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Advice on plucked feathers

Fontenoy

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Hi there. I have two lovebirds Shelby and Digby who are about 10 or 12 months. Initially they were both tame ish but then became less tame. Digby first started nipping then biting and then Shelby. Now both bite really hard so I cannot play or touch them now. Digby has alway been the more stressed one from day one. Last November one had 6 eggs. Last few weeks has noticed both now sleep on floor. They are also feeding each other and very territorial so when ever I go to change their food both run to me and bite making it hard. Last night noticed Digby has this scaliness around his eye and plucked feathers below his head. I did note the ither pecking him yesterday. Have attached photo. Is this serious or to worry about. Also I have one in cage and Digby out and is just flying everywhere. Neither wish to be close to me.
 

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fluffypoptarts

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You should get him checked out by an avian vet to ensure no complications and cage them separately if the other is hurting him.

How much time were you spending with them when they were more friendly?
 

TikiMyn

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I agree, a vet check up would be in place. The scaly part by bis eye is caused by missing feathers, and it looks like the other bird is plucking the back of her head. I think you should seperate them for now.
As for taming, feed them a treat every time you walk by, if they take it, otherwise put an extra bowl in their cage and drop it in that bowl.
@Birdbabe is very knowledgable as well.
 

Birdbabe

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Looks like the other is picking on him ,it is hormone season and they get really weird..separate them, but keep them close to each other so they don't stress out. Lovebirds, like any others, need constant handling to keep them tame,,but,,lovebirds are also bitey little critters
Start over with them..but, there's no guarantee they will be friendly. Love them as they are.
 

Ankou

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I agree they should be separated for now, but I'm also wondering how large their current cage is? Not saying you've done this but many people keep their little parrots in too small a cage which is more likely to result in bullying, nesting, and increased possessiveness of their space. They can become more aggressive towards each other and you in the proximity of their cage. Still though, at this point it sounds like they need to be separated regardless but even one bird in a cage needs a fair amount of space.
Many larger cages also have feeder doors, so you do not have to reach in to feed them.

For taming them, it does take a lot of effort and it may be they are always going to be more standoffish. If they are truly 10-12 moths old they've reached adulthood (that first clutch of eggs sounds like the bird equivalent to a teen pregnancy if you weren't lied to about their age) which does mean they will be different than they were. Babies are pretty personable and accepting, an adult bird is going to be a lot more opinionated about what they will tolerate or not, and more willing to bite to get the message across if we miss their warnings.
A lot of people will use millet to coax a timid lovebird into spending time near them and show they are a source of yummy food, and just sit there doing something non-threatening like reading aloud.

If you want to handle them you will have to pay attention to their body language and try to learn how to read their warnings and what makes them uncomfortable and try to learn when to stop something before they've been pushed to bite. Try to avoid unnecessary situations you know you will get bit or manage things differently (some things, like feeding them, you will just have to do quickly and try to minimize drama.)
They'll actually learn by you doing this you are more trustworthy, you respect their warnings so they don't need to bite all the time. And biting can be self-rewarding, so by stopping bites from happening you are breaking that cycle.
 

Fontenoy

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You should get him checked out by an avian vet to ensure no complications and cage them separately if the other is hurting him.

How much time were you spending with them when they were more friendly?
 

Fontenoy

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Hi Everyone
Thank you so much for all your replies. Trying to figure out how to reply individually.

Have attached now a photo of Shelby who last night was all bleeding this tome. Night before it was Digby so they are attacking each other.

When they were nicer I spent more time and when I bought them they were hand raised. Every night I'd take them out and play. Must admit I did grab to get them then. Shelby was adorable and was content but Digby more stressed. Then one week before laying 6 eggs Digby became aggressive protecting the cage and Shelby. I couldn't go near them. Shelby just sat all day in the seed Bay until more and more eggs came. They were mostly on ground. After that I stopped taking them out and handling them. That was the time they both started biting real hard digby the stressed one more so. I had not really taken them out after that (November last year) until last week. By now the feathers had grown and now were flying all over unit having a great time. I took them out last week and then a few days ago saw they were fighting a lot in cage and transferring food to each other. I cant really get close as I seem the intruder. Last night I opened door and the quieter one Shelby came out but this time it settled on a chopstick and let me handle him. This was after I saw he was bleeding. I try to touch him he lets me but is trying to get to to their othe. I thought too separating them and even giving one to a friend while I worked on the other.

Attached is their cage photo and photo of inside and poor Shelby last night - the quiet one. Digby was attacked first by Shelby, this time Shelby attacked by Digby. Is The cage too small.

I just wish I could get close to them and gain a rapport!
IMG_0289.JPG IMG_0290.JPG IMG_1899.JPG
 

Ankou

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That cage is too small, yeah. Generally the minimum for one lovebird is to have the smallest side be 18 inches or about 45 centimeters but since they are such active birds I think 21 inches or 53 centimeters is a more humane minimum. It's hard to tell from the pictures but that almost looks like it could be 12 or 15 in wide (30-38 cm) so pretty small.

They are probably fighting for territory and with lovebirds this can end in a dead bird. I'm not trying to scare you, but they have started fighting and this is the reality you face now. You need to get them separated as soon as you can! One of them could really get hurt or maimed if they get more serious.
Even if it means buying another small cage just so you can keep them apart while you get the money for two new larger cages. Keep an eye on them too, they could have injuries that need vet care from that last fight.
Be aware they will also bite at toes through the bars also.

The good news is, that cage is probably the source of some of your problems right now (their aggression towards you and each other) so two larger cages will probably help a lot in time. They might even be able to be together again in a very big cage given time to forgive each other but I would definitely wait on that, they really need personal space right now if they are drawing blood.
Baby birds don't mind being crowded and don't demand space but adult lovebirds will claim and defend their territory with violence if necessary.

