Allright, so Papi is a little over 6 years old now, he is a male Yellow Nape. Carmen is about 7 months old and is a female Mexican Red Head. I know its a little early to start worrying about eggs and breeding stuff, but I'm not one to procrastinate, so I'm starting my worrying now LOL.

As of now, Papi is still my best buddy. He still loves scritches and cuddle time and our nightly TV watching and singing time. Carmen is rather independant, flys all over the place exploring. Will land on my head and follow me around, but not too much into petting or scritches, which is fine with me. Shes still a joy.

The two of them are also best friends. They looove to preen eachother and play and share treats. They spend an hour or 2 each night just hanging out together. The ONLY time Papi gets nippy with me is when he decides to visit Carmens cage and I try to take him off and put him back on his own. Even then, its not that bad, he knows my "dont you dare" tone lol.

My fear is that as time goes on, especially as Carmen matures they will bond to eachother more and view me as a threat. I didnt think they could breed if kept in separate cages without boxes and such, but after doing some research I find that isnt the case. Again, I know I have a few years before Carmen is mature, but in the meantime, should I be discouraging interaction between them? Keep them in seperate rooms? I love that they love eachother, but I dont want them to learn to hate me. If one day they continue to hang out and Carmen ends up having fertile eggs, I know usually a breeder will no longer be a pet and I dont want that. any ideas? am I being paranoid? Am I just doomed because I have 2 opposite sexed zons in the house?

Sorry but I can't help you. For one thing, I encourage and do everything in my power to get my birds to bond because I believe it's the only way they can have a semi-content life in captivity in the long term and for another, I really don't think there is a way short of keeping them in separate rooms so they don't see each other for the rest of the lives. I know of birds that bonded even though they were not only not allowed to interact but only saw each other at a distance -they were kept in cages in opposite corners of a store floor. I have those two birds now (both females by the way) and even though they are not aggressive to people (they had been kept by people before -one for 19 years and the other for 7) they don't want to have much to do with them any longer now that they've found each other and I am very happy for them. But Pretty Bird (a red lored) had bonded with Baby (a old breeder wild caught orange wing that later died) and she never did change much in her relationship with me (not that we have that much of one as she is not a friendly bird) so it could go either way.

In any case, you will still have a problem with Papi when sexual frustration sets is and he will become aggressive so it might be better if you let them bond. If you keep them to a strict natural daylight schedule and monitor their protein and vitamin E intake during the cold months, they will only try to breed in the spring and beginning of summer and you can control it by replacing the eggs with fake ones. Both Papi and Carmen will be very protective of their 'nest' and you will have to be very careful handing them but it's only during breeding season, the rest of the year, they will be fine.

Thank you bea. Papi can already be very agressive durring breeding season, but that I can handle. I have xperience with that. I can deal with having to put up with it if its only durring breeding season. Thanks for your input!

I think its probable that you're only going to see a big difference during that hormonal season. I'd say that Papi may become much more whacky then than he has been in the spring in the past, simply because there's gonna be a female Zon in 'da house, know what I mean? I don't think you're necessarily doomed, but you have rolled the dice, and as with all things behaviorally avian....we ain't got anywhere near as much to say about it as we'd like! What will be will be, and its up to us to adapt to them.

Some birds will "breed" but without a next box many will not lay......and I have all female birds and during breeding season my severe mini macaw and my scarlet are in love and I am chopped liver if I get between them.....so in other words....gender may have nothing to do about it, LOL

i think that is the best way to put it