|
|
|
Boris_the_senegal_parrot
Just hatched
Joined: 19 Nov 2005
Posts: 43
Location: Toulouse, FRANCE |
| Advice for a second parrot |
 |
|
Hi,
I am thinking of getting another Senegal for company for Boris as in a few weeks' time I won't be a student anymore so during the day Boris will always be on his own.
I'm thinking of getting a young Senegal bred by its parents but "socialized" towards humans while still in the nest.
For those who don't know Boris, he's a wild Senegal, I've had him for five years and he's been tame for the last year and a half.
I am looking for advice/experience concerning bringing in a new bird while making sure the "old" one will be neither jealous or aggressive towards the new one. Do you think that if they get on very well Boris might start being aggressive with ME?
Thanks to you all!
Bye
Marie
PS : check out Boris' homepage : there's a new video at the bottom of the page where he does his two tricks! |
Friday January 12, 2007 6:50 pm |
|
|
Cathy
Kamikaze pilot
Joined: 02 Apr 2005
Posts: 6673
Location: Omaha, NE USA |
Hi Marie! Boris is just a doll, you've really come a long way with him 
I love all the Boris movies, but I wasn't able to view the new one  Maybe it didn't upload correctly? I especially love the video of him getting a shower - he really seems to LOVE it
As far as bringing home another one, I wouldn't think that would change his attitude toward you. People advise that you should give the current bird seniority status by making sure he is the first one uncover in the mornings (if you cover him at nite), the first one fed, etc ...
And, of course keep the new bird quarantined for a period of at 30 days (my avian vet recommends 6 wks).
I wouldn't attempt housing them together in the same cage, but I'm sure Boris would love hearing & seeing another bird in the home. Well ... I'm not
sure
, but hopefully |
|
Friday January 12, 2007 8:45 pm |
|
|
Fluffy Sue
Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 10073
|
| Re: Advice for a second parrot |
|
|
Hi Marie,
I have looked at Boris' page many times and I really enjoy it. Cute video you put there by the way! I love seeing Boris performing. He's soooo cute! Turning around and waving. What a cutie! Did it take you long to teach him that?
I think it's a very good idea to choose a bird that has been raised by its parents and has been socialized by humans.
WOuld you really like a pair of birds? My avian vet (mainly for companionparrots) doesn't advice to get two birds of the same species if you want to keep them as a pet. |
|
Friday January 12, 2007 10:40 pm |
|
|
|
|
Jrmno1
Flying tumbler
Joined: 28 Aug 2005
Posts: 2310
Location: Ohio, USA |
Hi Marie,
I have had a lot of experence at mixed birds. My Sennie expererence is limited though. I would never say that Sue or her Vet is wrong. But just something else for you top think about... (as if you don't have enough already)... But I believe that my birds turly consider me as a member of the flock, another bird. So if a bond, a long term bond has been establish between you and boris I don't see a major problem, with one exception....I would make sure of boris's gender and then make sure you get the same sex bird. Then when breeding season comes along you don't loss the bond you have with him...
This is only my openion. But then to consider another breed of bird, I do believe that it would be best to get another breed about the same size as Boris....
John |
|
Friday January 12, 2007 11:17 pm |
|
|
Boris_the_senegal_parrot
Just hatched
Joined: 19 Nov 2005
Posts: 43
Location: Toulouse, FRANCE |
|
|
|
Hi everyone!
Thanks for answering my question!!
After a LOT of thinking and asking around parrot forums for advice/experience, I have finally decided to postpone getting a new parrot for now.
I would have preferred the second parrot to be a Sennie girl (Boris is definitely a boy, I had him sexed last week) so that one day who knows?? I could have baby Borises!
But to make sure that things go well between the two parrots, I felt that I needed to have a lot of time for them : as much time for Boris as now so that he doesn't feel jealous, and also time for the new one for her taming, and most of all time and patience to teach them to live together (the idea was to get another parrot who could live with Boris in the same cage after a certain time).
Right now I would have time for that but at the end of next month my student life is finished and I start working... so I will not have as much time for parrots as now!
If after this 6-month internship I can't find a job, then maybe I'll think about getting a little girl parrot again!
It took me a lot of time & thinking to get to this conclusion but I think it's the right thing to do if I want to be sure that things go well for Boris nd his new friend!
What do you think?
Thanks again for your answers!
Marie and her Brat Bird Boris |
|
Friday January 26, 2007 8:59 pm |
|
|
Fluffy Sue
Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 10073
|
Marie, I think you made a very good decision. From the way you've thought about things.. I think it's the right one.
You can always decide to get Boris a friend.. But once his friend would be there, you couldn't go back easily.. 
Just see how Boris does, and then you can always revise your decision.
Hugs to Boris! 
Sue |
|
Saturday January 27, 2007 4:14 pm |
|
|
|
|
Cheeta
Moderator
Joined: 06 Apr 2005
Posts: 7970
Location: Australia |
Marie,
I commend on your decision to hold back. getting a new bird should be what you want for yourself, but never as a companion bird for Boris. because not all birds will take to each other, and they might end up having issues with each other, then what would you do then. I'm glad you've waited to hold off until a bit later and see how you feel about things then.
