please help!!! Advice needed about my zebra and society!!!

[Liz]

Hi I hope someone will be able to give me some advice.

I have one lone male zebra finch who unfortunately did not get along with my female zebra (her fault not his). So I removed her and let him get back to health. I've now purchased a female society and they are bickering. I've only had the society for one day and would love some advice. My worry is that they will not get along. There is no real aggression from my zebra but he does chase her off the perches etc

He also will not let her in the nest, obviously because it's his.

Should I remove the nest so soon?

Or should I see what happens in a couple of days? Because I only bought her yesterday.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

Elizabeth x

[Icearstorm]

Liz
I'd remove the nest for now, as it increases aggression. At least move it or switch it out with a different-looking nest so your zebra isn't so territorial. Swap the perches around and the zebra finch will have to adjust to the "new" territory, and therefore should calm down a bit and give the society finch time to settle in.

[wildbird]

Did you want to breed a zebra with a society? Better keep an eye on that zebra. Make sure the society is not chased from food and water.

[Liz]

Thank you so much for your reply!

I will try removing the nest tonight, hopefully that will help.

My zebra is allowing the society to feed and drink, so that's not a problem. He's just being a bit bossy with the nest! I don't want them to breed so I may remove the nest altogether.

Thank you for your advice I really appreciate it.

Elizabeth x

[Sally]

A nest usually brings out territorial issues, especially with Zebras. I'd remove the nest and let them sleep on a perch, they'll be fine doing that. Did you rearrange the cage interior when you added the Society? The Zebra thinks it is HIS cage. Rearranging perches, etc, can fool him into thinking he and the Society are sharing a new cage and can sometimes eliminate the territorial issues.

Welcome to the forum! There's lots of good reading at www.finchinfo.com, where you will find articles about finch care and adding new birds to a cage. If you put your general location in your profile, it makes it easier for members to help you.

[Liz]

Thank you for your help Sally, I really appreciate it!

Yes I did rearrange the cage and that didn't really work. I removed the nest and they now sleep on different perches! They don't fight or bicker at all now, they don't really interact with each other.

I'm sure my Society is a female as she makes that little chirping noise all day long, and I got her so hopefully my zebra had a mate. But I don't think she's interested in him at all! He tries to sit buy her and she moves away. Why could this be?

Also I've noticed, around 7 at night my zebra goes to sleep for the night but the society begins hopping incessantly backwards and forwards near the cage door like she's trying to escape?? Does any one have any idea why she does this? I'm a little worried that maybe she doesn't like it in her new home.

Any advice would be appreciated x

[Icearstorm]

Liz

I don't know what's up with the hopping behavior, but birds often take a while to get used to each other. It took my female gouldian at least half a year to stop screaming at the male after I purchased them; your birds may take a similar amount of time to become friendly with one another, perhaps even longer, as they have to learn each other's calls.

[Liz]

Thank you for your reply.

I think maybe I'm being a little too anxious about them. I've only had her a week and I think she needs more time to settle in.

I think I'll ease off a little and just leave them to it. Hopefully they will get along in the end!

Thank you for your advice, I think I'm the problem, not my poor little finches!

[stargazerwolf]

How are they doing now? Just curious, why'd you get a society finch to put with your zebra? I would keep the nest out for good. I notice unless breeding, they don't seem to use a nest.

[Fraza]

Hi I would clean out the whole cage move the food and water trays around put a new nest and put a different colour on the bottom different paper so they both feel in a new way and this should stop it