Rearranging Zebras-what to do?

[Nerien]

Was hoping the little featherheads would wait until they finished quarantine, and until we could make them a bigger cage as well, but of course, nope.

The four zebras we got, two pairs that are brother-sister each pair, have been in one cage for quarantine. But...one female started picking on her brother. Then the other pair started picking on him. Then they all started picking on each other. but especially on the first male.

So today, seeing that first female just picking at everybody and stirring them all up, I pulled her out into a separate cage. She and the other three spent the day calling to each other. But now, the other brother-sister pair are starting to bother the other male. And obviously, three in a cage, two male and one female, is not a good set up.

I could pull on of the males out to go with the now lone female. And I would pick the male she's not related to.

However...I have another pair of zebras in another cage in another room (different source) who are also brother-sister, and will have to be split up at some point. But I was going to wait until we'd had the newer 4 longer, just to be safe. Both came from very good, clean, private, sources. However, both sources also had other birds of various kinds, so....

Ultimately, we wanted all six zebras in one big cage (yet to be built), until we chose to let them breed. If that isn't going to/doesn't work out, then they'd live in pairs, and obviously all brother-sister pairs would be split up just in case of/when breeding.

But if I set up two pairs now, because I have the four not getting along, will it be a problem to re-pair them later on when they're mature (all are less than 6 months old, except for the initial female troublemaker, who is about 9-10 months old)? Ultimately, I will need to re-pair the other brother-sister pair from the other source, who are in a separate cage right now. So that would mean switching around the pairing again in a while.

Or, we could put all three males together, and all three females together, will that work? Do we need to have the cages in separate rooms if we do?

I've got to do something, obviously, and catching the little fluffballs is not easy on either of us, so I don't want to do any more than necessary.

[DanteD716]

I will try my best to answer your questions, here is what I suggest:

Seperate all unrelated birds, and pair them with unrelated birds. So sister from pair one with brother from pair 3; brother from pair two with sister from pair 3; and sister from pair 3 with brother from pair 2.

Yes, you can change mates in the future, zebras do not form pais for life.

Also, you can (and what I reccomend) is seperate them by gender into male/female cages.. It will work and they may bicker at first but that is to establish a pecking order. Good luck!

[Nerien]

for the night, pulled the second female out and put the two girls together, leaving the two guys together also. Room where they are is a bit on the cool side, didn't want anyone sleeping alone, hoping each will snuggle with its cage mate despite prior arguments, now that it's get along or be alone.

tomorrow will decide whether to split the other pair, and make two cages, of 3 male and 3 females. But that will be breaking quarantine. 2 males together, and 2 females together should be okay, right?

[Zebrafincher]

Finches can have an annoying habit of picking on eachother. I have 2 star finches (one yellow faced, one red faced), a zebra finch and a canary and I have to keep them all separate as they pick on eachother!

[Nerien]

they were each sibling pair in a smaller cage with more companions before we got them--one pair in a cage of 5, the other pair in a cage of 11. read that w/ mixed sex 2 is okay, and 6 or more is okay, 3,4,5 not okay, but was hoping to get away with it for the few weeks of quarantine. oh well, guess no one read it to them.

sorry for cryptic writing, and not writing on other's posts, hand in splint, typing difficult, mousing sucks.

[Zebrafincher]

You can keep finches separate if you want or need to - I give 3 of mine mirrors and toys - they adore them! (One Zebra finch, 2 star finch, all male). Male canaries are a bit more of an issues with mirrors, as they can become agressive towards mirrors, but they can and do enjoy toys

[Jeff McKee]

I've found that problem finches, tend to remain that way. I'd trade off the problematic hen. Go straight to the source of the problem!

