Mixing Parrot Breeds

[Christine P 0]

Hey everyone

I'm a newbie to these forums, and not sure if I'm posting in the right section, but I wanted to get everyone's opinions/experiences. Also, I apologise in advance if this has already been covered as I was too lazy to have a proper look around before posting!

 

so here we go...

One of my highschool friends owns a pair of lovebirds (yes, I did just hear you all mentally groan ) which have just lain 4 eggs, three of which hatched in the last week and a bit. I own budgies, and have done for nearly 7 years, and keep them in an outdoor walk in aviary thats approx. 2.5 x 2.5 x 2m high. It houses 13 budgies and it seems empty to me, even with that many in there.

Although I havent read every post about lovebirds and budgies, I've read enough to know that what I want to do is probably the stupidest thing I could ever do to my birds, but I wanted to ask everyone what they're experiences have been (good or bad) with mixing lovebirds and budgies in a large (well I think its large) aviary.

 

I was only thinking about getting one lovebird, and it would be hand reared, and from parents that are both tame (not sure if they are hand reared) and not aggressive. Are the chances of the budgies and the lovebirds bonding good, or so bad its not even worth thinking about?

 

I would also like to point out (so that everyone knows I'm not just going to mix them and leave it at that), that while my idea is stupid, I'm not (well...not very ). I would take the time to get to know the lovebird before its mixed with the budgies, get them all used to each other (maybe having the lovebird in the house at night and while I'm not home and having "bonding sessions" during the day?), and only fully introduce the lovebird to the budgies when I feel that I know how they all feel around each other, and then continue to monitor them constantly after that.

 

And I know its practically impossible to tell what will happen if they are mixed, but any advice is good advice, and I would love to hear what everyone has to say

 

Thanks!

[splat 0]

I wouldn't, I think the love birds would rip the budgies legs off or something like that.

[sunshine* 0]

I have heard stories of them getting along.. So apparently it can work.. But I wouldn't risk it.

 

Tame Lovebirds are happy to be kept on their own, as long as they get plenty of attention for their owners

Edited June 26, 2011 by sunshine*

[Penny 0]

Why don't you leave the budgies as they are, (outside in the aviary), and keep the lovebird as an indoor pet. I've never had both budgies and lovebirds together so I cannot comment on that aspect, however, it kind of defeats the purpose of getting a single hand reared bird if its going outside into an aviary, (this is aside from the fact it may act aggressively towards your budgies). Also, logically, I don't think hand rearing would stop a lovebird from showing aggression if they have a territorial/aggressive nature. I have a lorkieet who is hand reared and is the sweetest of birds, however, I know my budgie wouldn't stand a chance if I left them out together. I know a lorikeet is much bigger than a lovebird, but even if the lovebird annoyed the budgies at the very least, it wouldn't really be fair on them would it?

[The lion 0]

In my personal experience i own cockatiel, Budgies and lovebirds, Ive put cockatiels and budgies together and they don't seem to have any issues fighting, but Ive tried putting love birds with cockatiels and they would constantly fight one another, and also budgies with lovebirds and same results the lovebirds would fight them, so i keep my lovebirds with just lovebirds, my cockatiels with cockatiels, and budgies with budgies, lovebirds are really territorial so id say it be best to keep the lovebird separate from the budgies just to be on the safe side

[nim 0]

I keep my budgies and my cockatiel in the same cage without any problem but I am not sure about keeping a lovebird and budgies together. Seeing other peoples replies it might not be such a good idea. Could you just keep the lovebird as an indoor pet as if it is in the aviary it may become..... sort of wild (I'm not sure if that would happen though).

[**KAZ** 0]

We have had past members who risked budgies and lovebirds and after they posted graphic pictures of a slaughtered budgie with its head ripped off by the lovebird.

 

So...

 

I wouldnt .

[Christine P 0]

Hmmm... Anyone know how to keep a lovebird in the house without anyone else knowing about it?

I could only get a lovebird on the condition it didn't live inside the house, and with pythons, minor birds, hawks and butcher birds hanging around outside, that's not an option either haha

[Ratemymate 0]

I was always told lovebirds should only be housed together

[SarahC 0]

My grandfather had numerous budgies, peachface lovebirds and 2 cockatiels in the same aviary for years while I was growing up and there were never any problems, they kind of kept to themselves. A bit off topic but for those interested... I have 11 bourkes, 2 scarlets and 2 elegants with my 20 or so budgies and there have not been any problems, I have 2 large feeding areas though. They keep to themselves (it is funny to watch actually because there is like a 'bourke' feeding time which doesn't overlap with the 'budgie' food time). I bought all the other parrots as I needed to put my house-tamed bourkes into the aviary. When it was 2 versus 40 budgies there were issues so sold half of my budgies and increased my grass parrot population. Even with nest boxes in there there have been so serious fights, just the hissing at each other when near another's nest box

[birdluv 0]

I would personally not house them in the same cage, l would rather be safe then sorry.

l have now in one room, 2 cockatiel s and 1 budgie in a room but they are kept in their own cage.

[Christine P 0]

thanks to everyone for the advice

 

I have now chosen not to get lovebirds at all and to build a small aviary (not walk in) and get a pair of turquoise parrots. These have already been approved by my mum so I just have to wait till the breeding season starts, which will hopefully be early next year

[~ Charly ~ 0]

I do not recommend mixing species. I say if the specie isn't meant to be with another specie in the wild, it shouldn't in captivity. The love bird will probably attack the budgies, I have heard of them doing this and killing budgies.

Please don't try it. Perhaps, if you do want to get a love bird that bad, you can keep the love bird as a tamed inside-bird, and keep the budgies as is, outside in their spacious avairy.

[mummabirdemma 0]

The only time I have ever heard a success story with Lovebirds and budgies is when both were separated from their parents and hand raised together. Everything else has been horror stories of love bird mutilating budgies.