Odds of getting 2 hens to get along?

GoodFairy

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So as title says I'd like to hear from experience of others what are the chances that 2 hens might get along? Would it ever be safe to have them in same cage? I know they are notorious for killing males but couldn't find how 2 females get along? Obviously at this point I have no intention of even letting them out together but would like to know is there a chance they could safely get along over time. As of now like I wrote in another thread they have separate cages and we let them out in shifts lol when one is out we even cover the other one, just to stay safe that they can't fly to each other's cage. Today I saw our old one heart shaping her wings and regurgitating at the new one. But she's generally super aggressive and mean so I wouldn't trust that much yet, just curious is it a good sign that she might be accepting her?
 

SilverSage

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My hens have learned not to kill each other when out of their cages but I don’t know ANYONE who has ADULT female IRNs loving safely in the same cage, even sisters from the same clutch will turn on each other.


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GoodFairy

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Noted, thank you. I searched at various sites and couldn't fins anything specific. I've seen 2 males or male and female but never 2 females together. Our old one is moody and can behave really crazy at times so I think it won't work either. The new one is much more gentle and shows no interest in her whatsoever. She does get scared from her at times only
 

SilverSage

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Yeah that is because no one ever does it successfully. I actually have birds in my flock because their owner was convinced she could get 3 hens to live together peacefully since they were raised together, but it didn’t work.


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GoodFairy

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Oh yeah, I notice what you mean. I can't leave them unsupervised for a second when they are out. One likes to fly to another's cage just to provoke her and then they both want to bite. So keeping an eye on them to not get in contact again, only letting them see each other. Was just wondering is it cause we introduced them to each other during breeding season or if they'll remain like that. They're both hormonal now. We keep a good eye on them to avoid any problems from now on.
 

Aspie_Aviphile

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I have found a bunch of parrot charities to financially support since Bo passed away, and I have found two different parrot charities here trying to match a female companion for a single female before adopting them out, because they aren't deemed tame enough to bond well with a human. They aren't IRN specialists and are run by volunteer parrot lovers, so I want to ask them if they are planning to have them in same cage and other questions but I don't know enough about the issues myself to really start advising them with any detail except that I know hens in a regular sized cage are dangerous to each other. I worry that the plan of having them provide flock companionship together won't work even if they don't fight, but I just don't know because I've only ever had a single male IRN.
 

SilverSage

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IRN hens need to be caged separately. It MIGHT work with a male but often does not.


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GoodFairy

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Ok I need to ask less related question but thought it might be better to post in same topic instead of making new one. So can someone tell me what they think, would new parrot copy behavior of the old one? Thing is, our old one literally hates me. While she adores my bf. So I gave up, accepted it as it is. When new bird came we were told by previous owner that she's a biter and very loud. But she was super cute, she did not even try to bite us and would cuddle with us both and she was very silent in general. So I was happy that finally we have a bird that doesn't hate me. She starts cuddling less with me as days go by, only accepting my bf again, but I didn't push it, just let it be, all good as long as she doesn't bite. She nibbled a finger at times when I approached her but it was very gentle, like just checking " oh just a finger, ok, not interested" .And guess what? She now hates me and bites me too. First time I approached as usual and she bit me instead of nibbling. I gave it a rest and next time same thing happens. She even attacks at face! Old one does not do that! She would attack and bite but she never lunged at my face! There was literally no reason for this to happen, no trigger, nothing I did to make her mad. She went from perfectly normal bird to a complete jerk towards me without a single accident to cause it. We even took care that it wasn't me who puts her in the cage or who forbids her things she can't bite just to make sure she doesn't start hating me. I spend all days with her due to this lockdown anyway, give her various foods to taste when I make something and this is what I got. At this point I'm beyond disappointed and just want to understand if she copied behavior of the other one or what is this about? She bit previous owner really badly the night before he brought her, he showed us the bite it was like a razor cut deep. But she was behaving very well until 2 days ago.
 
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GoodFairy

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No they're both 4 years old. That's what previous owner told me at least about new bird. Our old one is surely 4 years since we bought her when she was 5 months old. Idk what happens with this bird. She wasn't biting yesterday and today again back to biting...she will no longer let me touch her at all. She's kinda strange. I know with old one when she wants to bite based on her eyes zooming and puffing her head lol but this one does it when she's not mad too. It's risky to approach her, can't tell so easily if she's mad or just normal. Her head feathers are puffed a lot of times
 

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