THE JOYS OF RAISING PET BIRDS IN TWOS

It began several years ago with the purchase of my first Princess of Wales Parakeets. Rather than buy one pet bird, I thought, why not seek out a breeder who could provide me a pair of unrelated princess so that I might raise them together. Hansel and Gretel, I named them, and the supreme joy I discovered (and continue to discover!) in that owner/parrot pair experience has led me to purchase every pet species since in twos.

We have done it with derbyans, with hawkheads, with capes and with amboina kings. I have counseled and directed just such a choice for other owners involving conures, amazons, cockatoos and macaws. Years later, looking back at the outcomes, the results have been nearly phenomenal!

It is most natural to keep birds in twos. Their flocking instincts, relationship to parents and siblings, and behavior amongst other young birds after fledging and weaning all bespeak creatures who interact strongly and pair up quickly, even though not old enough to mate.

Hence, the advantages for the pet owner are many. Raising babies in twos takes the pressure off the keeper to provide the constant input and touch necessary for the healthy emotional development of a pet bird. In truth, no matter how much time I devote to my baby bird, I cannot fully substitute for the natural closeness of a mother, father, brothers and sisters. As a busy human being, I do not sleep with my chicks, I am away from home regularly, and sometimes I am just to tired or impatient to give them full attention. An unrelated pet of opposite gender and the same species is the perfect total companion.

It must be emphasized that when one searches out such a pair of baby psittacines, it is most important to deal with an extremely reputable breeder or shop. Birds must be banded and identified as being from two TOTALLY unrelated parent pair; they must be documented and properly sexed. Unfortunately there are still many unscrupulous bird breeders in the US who will misrepresent birds as being from different clutches and ancestors in order to sell two babies. Other breeders will "broker" someone else's birds in order to make up pairs with their own babies--without telling the customer. In an avicultural era where mixing of birds and their associated immune systems and absorbed microbes is becoming increasingly dangerous, I want to know that my unrelated pair of chicks originated at a single closed facility!

Once the chicks are found, the age at which the new owner takes over care can vary. As an experienced handfeeder, I like to obtain the babies at the five to eight week period depending upon species. When we arrange for the two birds to go into another owner's home, we will often wait until the parrots are down to two, sometimes one, feeding per day. Birds rapidly approaching weaning will still bond well with the new owner, but need less care and expertise in their feeding.

FOLLOW UP CARE AND COUNSELING IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE WITH THE SALE OF ANY UNWEANED BIRD. If a breeder or store is not interested in providing such care, instruction, phone consultation, or guarantee that they will help if the new owner faces a difficulty, it is best to go elsewhere to find your pets.

It is important that the new owner enter the babies' life before the birds have weaned, fledged and spent too many months together. After all, we are talking about a two-pet situation here. Without intimate involvement with a human keeper, many species of psittacine--amazons, conures, macaws, lovebirds, etc.--will form such an early tight bond with each other that a new owner will be somewhat excluded. This can happen as early as 16 weeks in larger parrots, 10 weeks in smaller.

Socialization of pets in twos is exactly like the single bird but more fun! Games become a family affair. The keeper, and indeed other humans, children, etc. all become part of the flock as the babies see it. Games of wrestling, find the clothespin, tug of war, and "MY" toy can be hilarious as interactions spin from bird to bird to human to bird.

We find that many undesirable behaviors common to one-bird situations all but disappear in a two-bird/owner relationship. These include biting of human fingers, excessive imprintation and jealousy, screaming for attention, regurgitation and sexual activities.

In addition, the learned behaviors taught by each pet to one another result in two natural parrot personalities. Two chicks will learn mutual beaking, preening, defense and claw play. They learn to communicate, interfeed, eat and bathe together and sleep side by side. We even have instances of such a pair of parrots learning to copulate IN THEIR OWNER'S LAP at the stage after some years when both reached sexual maturity.

In fact, it is the natural sexual-mating stage which is best provided for by raising pet birds in twos. Not only do the pair have years in which to grow through puberty together and form a strong bond (just as young birds in the wilds), but also the keeper is by then an integral member of the family. Should the birds be then allowed to naturally go to nest and produce offspring, their human is often allowed to take wonderfully trusting liberties in monitoring eggs, handling and replacing chicks, etc. The incidents of such hobby breeders removing feathered parrot babies from parents' cage for socialization and then replacing these chicks back for care and feeding by the parents is each year being documented in American aviculture! To me this is forging new territorial boundaries in domestic aviculture; and is a near perfect way to be raising the finest of pet birds in a realm with contented, well-adjusted parent birds.

Keeping birds in twos significantly reduces the time and energy demands upon pet bird owners. With single parrots in my household, I could never find enough time to care and entertain them. With my pet pairs, the birds always have each other to occupy themselves. As they mature, they tend to want to be more left alone during breeding season, but want to be exploring, cuddled, fed and part of a human family in the off season.

Of course there are some cautions to raising pet birds in twos. Certain species such as psittacula parakeets may need housing with more space to allow the baby male and female to distance themselves from each other when they choose. By and large, the weaker-bonding parrots such as grays, eclectus, etc. will form tighter friendships with owners. If eventual breeding is a goal, keepers must beware of coming between the two pets of playing favorites. In cases of strong-bonding birds, i.e. lories, suns, scarlets, etc., the opposite holds true. Extra time and attention heaped upon these species when young will pay off in habits, response and behavior patterns that benefit the keeper when puberty arrives.

One of the primary joys of this type of aviculture is the opportunity it gives a birdkeeper to experience the pet relationship with species on endangered, threatened, or rare lists without ruining a single pet for breeding purposes. Indeed, it is much easier for us to deal with the personality conflicts of a birdie twosome than it is to take a pet which reaches maturity and try to pair it with a new, strange bird in preparation for breeding. In species such as greatbills, hawkheads, hyacinths, capes, rare lories, golden conures, vasas, and more; the keeping in twos is a responsible way to enjoy them prior to the nesting age.

Reprinted by Pretty Birds from Birdkeeping Naturally by Eb Cravens @feathers.org

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