My Zebbies are driving me crazy!

[Zebrafincher]

I love finches! I''ll be the first to admit it (this also includes canaries!). I have 3 at the moment. 2 young, rambunctious Zebbie Males (Beaky and Itchy) and a very old Star Finch (Merlin aka "Merl") who does not like the younger whipper snappers and prefers his mirrors. They drive me to distraction because there is so much bickering. To explain, I have each in their own separate flight cage, but allow them out at the end of the day for a few hours free flight. On the weekend, they are out all day (when I am there).

Originally, I removed the nests they had (even tho they were SOOOO cute!( because they were bickering with eachother (stealing nesting material and guarding Merl's cage). This calmed them down a bit, but now Itchy spends all his time *ahem* attempting to mount Beaky. Beaky does not reciprocate this, and there's a lot of beak fencing. I've arranged the cages around again and again, and this helps, and also used artificial shrubbery, but sometimes their bickering drives me crazy! Are they always going to do this? When I first got Itchy, the two loved eachother, and hung out. The problem is if I separate them, they get depressed, and want to hang out in eachothers cages. They don;t huirt eachother. Just make cross noises and do beak fencing.

Birds!!!

Zebrafincher

[lovezebs]

Zebrafincher

Good morning,

Sounds to me like they are just Zebras being Zebras, lol.

It's simply the nature of the beast

When you first got them, they were probably youngsters, but now they have matured into adults, and adult Zebras, are territorial and cantankerous.

As long as there is no bloodshed, I wouldn't worry too much.

[Zebrafincher]

Hi there,

No, there's no bloodshed, and it HAS been helped by moving the cages around the room. They both have big, roomy flight cages with all sorts of things to keep them busy. But when I park their cages in front of the window, they try and fight eachother THROUGH the cages!

When I don't let them out together they get all depressed and just sit alone. When I do, they drive eachother crazy by trying to mount eachother all the time! I guess they do love eachother, in a crazy way!

Zebrafincher

[lovezebs]

Zebrafincher

The heart wants what the heart wants.....

I would let them out, and let them figure it out for themselves. What I think is happening, is that they are trying to ascertain who the top Zebra is, as in the BOSS Zebra..

Because they are constantly seperated, then brought back together, they never quite figure it out.

What will happen, if you connect the two flights together, making one bigger flight, and put both of them in there together ???