A new (huge) cage! UPDATED with question!

[cml]

Remember I built an indoor aviary/cage myself? Well, it worked well, but the wire was wearing down their claws, which I had no clue about until our emergency vet trip, which got me to look REAL close at the cage and our birds.

With that in mind, me and my wife have purchased a new cage. Its a double cage (with the divider removed), huge and powder coated. It looks and feels awesome.
Here is a vid of our little guys first couple of minutes in it =)!

(also shows you the cage, as I couldnt fit it into a single photograph ^^)



The only downside I can think of is how expensive it was.

[Sparky]

Holy Moly that's MASSIVE!! Lucky birds they are, having you go to such effort for them

[cml]

I actually put the divider in last night...

Getting a new cage proved too much to them, and they started fighting over the new "best" spots.
I know they will have to do this eventually, but seeing I couldnt be home during the day today, we decided to take the safest route and let them be divided.

Now I am pondering whether I should remove it straight away, or leave it in for a few days to let them get used to the cage first. My concern with that is that they "might" develop a more territorial feel for "their" side of the cage.

I am home now, and they seem to miss each other, wanting to get into the other side...
They really do like each other, but they have problems with each others boundries, and act a bit rough sometimes.

Opinions?

[Michael]

If birds are truly aggressive, dividers may be more dangerous because they can cling to the walls and bite toes through the divider. I prefer either single cage with escape potential (if birds get along well enough) or separate cages. A large divided cage is probably the worst option. Separate cages end up easier to clean, move around, etc.

[cml]

If birds are truly aggressive, dividers may be more dangerous because they can cling to the walls and bite toes through the divider. I prefer either single cage with escape potential (if birds get along well enough) or separate cages. A large divided cage is probably the worst option. Separate cages end up easier to clean, move around, etc.

Its not intended to be used at all, they have lived in the same cage for nearly a month.
They are not really "agressive", rather at times a bit tough towards each other (dont know if youve read the other threads on them moving in together and related behaviour etc). Most of the time they are the best of friends, sometimes on occasion even preening each other.

I just put it in last night because I couldnt monitor their behaviour in the new cage =).
The possibility of biting toes is something I have considered, which is why I dont want to use the divider at all. They will probably get along fine in the new cage as well, I gather it was just a little much at the same time last night.

Your advice in this situation, if I understand you correctly, is to remove the divider immediatly then (as single cages isnt an option)?

[cml]

I removed the divider again (if I in the future decide to use it, I will add a PMMA-screen to the divider - which eliminates toebiting completely), and they are getting along just fine again, sitting on the same perch atm. When they have their episodes, its generally only for 5-10minutes, and only 1-3 times a day.

(Most often occuring when I am in the room, I suspect they [mainly Stitch] want to get attention from doing it, even though I always ignore it and even walk out of the room.).

The rest of the day they are friends.

Btw, I will try to get their different behaviours on film for a future thread, where their behaviour can be discussed and analyzed more properly =)!

All in all, I think they are enjoying their new home . I'd still like opinions from other people who have cohabitating parrots, although from earlier threads I dont think there are too many on our boards ^^!