Bonded siblings, what should I do?

[3_little_birds]

We got Marley Rue and Echo this month. Marley is female and Echo is male. They are 4 months old. They were joined at the hip and we couldn't get one without the other. They have always been together in the same cage. So here's my question. Once they hit sexual maturity will they try to breed together? I was thinking of putting them in separate cages and just putting their cages side by side, but is it smart to split them up? They have never been separated, but on the other hand, we don't want them to try to breed either. Any suggestions?

 

[Gizmomania]

Yes, they could breed each other. Perhaps you should try slowly weaning them away from each other once they're a bit older.

They can still be together to play outside their cage. It's sharing a cage that could potentially become a breeding problem down the road.

 

[crimson]

should that ever happen, which it probably will, you can keep them together, but toss the eggs(if you really don't want to have them separate)
or do like Gizmomania suggested.

 

[Megapixel]

We got Marley Rue and Echo this month. Marley is female and Echo is male. They are 4 months old. They were joined at the hip and we couldn't get one without the other. They have always been together in the same cage. So here's my question. Once they hit sexual maturity will they try to breed together? I was thinking of putting them in separate cages and just putting their cages side by side, but is it smart to split them up? They have never been separated, but on the other hand, we don't want them to try to breed either. Any suggestions?

I'd do separate cages.
Separating them at a few months of age won't make one bit of difference to their lifelong mental health.

Now I'm curious though. When you say you couldn't get one w/o the other, was it because of your feelings or because the breeder wouldn't sell them individually?

 

[GaryBV]

I do have a bonded pair of lovebirds that are full brother/sister from different clutches. Personally, if they are bonded I would not separate them, but don't provide any nesting box or materials, and if they do lay eggs, either replace the eggs with dummy eggs, hard boil the eggs as she lays them and put them back with her (she will eventually tire of caring for them and you can remove them), or remove them altogether although that last choice might cause her to lay more eggs to replace them. What I wouldn't do is allow the eggs to mature and hatch out.

Here is a link to dummyeggs.com - take a look and see what you think:

DummyEggs.com Sells Plastic Dummy Birds Eggs, Nest Bowl Kits, Plastic Fake Bird Eggs for Sale, Immitation Plastic Bird's Eggs, Fake Bird Eggs, Artificial Dummy Bird Eggs, Stop Bird Breeding, Egg Laying. Plastic egg reproductions for Cockatiel, Lovebi

 

[MikeyTN]

Separating them or not would be a choice you would have to make! They just can never be bred together and raise offsprings.

 

[Betrisher]

Seems to me, if they're going to live together and play together, then eventually they'll mate with each other (whether they're in the same cage or not). Then, the female will lay her eggs, whether the male is with her or not. What you do with the eggs is up to you, but the bond between the birds is there.

Please be aware that what follows is my own, personal opinion and I'm not telling you what to do, just saying what I'd do.

I believe it's an awful shame to separate members of the same species, especially gregarious ones like lovebirds etc. They take so much pleasure in each other's company, grooming and playing and chattering away, it just seems unkind to me to make them sit alone in a cage when another bird could be snuggling up to them and being a support in the human world we keep them in. I watch our lovies snuggling up together at roosting time and I just know they're very closely dependent on each other.

That said, I've never kept conures (or even seen one in the flesh). But again, I just don't believe in putting artificial barriers between birds when they could derive comfort and support from one another.

My 2c, FWIW.

 

[Caesar]

Howdy.
This post is not concentrated on the breeding so much but the bond of your birds.
I have 2 Indian Ringnecks who r male and I wanted to breed with one of them. So I went out and got a hen. I introduced them the proper way etc.
But
The male wasn't interested all he did was screech for his buddy, I thought it would pass and they would just accept it, not the case at all as the coupled birds were on the baloney they could hear each other.
In the end I brought him back inside and got another male for my female.
These two male birds r very confused sexually......courting each other and even mounting.
I know this is a common thing in the wild as well.
Ok that's my little tail

 

[3_little_birds]

Megapixel- We just couldn't bring ourselves to separate them.

 

[3_little_birds]

Thanks everyone. I appreciate your advise, your views, and your stories. They are rarely in their cage so we decided to keep them together.