# Long cage-mates suddenly aggressive



## oneiric (Oct 8, 2016)

We have two cockatiels, a male (Storm) and a female (Sunclaw). They have been housed together for as long as we've had them - something like ten years now. Storm seems infatuated with Sunclaw; he sings to her, he makes that heart shape with his wings, they would eat out of the same food dish with no problems. Lots of mating, though no eggs.

They would frequently cuddle, though this has always been interspersed with one getting upset at the other. Preening is similar.

About two weeks ago, however, I noticed Sunclaw had something wrong with her beak. We brought her to the vet, who said it was almost certainly a bite wound, which only really leaves Storm as the possible source.

We have since separated them, acquiring a second cage, and not allowing them to be out and about at the same time. This has had an overwhelmingly positive influence on Sunclaw, who has become much less timid, much more social (which is really helpful considering she has antibiotics twice a day and antifungal once, now).

Storm, on the other hand, has become increasingly aggressive. It has become exceedingly difficult to handle him while Sunclaw is in the room - he will come out of the cage just fine, but trying to interact with him further incites biting. He has always bitten much harder than Sunclaw, but now he is drawing blood.

Dad assures me that if Sunclaw is *not* in the room (when I am socializing with her separately), he has had no problems interacting with Storm.

We attempted separating them further, bringing the second cage up to my room, just for a day, but Storm would not stop shrieking for the entirety of said day. They are back to both occupying the designated bird room, in their separate cages.

I just. Do not know what is the correct thing to do?

(sorry if this is the wrong area to post in, wasn't sure which forum section this should go in >.<)


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

He sees her as his mate so anyone else interacting with her is going to make him mad. Honestly, he probably didn't mean to hurt her. He probably wanted her to do something that she didn't want to do and he got a little rough with her. Tiels aren't really malicious with each other. Putting them in separate rooms is a good idea if you don't plan on letting them interact ever again, but tiels live for a very long time. The shrieking will eventually stop. It wouldn't hurt to let them start spending time together again to see how they act.


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## oneiric (Oct 8, 2016)

We did try that earlier, actually! Storm mostly chased her around while she ran away.... it was very difficult to get *either* of them when supervision had to leave the room - Storm was quite aggressive towards an incoming hand, while Sunclaw was back to running away from it as fast as possible.

I'm hanging out with both of them right now, though, with one on each shoulder, and that seems to be going ok...so long as I don't ever let him get too close to her. He did once, and she reacted like he was a threat.

Overall it seems like she is just plain scared of him. I don't see them being out together unsupervised in the near future, if ever again - mostly, I guess, what I want is to be able to interact with Storm individually without getting hurt, or at least to be able to give him time out of the cage to stretch his wings without getting him *back* to be so arduous.

Is there a way to do that *without* separating them entirely? It seems like Sunclaw couldn't care less, but it is *very* distressing for Storm, and I would like to minimise the upset as best as possible for all parties.


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## kr90au (Aug 4, 2016)

They don't care for each other, some birds just wont get along..


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## ParrotletsRock (Oct 8, 2013)

I would rotate out of cage time, one out at a time, other safely in the cage.


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## Nimra (Aug 4, 2014)

This has happened with my birds too! Honey(female) and Cookie(male) were best friends, but then suddenly one day Cookie started to show aggressiveness towards Honey. He started pecking at her and wouldn't even let her eat from the food bowl. I just left them alone though, and after a few months Cookie was alright. I still have no idea what had happened to that bird, but whatever. Maybe males are just like that.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Hormones can be part of the issue. How many hours a night do they get of sleep? 12-14 is recommended to keep hens from getting broody and males from getting mean. 



> I just left them alone though, and after a few months Cookie was alright.


The issue with this is that the male could severely hurt the hen if left alone to handle it themselves. That's why it's recommended to separate them if they get aggressive towards each other. It's also not fair to let one bird be afraid of another bird and do nothing to give her the safety that she needs. The OP has already stated that his hen is afraid of the male. That is not a pair I would let stay together. Some birds just do better in separate cages.


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