New bird issues

[amly]

Hello everyone!

I am new to the forums. I'm also a linnie/bird fanatic Sadly I also need some help.

I've been having some problems with my birds and would like some insight.

A bit of a back story: I had my first linnie, Pix, for just over 2 years. He's content just hanging around me, doesn't bite needlessly; he's a sweetie. When my fiance and I were both out of the apartment, Pix would sit on the same perch for what seemed like most of the day without touching his food. So this year, we decided to get another linnie to keep this first bird company.
We thought long and hard about it because we didn't know how Pix would handle another bird (he's our only pet). We bounced between getting a small caged bird or another hand fed linnie. We have boarded him several times and he seemed to have done well with other birds.
We got our new linnie, Boo, from a reputable breeder almost a month ago. We got another male at the recommendation of the breeder because we didn't want Pix to abandon us (and I mean me ) as his primary flock (I'm a sucker, I love my bird cuddles). They each have their own cage.

The worse ended up happening though: Pix doesn't seem to be adapting to Boo. Boo is fascinated by my first bird and will keep trying to approach him. Pix roams on my desk when I'm home and god forbid Boo would be nearby. If Boo is sitting still on me, Pix doesn't care. If Boo starts to move however, Pix starts making some defensive squawk sounds and opens his beak. He won't usually lunge unless Boo comes close to him. If he does lunge, I shoo him and give him a firm no. If he does it again, I cage Pix for 10 mins without paying him any attention (after getting bitten of course)

While this is happening, I try to feed Boo out of my hand to gain trust and now HE gets aggressive while on the desk. He didn't have problems with fingers before but now he seems he does, even if food is involved. If he's away from my desk and I offer my finger, he'll test the finger, maybe sometimes bite, but if he's on the desk (or his cage, but I don't usually put my hands there unless I clean/change food bowls) it's an automatic sign of aggression for him, even if it's something he likes. Of course, I cage Boo if he bites me for at least 10 mins. But I have not seen any improvement from these two. It's hard to keep them apart since Boo always wants to be near Pix and I spend most of my time at my desk when I am home. And I love to have my birds roaming outside their cage as much as possible; linnies are super sociable and I kinda feel bad leaving them in the cage if it isn't necessary.

Last week I was on vacation and the birds were alone with my fiancee. According to him, they got along, some small altercations but it never escalated. They even slept in the same tent in the same cage despite them having their own cage! And by their own volition too! Boo even preened Pix... So it leads me to believe they're fighting over me?

I'm a bit at a loss. We've had Boo for almost a month now and he just seems to keep testing me without any improvement despite my efforts so far. I tried bringing their cages closer together as well.

I talked with my fiancee and we both love the new bird (when he's not being nippy of course. He loves head cuddles and he's generally mild tempered) and we'd like to keep him. The breeder has said to us she could take him back if it didn't work out but ...

I'd like some opinions on what to do; ref'ing these guys several times an hour is getting stressful and I'm starting to get a bit exasperated.

Thanks

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

First of all, you do not want to use the cage as a punishment cell. It will make the bird resistant to returning to the cage when you need him to do so. In my experience, when a bird is behaving inappropriately, the worse 'punishment' you can give them is leaving them alone and removing yourself from their vicinity. Then you ignore any efforts of that bird to reconnect with you for five minutes or so to show them you will not tolerate their bad behavior. If you watch a flock of birds interact, you see birds doing this to flock members all the time. If someone bites too hard or plucks a feather out of spite, the bird getting the attention gives the bad bird a verbal protest, then removes himself physically from the bad bird.

As far as two birds doing the "high noon" showdown, I usually allow my birds to go ahead and settle their disputes themselves. I only intervene when actual physical harm is being done (feathers pulled out, etc.). This allows the birds to determine their own personal interactions. I have had only two actual injuries from bird fights in the past thirty years; and both times it was a caged bird who bit a bird who landed on their cage. Now, with my flock living cage free, I have very little bird on bird violence; the individual flocks have their squabbles, but there is very little inter-flock aggression. Usually it is Sunshine Senegal chasing cockatiels to assert her control of the birdroom. The most she does is pluck a few feathers, but I chastise her her refuse to interact with her when she does this. Sunny is much, much less aggressive than she was when she was caged; her attitude is like night and day.

