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1 or 2, now or later?

sachman

Sitting on the front steps
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9/3/20
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19
Hi all. We are considering a linnie. I had a single linnie many years ago who passed away unexpectedly at a young age (no idea what happened but I suspect the breeder was pairing siblings up). Anyway, I keep reading that they will be happier in paris of 2. But I would prefer a pet that will be happy and bonded with his/her human and I am afraid getting a pair means we will lose that bond. So i wonder if it is worth getting a single linnie and if s/he seems happy and bonded with us to leave well enough alone. And if s/he seems sad, to get a second later on. Or does it make sense to get a pair right from the start? A number of years back we had a great parrtolet and when we added a friend, that was the end. Neither one ever came out of the cage, they both bit viciously and they eventually went to a breeder. I want to avoid that scenario with a linnie. Please share your advice!
Mike
 

budgieluv3

Rollerblading along the road
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Usually it is easier to get one bird, tame it, than get another. Getting one or two birds also depends on how many hours a day you can interact with it.
 

sachman

Sitting on the front steps
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Thanks. I would say probably 2-3 hours on-and-off (i.e. not consecutive).
 

Dona

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Almost 3 years ago I agonized over this decision. I had an opportunity to take 2 sisters home, but didn't do it. I brought just Gigi home and it's been a joy. She is a remarkable little bird. We are retired with nearby kids, grandkids and friends so it's an active place. We are home often and spend a lot of time with our girl each day. Whenever I consider the possibility of adding to the flock my husband and I fear that another Linnie would add to the work, noise level, and perhaps ruin the lovely relationship we have. I'm no help at all. :)

So many have said that Linnies are much like budgies and really love being with their own kind.
 

Lady Jane

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I am afraid getting a pair means we will lose that bond.
The above statement is not true. On a personal level I am more concerned with a birds happiness rather than my own feelings of the bird bonded with me. Yes, Linnies will thrive and be very happy with a cage mate.
 

Leih

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I have a bonded pair of linnies, although I got them together. @NorthernGannet is a good person to ask about this as they have 3 (4?) linnies and can speak to their temperament with introducing a friend. My boys have never been very interested in me, but I don't mind because I have 2 other birds who can't get enough of me! So, I've never really tried to "tame" them, but yes, 2 birds is usually better than one. Even my two single birds thrive with having other birds around despite not really being friends with each other.
 

camelotshadow

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Depends what you want for yourself & your birds.
They are most naturally happy with a friend who they can be with 24/7. A mate to be there all the time.

A single bird can form an unnatural attachment to you or could just be bonded to people & be happy as long as you can satisfy there demands for attention.

Either can work depending upon your outlook.

No harm in having 2 bonded birds who will need care but not your devoted love as they have that.

Single Birds bonded to you can have issues as its very hard for us to give them the attention they desire.

Nothing wrong with caring for birds that have little needs from us other than care, We can watch them in there natural bond with another bird.

We really can never want & get the cuddly bird we want who can't live without us & give them all that they need.

Its just not realistic & unnatural but it is attainable but sort of like a lottery you just never know if you ever will win it.

My Penny has no interest in conure Rio. I think she tolerates him but is very much aware of him & will tell him to step up when he is being trouble for me. Rio ignores her too for the most part except they will tend to take a bath at the same time so they do watch each other but want no interaction.
 

TheBirds

Sprinting down the street
Joined
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317
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Ontario, Canada
Until recently I had a Lovebird and Parrotlet in separate cages, and although the love was rather one-sided (the Parrotlet was not a fan of Lyric) I think they really benefited from the presence of another bird in the house. The Parrotlet has since moved on to another lovely home and our Lovebird has suddenly become much quieter (which is a little sad as he used to be so full of energy), I do wonder if he's missing his little companion. We have plans to get a second Lovebird shortly (separate cage) so it's all temporary, but still!

I think if it were me, just having seen the change in demeanor in a bird that went from having a birdy neighbour to not having one, I'd get a Linnie now (and spend the time to get to know one another) and consider adding a second in a separate cage later down the line.

Best of luck!
 

sachman

Sitting on the front steps
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Thanks for the feedback! One more question. If we end up getting 2, should they be housed in separate cages and only allowed to play together? Or should we house them together? The breeder we were speaking with said to house them separately, but I see many people keep them in the same cage. Thanks.
Mike
 

Leih

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My two were housed together at the aviary and so when I brought them home I kept them together. If you get a pair who are not currently housed together, definitely plan to house separately until you know if they will get on well together. Even my two will bicker from time to time and they've been together literally since they hatched. For socialization, if they're together, you'll want to try to work with one at a time, you'll just have to see how they react to short periods apart. Mine were so scared of me (they were completely not socialized) that I never attempted to separate them. But working with a bonded pair is pretty challenging, which is why mine are still totally not tame!
 

NorthernGannet

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Missouri
I have 4 males, each acquired at different times. So I had a single one, and when I brought home his potential buddy they were instant friends. As in, 5 minutes in the same room and they were like glue. They live together, obviously.

When I got a third one, he had to live in his own cage because my first two said "no way!" to him. When I got him his own buddy, it was completely different from how the first two were. The first couple of days in the same cage they kept their distance but did ok, and then all heck broke loose and I had to separate them. They were okay out of the cage because there was lots of room and no one's clipped so getting away was easy. Anyway, it took several weeks of me trying different things for them to agree to be cage mates, and it took another 5-ish months before I could see they were actually becoming real friends. Slowest process ever!

So, be prepared for either scenario.

For me, in both of the above pairs I ended up putting an untamed bird in with a tame bird who'd already been with me for months. In the first case, the untamed bird was young and settled in very quickly and tamed down without issue. In the second case, the untamed bird was a mature adult and although he's made obvious strides, he is still mostly on his own schedule these 6 months later :)
 
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