Thoughts on Rearranging

[MiaCarter]

So, I'm in a bit of a dilemma and I'd love some input!

In my main cage, we have Squeepers, mom and dad Ivy and Molly Sue, along with another couple, Priscilla and Elvis.

Molly Sue and Ivy have eggs about to hatch any day now (tomorrow is the expected hatch date for the first one). So they're occupied with that and basically ignore Squeepers. My bigger concern is that he may disturb them with the new babies.

Priscilla and Elvis have a nest, but they're not going to have any babies because Priscilla is just coming off an illness. So any eggs get pulled. They're perpetual nest builders, so they focus on that.

Then there's Squeepers, the fifth wheel.

He gets chased away from the nests routinely, which is to be expected.
Nobody is being mean to him or harming him, but they're not nice to him either. They're all preoccupied.

I thought now would be a nice time to move him into his own cage with New Girl, a lovely little grey zebra girl.
So I took Squeepers and his nest (where he still sleeps and goes when he's feeling insecure) and put it in the new cage. I popped in New Girl too (who's been staying with another couple until now.)

He's totally indifferent to her because he's got one mission and one mission only: to get back home!

Open the door the tiniest bit and he's gone. He makes a bee line to the main cage.
During free fly time, he goes straight to the main cage and spends his time in there, rather than exploring (which he's always enjoyed). When free fly time is over, he makes me catch him to return him to his new home.

It's a clear message: this is my home and this is where I want to be.

But it's not a very healthy environment for him.

He's clearly the fifth wheel.

So what to do?
We've tried this new arrangement for about 10 days now and he's more determined than ever to go home to the main cage. He hasn't warmed up to this new cage or New Girl. He's gone one single focus: to get home!
He pouts all day long in his new cage.
When he gets back to the home cage during free fly time, he's happy and sing-songey.

I'm thinking I'll just put him back into the main cage and once the new clutch is raised, I can pull Priscilla and Elvis, move them to their own cage, and put New Girl in the main cage with Squeepers, Ivy and Molly Sue.

Thoughts?

[mayble]

If it were me, I would move Squeepers and New Girl's cage to another room in the house out of sight (and preferably out of earshot) of the main cage for a couple of weeks and let them settle into their new situation. Once they've grown accustomed to the new digs and bonded with each other, you could move them back.

[MiaCarter]

mayble -- That's a thought.

I'd considered it myself, but the problem is we really don't have a bird-friendly house. They have a large safe room, but the rest of the house is crawling with cats (16 to be exact).
Our household is very well-trained to keep the bird-room cat-free (and the cats don't even try to enter anymore), but maintaining cat-freeness in another room would be tough and there would be room for error. I'd fear for their safety.

But I could move him to another area of the bird room (shaped like an L) so he can't see his home cage. I think I'd need to keep him in there; no free fly time until he acclimates.
He could still hear them, but I think he could hear them no matter where he's located.