Yes, Pix is very jealous; he feels you are his mate and Boo is an intruder into the flock of Pix and you. Boo is naturally interested in forming a flock with Pix and Pix is too busy defending his mate against the intruder to see Boo wants to be a friend, not a foe. This is one reason why I suggest letting them work out their own relationship without interfering unless actual combat breaks out. Pix tolerating having Boo on you while he is on you is a tell tale sign that Pix does want to have Boo in the flock, but is so defensive about you, he can't see any way of allowing it to happen. I assume both Pix and Boo are cocks, which means you have to deal with their aggressive personalities. If Boo were a hen, there would be little if any fighting, in my opinion, but I can understand you did not want Pix to change his mate preference from you to a hen. However, it sets up the cock aggression problems you are currently experiencing.

With Boo, and even Pix, I would suggest teaching him to step up on a hand held dowel to manage his biting. The best bite from your bird is the bite you have avoided; biting in itself can be positive feedback for the bird and the more they bite, the more they get their way: in their opinion. Using a hand held perch virtually eliminates those step-up bites and would probably decrease your bites by fifty percent. Also, if I know a bird is going to bite when I pick them up, I usually pick them up in a towel. Most of my birds are towel acclimated and don't panic when toweled.

These ideas are only general information I use with my flock. I have never worked with linnies, so I do not have experience with their species. I am sure other linnie owners will be around to give you information soon.

 

[amly]

Thanks for your insight Laurul. I have limited experience bonding birds. The other parrots I had in the past were rescued and preferred being in their cage, I didn't have to deal with two head to head.

I will definitely try some of your tips. I was always told to put them in their cage as a punishment. Pix is pretty good, he'll go in his cage if I tap at the door but Boo is another story. We're still too new I will try removing myself rather than removing the bird and let them try to figure it out and see how it goes.

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

Parrots don't respond well to any type of punishment. They are all individuals who determine their own behavior and friends by how they react or interact with their flock mates. Think how being able to fly away from any experience or interaction shapes how they think. If they don't like something or someone, fly away and problem solved. And as you well know, they have no problem letting you know what they think of you trying to assert your will over theirs.

Punishment as training just gets one a bite bird and one resistant to bonding to you. Which is the exact opposite of what one wants. Think about the idea of why parrots are as they are.

 

[wyrinth]

When I introduced my two linnies together they did the same thing...squawking, lunging, etc. I let them squabble (with supervision) and each had their own cage to sleep in when I couldn't supervise. After about a couple of weeks, they both hung out in the same cage, so I put them together. They still had occasional misunderstandings and even once he chased her around, but it was more noise and squawking rather than any actual fighting. Now they are inseparable. Also, while there was a short time when my older linnie seemed to have "abandoned" me for the new girl, he soon remembered that he loved to sit and snuggle on my shoulder and sometimes he doesn't want to share with the other linnie.

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

Amly, it seems linnies are like my cockatiels. Much more colorful, of course! Wyrinth has experienced what I figure you are going through.

I have built quite a few flocks over the past thirty years, and there are always squabbles, and sqawking and threats and just a huge hullabaloo when a new bird is introduced to a flock (even if that flock is you and one other bird). You see it in the wild all the time when a bird from another flock 'visits' a home flock in your area. If you take a few minutes a day and watch your local wild birds, you will see the behaviors your birds are doing right outside your window. Generally, birds are birds when it comes to basic behaviors. The flock behaviors are there to allow an individual bird to go from their natal flock to a new flock to find a mate that is unrelated to them; spread the genes: it would be against the interests of evolution if these behaviors resulted in the death of the potential new flock member. The behaviors are designed to test the new bird, let them know others already have mates and friends and what the newbie can and cannot do as a newbie. As the new bird becomes more welcome in the flock, friendships are made and eventually the newbie finds a mate, just like evolution wants them to do... You are watching these behaviors in your livingroom: nice way to do field work!

 

[amly]

It's been tough since I have other personal stresses in my life right now, having two male birds not get along and my first bird screaming for attention (with the new one imitating) is overwhelming. Thankfully, Boo doesn't seem to be aggressive, just genuinely fascinated by Pix.

I just have to stay positive and let nature work itself out (reasonably). The moments I can get them on the same play stand or eating the same millet stick is a small victory