bickering zebra finch boys

ivydivy · Post by **ivydivy** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 2:05 pm

Hello!
I'm new to finch owning and I've got a conundrum!
I purchased 2 male zebra finches about 3 weeks ago and all was well until.... they've recently started to bicker, hissing at each other when too close, chasing each other, etc.
My cage is only slightly smaller than what this website suggests, could that be the problem? Or do they need the love of girl birds? That's not really a road I wanted to go down...

Please help me, they're acting like the Odd Couple and it's driving me nuts!

Thanks

Post by **Sally** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 2:57 pm

If you get two females, you will have even more fighting! Male and female Zebras definitely need to be kept either as one couple or three or more couples. Two males should get along, but sometimes, they just don't make friends. You say your cage is only slightly smaller than recommended--sometimes, cage size can be a factor. When finches get frustrated, they often fight with each other. There is an article on aggression in finches in the Finch Information Center link at left--see if there is anything there that can help.

Post by **Hilary** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 2:57 pm

Is there a nest in the cage or something specific they're bickering over?

tammieb · Post by **tammieb** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 3:02 pm

If you don't want to breed and have even more bickering, then do NOT get hens for your boys.

The cage may be the problem. If it is so small they don't each have their own space then yes, you'll have chasing and etc.

You might try giving them some type of preening or inter-active toy to occupy them. My finches never seemed to pay notice to toys, but some people have reported their birds playing with them.

If they are new to each other than they may just be deciding who's going to be the boss and once that's settled they will stop fighting. You can only hope.

ivydivy · Post by **ivydivy** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 3:12 pm

yes, they do have one nest that they have been sharing. Do I need one for each of them?

tammieb · Post by **tammieb** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 4:00 pm

Nests are for breeding. They don't sleep in nests in the wild. I would remove the nest.

ivydivy · Post by **ivydivy** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 6:10 pm

Thanks for advice, TammieB. They don't seem to be fighting over the nest, just food, space and anything else they can think of.

Crystal · Post by **Crystal** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 2:42 am

Try providing multiple feed dishes, etc. (if the cage is large enough) and some visual barriers in addition to removing the nest and considering toys.

http://www.finchinfo.com/housing/reduci ... ession.php

Hoji · Post by **Hoji** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 2:42 pm

Taking out the nest was a hard one for me to swallow too. take it out!!!

All the other fighting (as I've been told and seen) is territorial, even if they sleep in the nest together and don't seem to be fighting over the nest, they ARE fighting over the nest, they just express it over perches and food, etc. Extra food and water containers help reduce the hissing, etc. too.

I have two sets of gay zebras, one set could live in happy monogamy (so to speak) with a nest - no problem. The other guys did the same thing yours are doing. Oh, I loved the nest, it was soooo cute and they seemed to love it so. The fighting stopped almost the moment I relented and took it out

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