Same cage Senegals.

[HLC]

I will be bringing home a pair of baby Senegals in late January. They are clutch mates, and we’ll find out next week if they are boy-boy, girl-girl, or girl-boy. I can think of a lot of reasons why they should have separate cages, but what about letting them live together in a larger cage? If they turn out to be boy-girl they’ll eventually need to live in their own homes, but if they’re same sex, and considering they’ve been together since hatchday, would they be content in their own spaces, or happier together? They’ll be in during the day while I’m at work, and then at bedtime. Thoughts? Thanks in advance for the input. I just want them to be happy, and since they’re such busy bodies, I thought they may enjoy each other’s company while I’m at work.

 

[Mizzely]

They can enjoy each other's company from their own space. My thought is this.... do you really want them to get attached to living together and then take that away from them? That will be worse than starting off with separate cages and then letting them live together later if that is what they choose.

 

[HLC]

You’re quite right, and that’s pretty much the conclusion I’ve come to after weighing the pro’s and con's. There are more good reasons to have them side by side and separate than there are to house them together. They’ll be free to come and go as they please when I’m home, and if they want to snuggle up and nap together that will be fine and they can run in and out of each other’s rooms all they want. If they are same sex and over time show that they’d rather be together then they can choose. Bedtime comes and they’re snuggled up together, then we can just shut the door and cover them up. If they want to sleep “in their own rooms” the next night, that’s fine too! Thanks for your thoughts, it’s always good to hear different points of view and advice.

 

[sierraecho89]

I vote for separate cages from the start, mostly because it'll help them bond more to you. You'll be able to take them out one-on-one for more personal bonding time and they can also look forward to the time they do spend together; it creates more of a variety of experiences for both of them, and also helps you become a more integrated part of their flock.

We did that with our budgies (separate cages), and it definitely kept them much more people-friendly. My mother-in-law didn't do that with her budgies, and they could not care less about her or my father-in-law. I realize they're different species, but it's just something to consider.