by merlin » Thu Apr 12, 2012 8:34 pm
Dear Jenny,
Please keep Charli and Screech separated. If you leave them alone in the same cage to get acquainted, Screech will continue to attack Charli and could even kill her. Let them get acquainted by living in SEPARATE cages and at other ends of the room. They must feel like they have their own territories and Charli needs to feel safe and that she will not be attacked.
Just because Charli laid a few eggs, this does not mean she is lonely for a mate. She is bonded to you. The egg laying is a hormonal issue and not a physical/emotional need to mate with another bird. On the other hand, Screech probably has NO idea how to mate. I know that many human breeders have avoided bringing in pet male greys to be breeders because these former male pets are clueless as to what to do, unless they had watched their parents. He probably is NO MORE interested in mating with another bird than Charli is. Therefore, you now have two lovely pet greys and need to figure out how you are going to work with both of them and love them as your companions... but separate of each other.
So many people make the mistake of thinking because their greys look lonely or have laid an egg, they want a mate. But the opposite is true. They have been predisposed by we humans to prefer human companionship, instead of being mated with another bird.
Screech and Charli can become friends over time... FROM AFAR. Please read the following articles about my experiences from introducing my Merlin and Sweetpea.
http://www.africangreys.com/articles/overview/livingmerl.htm
http://www.africangreys.com/articles/relationships/withmerlin.htm
You can have a wonderfully rewarding life by having both greys be your pets and they will grow to become fond of each other over time while having their separate territories but being able to chatter back and forth. Please do not try to put them physically together, unless it is very closely supervised by you and in some non-territorial area, such as on a perch or playpen that is separate from their cages and territories.
Congrats! You have now been blessed TWICE by having two beautiful grey souls living with you. Please keep us posted.
GREY'T Blessings,
Maggie-
www.AfricanGreys.com