[Nerien]

drove an hour each way, each time, to get these. no one and no way to "trade off". i live in a "finch void", kinda like the dead zone none of the cell phone carriers want to admit exists here, or randomly all over my town, due to too many hills and not enough towers. (the verizon guy drowned in the swamp out back, because no one could hear him now calling for help.)

was in a pet store this morning, and for the first time ever they had a few zebras in, very ratty looking little birds, no special colors, and they wanted $32.95 per bird (!), because no one here carries them, and there are no breeders anywhere nearby.

just gotta figure out the best housing situation for them. have read that, just like parakeets, a pair is okay, and six or more is okay because they become a flock, but the in-between, 3,4,5 birds, is just trouble. Have seen this work with my parakeets. its just the making it past quarantine time until we can try the six together, or choosing to break quarantine to try it now, or some other combo of pairs, but again, that means breaking quarantine on these newest four...what to do, what to do...

[DanteD716]

for the night, pulled the second female out and put the two girls together, leaving the two guys together also. Room where they are is a bit on the cool side, didn't want anyone sleeping alone, hoping each will snuggle with its cage mate despite prior arguments, now that it's get along or be alone.

tomorrow will decide whether to split the other pair, and make two cages, of 3 male and 3 females. But that will be breaking quarantine. 2 males together, and 2 females together should be okay, right?

It might work, keep an eye on things. But don't break quarantine no matter ehat!

[Nerien]

Fawn female started harassing her cagemate, Princess. Every time I went in to the room, Princess was sitting on the floor of the cage. If she went up because of my presence, Fawn would start chasing her around.

Got fed up with it, removed Fawn to a separate cage, which is unfortunately a rather small one, because her actions mean we had to set up finch cage #5. Figured since she was the troublemaker, she got the smallest cage, not Princess. Who still stayed on the bottom of the cage for most of the day, not that she couldn't go up, she just seemed afraid to try.

Then at dinnertime, I go into the room, and there's 1/2 a broken egg on the dresser outside the cages. The other half is inside Fawn's cage. So I guess she's not just a witch, she was trying to make herself a safe place to nest, which meant getting rid of all her 'neighbors'. since we've only had her a week, and she came from a cage full of her siblings, even if any eggs she lays now are fertile, they are most certainly from inbreeding with a brother.

So I guess she stays in isolation until she gets over both egg laying and her bad attitude.

btw, how long until we could be sure she is "clear" of all inbreeding?

[wellingtoncdm]

Either three cages of unrelated pairs or two flight cages of same sex birds seems like the best solution.

[DanteD716]

Fawn female started harassing her cagemate, Princess. Every time I went in to the room, Princess was sitting on the floor of the cage. If she went up because of my presence, Fawn would start chasing her around.

Got fed up with it, removed Fawn to a separate cage, which is unfortunately a rather small one, because her actions mean we had to set up finch cage #5. Figured since she was the troublemaker, she got the smallest cage, not Princess. Who still stayed on the bottom of the cage for most of the day, not that she couldn't go up, she just seemed afraid to try.

Then at dinnertime, I go into the room, and there's 1/2 a broken egg on the dresser outside the cages. The other half is inside Fawn's cage. So I guess she's not just a witch, she was trying to make herself a safe place to nest, which meant getting rid of all her 'neighbors'. since we've only had her a week, and she came from a cage full of her siblings, even if any eggs she lays now are fertile, they are most certainly from inbreeding with a brother.

So I guess she stays in isolation until she gets over both egg laying and her bad attitude.

btw, how long until we could be sure she is "clear" of all inbreeding?

They can hold sperm for I believe 2 weeks. So after that mark you should be fine

[Nerien]

Thanks. So she will not need to be in solitary any longer than quarantine. Good to know. Then I have a very handsome guy in mind for her, if she won't behave herself in the flock we hope to create once they can all be put together.

And we will then just ignore eggs unless we put the happy couple into a private honeymoon suite first.

[DanteD716]

Thanks. So she will not need to be in solitary any longer than quarantine. Good to know. Then I have a very handsome guy in mind for her, if she won't behave herself in the flock we hope to create once they can all be put together.

And we will then just ignore eggs unless we put the happy couple into a private honeymoon suite first.

Lol, good luck!!

[Nerien]

My son, who is about your age, and his father, always says "Make an omelet".