How to introduce a friend

[wildheart]

We are back from the other house so I can buy Sterretjie a friend now.

Firstly, will it be a problem if the boy is much younger than her? I have no idea of how old Sterretjie is.

Do I have to keep him in a separate cage first or is this something I can judge when I see how they react towards each other?

Antoinette has the same cage as what I do, is it big enough for two? I think it is but I want to be sure.

Can you direct me to 'rules' that will help me deal with bringing a wild new parrot home.

Can I take Sterretjie with when we go choose a boy or will this freak her out (then again - almost everything still freaks her out)?

I am really scared of this move, I am a person who study books about something before I bring it home. I prepared for my iguana for a whole year before I bought him - we even bought a bigger house so he could have his own jungle room.

I feel very uneducated and this is not right towards the new fellow, but Sterretjie needs a friend.:06:

 

[antoinette]

Hi wildheart, glad to have you back....
I will try assist you, sure other members will give their input as well.
Are the birds going to be the same species, if so I do not see a problem, BUT I am not certain about the age difference. When getting a new bird, the new bird must be kept separate from other birds for about 30 days, in case is illnesses etc.
About the cage, it is a perfect size, just make sure each bird has their own perch, they are quite possessive over perches. In the beginning rather have them in separate cages, until they suss each other out, keep a close eye on them at all times.
I'm not to sure about taking Sterretjie along, you mentioned that almost anything freaks her out. When getting the new bird, introduce them to one another at a slow pace. Perhaps a few minutes each day in the beginning, keeping them apart, at all times. When the 30 days is over, maybe have the cages in the same room, and take it from there.
Remember we even as guardians don't know if "everyone" including our fid's will all get along, it's a chance we take.
Good luck
Hope this was useful

 

[wildheart]

Very helpful thank you.

I did not know that I can keep her with another species, but I assume the same species would be the ideal?

The thing is, I do not want another parrot as a pet, I really do not have anymore spare time therefore something, somewhere will be neglected. In other words if Sterretjie do not get along with the new fellow then I will really have a problem on hand. Please do not take this up wrong, I had all my pets for years and wanted nothing else and then Sterretjie arrived unplanned.... and I treasure every moment with her.

I also thought of taking it real slow and I am definitely going to take the new one to the vet first before anything else.

I did buy a small cage for traveling, I call it Sterretjie's car-seat. It might be big enough for the new fellow although I know that I wont feel that way for long.

This is really scaring me.

 

[wildheart]

The thing is, I do not want another parrot as a pet, I really do not have anymore spare time therefore something, somewhere will be neglected. In other words if Sterretjie do not get along with the new fellow then I will really have a problem on hand. Please do not take this up wrong, I had all my pets for years and wanted nothing else and then Sterretjie arrived unplanned.... and I treasure every moment with her.

This sounds terrible, let me explain. Every animal in my house comes first, that is just the way I am. So, if Sterrietjie do not take him as her friend then I am going to end up being his friend. Then I have 2 parrots who want all my attention all the time instead of one. This will make my current problem double.

 

[apatrimo94]

Ok, I'll try to help you as much as I can. Seems Antoinette covered most of it. I'm guessing your bird is an IRN.

Putting a younger male with an older female is ok. But first the male needs to be in quarantine for 30 days in a separate cage. If all looks well with him after that time, put their cages next to each other. For a week or two, let them interact with each other through the bars. Then supervised, let them both out on top of their cages and watch them interact with each other. Don't put them in the same cages yet, do this for about an hour each day for a week or two. Then eventually put the both of them into the same cage for an hour then put them back into their original cages. Keep doing this until they are completely comfortable with each other. Then make the cage suitable for two birds to live in. Put a few food and water dishes so they don't bicker and put a lot of perches in for them.

Anotinette's cage is big, so yes, it will be big enough for the two of them.

And actually, take her with you when you go to buy the boy. Let her examine the males, find the one she seems most interested in, and get that one. If she does freak out, take her out for a few minutes then bring her back in.

If you feel nervous about the whole pairing not working out; wherever you're getting the new male, talk to the person in charge, explain the situation to them, see if they have a trial for the birds or refunds if it doesn't work out.

Good luck and I hope I helped.

 

[wildheart]

Ok this does not sound so scary anymore.

I thought of taking her with so I can observe her reaction and see if she maybe does like one more than another. I can make a couple of trips over a period so she can just get used to seeing other birds before actually bringing one home.

When 'Sunny' is home and eventually in the same room as her then I will have to put his cage a distance away because Sterretjie is not caged.

This other cage is high but narrow and I really only bought it to use as a car seat, I am battling with the thought of keeping 'Sunny' in it during the day. I can see myself buying another big cage - (I'll have to start working on hubby - again.)

It is hard dealing with an abused bird because they are so much more sensitive and things happen at a snail paste or not at all. Sterretjie is still afraid when anybody picks up a broom, clothes, pillows, dishes, books, jackets ag the list just carries on and on. After 5 months I can pick anything up if I do it very slowly, except for a broom, but we will get there.

 

[Birdamor]

The most important thing about quarantine is twofold:

a) use it to take the bird to the vet and test it for contagious diseases and get a completely blood panel done to see if there is anything else that could be of concern.
b) use it to get the new bird used to you, the new house, the new schedules, the other bird, etc.

People think that if a bird is still looking and acting healthy after thirty days, it's OK but it's not true. There are diseases that are incubated for almost three weeks and very slow to show symptoms (chlamydiosis been one of them), so, in reality, thirty days are not good for anything in terms of contagion prevention. That's why it's very important to get the bird tested at the vet's.

It would be better if your bird could choose her own mate but, if she freaks out when she goes out, she is not going to do anything but fret. She would be too stressed out and worrying about her own safety to do anything else. So, IMPO, under the circumstances, I think it would be better if you got the bird on your own. Maybe you can work out some kind of an arrangement where a couple of birds can come over to your house so your bird can see them in her own, safe territory and choose one of them.

After that, let them both out of their cages at the same time and put them in a neutral territory (another room, where there would be no cages -you can use stands). If they fall in love at first sight, you will know right away by their behaviors but, even if they don't, time has a way of working its magic when it comes to love.