fighting society finch

[Tish]

I got 2 new society finches and my boyfriend put them with my other 2 society finches in quarantine, but my one male is fighting the new 2. Jumping on their backs and chasing them. My boyfriend put them in when I was unloading the car. Will this stop after a while? What should I do? Is he fighting because he's aggressive or because his cage has be taken over with new finches? I've never seen this before in any of my societies. If he can't stand these 2 new finches, how will he ever adapt to my other 6 when it's time to move into the double flight cage? I should also mention that he's singing in their faces and puffing up at them to look bigger.

[Shannylee]

Awww....I would give them a few days. Societies work it out. I have 12 Societies in a flight cage and that's what the boys do....sing in each other's faces. They will sit right next to each other and sing their little hearts out and the other guy either sings right back or rolls his eyes and flies away. I have several species and my Societies are the most peaceful birds that I have. Some jump on the other's backs but that happens with my Javas, Canaries, Bronze Winged Mannikins, WHYDAHS (LOL), etc. too. They'll be ok, Tish. Just give them a little time to adjust to each other.

[lovezebs]

Tish

Hi Tish,

LOL, that's not fighting

This is the Society initiation to the group, a sort of a welcoming committee thingie that they do to newbies.

It's mostly a male thing, but once in a while females will do it too (minus the singing).

I wouldn't worry about it.

[Tish]

Oh that's good to hear, it was really bothering me to see that. My first 2 are sleeping together, but my new 2 are sleeping completely alone, it's kinda sad to see that. The new ones are not even sleeping together. Will this change Givin time?

[lovezebs]

Tish

As time passes, they will all get to know each other better and become more comfortable in each other's company.

You might have some little groups, of two or three, who will be more closely bonded with each other than the rest, but that's ok.

How many are there all together now? Sorry, I forget .

[Tish]

4 in the quarantine cage and 6 in my double flight cage. 10 altogether I now won't be getting anymore finches 10 is my limit.

[lovezebs]

Tish

I think that after the initial period, things should settle down, and all will be well .

[Tish]

Today was a better day, the finch that was being the bully calm down a bit. He chased them, and seems to eye the chocolate pied more, and fallow her around. I'am thinking my new finches are females because neither of them sang today. I hope my one finch settles down and except the 2 new finches Givin time, how do you think it will go when I add him to my double flight cage and my other 6? It makes me nervous because in that cage I have one very docile finch who doesn't stick up for himself and he's more of a loner only hangs with one of the other finches at night.

[lovezebs]

Tish

No way of knowing until you put them all together, but hopefully all will be well.

[Sojourner]

The day you are going to put the new guys in with your other 6, rearrange everything in the cage. Then it will seem like new territory to EVERYBODY and that should cut down on any squabbling.

Societies are generally pretty calm, but they will sometimes harass each other. You just have to watch them for awhile, and provide stress perches, which you can do by draping fake greenery around or you can buy actual stress perches (which are actually mostly for roosting at night).

Some other things to reduce potential aggression:

Make sure there are multiple food and water sources scattered throughout the cage at different levels (if you've a tall cage).

NO nests or even a feed cup big enough to look like a nest.

Having an even number of birds. Finches like to pair up. I personally have never had any luck with singletons - they always get left out of the "flock" and sometimes get pecked and harassed. In fact all my birds currently are rescues from such situations. Bambi, my fawn male, had his tail feathers plucked and they were damaged so they will never grow back again. He had to be removed from the cage at the pet store and languished in the back room for about 3 months before I came along and rescued him.