Parrotlet-Pairs

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Are Parrotlets better in pairs?,  If you are not getting a pair,
Will my Parrotlet still bond with me if it has a mate?
Is it ok to purchase a mate later?
Can I put two of the same sex together?
Can you have more than two Parrotlets together or in the same room?

When introducing two parrotlets to each other for the first time
It is best to use the two cage process.

Are Parrotlets better in pairs? . Customers always ask me and assume that if they buy a pair, the birds will not make good pets. This can and can not be true, It totally depends on how much time you spend with each bird and what you are expecting from your bird as far as a pet relationship goes.  I always recommend pairs. Even if you are not buying the bird from us, you should strongly consider getting a pair when buying Parrotlets. Unlike many other birds parrots form mated pair bonds that LAST FOR THEIR ENTIRE PHYSICAL LIVES! They are devoted to their mates, and their flocks because, it is a necessary means of survival for them.  ↑ Top If you are NOT getting a pair:   ↑ Top It is important to always put the health and welfare of your new bird first!. If you are a stay home person or work from home AND you are going to spend a lot of time with your Parrotlet, It can develop a very strong bond with you. Sometimes females will even start laying eggs as a result of the bond and mature males will act out the mating dance. This is because your bird has actually fallen in love with you and formed a strong bond. In most cases this is excellent and exactly what you want to happen. It is important to continue spending time with the bird, after a Parrotlet has bonded with the owner and there is a strong schedule change, Such as  you no longer work from home, the bird can develop stress issues. Stress issues such as feathers plucking, depression, heartbreak and illness is possible. So – If you develop a bond with your Parrotlet and you are no longer able to spend the time with the bird that it has come to expect it would be recommend to get him or her a mate at this time. Not doing so could result in a bad reaction to being separated from you. They can start plucking their feathers out and go into a depression. Many times the feather plucking also becomes a habit and can never be cured. If you always remember that they have true companion feelings and put the birds feelings first you will be a great and responsible Parrotlet owner.   ↑ Top Will my Parrotlet still bond with me if it has a mate? This depends on you, If you purchase a young pair of Parrotlets and you spend a lot of time with them, holding them, feeding them treats and talking to each of them, then yes. It is totally possible for both Parrotlets to bond with you and eachother. Even if the Parrotlet does not bond with you and only bonds with its mate, it can still be a great pet. You can still hold them, pet them and enjoy them. Parrotlets that have bonded with another Parrotlet CAN still be great pets.   ↑ Top Is it ok to purchase a mate later?  (how to do this) Yes, However – It is best to get them both when they are young and around the same age. Young un-mature Parrotlets can be put together in most cases right away with no waiting period. But, I would recommend watching them close around the time that they have their first molt. If  you notice one or the other starting to pick on the other remove it just until the molting is over. The birds first molt releases very strong chemicals that drive the bird to mate, because they are young and full of energy some birds will be come aggressive at this time. In most cases you will not have any issues if they were put together at a young age. Parrotlets are very territorial no matter the sex. You can not have a Parrotlet for any amount of time kept in its own cage and then introduce another mate into the same cage. It has to be done slowly over a period of two weeks to a month in some cases. A general rule is – the older the bird the longer it would take – to introduce a mate. The cage has become its home, another bird is looked on as if it were an invader. To introduce a mate at a later time requires another cage. You can purchase a small cage from the local pet shop for the new bird. Hang or hook the smaller cage onto the larger cage. This allows the birds to see eachother and to develop a relationship. They will start to bond slowly through the cage wire, Put the perches close so that they can sit next to eachother even though they are in separate cages. Once you see them getting along through the cages doing such things are feeding eachother or cleaning eachothers feathers, it is generally ok to try putting them together in the same cage. In most cases the original bird no matter male or female will be the most aggressive. A good trick to tame this aggression down is to clip the birds wings. A bird with clipped wings will normally become less aggressive to the other bird.   ↑ Top Can I put two of the same sex together? As a general rule the answer to this question is no. But it is possible if both birds are introduced to eachother at a very young age. Even doing this can result in fighting after they mature. Because each Parrotlet truly has its very own personality we can not say that it is impossible for this to be done. (I have seen it work and have done it myself several times and have personally never had any problems) But it is not generally recommended.   ↑ Top Can you have more than two Parrotlets together or in the same room? Yes if all three are in separate cages, and no if you have a pair together. (unless they can not see eachother) Male Parrotlets are very territorial and protective of their bonded females. A male parrotlet can fight with and may even kill his female mate if he sees another male close by. Killing her is his way of protecting his territorial rights and assuring himself that the other male will not take is mate away from him. This is what we believe anyway. We have no real way of knowing why the males do this. How can it be done? It can be done the same way breeders do it. You can have as many Parrotlets in the same room as you want, as long as they can not see eachother. Stack the cages on top of eachother or put up a divider in between the cages. As long as they can not see eachother they normally do well. Actually the breeder success rate is better when you have several pairs together in the same room. The noise of the other Parrotlets helps put them into breeding mode. So as long as they can hear but NOT see eachother you should be ok.   ↑ Top