bird forums and also answering them, this timeing is different enough that it suggests that there is something afoot and since I don't know what it is, I can't say if it is good or bad. It seems to me that you are still looking for an answer to something about your bird and your relationship with it. It feels as though you are thinking that somehow getting your bird a bird will help you in developing your relationship. If this is what is happening, then you are approaching this from the wrong direction and will not find that getting the second bird at this point in time beneficial to you. Will it be good for your bird? Probably so, but not for your relationship with her at this time. It will make you have to work harder to gain both birds trust and to create a bond with both birds which would no longer require you to meet their needs in this area.
Since you are new to birds, I just don't want you to make a mistake that can be avoided, or to have that mistake detract from you winning the trust of your little girl and failing to build your relationship and bonding with her. Getting her another bird of her own species and of the opposite sex and whom is not related to her is almost always going to benefit the bird if the ages or correct, but at this early stage of your relationship will probably only serve to double the work that you will need to do.

Please talk to me and let me know what is going on here and what it is that you are looking for in getting another bird, How are you expecting it to benefit your relationship?


Hi Wolf! You are right like always lol :) yes I got my current gold cap (Jade) for around 2 months now. We are still working on bonding but she is getting better now. She still is a bit nervous a times but she usually lets me touch her, can step up, and even flies to me when I call her name. I have school and my parents are not always home either so I want her to a have a friend when I'm not home. I've heard from my breeder and many others that waiting too long might make a bird not accept another anymore. We always planned on two but got one at first since we were first time bird owners and wanted to make sure we were ready. I am a bit worried that getting another bird will interrupt our training and maybe even get Jade to do develop bad habits that I fixed or she never had. But the main reason I want another bird is a buddy for Jade and anither bird friend will be awesome for me as well.I was orginally planning for them to be in the same cage but I also noticed that Jade is pretty territorial since she hates it if I ever stick my hand in. If I do get another bird, it will be another female since I do not want them to lay eggs and I doubt the breeder will let me have a male anyways. The second one will be a conure but I'm thinking of a green cheek mutation or a sun. If I get a second cage, can they still keep each other company when I'm not there? When I go to the breeder to look at the new birds, I am planning to bring Jade with me to see if she likes any. The tow birds will probably be at most 1 year apart. I do know that my breeder keeps the baby birds in the same cage and it hasn't been that long so I was hoping that they could share one . what you said did made me think a little. I did think that she might not be as interested in our bond any more and will focus more on the new bird. But wouldn't that happen no matter what time I got the new one? I think the main reason I am doing this so quickly is because I don't want Jade to be the only bird for long enough that she no longer wants and buddy and starts getting lonely. What do you suggest?

Thanks so much! :D
Midnight
Parrotlet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 17
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Gold capped conure
Flight: Yes

Re: Another bird?

Postby Wolf » Sat Mar 05, 2016 10:09 pm

First of all I think that for you, based on the answers that you have given me, that getting a second bird may be the right choice for both you and your Jade.

Yes, there are pros and cons to the choice as many as in the choice of when to get a second bird. There is always some risk of a bird bonding with you to such a degree that it becomes very difficult, if not nearly impossible to get them to accept another bird even when that bird is a suitable mate for them as far as age, sex and species.. This is usually not a problem if both birds are juveniles of the same age. There are some combinations that do not work even if all other factors are ideal and this usually related to the ages of the birds. This is because if one bird is a juvenile and the other is an adult, they will not generally get along until after the younger one becomes an adult. Part of the process of going through puberty causes a change in the birds personality and in how it thinks. And this is why in many cases that it is best to hold off on getting a second bird until it has gone through puberty and has become an adult and then getting another adult bird. It can also work out if they are both juveniles, but it is much harder to match the ages up so that they go through puberty at the same time. These are not too hard to deal with as long as you have two separate cages.

In nearly all cases a second cage would be required any way because for the most part you can only place mate bonded parrots in the same cage, the exceptions to this are with cockatiels and budgies and even then there are some pairings that still don't work well.

I can fully understand why you would like to take Jade with you to the breeders to help you pick out a bird, but please do not do that. If the breeder is worth dealing with they would not allow it anyway as just as quarantining a new bird is recommended to protect your bird from any transmittable disease from the new bird, taking Jade would not only risk her to exposure to such diseases it would also place the breeders entire flock of birds at risk for the same reasons. Even if the breeder doesn't think of his birds as more than feathered money, he would not want to take that type of risk.

Now, I do not make recommendations to people as to what birds to acquire or not although I will sometimes recommend that they look at the health risks involved with some bird choices such as having a macaw and powder down birds exposed to each other as this normally ends badly for the macaw. In your case, with the two parrot species that you mention as your preferred choices, I suggest that you do some more research as both sun conures and GCC's are extremely high maintenance birds in regards to you and are both apt to behave badly, usually after maturity, to the presence of any other bird that you attempt to interact with in their presence. Both of these species are very committed to their chosen humans as well as very jealous of them. Check it out through other sources and then decide what you want to do about them as a choice. Don't take my word on this, research it yourself.

