Omega vs Alpha

[Acelin_Wolf]

I've tried placing lots of plants to give my zebras space from each other in their 60'' cage, but it seems like one finch is still not happy. She's scared of the java finches (who ignore her) so she runs away when they approach. She also went from being the aggressor towards the 2nd zebra finch to being the one getting chased away.

She often sits on the bottom of the cage and she's always sitting away from all the other finches. :/

The 2nd zebra finch sometimes chases her and sometimes tries to chase the society finches (who just hop away and wait for her to get over herself lol).

Should I move the one that's getting picked on/is terrified of the javas existing? Or should I move the aggressor? Opinions?

[cindy]

Personally I would put the javas in their own space and see if the zebra calms down. She sounds very stressed. Javas are bickery and can intimidate for a spot they want. They do not usually hurt anyone but I have seen feathers pulled by java on java.

How big is the cage, 60 long x ?high x ?wide

how many java to zebra ratio?

[finchmix22]

I agree with Cindy. Move the Javas and offer plenty of varying perches, regarding placement around cage and height. That way she can perch somewhere less popular to the other zebras.

[Acelin_Wolf]

2 zebras, 2 javas. It's 60''L, 18''H, 18''W.

So move the javas? I feel they would need at least a 30'' long which I don't have access to at the moment. I'd need to buy one this Friday, UNLESS I do some serious switching. I'd have to put Baldwick (the plucked silverbill) in a mini cage for now however so he can continue his recovery. I don't think he's ready for the community aviary yet, being that he's still got a bald head and neck. Will be be lonely on his own? !

[mayble]

How many birds, in total, do you have in this cage?
It may simply be overcrowding. It really only has enough space for two or three pairs, although for Societies you can push it a bit further.

If the Javas aren't chasing or harassing the smaller finches, I wouldn't necessarily segregate them altogether. As long as there is plenty of cover and multiple food and water sources, they should be fine with the zebras. I've kept a pair of Javas with a pair of Society finches with absolutely no problems, but maybe mine are more passive than some. They never bothered the smaller finches at all. At first they avoided each other (I think the Societies were freaked out by the Javas' size at first), then they ignored each other.
My opinion, for what it's worth. You know your birds better than anyone, and species generalizations are just that - generalizations.

[Acelin_Wolf]

OK so I rearranged as follows:

1 Silverbill in a 12''L, 10''W, 18''H cage for his recovery from being plucked.

2 javas in a 24''L, 13''W, 20''H (my boyfriend wanted them to be by us cuz they're his favorite lol so they're not in the 30''L)

2 zebras in a 30''L, 18''W, 18''H cage (they get so stressed when I try to move them and honestly catching them is SO HARD).

3 societies, 2 OCWB, 2 zebras, 1 spice in a 60''L, 18''W, 18''H cage. Overcrowded? I'm working on combining another 30'' to this cage to make it a total of 90''.



I went ahead and moved the javas because the one zebra is terrified of them. She just stops whatever shes doing if they approach. She stops eating, preening, sleeping, etc. It's sad. I'd be more understanding if the javas were new but I've had them for 2+ months now in with them. If she was going to get used to them, I think she would be by now, right?

[cindy]

Javas are not passive bird, neither are zebras, if some of the birds are afraid or intimidated by the javas it was good you moved them out of the zebra cage.