FINCHforum

I read an online compatibility chart wrong thinking I could put a green singer in with cordon bleu's. Realised after getting the singer that the chart was actually saying not to. My husband saw many Youtube videos where they were housed together though. So when she wanted into the larger cage to be with the Cordons... we let her in and she jumped right in! She is never mean to the Cordons and the male Cordon seems to like her even though paired already. But the female Cordon Blue does not like the singer and just lunged at the Singer and pulled out a tiny feather off the Singer. So we are going to separate them until getting a larger cage.

Any thoughts and advise are helpful and appreciated thank you.

Chubbychickenbones

Hi Chubbychickenbones,

You can try compatibility charts and your birds will prove you wrong! I've had two little Star finch males, and they both disliked eachother and every other bird I've had! Star finches are generally marked as peaceful!

My Zebra finch males squabble sometimes, but they generally get on together (outside their respective cages) OK. My star finches would openly attack eachother, so it was never safe to leave them together.

Birds are strange little things!

Good Luck

Zebrafincher

Chubbychickenbones

Are your CB's nesting by any chance?

If that's the case, then it's not surprising that your girl is not happy with the GS female barging in.

Larger cages solve a LOT of problems. The issue of territory diminishes, and the birds can be calmer. I also think that nutrition gets a little easier because the birds are getting more exercise.

And I think Elana is right, if the Green Singer invaded the Cordon Bleu's bubble. I've those two species together in the past, but in an aviary. They ignored each other completely.

Dave

Zebrafincher good points!

lovezeb There is a nest in the cage and the male puts grass in it and he sits in it and sings. He will hop for her with a grass stick in his mouth but he is not trying to mount her and there are no eggs in the nest. She hops inside the nest once in awhile but they sleep outside of it.

Dave Thank you for sharing that with me. We are ordering another cage exactly like the one we have and then combining the two together .

Chubbychickenbones

They are obviously in the mood, building a nest and doing the mating dance, which explains the female aggression towards the GS female. She's protecting her nest. Do not introduce other birds into the cage of a nesting pair, it will cause problems.

Are you suplying them with live foods, hard boiled eggs, and crushed egg shells along with cuttle bone?

Cordon Bleus that are breeding can become quite territorial and try to run off other birds, while being fairly compatible when not breeding. It is typical of CBs to sleep outside the nest, they only use the nest once they start laying eggs. They may go in and out, working on it and finishing it in the meantime. If you can get some white feathers, that is their favorite finishing nest material, and they also use feathers in their mating rituals/dance. If you start seeing one or the other in the nest all day, then they most likely have at least one egg in the nest. CBs start incubating with the first egg laid. They do need lots of protein when breeding, lots of egg food, and they often toss babies if they don't have live food.

Thank you all for your replies! He really started working on the nest more than usual today and then mounted her. I saw here assuming the position. So I suspect eggs in there soon. Yes I supply live food and eggs and cuddle bone and crushed egg shells. They liked the live food at first but now they won't eat them. They wont eat egg but the female is eating a lot of cuddle bone and egg shells.

We removed the Green Singer a couple days ago.

Chubbychickenbones

Wishing you good luck with the Bleus

Sally and lovezebs Thank you very much! My little girl CB went straight to eating the egg today! I can see she needs it and craves it. How long until she lays eggs do you think? Today is the first day I noticed breeding. I was hoping to clean the cage maybe tomorrow or on the weekend while they are out flying. Do you think I have time?

I supplied white feathers that they like today! Last batch they did not like.

So my green singer is in a small cage of her own and just now the cordon blues when out in flight hopped into the GS's little cage and took it over. After seeming like they were all getting along ..... the female chased and tried to bite the green singer chasing her out of her own cage. So they tried to claim her cage too!

Your Cordon Bleus sound like they are definitely in breeding mode, and so they don't have a lot of tolerance for the other bird. She will probably need a larger cage of her own.

Sally

Yes we are ordering her a large cage. Many have their GS in a small cage but I do not agree with it. My husband feels it is fine since we let her out to fly daily . What size do you think a single GS needs?

What's really weird is I had moved the GS cage to across the room and yesterday the CB's went into her cage again and they all perched and flocked together on the same perch. The CB's fell asleep next to the GS. Really odd lol . So peace was restored for a time ;)