New birds settling in...

I'm the proud owner of two young Fischers - they're about ten weeks old and I brought them home from a breeder about a week ago (sex unknown).

They seem to be settling in great - eating (mostly millet!), drinking and sleeping fine.

However, they are very jittery. They're in my office/spare room at home, which is a well-used room so they aren't isolated or anything like that. But every time someone walks into the room, or even past it, they absolutely freak out - fluttering dramatically onto the furthest side of the cage and tweeting in alarm.

But if you approach their cage and stand or sit there, within a minute or two they completely calm down and start going about their business again. They'll quite happily play, eat, squabble, drink... even come up to my side of the cage to get a better look at me. In fact, they're even happy to step up onto a spare perch and be taken out of their cage to eat millet (though they're still very guarded doing this and will fly off if I so much as twitch a finger).

Has anyone else had a similar experience? Is this something that will pass in time? I know it's very early days, but it seems to be getting worse not better. Just a minute ago I came home after being out for about five minutes and they did their usual freak-out when I walked past their room.

I've even taken to announcing my presence as I approach now, so they at least know I'm coming! Not that it makes any difference.

Any advice on this would be appreciated. I don't necessarily want hand-tame lovebirds (else I would have got just one), but it would be nice to know they're happy in their new home and not scared of my mere presence

extremely normal first week. Being able to come out on a perch even if jittery is a huge leap. Try sitting next to them reading with an open hand in the cage containing a fine selection of treats for them. It's how I got my conure to open up to me (also an excellent workout for your arm)

all just takes some time, you can get them completely tame and happy with you around and still entertain each other. Just give them some time and let them slowly open up to you. Right now is a scary time for them to be abducted from their home and be stuck with a big scary monster

Just a side thought, I assume these birds are siblings? Please be sure to never provide a happy hut or other ear like cavity that could encourage them to breed. Decide early what you will do if they actually do lay eggs.


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yes Sage I suddenly realized that last night when I was at the gym. If it comes down to it in the future (if they are siblings) it may be best to seperate if you ever see mating happening

Thanks for the replies. I've read around quite a bit and it seems that patience is the key - and in fact they might never be fully comfortable by the sounds of it. I'm happy with that, so long as they're happy.

And I haven't and won't put any happy huts or any other nest-like cavities in their cage because, yes, they are siblings and I don't want them breeding. If they ever try to then I'm not really sure what I'll do but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it!

Noah said:

Thanks for the replies. I've read around quite a bit and it seems that patience is the key - and in fact they might never be fully comfortable by the sounds of it. I'm happy with that, so long as they're happy.

And I haven't and won't put any happy huts or any other nest-like cavities in their cage because, yes, they are siblings and I don't want them breeding. If they ever try to then I'm not really sure what I'll do but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it!

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You never know, some birds just take some time, so as long as they can still see you/or your sat next to them, they will start to learn that your not going to hurt them

If they show signs of breeding, then you'll just have to separate them straight away

Jobiness said:

Noah said:

Thanks for the replies. I've read around quite a bit and it seems that patience is the key - and in fact they might never be fully comfortable by the sounds of it. I'm happy with that, so long as they're happy.

And I haven't and won't put any happy huts or any other nest-like cavities in their cage because, yes, they are siblings and I don't want them breeding. If they ever try to then I'm not really sure what I'll do but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it!

Click to expand...

You never know, some birds just take some time, so as long as they can still see you/or your sat next to them, they will start to learn that your not going to hurt them

If they show signs of breeding, then you'll just have to separate them straight away

Click to expand...

Permanently?

yes, separate cages though next to each other for company and supervised outside cage time

The last thing you want is incestuous babies as they often have deformities

LordTriggs said:

yes, separate cages though next to each other for company and supervised outside cage time

The last thing you want is incestuous babies as they often have deformities

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Oh right! I'm not sure I want two cages or have got the space for that matter. Would I be better off taking one back to the breeder now before their bond becomes too strong?

Noah said:

LordTriggs said:

yes, separate cages though next to each other for company and supervised outside cage time

The last thing you want is incestuous babies as they often have deformities

Click to expand...

Oh right! I'm not sure I want two cages or have got the space for that matter. Would I be better off taking one back to the breeder now before their bond becomes too strong?

Click to expand...

Well that is up too you, but if you feel you wont be able to sort out more room or be able to have 2 cages, then I suggest one would go back as soon as. You never know, with one being on its own as well, he/she might take to you better as the other bird isn't distracting it
You can buy cages that have a separation wall in the middle, so in that way they are not taking to much room.
I have had these before as the same thing happened to me, instead I just bought a cage that was pretty much the same size they were in but just had the separation wall, things worked out perfectly.
It would be best to find out their sex, if they are two males then there is no problem.

yes much like said above. Get a dna test done on both, it would solve much of the problem instantly, if they're both the same gender then there's nothing to worry about

Okay - good advice. I'll get them DNA tested and hopefully they're both the same 'flavour'!