okay for those of you who know, Harley does not like humans, In fact he pretty much hates us most of the time.

 

Blue was happy to be handled however he would rather you left him alone, the vet said he was like a child with ADHD just have to be patient and take lots of time. When I moved into my new house and got their new big cage I put them in together. Then seemed to be sorting themselves out but not really buddy buddy like Harley and Queenie had been.

 

I then went overseas for 2 weeks (so Blue had no handling over this time) when I got back they where the best of mates, something I was really happy about. Anyway over th last week I have been handling Blue a bit but when I put him back in the cage Harley seems to attack him and will not let blue anywhere near him. If I don't handle Blue for a few days then they revert to being really good friends. Poor Blue is confused.

 

Could this be due to Blue smelling like me and Harley not happy about that? Should I reduce the amount that I Handle Blue? I worry that if I do he will go back to being untamed. They have a cage big enough for both of them to fly around (even though Harley does not fly) maybe it would be better not to handle them?

 

I do let them out in the study to wonder around, and if I catch them to put them back in the cage (eg I have handled both) then Harley does not attack Blue, just attacks me when I catch him to put him back.

 

I am confused as to what to do, any help or thoughts would be great

 

AV

Birds do not have a good sense of smell so it has nothing to do with the smelling of you. That is why wildlife will say if you know for a fact the baby has fallen out of the nest that picking it up with gloves and putting it back in the nest will be okay.

 

You know maybe someone can come along and explain it better. I remember when I would talk to Merlin, Pretty would get jealous and do something similar but Pretty was my tamer one at that time and it is your non-tame one that is doing it.

 

Maybe let them both out together and spend time with Blue and then put them in together would help the situation. Instead of just taking 1 out and leaving the other one.

Oh when they come out they both come out, or Harley is given the option of coming out but sometimes he goes straight back in.

 

Maybe I will try getting them to interact with out of the cage with me but without me touching them ir more to the point without me touching harley.

I would close the door on the cage so it forces him to stay out of his cage during cage time out. I do that with Merlin sometimes because he will go right back in. I have stuff on top of his cage and food too this helps him feel that out is safe too. Now he just flies to me instead but I do keep the cage door shut.

 

I would also see if putting in Blue in the cage first and then letting Harley back in will control the behavior too. It is hard to figure them out but you just have work with different ideas.

 

Also make sure you are changing toys around, make sure there are no mirrors or toys that Harley feels possesive over and needs to protect. So when Blue comes back in Harley goes after him because he is protecting something his toy, cage, perch etc...

l have had a similar experience, when l first got my budgies Hobbes and Claire. l started to train them, l would take Hobbes and go into another room to play with him. when l brought him back to Claire she would seem to get mad at him and peck at him, to keep him away from her. after awhile she would calm down and they would be buddies again.

l always just figured that Claire could be jealous of Hobbes but l'm really not sure.

I would close the door on the cage so it forces him to stay out of his cage during cage time out. I do that with Merlin sometimes because he will go right back in. I have stuff on top of his cage and food too this helps him feel that out is safe too. Now he just flies to me instead but I do keep the cage door shut.

 

I would also see if putting in Blue in the cage first and then letting Harley back in will control the behavior too. It is hard to figure them out but you just have work with different ideas.

 

Also make sure you are changing toys around, make sure there are no mirrors or toys that Harley feels possesive over and needs to protect. So when Blue comes back in Harley goes after him because he is protecting something his toy, cage, perch etc...

 

 

Nope no mirrors and Blue always goes back in first. Any toy that Harley gets possive over gets taken out of the cage during free time, I might see about not shutting the cage door and see if that helps.

 

Thanks

Then this is what I would do. If they don't like to be spritz with water this could be a tool if you don't plan on training them to like a spirtz. When you put them back in and the bickering starts spritz with a quick shot of water it will stop the behavior if it starts again do it again. I bet in a week the issues will stop because they won't want to be spritz. If it was my 2 birds I would do it because you don't want this to happen all the time. It doesn't hurt them and gives them a simple correction of hey Harley this isn't nice to do to Blue.

That would work wonders if Harley was not half fish! (Laughing out loud) I get the water bottle out and he goes nuts, he loves his tummy being sprayed.

 

Maybe if he fights with Blue I will get the water bottle out but not use it let him see it, 1) it will distract him and then only use it when you are getting alone?

 

The Bird guy came around last night and made some good points, going to change up their cage a bit and he suggested that Harley may remember what our relationship was like and hates that Blue has the with me now and not him, not that Harley wants to be all buddy buddy. Suggested that I look at getting 2 more birds (something I was thinking of anyway) this way if it is a personality thing then they have other people to talk to (Blue is a very buddy buddy bird and may just be getting on Harleys nerves) also he suggested that I find the happy medium between pet and what he calls handle tame.

 

I have the space so I think I am going to go on a bird hunt.