Multiple Taming

[simon]

I have an adult hen aged 4 and I'm considering introducing 3 babies to the cage after a recent bereavement. There is more than enough room, but I wondered about the taming aspect. The adult is tame, but what do you think the chances of taming will be with 3 chicks all introduced at once? Any comments appreciated!

[Bird Junky]

Hi If there's one big NO NO in budgies is to add another

bird/birds to a cage with a resident hen. Hens are very

protective of their personal space & her cage is hers.

Blood will be spilled & it may be at the cost of a new

chicks life. Get them their own cage.

I personally have no trouble taming several birds

simultaneously but on this forum I appear to be in the

minority Your B.J.

[simon]

Understand what you're saying, but this hen has done this twice before with single additions and no problems at all. She enjoys company! But how she would respond to 3 chicks I'm not absolutely sure - personally and knowing the bird well, I think she will enjoy all the activity! It's the taming issue I'm concerned about - in the past I have quarantined single birds for a week. Not sure whether quarantining 3 together would have any better effect than a direct introduction.

[Bird Junky]

Hi If only you had given that info earlier about the hen.....

If you get the youngsters from the same place quarantine

them together. Yours B. J.

[Hezz]

I think a lot would depend on how much time you had to devote to taming them, Simon. Also how much handling the chicks have had by the breeder. If the chicks have had a lot of human interaction already, it whould be relatively easy. Once you line up a breeder for yourself, you could ask him/her to handle the chicks regularly so they are semi-tame by the time you get them.

[simon]

Thanks Hezz, I will take your advice. Do you think the set up would work with 3 birds in total rather than 4? I was trying to think of an even gender mix, but I'm not sure if there is an optimum number. Also I don't really know how Lucy will react to another hen in the cage - she only has experience of men! Any thoughts?

[ginger]

Hi Simon, I'm no expert but when I introduced my female to another female, the only issues was over the cage as she was very protective. After the quarantine period I used to let them out together, and when the time was right I removed the large cage I was going to put them both in. Disinfected, cleaned and changed the cage layout, filled it with millet and veg and them brought the cage back in so they could both explore together. No problems and only the normal amout of bickering - no blood shed.

With regards to taming 3 chicks, I recently hand tame two that were approx 6 weeks old and housed together. They had come from a local breeder and were not hand reared. Took alot of patients and I spent alot of time with them and like BJ said I hand fed them alot, although becuase I am at work all day I did give them some food during the day and then used the millet to hand tame and train them in the evening. Good luck!

[Hezz]

Why not try two firstly, rather than three, especially as you are not sure how she will react to another hen?

Ginger's comments about changing the cage setup around before the birds are brought together is a good point. I would make sure the birds all had time together out of the cage first before settling them all in together. After quarantine you can put the cages together so they can chatter to each other and can see each other, let them get to know each other out of the cages, and if all goes well there, then rearrange the big cage and introduce all birds to the new set-up.

I have three birds - the two males are friends and the hen is a grump-bum but getting to be friendly with the younger cock. Those two are more of an age as the other cock is a lot older and gets out of the hen's way when ever she is around. So my experience is that 3 works fine, but all budgies are different. I think you would be fine as long as there isn't another hen. A hen in the mix could upset her.

[Rachael Kellett]

Mar 10, 2012 15:30:32 GMT @simon said:

Understand what you're saying, but this hen has done this twice before with single additions and no problems at all. She enjoys company! But how she would respond to 3 chicks I'm not absolutely sure - personally and knowing the bird well, I think she will enjoy all the activity! It's the taming issue I'm concerned about - in the past I have quarantined single birds for a week. Not sure whether quarantining 3 together would have any better effect than a direct introduction.

Hi It all depends on the size of the cage they will all be living in. What are the measurements of your cage? Also it is usually best to have an equal number of each sex or more males than females. Less squabbles that way Also with quarantining new budgies it is best to quarantine them for a minimum of thirty days to keep an eye on them incase any illnesses appear, and to protect the health of your hen. The 30 days will give you lots of time to start taming them before they are introduced. Just in case you aren't sure quarantine means a separate cage in a room as far away from your hen as you can manage for the 30 days

[Hezz]

Sorry, Rachael, I don't agree that even numbers are needed. For Simon's situation where he knows the hen is good with other males being added to her mix, I do feel you would be better to stick with what you know will work. If the hen pairs off with one of the cocks in the future, then maybe you can look at evening the numbers up with another hen.

[simon]

Thanks Rachel and Hezz. I think it's got to be very much to do with knowing the resident bird. I have 3 cages, so if there is a problem I can always rehouse a troublemaker, although that is not ideal. Rachel, the main cage is a parrot cage I converted. 26 x 17 x 31 inches, with 5 levels of perches I carefully designed - so probably 4 is the max, 3 the ideal. I am pondering now that if the hen is a chick it may be readily accepted by Lucy with her as "Mum"! All my experience over many years of bereavements and of introducing a chick to an adult bird on a one on one basis has been that the adult becomes protective towards the chick and the chick is respectful, and the bond progresses on that basis. But it's true to say that in very case so far it has been the opposite gender. This is the first time I've considered having more than 2 in total, partly because I've only had the larger cage for a year and partly for reasons of succession (much easier for them if you lose one and there are two left). I think I will definitely go for 2 at the outset, but the jury's still out on the sexing!

[Hezz]

Mar 13, 2012 14:45:32 GMT @simon said:

Thanks Rachel and Hezz. I think it's got to be very much to do with knowing the resident bird. I have 3 cages, so if there is a problem I can always rehouse a troublemaker, although that is not ideal.

Totally agree, Simon. No-one knows your bird as well as you do. We will be interested in what you decide is the best mix for Lucy.