Fighting finches

[vgonzalez]

I have two pairs of zebra are fighting. One of the pairs have 2 babies in the nest about 4-5 days old. The other zebras have 4 eggs as of 2 days ago.

The male with the eggs is chasing the female and male with the newborns all over the cage, pretty aggresively.

Their nests are already on opposite sides of their cage (about 4 feet long).

Is there anything i can do to help stop the fighting? is this normal? any advice?

Thanks!

Vivi

[tammieb]

Yes, unfortunately it is normal. Zebras can be kinda aggressive, especially when breeding. You would think 4' would be enough space for two pairs, but more often than not, there are going to be squabbles.

If you haven't already, you might try hanging some silk or plastic plants down the middle of the cage to sort of divide it in half. Both pairs feel threatened so they are defending their nests. You could even try placing some plants around the nest to make them feel more secluded. If all else fails, divide the flight in half with a piece of cardboard. I have done this on several occasions.

Beware... any drastic changes you make to their cage could possibly cause one or both pairs to abandon their nests. Zebras are usually very good parents so the risk is slight, but keep that it in mind. If it were me, I would go ahead and intervene to prevent them from stressing one another out, as this too could cause you to loose all the eggs/chicks.

Good luck.