My baby has turned into a BULLY

[Melandkids]

Fast catch up to present day.... I bought a sun and blue crowned. The sun had been purchased before and brought back because the pet owner could not handle him. They were put into one cage together. I have had them for one year now. The sun has always been very timid and hardly allowed me to touch him. The BC had started becoming very aggressive since January. BC will attack the sun outside of the cage or will bite anyone that tries to pick her up. At this point I am not able to pick either bird. The BC will attack you if you try to pick up either bird. I don't understand it. The BC will allow me to feed them treats, calls out to me when I leave the room, if they land on the floor off the cage then I am able to pick them up and I will give them a shower, they will give me kisses but no longer will BC "step up". I have bought books and I am trying to be patient.. I just don't understand the reverse in behavior. I spend time with them every morning and evening. They stay in the main family living space so they are never excluded. I feel like I need family therapy.

 

[ruffledfeathers]

They are in a cage together?? Have you tried giving them their own cages and work on training completely separately, then introducing some play time together when appropriate??

 

[Melandkids]

I have finally purchased another cage and awaiting for its delivery via UPS. I was scared to split them up since they were so close but I am scared the BC will hurt the sun. So you think once I separate them some of the behavior will stop? Athena was so attached to me. I feel so sad that she doesn't allow me to pick her up now. And I don't want to push the issue of me picking her up while she is being aggressive and develope biting issues. Thank you for answering me. I hope the new cage and time helps change what is going on. We are bonded because she calls out to me when I leave the room? She hears me pull up after work and starts calling out the moment my car door opens.. I will keep a positive attitude... if all fails I am sending her to therapy ...LOL

 

[Melandkids]

Sorry added note. I didn't put them in the cage together. The pet store did and they bonded so I was so scared to separate them because I didn't want them to pluck

 

[weco]

Separating bonded birds can be done, but you're going to have an amount of protest screaming.....

Several years ago I separated 4 sibling sun conures that had been parent raised & never handled.....while I put them in their own cages, I had to take them to a room the others could not see them, to work with them individually.

It's too bad you couldn't have separated them when you first got them, just be patient & persistent.....

 

[Melandkids]

Thanks for all the answers. I now wished I had separated them too. I also learned never ever buy birds from a pet store. They told me so many wrong things. I have been around birds all my life so a lot of what they told me I knew was a lie but I didn't about separating the birds. They told me they had to stay together because they had bonded. I know this sounds silly but Athena(BC) she reminds me of my daughter when she was a teenager (she is going to kill me). Athena will give me this look and I just know she is about to do something bad.. She has this "I dare you to stop me look" I keep telling her that I have the zoo on speed dial but she doesn't care. She started this thing were she open the flap for the food ... swing the food bowl out and flip it over. Then give me the stink eye. But I got a screw driver and tightened it. LOL.. I am so excited that the new cage might give me back my Athena and Zeus and send the terrible two's twins away