I felt so sorry for her this morning. She looked all over the cage. Then she put her head in the nest box and looked and called to him. That was so hard. So far this morning she has not ate anything. Surely, she will soon. Jack was always the first one to eat. Then Jill would follow suite now Jack isn't there and she is lost.

It doesn't help any that I put in the other 2 breeders cages new stainless feeding bowels. They are afraid of them. Geez.... I didn't put one in Jills cage as she has gone through enough already. Surely, they will figure out soon that those bowls won't hurt them.

My friend has a blue male that she is willing to sell me for Jill. He is about Jills age. I just hope she will accept him. I told her it would be at least 3 weeks before I wanted to get him. Then he will be in quarintine for a month. That will give Jill time to get used to Jack being gone. Or should I do this another way?

I'm so sorry about Jack

I don't have any experience with breeding birds, but as Brook wrote, you'll know what is best for Jill.

How well is she bonded to you? If you sit next to her cage and read or talk softly to her, perhaps that would help? Another thing would be for you to sit and have breakfast near her. Our birds tend to get the munchies when we're eating.

As for the stainless steel bowls, can you put your birds' favorite food in there? Show the birds the food and then that you are putting it in the bowl. With our birds, it doesn't take long for them to be interested in something shiny like that.

I'm so sorry you have to go through all of this, especially with the babies coming.

Good luck...

Yeah, talk to Jill. It dawned on me a few years back that animals don't necessarily know it when the other one has died and they keep looking for them. Somehow, if you talk to them about it and explain it, they get it at some point, is my idea.

Maybe you can let Jill look at a picture of Jack - like Brook said, follow your heart, because doing this might also make it worse, I don't know.

Ange

Are you sure that it is the stainless steel bowl or might it just be the fact that she is depressed herself and just does not want to eat?

If the bird was bonded to you, it would be easy to get her to eat. Heck I can get Maxie to eat just about anything as long as he is on the kitchen table, and he sees me eating something in front of him. But like I said, he is VERY bonded to me, so whatever I eat, he insists on me sharing it with him. It's funny though, if I put the very same thing in his cage, he will not go near it.

I'll add to what someone said above,.....about putting her favorite food (even unhealthy ones) in the bowls, but I would take the bowls out, and put them on a table, and have him see you eating out of it. Then he might very well realiize that they are safe.

I'll say this, he has to eat. So at this point, I would be more concerned about getting him to eat period than I would about getting him to eat out of the bowls. If necessary, put the food in a small paper plate on the bottom of the cage. Parrots forage and it is instinctive for them to forage on lower ground. OR>>>>> get a clip or a skewer and attach some fruit or vegetable he may like to it. My point is not for you to worry about him eating out of the bowls, as much as you need to get him to eat period....

I'm so sorry for your loss. You've gotten some really good suggestions though (reading/talking to her, etc.). Losing a mate is VERY traumatic for a parrot, like losing your spouse. My Pop had an African Grey who lost a mate early in life and it took her a good while to get over it. Also, like one of the other people said, she may well NOT bond with the new bird, which will leave you with 2 birds instead of a pair. Just like a human losing a spouse, they typically don't just jump right into bonding with a new mate. Either way, with LOTS of love and TLC, I'm sure you can help her through this difficult time in her life.