FINCHforum

My two linnies have been living together for 3 years and are super bonded. They currently raised 5 chicks which are just about to fledge. Today, the male, Stitch just started to attack the female for no reason that I can tell. They were getting along fine, and just a few hours ago he started screeching and flying all over the cage attacking her....biting her wings, tail, etc. Even when she flies away he chased her and attacked her. I usually let the birds figure it out by themselves, but this went on for more than a few minutes and the female was looking stressed.

This morning, when I had the chicks out he kind of started getting really lovey on my shoulder ( he does that often) and he did get a little mad at the female and chased her around the room (even tried attacking the lutino chick before realizing that wasn't the adult female) but then I put them away and they even groomed each other and everything seemed fine.

Just this afternoon he lost it I currently have him in a separate cage, but I don't know what to do. And is one parent enough to finish raising the chicks? I clipped his wings to slow him down(he'll grow them by the end of summer when he molts) and he grabbed her by the head and was really attacking her. I think he is the better feeder, but with this behavior I'm afraid he'll snap and hurt the chicks.

HELP!

Ooh! How frustrating!

Babies seem to make birds nutters. (Yes, that's the scientific terminology. LOL)

One bird is enough to raise the babies, so I wouldn't be too worried there. Males tend to do a lot of the feeding after fledging, but females can manage too. I'd just keep an eye on her to ensure she doesn't lay another clutch as that could cause her to neglect the babies she's got.

I would also be worried about him harming the babies.

It seems that whenever there's a time of transition, like babies hatching or babies fledging, it causes a lot of stress and some parents don't handle it well.
It seems to bring out their insecurities in a very big way.

Sometimes, a mate will inexplicably view another mate as a threat to the babies. Do you think this could have been the case? Were his attacks corresponding with her proximity to the babies or nest??

For now, I would keep him separate from the flock. Especially if he's attacking other birds who look like the female.

Let him calm down. Let the babies grow up. Then gradually integrate him again with lots of supervision.

MiaCarter
Thanks. I will be watching her. The babies are peeking out of the box and are starting to nibble on millet, but still are not weaned. He is calling to her constantly, but when I put him in front of the cage he makes attack noises. I hope he gets over it soon.

KarenB breeds linnies. Perhaps she'll have some insight...

The male's aggression is not good, obviously, and to separate him is the right thing. It sounds like he is ready to begin another clutch with the female and is frustrated because the fledglings are present. Usually my pair waits until they are almost weaned before beginning another clutch.

I just had three linnies fledge within the past two weeks, and their dad is awesome. He is the second male that has been paired with this female, and I think he is a much better father than the first male was. He is way more attentive to the fledglings and not aggressive at all.

By the way, I'm jealous you got lutinos. Our female is creamino and our male is supposedly green/ino, but we have yet to see an ino baby. They've all been green so far, and we really want a lutino.

As of this morning, the female laid another egg, so looks like we are beginning the third clutch of the year. Maybe this time we will get lucky.......

KarenB
Thanks. He is still very crazy towards the female. He is good with the babies and feeds them when I take them out and keep the female away, but if she's out he is so MAD, he'll even bite a toy if it's in front of him and sometimes he would start to attack the lutino baby, until he realizes it's the baby and then he'll feed her/him.

Karen, I would trade the lutino for a cobalt . I was hoping to get one, my female had an olive dad and cobalt mom, so I am hoping that she has only one dark factor, but so far it seems like she has two.

Thats crazy lol! Sounds like he needs to go to anger management

KarenB - I think that's a good theory. I'd thought of that too but thought that he'd be aggressive with the fledglings if he was wanting to breed again and frustrated because of their presence.

But I bet you're right - I bet there's a good chance he's upset over wanting to breed again and just letting it out on the female because she's the most accessible. (Especially if he's so frustrated that he's attacking toys that are nearby - just sort of venting on anyone/anything that's handy.)

@Atbird - How is everyone doing?? Is the mum feeding the babies well and so forth?
How is the male doing with being caged up alone?

Atbird wrote: KarenB
Thanks. He is still very crazy towards the female. He is good with the babies and feeds them when I take them out and keep the female away, but if she's out he is so MAD, he'll even bite a toy if it's in front of him and sometimes he would start to attack the lutino baby, until he realizes it's the baby and then he'll feed her/him.

if this is happening when the hen leaves the box, leaves the babies and her "duty" of being in the box then what he is likely doing is trying to chase her back in.

I have seen this in a few different species, the male literally does not want the hen to leave the box, when she does he attacks her, plucking trying to bite, flying at her all in the efforts to drive her back into the box. Once the young are weaned and removed from the parents cage, box removed, the male was added back in and then the pair becomes peaceful. Set them up to breed 6 months later and the behavior returned. I generally remove the male from the breeding program if they are like this.... it is a risk to the hen and young. Also behavior like this stresses the hen, often the male would not let the hen eat or drink.

You did the right thing removing the male, the hen can manage raising the young out. Just keep an eye on her, checking to make sure she is not wearing herself out. I would rest her for 4 to 6 months after she weans off the young.

She is doing great. Since the male still feeds the babies, I would take the babies out of the cage, leaving the female in and then let the male feed them. They are not really eating frequently and they are starting to eat on their own. The male is still separated, but seems to have calmed down and can look at her through the cage without screeching. She is looking better, I guess he was roughing her up since her feathers are looking sleeker.

I will definitely be resting her and since they are on a light schedule that coincides with the natural light of the northern hemisphere, then she will probably rest for a year.