FINCHforum

The little baby owl that was raised by zebras and finished feeding out by me is still with her cage mate penguin boy and now a normal gray zebra female. I placed the calmer gray female in with the penguin since a male picked on him and the female was mild tempered.

The owl (I believe is a she) is VERY bonded to the penguin. I decide to move the cage next to the young owl flight where the owl can see and call to the others, to get her use to them. She is somewhat tame and has landed on me a few times while I havemy hand in the cage, the other young are about the same age maybe a couple of weeks older. She in the past has called across the room to all the owls.

How long shall I keep her in the cage next to the other before moving her?

The young owls in the cage near her are very playful and active...I feel she needs to be with them since she is so tied to the penguin, they sleep together and the other zebra female sleep across on the other side, alone.

You know what - the sooner you break that bond, the sooner she can become rebonded to the right species. Its hard to do, but recall how parent birds turn on their young when they want them to wean. Tough love sometimes is for the best.
I would change them over soonest and make sure the birds she is bonded to are moved out of sight -preferably a different room. She will adjust quickly enough.
If she looks very stressed, you can always reverse the situation and instead add another adult owl to the cage and then try seperate them later on.

Thank you Monique...I was thinking I sould do this quickly but that little voice in the back of my mind makes me worry she won't fit in or she could not keep up, what if after all this she pines away and dies....ugh...that little voice needs to go away and she really needs to be with her own kind. To learn the owly way of life!!!

I will b home all day tomorrow so I will move her first thing in the morning and put the penguin in a flight with the gray female and her siblings...soon more penguins young will be added.

I know...be strong and just get 'er done!!!

I have to agree with Monique, Cindy.
Whenever I have had a baby raised by another species, the separation into its own has always been like removing a bandage. Quick and swift, and only a twang of pain on my part.

Thank you Janine...this pairing of the owl and penguin, pullig them both through when they fledged and both limp and the penguin injured has really tugged at my heartstring, even my husband watched them for periods of time just amazed we did not loose them. The owl is banded in yellow, any of her future siblings will be banded in white. She will stay here with me and eventually get a boyfriend of her own.

Same with the little penguin...he will stay here.

Just make sure that the new cage has food and water in a similar container, so she can find it. The danger is if things are in different containers they sometimes won't know where to go.

I use the same typ of dishes for all the owls, same water tubes and cups...the four young in the flight are very active and investigate everything, she is a little timid but I am hoping that she will follow their lead.

If this does not work then I will pull Mr. Serious from the other pairs young and he can be her boyfiend in a 30 x 18 cage until she adjust enough and they can have a bigger 30 x 18 x 36 high cage of their own.

Well the move may have to be today...the little penguin is plucking the owl's thigh area......friendships are tough!!!

Looks like the penguin is the dominant of the pair.
I've seen that many times with same sex zebras. The dominant will pluck the other birds. This is OK to a point, but when the plucking gets too bad, then you have to separate them so the other bird can regrow its feathers.

What always suprises me is how the plucked bird puts up with being plucked It reminds me of the battered wife syndrome.

Oh my! keep us posted!

Well the little owl got her revenge...the penguin jumped int the nest box, she flew on top, the penguin stuck his head out and she plucked a feather then gave him a Dennis the Menace hair do leaving a feather or two sticking straight up in the air...it remained like that for a better part of the day!!!

Good for her! My owl cock was being plucked by his mate for nest feathers and today I saw the hens tail feathers gone too. Looks like the owls can take it and dish it out. LOL

I found that with my pairs in the flight that if any bickering or feather tugging can be distracted by giving them coco fiber and extra nesting materials.


millet and treats are a good distraction to!

Best wishes for the move

Thank you Monique...today is the big day. I'll keep you posted!