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Post by joiner on Jun 11, 2013 14:50:24 GMT 10
Hi All
To fill you in, I have a young galah somewhere around 9 months old. I'm fairly certain it's a male. He has been a great companion for me and the kids and - aside from the occasional nippy mood he is a great pet and seems to be happy and healthy.
I'm just wondering if a partner would be a good long term thing for him. If I did get a female, how would that affect his relation ship with the kids and me? Would he still enjoy coming out of the cage for scratches etc?
Any advice would be very welcome.
Cheers
Joiner
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Post by avinet on Jun 11, 2013 17:25:15 GMT 10
As usual it is one of those "maybe" sort of answers. It is very likely that A/ he would enjoy a mate and B/ it would not affect the way he interacts with you, except possibly in the breeding season when they are old enough to breed - around 2 to 3 years.
However there are a couple of issues. Firstly he isn't bound to like the mate you get for him - parrots are not necessarily bound to like a prospective mate, and secondly there could be issues when they do want to breed - if they do bond the breeding urge can be strong and you have to think if you are prepared to let them breed if they decide they want to. Another issue is whether the cage is big enough for 2 birds.
If breeding is an issue you don't want to face, then maybe think of getting another male for companionship. Usually two males will be OK together but again there is no guarantees - the majority of cases would be fine but there is always the chance of you being unlucky with them together.
Either way there is a chance you could end up with two birds in two separate cages - they will still get a lot of companionship from that sort of situation but maybe not be close friends. In any case when introducing a new bird into the house you would have to start out in separate cages anyway until they had a chance to get used to each other - even if a new bird is a female.
As a general rule if a companion bird is getting lots of human interaction and is not left alone for too long through the day then it will be quite happy being a single bird, especially with the provision of various enrichment activities. If the bird is likely to be alone through the day on a regular basis - kids at school, both parents working etc - then a second bird to provide companionship is worth thinking about.
An extra point to consider is that if a second bird is to enter the mix then that is significantly more likely to be successful the younger they are. So if you get another young bird this year instead of waiting a couple of years, the better your chance of not having problems.
Anyone else have a comment or experiences to relate about adding a second Galah to the home of an existing pet Galah?
cheers,
Mike
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Post by joiner on Jun 11, 2013 18:50:07 GMT 10
Hi Mike,
many thanks. I need to think about this!
I'm loathe to spoil the bond we have with Phoenix, but in the end I want him to be a happy bird. I work and the kids are at school so he spends most days playing or resting in his cage. We give him a half hour every day in the house and on weekends and the days I work from home (Tues and Wed) he gets a few hours perched on my shoulder while I type.
His cage is fairly spacious - about 2.5m cubed - and he likes being there, but he always gets excited when it's time to come and join us.
mike, many thanks for your input ... it gives me heaps to consider. I;d love to hear from anyone else with experience/advice.
Cheers
joiner
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Post by tessiedowling on Jun 18, 2013 9:58:51 GMT 10
Hi there just thought I'd comment as we have 4 Galahs. We started with one and the others came one by one after that, they all love each other and me and my partner just the same as before. As long as you spend time holding them each and giving them scratches I think you will be more than fine. Galahs don't seem to be agressive at all in my experience. But I agree aim to get a younger male if you can.
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Post by joiner on Jun 20, 2013 16:22:08 GMT 10
hi Tessie
Many thanks for your thoughts. I'll take your and Mike's advice and get a young male: let's hope they make friends!
Cheers
Joiner
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Post by birdtraining101 on Jul 27, 2013 23:34:07 GMT 10
You bird sounds to young to be classified male or female depending on eye colour, males have black eyes and females red. If you do get another galah and they don't accept you have to be prepared for a situation like that, one may be aggressive and this can result in fights that can be deadly.birds are flock animals so they do enjoy being around other birds (humans). Your bird many also not become as loving to you with another bird as they will become the center of attention and not you or your kids. You bird will also become more aggressive during breeding season and protective of their cage if they end up sharing one.
Check out my YouTube channel birdtraining101 with the profile picture as my galah and if you have any questions ask and i will be happy to answer or make a video for you.
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