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Elder lovebird attacking younger lovebird.

sheraz

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Sheraz
Hi everyone, I had a lovebird for 2 to 3 months. Its age would probably be 4 months. It never interacted with any other bird. It is very responsive to the birds sounds coming from outside. However it doesn’t climb to fingers and bare skin but it do sits on my shoulder and head and play with my hairs. But it bites when we touch it or try to make it sit on my finger. Now I bring another young lovebird who is probably 20 days old. When my elder lovebird saw him for the first time, it was looking excited and happy. It was putting it’s beak to my new little lovebird. But it seemed like the elder lovebird also biting the younger one and climbing on it. However I kept both separately. To conclude, now the elder lovebird suddenly grabs my younger lovebird’s leg with its beak and pulls it. It also seems to aggressively bite my younger lovebird. So I separated both of them. But when I separate them, it seems like they both want to be together but when I allow them to interact, my elder lovebird starts attacking my younger lovebird specially grabs my younger lovebird's leg so hardly and pulls it. I am confuse what to do. Should I put them in a single cage or separate cage?
 

Zara

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Separate the birds.

Once the youngster has fully weaned (Around 6-8 weeks old), you can allow some time together outside of their cages to interact under very close supervision.

Do not house the two together unless they bond.

For the time being, they can communicate through sound. And in a couple of weeks, you can place the cages nearer to each other so they can watch one another. (Don't allow the cages to touch, you will need to keep a good 10cm between the cages).

Ideally these birds should have been quarantined, but given you have allowed interaction, You will just have to hope the new bird is illness and disease free. Be sure to have the new bird tested after weaning.
 

sheraz

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Sheraz
Separate the birds.

Once the youngster has fully weaned (Around 6-8 weeks old), you can allow some time together outside of their cages to interact under very close supervision.

Do not house the two together unless they bond.

For the time being, they can communicate through sound. And in a couple of weeks, you can place the cages nearer to each other so they can watch one another. (Don't allow the cages to touch, you will need to keep a good 10cm between the cages).

Ideally these birds should have been quarantined, but given you have allowed interaction, You will just have to hope the new bird is illness and disease free. Be sure to have the new bird tested after weaning.
Thank you Zara for the brief answer. Actually I got the new lovebird from my uncle. He has many lovebrids in his house. So hopefully, there won't be any disease issues. However, my elder lovebird never goes inside its cage. Instead, it sleeps on the top of its cage under the cloth. It is used to roam around in my room freely. I have kept my younger lovebird in a separate cage but in the same room. Whenever I need to interact or train my younger lovebird, I carry the cage in other room and then I let my younger lovebird to come out of the cage. But when I put the cage back in my room, My elder lovebird climbs on the new lovebird's cage and tries to interact. The younder lovebird also comes near the older lovebird but inside the cage. So should I keep allowing this or should I shift the new lovebird's cage in other room until my younger lovebird is fully waned?
 

WillowQ

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I would move the baby into a different room to keep it safe.

i would also take the cloth off the top of the older birds cage. It may be confused and thinking it has a nest. That would make behavior towards the baby and towards you, worse.
 

sheraz

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Sheraz
I would move the baby into a different room to keep it safe.

i would also take the cloth off the top of the older birds cage. It may be confused and thinking it has a nest. That would make behavior towards the baby and towards you, worse.
It seems as if it's panicking whenever I put it inside the cage and close the cage's door. It also makes a very innocent face whenever I remove the cloth. I feel bad in either ways. It only sleeps under the cloth otherwise it is playing in the room. But since I am a newbie in keeping birds, should I still remove the cloth despite the bird's unwillingness? I will appreciate your response.
 

Zara

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Is this your bedroom? If so, it's not a good idea to allow free roaming birds while you are sleeping, as you could easily injure them.

Remove the cloth/sheet. Set up a nice natural branch high up inside the cage for your older bird to sleep on inside their cage.

Keep both birds completely separate until the younger one is fully weaned - that includes keeping them away from each others cages....... though at 3 weeks old, a lovebird chick should still be in the brooder.
Lovebirds can do serious damage, bite off toes or legs, and to a young chick, damage their beak severely, all through cage bars.
 

sheraz

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Sheraz
Is this your bedroom? If so, it's not a good idea to allow free roaming birds while you are sleeping, as you could easily injure them.

Remove the cloth/sheet. Set up a nice natural branch high up inside the cage for your older bird to sleep on inside their cage.

Keep both birds completely separate until the younger one is fully weaned - that includes keeping them away from each others cages....... though at 3 weeks old, a lovebird chick should still be in the brooder.
Lovebirds can do serious damage, bite off toes or legs, and to a young chick, damage their beak severely, all through cage bars.
Thank God I asked here. I completely agreed with you. I will follow your instructions. Thanks alot.
 
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