Introducing new kak but fighting occurring

leelaa17 · Member Joined: Jan 17, 2015 Posts: 10

Hi all,

I have read quite a few posts but nothing seems to have answered the questions I have.

We have a female she is about 9 months old and has been in her own large cage since we got her. We bought a boy today, and we introduced them at the pet shop and they were fine with each other. fine on the way home.

We set up a new cage with all new perches and toys and the food and water are in different places, and the cage is in a different spot in the house, and we put them both in there and the female is attacking the male on occasion and she just won't let up. She chases him all over the cage.

We tried to let it play out but she just wouldn't leave the poor thing alone so my husband broke up the fight. We won't stop watching the cage because we're so scared she's going to kill him.

Please urgent advice would be greatly appreciated.

Steptoe · Site Admin Joined: Oct 06, 2004 Posts: 4550

How big is the cage?
And how sure are u that u have a male and female?

leelaa17 · Member Joined: Jan 17, 2015 Posts: 10

Not 100% sure it's a male, but he is significantly bigger than my girl - wider head, beak and just much larger in general.

And I can't remember the measurements off the top of my head but the cage is nearly a metre wide and similar height. Depth would be maybe half a metre to 60cm perhaps.

leelaa17 · Member Joined: Jan 17, 2015 Posts: 10

They were fine all day today, but then when I got home they had a little tussle, and then a big one five minutes later where she just kept chasing him around the cage.
We then took them out of the cage for about an hour and she went for him once while out.
And then we put them back in the cage and she went for him straight away and just didn't let up. They were chirping at each other heaps and just hung to the side of the cage in the same spot for a while and then she jumped on him and they fell to the bottom of the cage - that's when I opened it up and took my girl out. She is now in a separate cage next door to the one my new boy is in.

I am just so concerned that they will never get along.

I was so happy today to hear they had no issues - and no issues overnight either... but I guess I was too hopeful.

Steptoe · Site Admin Joined: Oct 06, 2004 Posts: 4550

It is the female of the species that finally approves of the male, even thu its the male that makes the initial approaches

It sounds like the female has become very territorial and possessive, not just to the environment but maybe also attached to the people around.
This sounds as if has resulted in her rejecting the invasion.

1x 1x .6m is not a very big cage for 1 kakariki, let alone 2...

Generally when a new bird is introduced in caged birds, a complete new environment is created.. new toys, new branches for perches, at different heights (pecking order) and placed in a new and very different position.

Not doing so is like having a stranger suddenly move into your bedroom.

Why a male and female together in a cage.. kakariki once mated breed very easy, and do so non stop .. a batch of 4 to 10+ chicks every 7 to 10 weeks.....and if try to stop breeding , separate , , espec noticeable with cage birds (as against avairy) continue to lay infertile eggs.

Has the female become attached to members of the household, in particular male members?

leelaa17 · Member Joined: Jan 17, 2015 Posts: 10

We did create a new environment with different everything. Even moved the cage to a different spot. The only thing in the new cage that is the same as her old cage is some little toy balls at the bottom of the cage.
And to be perfectly honest I'm not sure. She doesn't sit on me at all and will let my husband take her out of her cage but then flies off and does her own thing. She likes to chirp to me all the time but that's it. How do you know if they are attached to a person?

Steptoe · Site Admin Joined: Oct 06, 2004 Posts: 4550

One generally finds a family pet tends to favour certain members of the family more... there are a lot of variables, but generally a female cat / dog/ bird etc will favour male(s) of a family and visa versa

I suggest at this stage
1/ consider the issues if they do start to get on and the hen starts to go to nest... be it a box or a cnr in the cage
2/invest in a larger suitable cage.....and put them in separate cages for a few weeks

If that doesnt settle them, down, then unfortunately I think u may have one of the rare occasions that they just don't get on... yes it happens.

leelaa17 · Member Joined: Jan 17, 2015 Posts: 10

Thanks very much for your advice Steptoe. I will keep them in separate cages for a while and hopefully that will sort things out.

I do hope it isn't one of those occasions though! (But I am glad to hear that those are rare.)

Steptoe · Site Admin Joined: Oct 06, 2004 Posts: 4550

try this.. its just theory, untested ... but based on that some of our aviaries/ flights are on different sides of our house...IF have 2 cages, but not in line of sight, but audible, and as far apart as possible, even different rooms.
With the avairies we have the kakariki calling between... sort of community communication everything from "food is coming " to "warning a cat or unknown person wandering thru the property"

Just maybe building on this 'community communication' thing ends up with a closer team work attitude

Just a thought, maybe.