If you'd like I can try to offer advice on better cages? Though I don't know which country you are in and my suggestions would really only apply to people in Canada and the USA (though maybe it could give someone ideas too?)

Now even if you do get bigger cages it might still take time for them to settle down again and effort to become tame outside the cages but I hope you stick around Avian Avenue, @fluffypoptarts probably has better taming advice than I do for multiple lovebirds.

I hope your little one is okay, poor Shelby. Do you know their genders?
 
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LunaLovebird

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They need to be separated immediately, and put into bigger cages. Things could get very bad very quickly. I would also recommend a diet overhaul - it looks like you are feeding mostly seeds (I see a lot of sunflower seeds)? Do they eat pellets and veggies?
 

TikiMyn

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I agree, cage is too small and seperate them soon please!

They allowed you to grab them while they were a baby, but that doesn’t mean they liked it. Now they are adults and won’t stand for it anymore.
 

Fontenoy

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Thank you Ankou and Lunalovebird

I just measured the cage. We actually had a smaller one when we got them but bought this one recommended from a bird specialist. It is 20" x 28". I can separate and put one in the small one. I had a swing made of rope brick they ate and ruined so that is now taking a lot of room. I will remove that. I was told this size would be ok when we got them.

As for food yes I buy seed from grocery store. Initially I bought parrot seed incl sunflower seed and gave them pellets in one container and seed and sunflowers incl in the other. I buy trill vegetables and trill fruit and nuts. Tried egg, carrots, borcholli, zucchini and they leave it. Any suggestions on food. Will this calm them. I did read to give them a stress and anxiety tonic, any recommendations?

I live in Sydney, Australia.
 

LunaLovebird

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Practice portion control, and don’t buy Trill if you can avoid it. Their stuff isn’t that good. Mix seeds with the pellets (you can buy Harrison’s from Petshop direct or Roudybush from Parrot Rescue Centre; mine like Roudybush crumbles the most) and give a few tablespoons only. To start with, put in more seeds than pellets. As they start eating the pellets you can drop the amount of seed until it’s about 20% of the mix. Seed only will give them fatty liver disease very quickly, as well as other diseases related to malnutrition. Vegetables can be a hard sell, but start with leafy greens and broccoli in a bowl with a sprinkle of seeds in the morning with nothing else in their cage for food. Leave it for an hour, then give them back their dry food. Food can have a noticeable effect, but honestly, they’re probably just growing up and going through a bout of hormones. You should still change the food though, and maybe even take them to an avian vet for some more advice (I know you have some good ones down there).

You could also try making sure they have 12 hours of completely uninterrupted dark time. It’s hard because we’re still in summer, but it might help.

The thing with birds is that most people you meet know nothing about them and how to properly look after them. Even those that do will often underestimate the needs of smaller birdies. I would, if you can manage it space and money wise, aim for bigger cages. The size of your bigger one is okay (but not great), but if the other bird is in a smaller one then that one at least needs an upgrade. The first cages I had mine in were these cheap things from Enfield Pet and Garden (extra wide exercise cages), I think probably a bit bigger than biggest one. They weren’t great long term, but serviceable for a $40 cage, and you could buy a stand for them for like $20 each. They do also sell other decent cages as well, such as Flight Bird Cage with Stand - Black Vein for Sale - Online or @ Sydney Store which is a great size for an active little bird.
 

LunaLovebird

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Thank you Ankou and Lunalovebird

I just measured the cage. We actually had a smaller one when we got them but bought this one recommended from a bird specialist. It is 20" x 28". I can separate and put one in the small one. I had a swing made of rope brick they ate and ruined so that is now taking a lot of room. I will remove that. I was told this size would be ok when we got them.

As for food yes I buy seed from grocery store. Initially I bought parrot seed incl sunflower seed and gave them pellets in one container and seed and sunflowers incl in the other. I buy trill vegetables and trill fruit and nuts. Tried egg, carrots, borcholli, zucchini and they leave it. Any suggestions on food. Will this calm them. I did read to give them a stress and anxiety tonic, any recommendations?

I live in Sydney, Australia.
Also, I highly recommend the natural perches and swings from Parrot Rescue Centre. They’re not expensive, are better for their feet, last for ages, and you needn’t worry about crop impaction from injesting unnatural fabric fibres. PRC is generally a wonderful place to get things from.
 

fluffypoptarts

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:iagree:
You have received great advice from Ankou, Tiki, & Luna!
 

Hana Baig

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I can't say anything about the cage,considering the fact that I give Dante a lot of freedom, and I only use a cage for taking him to the vet. Now I'm assuming the territorial aggression is just hormones, I went through the same thing with Dante and it was just like this, Its usually worse for females because their territorial whether their hormonal or not. As for the scabs and the plucking I suggest you check those out for sure, even when everything seems fine, go do checkups at least annually just to make sure everything's good. Birds are smart, they could be hiding a lot more symptoms than you think so I highly recommend you get them checked out.
 

LilSprout

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I have two Prevue f040 cages for my boys, they're quite large but I wanted to go with the biggest cages I could possibly fit in my room. In addition the room they're in is "their room" so it's been bird proofed and they're allowed to fly around the room freely when I'm home.

Sawyer came to me eating only seeds, I had great success transitioning him to eating pellets by taking the pellets (I used zupreem natural for this because when you add water to the pellets they keep a good texture that birds seem to enjoy) I grind up the pellets into a dust in a food processor and add some seeds and water to make a sort of paste, every day I add less seeds. Then I stop adding seeds and stop grinding the pellets and only add water to them. After this process your bird will hopefully eat them dry. It took Sawyer a week to start eating pellets exclusively but he's always been good with trying new foods. He'll try almost any vegetables I put into his bowl
 
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