? re our sickly female finch + her new female cage mate

[LizS]

Everyone was so helpful with my question earlier regarding our ill female zebra and identifying her preening gland infection. It has pretty much cleared up and the feathers have grown back in.

As I explained at the time she can't fly anymore and had lost her mate so we bought another female for company. The new female is very sweet with her but now we're feeling it's not fair for her not to have a mate and we should get a male zebra. But we're concerned about the presence of the sick female in the cage with them. Two questions:

- is the first assumption correct? Does the new female need a mate or are we just projecting human characteristics?
- if the first assumption is correct - is the sickly female in danger in the cage with a male? We're worried she might be picked on? We could put her in a cage right next to the zebra pair, but that seems to defeat the purpose of her having companionship

TIA!

[Sally]

I would leave the two hens together. Adding a male makes for a trio, which often doesn't work, especially with Zebras. The male will take up with one hen, the other hen will be left out and possibly picked on.

[finchmix22]

I agree with Sally, keep the two hens together, as long as they get along, there is no need for a change.

[L in Ontario]

Agreeing here as well - keep the two females.

[LizS]

Thanks all - so our younger hen is happy without a male? (really projecting human characteristics now!)

[L in Ontario]

As long as they have another finch for companionship, gender doesn't matter so much, unless you want them to breed.

[kheather]

They will will be just fine with each other..... they will bond over time.

[Zebrafincher]

I have 3 finches in different cages (1 zebbie, 2 star finches) and 1 old, cranky canary (all male). They all get on fairly well, and the Zebbie and the second star finch love eachother, but the star finches really don't like eachother and I bought the second one as a companion for the first! Your two should be fine.