Caging a pair together?

[Karija]

I have an opposite sex pair of GCCs. Both adopted separately, the female for around three years now and the male just eight months. I don't know how old they are, I'm estimating around 6-7 for the female and the male is at least 2-3 years old but really have no idea. He's definitely an adult.

When I adopted him, the rescue thought he was a female, but obviously the DNA test came out differently. He’s super bird-oriented and has been into the female the whole time, although she couldn’t stand him for about four months. Right now they are in a divided flight cage and pretty much hang out all the time on the perches near the divider so they are near each other. Since they’ve become friendly, they spend all of their out time together, go in each other’s cages, and lately have been regurgitating for each other. So far most preening has been restricted to friend zones and they haven’t tried to mate. But the regurgitating is happening like on a daily basis.

When I had two females, I had the divider pulled and just let them have free run of the whole thing together. It’s feeling like they may be close to being able to have the divider pulled and enjoy the whole cage, but I’m wondering if it is a good idea? I’m worried about mating and eggs. I’m not interested in them breeding or any health complications the female could have from the wear and tear of egg laying.

Does keeping them divided and just supervising them together create any safety against that happening? Or if she gets hormonal will it happen anyway? If I do let them be together 24/7, is it just a matter of removing any potential boxes or nesting spots? Any advice from folks with opposite sex pairs that they let (or don’t let!) cage together?

Thanks!

 

[VictoryCC124]

Well I don't have all the answers for you, but I do know that she will start laying eggs either way, it's a trigger in her hormones that will cause that. Best of luck! I'm sure someone more experienced with this will come along with some more answers for you.

 

[Mizzely]

Hormones won't be quieted because of a divider. Invest in dummy eggs, be prepared to pull and boil any laid eggs to prevent them from hatching

 

[VictoryCC124]

Hormones won't be quieted because of a divider. Invest in dummy eggs, be prepared to pull and boil any laid eggs to prevent them from hatching

Can I ask, why do the egg dummy?? Why not just pull the eggs?? I've honestly never researched that part, so please forgive my ignorance here. I'm very curious.

 

[Mizzely]

Can I ask, why do the egg dummy?? Why not just pull the eggs?? I've honestly never researched that part, so please forgive my ignorance here. I'm very curious.

Mama bird is hardwired to lay a full clutch once she starts, to ensure 1) there are enough eggs to make it with the energy to raise them and 2) not lay more than she can reasonably care for.

This can go a few ways.

1. Mama lays an egg. You remove the egg. So she replaces it. And you remove it. And she replaces it.... over and over again for too long. It's a cycle where she gets no rest and its very hard on her body.

2. Mama lays an egg. And then another. She lays 4 total. You boil them as they are layed and give them back and then she sits on them for about a month. Once enough time has passed, instincts tell her they aren't viable and she moves on.

3. Mama lays an egg. You swap out the egg for a dummy and then flood the nest with 2 to 4 more. Full clutch, hooray! She stops laying eggs, sits on these, and again abandons after hatch time has passed.

Dummy eggs are just easier and help get mama out of laying mode.

 

[camelotshadow]

She still could have eggs seperated but those would not be fertile if together you could have fertile eggs so would need to switch them with dummy eggs & hope it stops awhile.
She could still have unfertile eggs onthe other side of the divider & many single birds have eggs.

Egg binding happens but the more healthy the female is in & if she gets good exercise her muscles will be better.

 

[Monica]

At one point in time, I did have two conures sharing a cage that were of opposite sex, and they never, to my knowledge, did anything beyond mutual preening. Granted, I never saw them preening each other, so I can't say they didn't regurgitate or do other stuff! I just never saw it, because when they saw me, they're attention was focused on me!

 

[VictoryCC124]

@Mizzely Thank you so much for that info! I hope I never have to deal with any of it, but it's better to be prepared.

 

[Mizzely]

Even without a mate it's good information to know! My friend has a sun conure that just laid an egg for the first time in it's life...she's 7 I think!

 

[VictoryCC124]

@Mizzely Where do you find dummy eggs?

 

[Mizzely]

@Mizzely Where do you find dummy eggs?

DummyEggs.com, Dummy Eggs Help Stop Egg Laying in Pet Birds! Fake Eggs, Solid Plastic Eggs in all sizes.

 

[camelotshadow]

You should probably switch out infertile eggs with dummy eggs too as the real ones can break & make a mess. YOu could try boiling them but sometimes they break.

Get the size egg for your birds species.

 

[VictoryCC124]

I'm sorry @Karija , I didn't mean to hijack your thread

 

[Karija]

At one point in time, I did have two conures sharing a cage that were of opposite sex, and they never, to my knowledge, did anything beyond mutual preening. Granted, I never saw them preening each other, so I can't say they didn't regurgitate or do other stuff! I just never saw it, because when they saw me, they're attention was focused on me!

