Advice on pairs!! In my Aviary

[ShannTmw]

I just finished making my Aviary and added my 6 birds to it. On another post someone mentioned that I housed them wrong! I’d like more opinions please!!
I have two zebra finch females, two zebra finch males and two society finch males. The two zebras are already in pairs. And were paired in cages before.
I got one female and introduced her to another male in a different cage. I rescued them so I couldn’t really pick the sex... that was September and November. I got my two societies together. The other two zebras I just recently had rehomed to me. They were from her pairs clutch. The only two who survived. They were being attacked by the parents. So I took them. I’ve had them for about 3 weeks now.
All three pairs were in different cages.
I built the Aviary and added all to the cage.
There are nests in there so if I should take them out I def will.
Also my first rescue female has a lame wing (she’s one of the most dominant in the cage as well) and only seems a bit off with flying sometimes.
If anyone has suggestions on placement of food, water, nexts, perches, etc. Then add your 2 cents!
I want to make sure this is successful!
The Aviary is measured at 6.9 ft long by 3.6 ft tall by 24 in deep. (Inside measurements just a bit smaller). There is a divider if I need too , making each side around 3.4 ft long.
Is this enough room? Someone mentioned that I will have BAD problems with only two pairs, that I should have three. But my societies are being picked on a bit and getting two more zebras would def make that worse.
So ANY advice would be greatly appreciated!!

[Phoenix811]

beautiful cage and beautiful birds! Yes zebras are naturally more aggressive and societies are more passive , this is a finch compatibility housing chart link: http://www.finchinfo.com/housing/compatible_species.php
Ive seen cases where it was one zebra and one society and they have gotten along, but Im not sure about a cage full of 4 zebras against 2 societies might be a bit of trouble. Best of luck to u!

[Fraza]

Hi I’ve had societys and zebbies mixed before many times as these are what I started with and zebs are always gonna try and outdo the society and bully then unless u get a societys that learns to stand up for its self usually ones burn from a mixed aviary where they learn how to back up

Your ideal soloution would be to have three pairs of societys and then three pairs of zebs, your cage is big enough for that but it’s if u can afford that

And yeah take ur nest out or add one in every corner then the society’s might choose one away from the zebs and have somewhere to hide

Goodluck

[ShannTmw]

THANKS so much for the response!
Ive taken the nests out and that has fixed most of the aggression. My zebs still go for my societies. I can get another pair of societies soon, which is what i did want to do. They are always mounting each other and chasing each other around the cage. So I know they want more friends. I'd LOVE to add more birds, but that would take time. Have to make sure I have a nest egg for vet bills if I need too haha!!
So the cage is good for that many birds? Im going to be moving perches around and adding some. Ive already moved some.
That info says not to put the societies with my zebs... I would love to move them out but they would HATE the smaller cage. So if I ended up with another cage I would move my societies and add two more zebs.
Not really sure what to do hahaha....
sorry for sounding so confused...
THANKS

[Fraza]

ShannTmw you can have them mixed in that cage if there’s more society’s than zebras but if there’s more zebs than society’s it won’t work

[haroun]

Hi everyone ShannTmw may be there is a confusion, but i was not talking about cohabitation between zebras and other species, but i meant by wrong number is tje number of zebra pair
To argument what i have said from finchinfo center,undet zebra finch section spzcial consideration
Because they can become somewhat aggressive, zebra finches should be housed either one pair per cage or three or more pairs per enclosure (as long as it is large enough to comfortably fit them all). Housing 3, 4, or 5 birds together almost always results in quarreling, chasing, feather plucking, and other signs of aggression. Zebra Finches may also be part of a mixed community if the other birds in the enclosure are capable of defending themselves. Due to their pushy demeanor, zebra finches housed in a mixed collection tend to do better when housed with munias and weavers than with waxbills and other grassfinches. Additionally, the enclosure housing the collection must be large enough and have enough perches, dishes, and hiding places (such as plants) for weaker birds to escape to if needed.

[ShannTmw]

So by taking out nests, and taking out my Societies and adding two more zebs? Would that work?
I do have plants in but I can add more. I'm planning on making something for the bottom of the cage for hiding or some kind of hanging thing for hiding. I do have one very dominant zebra who runs the cage...
I can eventually make or get another cage fore my societies but should I take them out now? I only have smaller cages (breeding cages) for them and didn't really want to stress them, but if being in with the zebras is stressing them I will remove them!
I have noticed some hissing and chasing, but it is mostly to the societies...
I do have the chance to get other zebras tho, in the next couple weeks.
I feel like such a newbie, I thought I did the research to see if they would fit... I should have just posted here!!
Thanks soooooo MUCH!

