Well that didn't go well

[GCChris]

So I introduced Coco to Pete the other day, and followed through with my plan for them to be roommates! Yay I have bird room. There cages are on opposite ends of the room. First night, great fine no reaction, I havn't brought them close to each other. Next day, Coco flew onto Pete's cage as soon as I brought him out and they started fighting and making horrible noises through the bars. Now, apparently, "its' on".
They obviously want to fight to the death, Coco will take every opportunity he can to fly to Pete's cage and attack him, and Pete is all to happy to fight back (Pete wont fly I don't think he ever learned how, both are clipped but Coco can still fly really well). When both are locked in their cages they are more or less ok but just glare at each other. When separated, one's screaming makes the other scream back and now Coco seems preoccupied with finishing his fight. I never intended for them to be best friends, or to ever have contact with each other, but I thought for sure they could at least exist in the same room together. They are clearly agitated by each others presense . I wanted them just to enjoy each others company but from a distance, if they can't even exist in the same room...well, that's a big problem

 

[Tanya]

If I remember correctly, Coco is a Meyer's parrot and Pete is a Green Cheeked conure? And you've had Coco less than two weeks? And he has a history of aggression toward other birds (his former mate)?

Some birds never we'll get along, even when they're the same species. Like any two random humans may or may not enjoy one another's company. When they are different species, things get even more complicated. It would be like putting a wolf in a room with a coyote and hoping they get along.

Since you have only had Coco for a few days, both he and Pete are going through serious adjustments. Perhaps it would be good to visually separate them (hang up a sheet maybe?) and make sure you let Pete know he isn't being replaced. This means that he gets everything first: food, water, scriches, greetings. This will help him feel secure and possibly more accepting. The other side of this is that Coco may never stop being aggressive. He came with that as a known history. Immediately flying into the other bird's cage could seem (and may be) an open declaration of claimed territory... Letting Pete and Coco interact any time in the near future may well result in injury, and possibly even death.

 

[gibsongrrrl]

I would not let them out together or let one be out with the other caged in the same room. Meyer's are not know to be the most bird friendly. Mine would kill each other in a hearbeat and one has lost a toe due to flying onto the others cage. two incidents of that happening have cost me about $2000 in vet bills.

 

[iamwhoiam]

Take your time with them and don't let them out together. Also make sure that cages are secure when you leave your house/are not in the room with them just in case one or both of them figures out how to get out. I've had siblings and pairs who have been together in the same cage for years become aggressive towards one another. If you feel it appears to upset them to see one another then you will have to block them visually as per Mmmmq.

 

[GCChris]

Yes Coco is the meyer's and Pete the gcc. I didn't expect them to be friends or interact, just visual buddies, but also didn't expect Coco to fly over there. Fortunately his clip makes him slow and all but the first time I've been able to just intercept him. So it's ok to keep them in the same room but separate cages? Will it stress them too much? My only hope for the two of them was they would be visual/audio company for each other and separate time out, so that's fine. I could put a large (safe) house plant in the room as a barrier? Pete has his Joseph, so in that way I can spend time with Coco while Pete is happily grooming his beloved (Pete will step up on his arm now, still not finger, but wayyyy better than used to be, and can be lured off with a treat). Joseph has chosen not to handle Coco and that's fine. So I guess I should not show love to them in front of one another? (pete and coco not joseph lol). I guess my questions is, how does one best manage having two birds that can't be near each other and giving them both time? Rotate hourly? How often? Fortunately, as I said Pete is in love with my partner, so I'm not Pete's only person, but I am Coco's only.

 

[Wolf]

The first obstacle that you have is that they are different species of parrots. The second obstacle is that Coco is still new and should probably still be in quarantine as it has been less than 30 days. Coco is still not adjusted to his new environment or to you as this takes time. It is not unusual for it to take several months or even a year for the two birds to develop a workable flock dynamic out between them. If they are both males then this could also be working against you in this case. My first assessment of the current situation is that perhaps in your desire to have them together and become friends of a sort that you are perhaps moving too fast for the birds to work things out. Because of this I would suggest that you move slower in this respect and allow things to develop more at the pace that the birds can handle and then maybe things will begin to flow more smoothly.

 

[dolldid]

I know nothing abot having 2 bitds but I would sujest keeping COCO in a nother room for a few months till you all adjust this way the birds will hear each other and may agust , It will also help bonding with COCO

 

[RocketBo]

I think it's better to keep them separate if both of them are not fully flighted. Fully flighted birds would chase each other around until they are both sick of it- no one gets hurt in the end because they can get away very fast when needed. Non-flighted birds can't get away from attacks fast enough.

 

[Wolf]

I do agree that you should keep them separated until they both can fly as mentioned by RocketBo.

 

[SueA555]

I had a Meyers named Coco who hated all my other birds, and took a couple of toes off. Your Coco may never like your GC.

 

[GCChris]

I just hope he can learn to tolerate him. So far so good today, they are both fine in their cages. I have Coco downstairs with me on the playstand now, in an hour or so I'll go switch with Pete, then Joseph will be home. Coco was fine last evening with Pete on Joseph and him with me, I think it is indeed a case that Coco has claimed Pete's cage, the playstands and myself as "his" territory, but Joseph is not his so he doesn't care. On the positive side, he's doing really well otherwise...(Coco)...eating pellets now instead of seed mix, fruits and veggies, 'world cuisine' cooked parrot food and a few seeds. He flies too as I mentioned so gets exercise despite not being interested in non-food toys yet. Conure Pete is moulting and I hope he will have his flight feathers soon, and can learn how to fly, as I don't believe he ever has. He eats really well too but also not into chewing up toys, only acrylic foraging toys interest him.

 

[Tanya]

It's good that you're feeding them so well! And also good that Coco hasn't claimed your partner so that Pete still has a safe place to call his own.

Pete may be extra cranky from all the new feathers growing in so keeping them apart will be good for everyone. Would you consider letting Pete be fully flighted and keeping Coco clipped? That way the more aggressive of the two will also be the slower. That could save some serious heartache and vet bills in the long run.

 

[SueA555]

Sounds like Coco is settling in very well.

 

[GCChris]

Yes that's something I should consider. I would like Pete to be flighted yes, I think that would benefit him greatly, poor guys afraid to even sit on a swing. When he falls he just goes straight down, his wings were cut too much. I'm not so sure he would fly away from Coco either, he seems pretty eager to rumble too. Things have been going pretty well since I last posted, if Joseph is here things are super-duper, when he is not I can't have them out together and take turns...when one is out the other is making a lot of noise though. I put up a blanket as suggested (thank you Mmmq) like a curtain in the room to block their view of each other, and thankfully this has helped both relax in their cages, Coco moves around the cage more rather than glued to the bars staring and beeping, and I can let them each out on their cage while I clean and feed without worrying. Of course I don't leave the room with them both out still. I am "negotiating" just moving one of them to another room :\ probably the easiest solution (cept for cleaning of course).