I feel like a chaperone or something, because as soon as they SEE me seeing them, they generally stop and try to get my attention. But man, they snuggle together and preen each other 24/7. (Proof: See below) The regurgitating thing has calmed down a little bit now. At the time, I was feeding one of them some probiotic mixed in with pureed banana, and I think that might have been triggering it. Anyway, they're still doing it, but it isn't as extreme as it was for that week where it was all regurgitation all the time.




No worries, @VictoryCC124.

@webchirp you have a ton of GCCs - any advice on caging opposite sex pairs together? I think you told me once you really only had one pair that actually tried to produce eggs.

 

[DoubleTake]

I feel like a chaperone or something, because as soon as they SEE me seeing them, they generally stop and try to get my attention. But man, they snuggle together and preen each other 24/7. (Proof: See below) The regurgitating thing has calmed down a little bit now. At the time, I was feeding one of them some probiotic mixed in with pureed banana, and I think that might have been triggering it. Anyway, they're still doing it, but it isn't as extreme as it was for that week where it was all regurgitation all the time.

When my pair are hormonal... they just stare me directly in the face while they get frisky. I'll give them the stink eye and say no and their love child will come over and break them up.

 

[webchirp]

If you are going to have birds, have dummy eggs on hand. Variety of egg scenarios...

Giggie and Carlton laid an actual clutch this year albeit with my help. Giggie is a problem fid and I was actually contemplating letting her raise a chick and keep the little family together. However, she and Carlton decided they were breakfast the next morning. I would get home and they would be mostly eaten. So she would lay again. I finally flooded her with dummy eggs that she tried really hard to break and eat. Couldn't eat them so she sat on them for a month. Then started tossing them around so I figured she was done. And they were. I do not put paper under their grate as they pull it up and do their nesting thing.

Foster cheeks...I think I may be down to a single pair and boys. But buddy does she lay eggs. No paper in that aviary now. And I just leave a cluster of eggs in. She laid...stopped, waited and then laid a single egg. I then just put all six in and she stopped.

Chya and Happy don't lay every year...kind of a crap shoot with them.

Zia laid a single egg. She doesn't like any other bird but of course one bird laying eggs seems to really rev up the flock.

I almost hate to type this but so far no eggs from Jewel *but* she loves other boys and shares a cage with Rocco during the day and at night. When I am home and with them, she roams with Zephyr. Zephyr is very bratty and I wouldn't cage Zephyr and Jewel because he can be so pushy with her. Although she is a wee bit pushy with Rocco.

No guarantee you will get egg or won't. Just keep an eye on them and keep nesting to a minimum. Weigh your birds...weight changes in females can indicate eggs. Chya weighs up to 135 grams when egging. If they were mine, I would let them be in the flight together. But you might want to realize the relationship with you may change as they become more hormonal/bonded. They can also fall out of love. You just have to go with how they are behaving.

 

[Karija]

@DoubleTake OMG, birds are such jerks sometimes

If they were mine, I would let them be in the flight together. But you might want to realize the relationship with you may change as they become more hormonal/bonded. They can also fall out of love. You just have to go with how they are behaving.

Thanks. They still fuss with each other a bit much, so I'm not completely comfortable having them in a cage together 24/7, but if that's cleared up, then it's a possibility. They might never be there, but they've gotten steadily better about it, so who knows. The only toys they are super into are things with bells, so no interest in shreddables or access to grate paper. I'll invest in some dummy eggs, though! Luckily, if they do fall out of love, I've got the divider (with an acrylic insert), but I really hope that doesn't happen. I'm a middle school teacher, so I get enough adolescent love drama already, I don't need it from my birds!

What does Chya weigh normally? Mine are both at the low end, 62g last week when I weighed them. Just wondering how much it balloons up with eggs.

 

[Lady Jane]

Where is the best place to get dummy eggs?

 

[expressmailtome]

Where is the best place to get dummy eggs?

Here is a link: DummyEggs.com, Dummy Eggs Help Stop Egg Laying in Pet Birds! Fake Eggs, Solid Plastic Eggs in all sizes. .

 

[webchirp]

@DoubleTake OMG, birds are such jerks sometimes



Thanks. They still fuss with each other a bit much, so I'm not completely comfortable having them in a cage together 24/7, but if that's cleared up, then it's a possibility. They might never be there, but they've gotten steadily better about it, so who knows. The only toys they are super into are things with bells, so no interest in shreddables or access to grate paper. I'll invest in some dummy eggs, though! Luckily, if they do fall out of love, I've got the divider (with an acrylic insert), but I really hope that doesn't happen. I'm a middle school teacher, so I get enough adolescent love drama already, I don't need it from my birds!

What does Chya weigh normally? Mine are both at the low end, 62g last week when I weighed them. Just wondering how much it balloons up with eggs.

Chya is my sun conure and normally weighs about 111 grams. Cheekie eggs are fairly close in size...at least Giggie's were.