Can they ever be friends?

[zERo]

Hey guys, I didn't know if putting this thread in Behavioral was right.

My Gcc Tom, is a real cuddler, so much so that he wants another bird to cuddle with too. He is sooo gentle with the budgies and has never hurt them, my two male budgies, Striga and Billy, love Tom especially, the both preen his tail and wings and flirt with him like mad. Tom only wants to sit right next to one of them, you know the way conures do, REALLY close, but the budgies are just being budgies, they don't do that, not even to each other.

My Quaker Tony is not exactly nice to the budgies, if they get to close he snaps at them, but he has learned to be pretty tolerable of them, even tries to talk 'budgie talk' with them lol.

My question is how should I go about trying to get my Quaker and Gcc to be friends? I feel like they would both benefit from the relationship if they would just try! I don't get them out at the same time, I'm afraid they may hurt each other, it has happened before, Tony bit one of Toms toes through the top of his cage. Now I just lay a thick quilt on top of Tonys cage so he can't go biting any toes.
Do you guys think it's possible?

 

[kme3388]

Hey guys, I didn't know if putting this thread in Behavioral was right.

My Gcc Tom, is a real cuddler, so much so that he wants another bird to cuddle with too. He is sooo gentle with the budgies and has never hurt them, my two male budgies, Striga and Billy, love Tom especially, the both preen his tail and wings and flirt with him like mad. Tom only wants to sit right next to one of them, you know the way conures do, REALLY close, but the budgies are just being budgies, they don't do that, not even to each other.

My Quaker Tony is not exactly nice to the budgies, if they get to close he snaps at them, but he has learned to be pretty tolerable of them, even tries to talk 'budgie talk' with them lol.

My question is how should I go about trying to get my Quaker and Gcc to be friends? I feel like they would both benefit from the relationship if they would just try! I don't get them out at the same time, I'm afraid they may hurt each other, it has happened before, Tony bit one of Toms toes through the top of his cage. Now I just lay a thick quilt on top of Tonys cage so he can't go biting any toes.
Do you guys think it's possible?

I am currently going through this situation with 2 conures. One's a sun, and the other jenday. I do let them out at the same time. I put a bowl of seed on the top of my suns cage (not a ton of seed but enough for a distraction). They both go up there to eat the seed. They do take turns. Once in awhile they snip at each other, but its not as bad as it was without the distraction. They have pellets in their cages that is offered all day long so the seed is a treat. They are so excited, and distracted that they don't care that they are by each other. I have moved their cages side by side so they can get used to each other.

With my experience I think it takes time to get birds used to each other. Especially sense both of my conures were never around any other birds. I'm not really rushing the process.

 

[zERo]

I am currently going through this situation with 2 conures. One's a sun, and the other jenday. I do let them out at the same time. I put a bowl of seed on the top of my suns cage (not a ton of seed but enough for a distraction). They both go up there to eat the seed. They do take turns. Once in awhile they snip at each other, but its not as bad as it was without the distraction. They have pellets in their cages that is offered all day long so the seed is a treat. They are so excited, and distracted that they don't care that they are by each other. I have moved their cages side by side so they can get used to each other.

With my experience I think it takes time to get birds used to each other. Especially sense both of my conures were never around any other birds. I'm not really rushing the process.

I'm not sure they'd share food.
Their cages are about 3 feet apart, the thing is Tom will fight anything it doesn't matter how big the opponent and he doesn't back down unless I remove him from the situation.
Tony is more subdued but will not hesitate to attack other birds his size.
Should I try setting them both on different perches and see how it goes?

 

[kme3388]

Always be near if they are out together to intervene if needed. I do my best not to force the relationship, but to keep them occupied when they are both out. Rather it’s with a toy, seed, or training. You could put them both on a separate stand, and then train with one, and then the other. That way they are both engaged in something. I wouldn’t leave them out bored, and with nothing else to do but bicker. My thought process is eventually they will be used to each other’s presence, and eventually stop seeing one another as a threat.

In the bird world usually there is a dominant one. I’ve tried to do some research to see if this is something a flock has to go through, and process. I just try to make it as safe as possible.