Cage-Sharing Conundrum

[Ira]

So Aster's moved herself in with the others with no issue. She mostly just observes their drama and there's only the normal bickering you'd expect over things like wanting the same food bowl, etc, so that's fine. There are no violent episodes between anyone at the moment.

Gwen is a pain at bedtimes, but nothing new there. It's just frustrating because they're all settled, cage covered aside from the front, then you lower the front of the cover, Gwen squiggles at someone who's not really near her, then 1-2 birds clang into the cage bars in the dark. Again, fairly standard budgie antics.

But add in on top of that the fact that Indie is now guarding both Yuki AND Gwen from Pippin and has taken to chasing Pippin around the cage, and I'm starting to wonder if it might be better to split them into a pair and a trio.
Indie's spending more time with Gwen than Yuki, but still defending Yuki, so both Yuki and Pippin are starting to look a bit left out of things.

The difficulty is how to split them. Making a boys and a girls cage might work (although jury is still somewhat out on Aster but I'm considering her a girl until her cere goes dark blue ), but then means Pippin still has Indie to deal with.

Part of me wants to remove the two trouble makers, but considering how much Indie has been flirting with Gwen that might just be asking for trouble.
But it would give Pippin time with Yuki, and they'll probably take more to Aster in time.

Or I could leave Indie and Yuki together, as Yuki does prefer Indie, and then put Gwen and Pippin in together. Pippin was her original choice and he does still try to sit with her and chat to her, but seems less likely to try any funny business than Indie.
In this arrangement it's just figuring out the best place for Aster. On one hand, in with Gwen and Pippin might help discourage Gwen and give Pippin another bird to chat to if Gwen's doing her own thing or being a bit much, but also Gwen might get extra snippy with Aster. In with Indie and Yuki, Aster seems to be more dominant than them both already, so at least she won't cop any rubbish from Indie.

Putting together the other flight cage to experiment later. We're off all week so can try different combinations to see what works.

[ariella]

It’s tricky isn’t it!
I had to remove Luca from the Hamberley when the Otis/Ivo/Luca love triangle was getting out of hand. So Jasper very kindly opened her wings to take him in…well, not quite like that. The reality was that Jasper makes sure he knows she’s in charge but Luca will stand up for himself.
The chipmunking as I call it always goes on at night when Jasper makes sure Luca knows his place and not to move.
There’s no chance of romance between them and Jasper doesn’t entertain any of the boys whatsoever, but she and Luca rub along okay.
Nice you have the time to try out combinations.

[Marianne Marlow]

Chipper and Daisy don't get on at night either. He always stands up to her whereas Colin and Billy know just to move.

Chipper squiggles at me too and also at the cover when it touches his tail. Shen he came to me he had a very short tail and now it's very long and touches the covers!

[Marianne Marlow]

This precise moment, Chipper is showing off to Daisy and chasing Colin away, he really is a little idiot at times.

[Ira]

Chipper is such a character!

They all have their quirks. My lot take up squiggling again if I then put the blackout curtain liner over the cage.

[Marianne Marlow]

a character? that is one way of putting it.

Getting then to settle down at night can be the most trying part of the day can't it?!

May 2, 2022 16:04:59 GMT Ira said:

Chipper is such a character!

They all have their quirks. My lot take up squiggling again if I then put the blackout curtain liner over the cage.

[Ira]

Marianne Marlow Sometimes when I've covered the cage and hear them starting up I just make a disapproving noise and they shut up.
Other times I have to keep lifting the cover to give a wandering bird light.
Or you'd hear "Gwen!" if you were in the house.

[Ira]

The sleeping is less of an issue, because they do settle down fairly quickly most nights. I'm more concerned about Indie chasing Pippin around in the cage. It happens outside the cage too, but then there's more space to move away. And currently the two of them are having a nice chat together. On the one hand, it gets Pippin moving around and exercising, on the other I feel like it would be stressful to keep getting chased from perch to perch.

[Loz]

I think my crew might actually be settling down now. A whole lot of wibble-wibble and chipmunking was going on a bit earlier.

Spoke too damned soon sigh.

[Ira]

I always speak too soon.


I'm trialling Indie and Yuki, and Pippin, Gwen and Aster.
Yuki's quite lethargic and I'm thinking it's because he's moulting (although they all need a check up so I'll phone up to book a vet visit tomorrow earlier than planned to get Yuki looked at), but I think having Indie feeding him and some peace from the others might do him some good.
Meanwhile Pippin's less likely to try anything with Gwen than Indie, but still chats with her and the presence of Aster might serve as further discouragement. Aster seems taken with Yuki but he's snippy when she comes too close to him right now, so I think just Indie is best for now.

[Hezz]

That sounds like a good split. The two older boys together and the three more recent additions sharing theirs. Fingers crossed 🤞 for this working out.

[Ira]

It seemed to work reasonably well, though Pippin and Indie were yelling this morning, so first I popped Pippin in with Indie and Yuki, and then Indie in with Gwen and Aster, and then Indie went back in with Yuki and Pippin. They were certainly lively, all chasing about. It was good to see Yuki with some more energy. But then it was funny because I got Indie out, but Pippin and Yuki were too busy chatting to pay attention, so I went to get Gwen and Aster. Indie plastered himself to the cage bars to protest the flirting between the other two boys, Gwen joined him to try to get to Pippin, and then Aster joined them just because everyone else was there. Aster's a funny little copycat, but is taking to every new food the others eat like a fish to water.

[Ira]

They'll probably end up back in together because everyone always wants someone they're not with. They'll have to wait until I'm slightly more functional again though.

[Hezz]

They’ll just have to put up, shut up and learn that it is not always all about them. Ha ha, good luck with that!

[Ira]

Hezz I know, right? Currently, by the sound of it they're not impressed that I gave them soaked and sprouted seeds. Making as much racket as if they hadn't been given food at all. Well they're just going to have to give them a try whilst I get another set of bowls clean!