About to become a Senegal(times two!) owner

hi, i'm new!
got an opinion on this?

i am about to adopt two senegals, clutch mates who have lived in the same nice big spacious cage their whole lives together. i will be the second owner, the previous owners say they are three years old.
no eggs so they are assumed male.
from my limited research i have read they dont reach sexual maturity until 3-4years old, hens sometimes sooner, so the fact that they havent laid eggs and that they seem identical may not be a very accurate indication of gender.

IF what i know about them is fairly accurate( im getting this info from their owners who bought them 'three years ago at bird hut' a local bird store here in portland), if they reach maturity soon can they continue to live together? can i use the band info to track down their breeder history and if so, how does it work?
A. if they ARE both males will there become issues of territory or dominance living together?
B. if they are male and female will they have to be separated to make sure they dont have offspring?
C. are adult senegals regardless of sex happy, as adults, to share a single cage?

ive had a sennie in the past so know about diet needs, basic behaviors etc but cannot find anything online to answer the above concerns.
most likely i will try to come up with the money( these sennie's arent free though they are letting me have them at a great price with the cage) and get the birds to a avian vet for a check up and gender identification.

any thoughts on your end appreciated. if your expertise doesnt extend to senegals no biggie, just thought i'd ask!
hannah

hannah42 said:

from my limited research i have read they dont reach sexual maturity until 3-4years old, hens sometimes sooner, so the fact that they havent laid eggs and that they seem identical may not be a very accurate indication of gender.

Click to expand...

That right there is a pretty smart statement ... just because a young bird hasn't laid an egg yet it can not be assumed that it's a male ... If you are going to the vet anyway for a wing/nail clip / well birdy exam have them sexed, might just make this easier in the long run anyway ...

hannah42 said:

IF what i know about them is fairly accurate( im getting this info from their owners who bought them 'three years ago at bird hut' a local bird store here in portland), if they reach maturity soon can they continue to live together? can i use the band info to track down their breeder history and if so, how does it work?
A. if they ARE both males will there become issues of territory or dominance living together?
B. if they are male and female will they have to be separated to make sure they dont have offspring?
C. are adult senegals regardless of sex happy, as adults, to share a single cage?

Click to expand...

Yes, it is entirely possible that could happen ...
I would, clutchmates probably shouldn't mate (read: "brothers and sisters shouldn't mate")
I would think that as long as the cage is big enough so that they can both have their personal space, and there isn't any other issues, why not?

Hopefully this helps a little, but like I said, I am sure that the other members who have sennies will put their two cents in here too ...

Again, welcome to the forum, hope you like it here!

~ :50: Tex

Welcome to the Parrot Forums.

I have a Senegal myself. You gotta love those little guys. I don't know anything about keeping them togther but I think I would have to agree with what Tex said. Myself personally would give them seperate cages. You can also call your vet and get their opinion on it.

Hope you enjoy your time here at the parrot forums. There is usually lots of people here for support and advice or just to listen.

hannah42 said:

hi, i'm new!
got an opinion on this?

i am about to adopt two senegals, clutch mates who have lived in the same nice big spacious cage their whole lives together. i will be the second owner, the previous owners say they are three years old.
no eggs so they are assumed male.
from my limited research i have read they dont reach sexual maturity until 3-4years old, hens sometimes sooner, so the fact that they havent laid eggs and that they seem identical may not be a very accurate indication of gender.

IF what i know about them is fairly accurate( im getting this info from their owners who bought them 'three years ago at bird hut' a local bird store here in portland), if they reach maturity soon can they continue to live together? can i use the band info to track down their breeder history and if so, how does it work?
A. if they ARE both males will there become issues of territory or dominance living together?
B. if they are male and female will they have to be separated to make sure they dont have offspring?
C. are adult senegals regardless of sex happy, as adults, to share a single cage?

ive had a sennie in the past so know about diet needs, basic behaviors etc but cannot find anything online to answer the above concerns.
most likely i will try to come up with the money( these sennie's arent free though they are letting me have them at a great price with the cage) and get the birds to a avian vet for a check up and gender identification.

any thoughts on your end appreciated. if your expertise doesnt extend to senegals no biggie, just thought i'd ask!
hannah

Click to expand...

Hi Hannah! Welcome to the forums and maybe back to Sennie land !

To be blunt... with all of your questions, what are you willing to handle and how committed are you to handling it? The cheap (price) can become expensive (care) and with the issues you presented, it's not just money expensive - but time, patience, and love.

Unknown number of homes, unknown gender, always kept together, pre/at maturity, etc. are good questions to ask. Bottom line is, with what I know and more importantly with what I don't - what are you willing to handle? If you're at do they/don't they/option A, B, or C, then do them and you a favor and don't.

There are a few people on this forum who rescue and care for, um, the forgotton, abused, neglected, and pass-around fids. The 'baggage' and the unknowns they deal with and have are frightening.

As a Sennie owner myself, I love my Keupi. I couldn't imagine life without that darling feathered face and the twilight zone reality of being around a three-year old alien with a can opener attachment.

But the great price you indicated (as well as the money you can probably gather) to get two Sennies - well, the cheap can become expensive (and it's not just money). From the questions you posed, are you able/willing to do any/all/combination, and then do more - money and time?

If yes, then get them to the vet - get the sexing done and ask the vet 'what now?' From there, you can move forward with your new darlings and ask away and a 'flock' is here to help/support/laugh/cry/etc.

I'm sorry if this post is 'dampering.' You've definitely done your research and are aware of the scenarios, but it's your time, your pocketbook... well, you. Birds, nor any animal (even a rodent - dayum Flyte with the Brew pics), are an if/then. But, with the research you've done and the possibilities/probabilities/etc - it kind of comes down to you.

Sorry if that was blunt, but that's the best advice I can give.