[ShannTmw]

Would taking two of my zebras out and adding two more societies, would that be okay? I put the divider into the cage because they were all attacking my weakest bird. Kiwi has a lame wing and doesn't fly the best. I have my one pair of zebras on the one side and the other pair on one wide with the two societies. The four are doing okay and kiwi's mate hasn't bothered her. She's sitting puffed up with her eyes closed, I hope she'll do okay.
I don't really want to buy any more zebra's... I'd like to stick with the non aggressive types haha!! So by splitting the pairs would that work?
One pair of zebras, two pairs of societies? With just the one pair of zebras alone?

[Fernando]

First of all and again: a wonderful aviary!

Second: take your time. Give the birds time to the new aviary, the new space, the new possibilities for nesting, the new possibilities for hiding. Time means one or two months at least!
I would give them all a space for hiding: for example branches with leaves, at the top of the aviary, or bundles of grasses, etc.

It seems that caged birds 'count to six' - six or more and there seems to diminish the intraspecific aggression. But, on the other hand, more caged birds in one aviary is stress too for the birds.

If you want to have a look at my blog (though in spanish the images are easily to interpret) you may find which elements are useful for your birds (in my case the Emblema - though slightly bigger - has been chased by the pushy owls and loved to hide in hollow cork oak; now, after four month's together, they chase but it looks more like sport) and how you can create spaces so the birds can get out-of-sight to the other birds.
It took a while in my aviary until the birds used all parts of it. Now there is no inch of it that is wasted space.

Give them time. Occasional chasing is perfectly ok. Just give them the opportunity to feed separately (one place at the bottom - one half way up), to hide form sight, make an opaque roof (gives them all more security) and keep watching the evolution of their behaviour. Be confident in your own observations! Not every bird is like an other, some are pushy, some are really aggressive, independently of what you might do/offer in the reduced space of an aviary.
Of course you can avoid normal interaction of bird through crowding them (like a cage at the shop); but that, I believe, shouldn't be our goal when keeping birds.
(sorry for my clumsy english)

pd: one word to advice in forums. I got negative advice for housing together Emblema and Owl Finch; when I asked why, I never got response, but was worried for some time. I left that forum and searched into the depths of www while watching my birds and their behaviour. Giving them a few spaces to visually hide from each other and time to get used to each other made the difference. And for me, staying calm made the difference, too!

[Fernando]

Oh, I'm slowly in editing, so here is a second post: if you have an ill or injured bird, give extra shelter or a cage of its own. Ill birds are chased and picked in nature, too. When its healthy again, even if lame, and active, it may return to the common cage.

[Fraza]

Would taking two of my zebras out and adding two more societies, would that be okay? I put the divider into the cage because they were all attacking my weakest bird. Kiwi has a lame wing and doesn't fly the best. I have my one pair of zebras on the one side and the other pair on one wide with the two societies. The four are doing okay and kiwi's mate hasn't bothered her. She's sitting puffed up with her eyes closed, I hope she'll do okay.
I don't really want to buy any more zebra's... I'd like to stick with the non aggressive types haha!! So by splitting the pairs would that work?
One pair of zebras, two pairs of societies? With just the one pair of zebras alone?

Yes that would be ur best option leave the agressive ones alone

[wildbird]

I would get rid of the Zebras and keep Societies. Societies get along peacefully and are active, happy birds.

[CathyCraftz]

Well, at least you have some foster parents when you need them. Just introduce some society finch females and they can help look after zebra finch babies if they get abandoned or thrown out of the nest.

[Fraza]

Yes they will foster I have a pair of zebs in the aviary who have raised and still residingtheir chick and the society’s are feeding it also even tho they’ve never been near it lol crazy !!

[ShannTmw]

That’s so cute! I’m not planning on allowed breeding. I can’t deal with more aggressive zebras haha! I can’t get rid of my zebras either. I’m in love with each haha. I find they each have a funny little personality even if they can be little assholes. My one zebra pair is in a smaller cage that’s 4 feet long by 18” by 18” because of kiwis wing. They seem to be doing great in there.
I have my other pair of zebras in one side of my Aviary and the societies on the other. My one pair of zebras is very aggressive toward the societies and the poor boys are always being chased so I just decided to put my divider in until I have more societies then zebras. I wanted the Aviary to be open but I’d be fine with keeping it as two cages instead of one if they refuse to be introduced.
I take all the birds out, clean everything then put all the birds in at once, right?