Jenday Green Cheek question

[NuLL]

I posted this in the intro section but since I'm a conure owner thought I'd post it hear to.

Hi my names Eric LT and I live in Eugene Oregon. I'm 24 and live with my girlfriend Holly and my chesapeake bay retriever Dez. How i became a bird owner was weird. I moved in with a room mate and he "had" a jenday conure Rocco. Now from what I can tell this poor bird had spent the last year in it's cage covered with weekly food and water. I immediately moved his cage into my room and he is now my new best friend. When I first discovered him he was in decent shape oddly. He didn't pluck his feathers and he still LOVES people. I did have to give him a round of antibiotics for a staff infection and something else. Other than that he is great. Now just today I went out and got a green cheek conure from petco for $400. He is 6 months old and very playful. I've been thinking about him for a week and met him on several occasions. Today i decided that i would take the plunge. Now I would like to have my two conures be buddies so they can play while I'm away. My jenday Rocco is interested in him but i want to be careful as he has the 95 pound dog scared of him (He is very strong as he is full flighted and i suspect he could do significant damage to my new green cheek pip). What is the best way to get them to like each other? I have their cages 3 inches apart so they can see each other but not touch. I have had them both on me but Rocco lunges at Pip. Pip seems like he just wants to rub up with Rocco and be his friend but Rocco doesn't dig this yet. Please help and if there are articles or discussions about this please point me to em. Thanks.

[Courtzrocks]

Try putting them on a table and watch them, If they play or ignore each other, thats good. If they fight, separate them and keep trying to put them together. If they get to a stage where they don't fight and they just ignore eachother then reward them (treat). Or give them something they can play with together like a toy or (as my girls like) a straw lol.

My alexandrine is much bigger than my green cheek and they get along ok now. It's mainly a jealousy issue with my girls which might be the same as your 2. Conures seem to be able to get along alright though. Oh and green cheeks play rough, it might look like they're fighting but if there is no scream then it's just playing.

[NuLL]

The green cheek is cool. I comes up to the jenday. The jenday's the one with the problem. I hope with some time he'll warm up to the green cheek. Will my jenday hurt the green cheek or is he just threating when he lunges at him (i always intercept)?

[Courtzrocks]

My alexandrine bluffs mostly or beaks my green cheek. She never actually bites down to rip at her, she just puts her beak on her or whinges or squeals lol. Don't worry she gets told off lol. She gets bored too cos my green cheek wont fight back or move so she is the one who has to move away lol. But they play together sometimes and eat together and when they think im not watching I have seen them sitting next to each other. They're not caged together though so they can have their own space, plus the alexandrine beak is very big. But they play in the aviary or playstand together.

[greencinacheeks]

well alot of times they will just bluff...like said above....but i would keep making sure when they are together they are supervised... try and keep having them together and hopefully eventually they will all get along...

~Nate

[NuLL]

Ok that makes sense. You know something weird the other bird i was looking at was a fancy ringnecked cockatiel but the green cheek had already learned to "roll over" in it's cage for attention so it won. The cockatiel was on sale for $400 though!

[rockybird]

I love the name Pip! Isnt that from a Dickens novel? I think you have to introduce them carefully, supervised. Dont put them in the same cage, but maybe on the table or counter and watch them. I would do this repeatedly. I would not put them in the same cage ever, unless after repeated observations over a period of months, you saw that they WANTED to be together. Even then, I would not put them in the cage together, unless supervised initially. My two birds took YEARS before they would even groom each other with me supervising.

I am so glad you saved that jenday. Good job! It sound like he knows you rescued him. Congrats on the new gcc. I have one too, and he is my little buddy.

[Tom Lawless]

Null, welcome to the board. I think you are doing everything right. Just having their cages close to each other does a world of good. My experience is that birds get used to their surroundings including other pets and eventually accept them as part of the flock. I had a cockatiel when I adopted a retired greyhound. At first the 'tiel hated the fact I brought a dog into the house but the dog slept in the same room as the bird while I was at work every day and eventually thought it was the dog's protector. It took time but it happened. The same thing happened when I had a second cockatiel. At first their was some hostility. I kept them in separate cages right next to each other. Over time they started to hang out on the same perch out of their cages and then they started hanging out in one cage so that I eventually housed them in the one. I think your two will eventually tolerate each other if not become friends. It just takes time. This advice is based on no scientific knowledge or behavioral training, just personal experience for what it is worth. If a bird behavioralist tells you different forget what I said!

[rockybird]

One more thing to add to Tom's post...I think that in the long run the jenday will like having another bird around, even if they never get along.

I had my gcc for years before I bought the caique. I feel so much better when I am at work now knowing that they can see each other and that one bird is not all alone in the house. I know they take comfort in each other's presence, especially when I go on vacation and have a pet sitter. I have their cages right next to each other so they can see each other.

[Flappuccino]

Actually, your new bird should have been quarantined from your other for a minimum of 30 days- ESPECIALLY if it came from a pet store.
There is a bird behavior lady in Albany. thumpersalley@yahoo.com. Her name is Kim. She's very helpful.