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Success stories for formerly fighting parrots

Con-undrum

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Tim
Hi everyone,

I am new to the Avian Avenue fora and was just wondering if anyone had any successful stories of formerly fighting birds reconciling or becoming friends over time.

If so what steps, training, environmental changes you think may have been a positive contributor to (re)building that positive relationship?

I see a lot of stories about parrots suddenly fighting, including those which had been co-housed for years, with people looking for advice; but I haven't seen many examples of positive outcomes in the long-term so if anyone has had that experience I'd love to hear about it!

I must admit that this question is also a personal one for me as two of my three male green cheek conures (>5yrs) started fighting two months ago out of nowhere. They are housed separately now and able to sit on me without arguing but the adjustment from having three amigos has been hard. Would just love to know that there is a possibility things could improve even if its months or years down the track.

Cheers!
 

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FeatheredM

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Following because I've got a moody conure that causes all sorts of drama.
 

Pixiebeak

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yes I've had parrots who didn't get along become friends and even best buddies.

What helped, flighted, large number of out of cage perches ( I easily have 30) plus a few hanging stations. So there is plenty of room to retreat and give space. Because flighted most would choose flight over fight.

Not allowing squabbles, use the same phrase, be nice, be careful. Then misbehave one is put up ( a couple if miniuts works fine to get the point across) they do learn , after lots of times of hearing your chosen phrase like be nice, they learn. They totally fel shamed in being shifted. I can even just shift the bad one to a nearby perch and the point is made.

Lots of positive association . Have one with you visit the other and give treats to each while praising how good they see. Then switching. Stationed them out of cage on nearby perches and praise and treats for staying put not charging each-other.

Flock feeds. I use a table with towel down so no slipping, or my breakfast bar, then spread out yummy foods and place them at least 2 feet apart and don't allow negative behavior or they are put up. Birds are flock creatures and can feed and play nice in mixed species flocks. Have a group feed is very positive.

Mine are all caged separate at night, but out all day together.

Some if my birds friendships took 2 years to develop. They developed to preening and snuggles together. But before that they could all be out together and be nice and respectful.
 

Wardy

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Following because I've got a moody conure that causes all sorts of drama.
Possibly due to being with different sized birds ?
KiKi is 10 grams smaller than Mojo but same beak size they have had the occasional spat however last week they had a real flare up and i had to seperate them different rooms for a few hours.
They are not particularly moody they are just conures, if there is drama with smaller birds it might be worth considering seperate out of cage time.
 

Con-undrum

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Tim
yes I've had parrots who didn't get along become friends and even best buddies.

What helped, flighted, large number of out of cage perches ( I easily have 30) plus a few hanging stations. So there is plenty of room to retreat and give space. Because flighted most would choose flight over fight.

Not allowing squabbles, use the same phrase, be nice, be careful. Then misbehave one is put up ( a couple if miniuts works fine to get the point across) they do learn , after lots of times of hearing your chosen phrase like be nice, they learn. They totally fel shamed in being shifted. I can even just shift the bad one to a nearby perch and the point is made.

Lots of positive association . Have one with you visit the other and give treats to each while praising how good they see. Then switching. Stationed them out of cage on nearby perches and praise and treats for staying put not charging each-other.

Flock feeds. I use a table with towel down so no slipping, or my breakfast bar, then spread out yummy foods and place them at least 2 feet apart and don't allow negative behavior or they are put up. Birds are flock creatures and can feed and play nice in mixed species flocks. Have a group feed is very positive.

Mine are all caged separate at night, but out all day together.

Some if my birds friendships took 2 years to develop. They developed to preening and snuggles together. But before that they could all be out together and be nice and respectful.

Thanks so much for that Pixiebeak! It really is so heartening to hear about building back to positive relationships between feathered friends.

I have three green cheeks Russell, Bromley and Hugo who have lived together and been in the same cage together for five years, until two months ago Russell and Bromley started fighting out of nowhere. Thankfully no one was injured just a few under-fluff feathers lost.

My boys are all flighted, and now separated (Hugo like a child of divorce switches who he stays with), I have done the group feedings and they have had a good success rate, I use those dog bowls with the ripples and swirls in them so they have to work to forage. I think you might be spot on about getting more perching spots however, currently they just have the top of their cage, a big java play stand and the backs of chairs, so more options might be ideal.

I'll be bullet-pointing your advice and working off it going forward!
 

Pixiebeak

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also gcc they hold grudges! Absolutely no back down in them.
If something happened between the two .
And prone to jealousy

But they are easy to bribe ( safflower seeds work awesome for mine) and susceptible to flattery and bragging! Thats been such a big perk in getting mine past any bumps in the road.

Paying some extra one on one time to your biggest
trouble maker might also help soomth things over.

I had 2 female gcc that were very closely bonded. Most of the time of their years together they shared a cage and slept laying on top of each other. But many different times I'd have to split them to their own cafe for a few weeks or months. I'm not sure if it was Hormones or just times they got on each others nerves. There would be resource guarding and bumps from favorite perches.

Love to see more pic of your cuties
 

Con-undrum

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Tim
also gcc they hold grudges! Absolutely no back down in them.
If something happened between the two .
And prone to jealousy

But they are easy to bribe ( safflower seeds work awesome for mine) and susceptible to flattery and bragging! Thats been such a big perk in getting mine past any bumps in the road.

Paying some extra one on one time to your biggest
trouble maker might also help soomth things over.

I had 2 female gcc that were very closely bonded. Most of the time of their years together they shared a cage and slept laying on top of each other. But many different times I'd have to split them to their own cafe for a few weeks or months. I'm not sure if it was Hormones or just times they got on each others nerves. There would be resource guarding and bumps from favorite perches.

Love to see more pic of your cuties
I'm thinking it may be hormonal as the weather has been incredibly off this winter (Australia) and there was a bit of nesting behaviour from the boys when they shouldn't have had any thoughts of it for a few more weeks. We are heading into prime hormone season now however so I'll remain vigilant and hopefully the grudge might relax with time and positive reinforcement.

I think like all parrot parents I have hundreds of pics of The Beebs as they're known to friends and family.
The turquoise is Bromley (the ditsy flirt), Russell is the pineapple (the smart chonk), and Hugo is the natural green (the sassy independent one).
 

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Pixiebeak

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All 3 stunning! Gorgeous trio
Are they all DNA male?
 
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