So if you want to get the second bird even this soon, make certain that you have a second cage for it just to avoid any possible problems. As long as the birds are provided their own space to live in ( cage) and as long as they are not overly jealous of you interacting with another bird than a second bird can be just the ticket for helping you to provide for your Jade's mental and emotional needs. It nearly always helps us to have someone that we can talk to especially if you are not going to be available for them due to the time constraints of school or work or some of life's other little curve balls.

What do I suggest? Not meaning to be difficult, but I suggest that you look into these thing a bit more so that you can make the best possible choice for you and Jade. You have some good reasons for considering another bird, but given the species of bird that Jade is, I do not think that waiting until you have had more time to develop your bond and relationship before bringing in a second bird will interfere with her ability to make a flock bond with the bird after Jade is mature. Do you think that you would still have enough time to work with two birds as well as the day to day cleaning and maintenance of both of them. I think that would be my biggest question for you.
Wolf
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 8679
Location: Lansing, NC
Number of Birds Owned: 6
Types of Birds Owned: Senegal
African Grey (CAG)
Yellow Naped Amazon
2Celestial Parrotlet
Budgie
Flight: Yes

Re: Another bird?

Postby Midnight » Sat Mar 05, 2016 11:46 pm

Wolf wrote:First of all I think that for you, based on the answers that you have given me, that getting a second bird may be the right choice for both you and your Jade.

Yes, there are pros and cons to the choice as many as in the choice of when to get a second bird. There is always some risk of a bird bonding with you to such a degree that it becomes very difficult, if not nearly impossible to get them to accept another bird even when that bird is a suitable mate for them as far as age, sex and species.. This is usually not a problem if both birds are juveniles of the same age. There are some combinations that do not work even if all other factors are ideal and this usually related to the ages of the birds. This is because if one bird is a juvenile and the other is an adult, they will not generally get along until after the younger one becomes an adult. Part of the process of going through puberty causes a change in the birds personality and in how it thinks. And this is why in many cases that it is best to hold off on getting a second bird until it has gone through puberty and has become an adult and then getting another adult bird. It can also work out if they are both juveniles, but it is much harder to match the ages up so that they go through puberty at the same time. These are not too hard to deal with as long as you have two separate cages.

In nearly all cases a second cage would be required any way because for the most part you can only place mate bonded parrots in the same cage, the exceptions to this are with cockatiels and budgies and even then there are some pairings that still don't work well.

I can fully understand why you would like to take Jade with you to the breeders to help you pick out a bird, but please do not do that. If the breeder is worth dealing with they would not allow it anyway as just as quarantining a new bird is recommended to protect your bird from any transmittable disease from the new bird, taking Jade would not only risk her to exposure to such diseases it would also place the breeders entire flock of birds at risk for the same reasons. Even if the breeder doesn't think of his birds as more than feathered money, he would not want to take that type of risk.

Now, I do not make recommendations to people as to what birds to acquire or not although I will sometimes recommend that they look at the health risks involved with some bird choices such as having a macaw and powder down birds exposed to each other as this normally ends badly for the macaw. In your case, with the two parrot species that you mention as your preferred choices, I suggest that you do some more research as both sun conures and GCC's are extremely high maintenance birds in regards to you and are both apt to behave badly, usually after maturity, to the presence of any other bird that you attempt to interact with in their presence. Both of these species are very committed to their chosen humans as well as very jealous of them. Check it out through other sources and then decide what you want to do about them as a choice. Don't take my word on this, research it yourself.

So if you want to get the second bird even this soon, make certain that you have a second cage for it just to avoid any possible problems. As long as the birds are provided their own space to live in ( cage) and as long as they are not overly jealous of you interacting with another bird than a second bird can be just the ticket for helping you to provide for your Jade's mental and emotional needs. It nearly always helps us to have someone that we can talk to especially if you are not going to be available for them due to the time constraints of school or work or some of life's other little curve balls.

What do I suggest? Not meaning to be difficult, but I suggest that you look into these thing a bit more so that you can make the best possible choice for you and Jade. You have some good reasons for considering another bird, but given the species of bird that Jade is, I do not think that waiting until you have had more time to develop your bond and relationship before bringing in a second bird will interfere with her ability to make a flock bond with the bird after Jade is mature. Do you think that you would still have enough time to work with two birds as well as the day to day cleaning and maintenance of both of them. I think that would be my biggest question for you.


Thanks for all your replies! You definitely helped me more than just a few times and made me rethink and think about factors I've never thought of. I'll think this through and see which option will work best :)
Thanks so much :D
Midnight
Parrotlet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 17
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Gold capped conure
Flight: Yes


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