Cage Sharing???

[Chelle]

Prissy (4 month old Yellow sided GCC) and Smokey (5 month old Fiery Shoulder Conure) are becoming VERY ATTACHED to each other!! Last night I had to take my daughter to the ER. I asked my husband to put them in their separate cages at bed time. In his words "They would have nothing to do with it". They were sleeping in the pineapple hut and refused to be separated. I have been allowing them to be together in the day (supervised) but have been separating them at night. I don't mind them being together but I worry that they may hurt each other. Any advice on this subject??? There has been no fighting between the two they just want to be together unless we are playing with/holding them. I do realize that they have bonded and we will have to work hard to make sure they will still want to spend time with their human flock.

my question is... Is it ok to allow them to be in the same cage?

 

[weco]

Being that young, and being that close in age, their bonding was pretty much assured when you allowed them to form their bond.....had they both been several years older, the bonding may not have happened as quickly.....

There have been a number of conures roost here on their journey to new homes, but while they interacted, I never encouraged potential bonding by allowing them to spend all day together.....giving them a sleep hut may have been interpreted, by the birds, as a nudge toward nesting, as many birds view sleep huts as pseudo nest boxes and many hens will lay their eggs there.....

Having said that, I have to agree with you that you will need to increase your efforts to retain & expand your relationship with them.....

Good luck.....

 

[Chelle]

I had no idea they would bond to the degree they have. These are our first birds. My main concern was keeping them separated while we were not present to make sure they wouldn't fight. And they had their own cages because I thought they would like to have their own "rooms" for alone time. I guess I was wrong!!! So at this point should I make them go to their "room" to sleep at night? I feel bad because they obviously want to be together but I don't want to do anything that could be dangerous for them.

 

[weco]

Being flock animals, when you take just weaned birds from nest mates or in breeder situations, their neonate feeding mates, pairing one up with a similarly aged bird, that just happens to be a cousin, they naturally seek the companionship that was taken from them.....

Separating them now would probably lead both to becoming screamers & them resenting you for continually separating them.....you have unknowingly created your own catch 22.....don't feel bad, because the same happens when people get another bird "to keep my bird company when I am at work all day."

 

[Echo]

If they don't fight during the day, they won't fight at night (birds don't fight when they can't see...). If they want to be together, I would let them be in one cage. However, yes, you will need to handle them separately in order to keep a bond with them.

 

[Chelle]

I appreciate your advice! I am not too worried about them still wanting to be with us humans. My oldest daughter has a disability and we are home almost ALWAYS. We do go to the grocery store and the pet store. Obviously we need groceries.... and the pet store is therapeutic! They are out of the cage unless we leave or are unable to keep an eye on them. Right now they are both helping me write this post..hehe I also have a younger child. Her and her friends play with the babies after school as well. So they are being well socialized.

 

[ShellyBorg]

Sounds like it will all work out. Do keep the second cage on hand in case it is needed.

 

[Echo]

Sounds like it will all work out. Do keep the second cage on hand in case it is needed.

The extra cage can very well be used for an outside cage for them both during nice weather.

 

[MonicaMc]

IMO, it's up to you whether or not you want to cage them together... you just need to be aware that if they are opposite sex and they ever try to breed in the future that they can create hybrids.

Even after three months, my two conures still don't get along... then again, one is 3 years old and the other is 19 years old. I had the older conure with another conure previously for 5 years and even then they didn't get along.


I really have no problem keeping mine separated because they don't like each other! LOL But if your two get along, and you want to keep them in the same cage, it's up to you.