Parrot Cage

By Krista M on Sep 26, 2009 | Reply

Sure, you can physically stuff them in the same cage, but as to whether you should? That’s a much harder question.

Do you have one bird already, and are buying a second bird? If so, I would not recommend housing them together at the start. Cage them separately for a while (after the initial 30 day quarantine period) and make sure they are getting along well after several trials of supervised interaction.

If they have been housed together already, such as at the pet store or from their previous home, then it should be fine.

Remember to get a DNA test done, though. Just ‘thinking’ they are male is not good enough. Quakers are not sexually dimorphic and the only way to determine gender is by DNA, or sugical, sexing.

By zingarette on Sep 27, 2009 | Reply

When combining cages, there are a lot of things to consider. Gender doesn’t always equal success or failure. Birds are actually a lot like people in the sense that they have variable personalities. Just as you might be friends with a girl or boy, birds will too. Also, just as you might really like someone one day, and really *not* like them the next, birds will do that too.

The other problem you run into is if the cage has belonged to one bird first, that bird will likely be very territorial. If you put another bird in (male OR female) that bird may not be too happy, and may put up a fight, harming the other bird, or becoming harmed himself. Most people I know with multiple birds (myself included) have separate cages for each bird. This is a safety precaution, and a comfort issue for the birds. Birds like the security of having a place of their own.

Definitely introduce the birds to each other, let them get to know each other in “neutral” territory. A room they’ve never been in, with no windows, plenty of space, and no mirrors (basically no distractions). I’ve taken my birds into the bathroom, and covered the mirror with a sheet. Put them opposite each other (give them plenty of space!!!) and let them “have a conversation”. This will likely look like fighting, at least a little. They will probably lock beaks, and yell at each other. They’re establishing dominance. If they begin to scratch at each other or bite harmfully in other areas of the body, you need to separate them. They might well bite you hard in the process. But it will give them a chance to establish a “pecking order” so to speak. I know this sounds violent, or cruel, but I promise you this is a natural occurrence in flocks. I have a friend who has a large aviary (upwards of 10-20 different birds) with many different species. They’re all great friends, and very much considered a flock. These birds have been together for years, and they still “have conversations” like this every once in a while. It helps maintain dominance, and pecking order.

If this makes you worried or uncomfortable, just keep them in separate cages. That is totally fine! Give them their out of cage time separately. Then, you won’t have to worry about them interacting in a way that could cause harm.

Again, the best cage to put two birds into (as long as the birds are already friendly with each other!) is one that neither of them has lived in or seen before. That way there are no territorial issues already present. The cage needs to be sufficiently sized for two birds. For example, a cage just big enough for one Quaker, is not big enough for two. In a cramped space, they will fight. If you do decide to cage them together, keep an eye on them. Even if they’ve been caged together for a year, they may still have a serious disagreement, and a rather big fight. We had a pair of Cockatiels who had been living together at the store I work at for almost a year, and out of nowhere began to fight. These were a male and female pair, and they just stopped getting along. We separated them, and they were fine. So, always, keep an eye on the birds. Give them plenty of toys, make sure they both get a chance to eat and one isn’t hoarding all the food. Make sure they get out of cage time, and interaction with you. Keep in mind, if they bond to each other, they might be less likely to bond with you and step-up on command etc. Keep working with them both on stepping up onto your hand, and going into their cage when asked.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do!