Good luck with the 'endings' of your studies and also good luck with your internship and job hunting after. |
|
Saturday January 27, 2007 4:42 pm |
|
|
Cathy
Kamikaze pilot
Joined: 02 Apr 2005
Posts: 6673
Location: Omaha, NE USA |
You did good  I really have to commend you for not jumping into something without giving it a whole lot of thought & soul searching first! |
|
Saturday January 27, 2007 4:55 pm |
|
|
Ann Castro
Just hatched
Joined: 06 Feb 2007
Posts: 42
|
|
|
|
hmmm....you may want to consider this:
Here in Germany oru animal welfare rules demand that parrots are kept at least pairwise (wame species, opposite sex mates). Germany love their pets to be tame just as much as the next person.
While I am writing this - I have a pair of Greenwings perched on my shoulders (which are getting sore from the weight) feeding each other and alternatingly grooming my (yes, you read right, my) hair. Most of my parrots are mated and most are silly tame. So quite frankly - it is just another urban legend that parrots lose their pet quality, if the get a mate.
Parrots are flock animals and prey animals to boot. A parrot alone in the wild is a dead parrot. So, you may want to consider how stressful it is for a parrot to be alone. Their instincts are stills trong as they are not domesticated.
In all the single birds I have taken in I found that once they have a mate and are integrated into the flock - the problems with biting, screaming and sometimes even with plucking (which is the most difficult habit to cure) just fade away.
Just some things to consider...
Ann. |
|
Tuesday February 6, 2007 3:53 pm |
|
|
|
|
Ann Castro
Just hatched
Joined: 06 Feb 2007
Posts: 42
|
ugh...sorry...there is not edit button so I cannot take out my typos. 
Ann. |
|
Tuesday February 6, 2007 4:01 pm |
|
|
Boris_the_senegal_parrot
Just hatched
Joined: 19 Nov 2005
Posts: 43
Location: Toulouse, FRANCE |
Hi Ann,
thank you for your answer. I had no idea that that was the rule in Germany! It seems to me like a very good thing.
As you might have read just before, I have decided to delay getting a new parrot until I have more time for them, as I have read quite a few testimonies making me understand that Boris might not be too happy if I go too fast in introducing a girl parrot.
But I have definitely not abandonned the idea, on the contrary, I still often think about it. But not just yet, I don't want to risk ending up with two parrots hating each other!
Thank you anyway for your information, I'm quite sure Boris would be less nervous if he had a feathered friend, especially a girl Boris!
Bye
Marie |
|
Tuesday February 6, 2007 4:21 pm |
|
|
Ann Castro
Just hatched
Joined: 06 Feb 2007
Posts: 42
|
|
|
|
Oh yes, definitely. Introduction can be tricky. Many owners are so nervous that they react everytime the brids get even the slightest bit unfriendly, thus reinforcing exactly that...LOL
I work too - long hours. The most important thing is to have enough space so that the brids can get away freom each other. Hey, Romeo and Juliet would have killed each other, if you had locked them in the guest toilet the whole day long, right?
I personally, would get a friend right away - it will take some time to find one, do the vet tests and get throught he quarantine period. After all you do not want to bring a disease home to Boris.
Once the new bird medically is checked out clean - I would let them together in a big space like the living room where each of them can get away from the other (are they flighted? I hope so - it makes it sooo much easier). Meanwhile you can get a new larger cage, or the old one if it is large enough, redecorated and maybe even moved to a different place. This makes it feel like new territory to Boris, too and reduces potential trouble from him defending "his" space.
Ann. |
|
Tuesday February 6, 2007 4:32 pm |
|
|
|
|
Cathy
Kamikaze pilot
Joined: 02 Apr 2005
Posts: 6673
Location: Omaha, NE USA |
That's wonderful advice Ann! I think you are so right, that we some times tend to re-inforce the behaviour when we get a bit scared & try to "break up" a potential fight, rather than letting them work it out on their own (to a certain extent anyway - you wouldn't want one to actually harm the other).
I did that when my step daughter brought her macaw over to spend time with mine, I got a bit scared & intervened too quickly I think. |
|
Tuesday February 6, 2007 4:47 pm |
|
|
Ann Castro
Just hatched
Joined: 06 Feb 2007
Posts: 42
|
Well - this is normal. So you have to retrain yor self. That is actually what most behaviour training is about. Not training the parrots, but the owners.
Seriously, it can look awfully scary when two parrots fight or play. The worst are allt he pairs i have, you'd think they'd hate each other, btu two seconds later they are smooching away...LOL. Observing this very many times has certainly put it into perspective for me. Sometimes they have scratches, but they don#t do any damage to each other,a s a rule (provided they have anough spce and can get a brak from each other).
The only exceptions would be cockatoos. I am very cautious with them.
Ann. |
|
Tuesday February 6, 2007 4:59 pm |
|
|
Ann Castro
Just hatched
Joined: 06 Feb 2007
Posts: 42
|
BTW in the second video which I just uploaded to me hp here - you cansee just how tame they are.
Ann. |
|
Tuesday February 6, 2007 5:18 pm |
|
|
|
|
All times are GMT. The time now is Tuesday December 2, 2008 9:57 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
