Fostered chicks....

[sgolds]

Do they ever learn?

My little unknown chick has turned into very pretty, 100% zebra hen. But, she still climbs in with the societies at night. It's sort of cute to see the three little society heads, and one zebra peeking out. lol

Does anyone know, will she ever come to realize that she's not a society?

[Jason in TX]

Do you have any Zebra cocks in the flight?

[DanteD716]

She may not recognize a zebra call because she was raised by societies. If you can keep her alone with only zebras that may work

[ac12]

If you leave her with the societies too long, she will think she is a society, and will call and recognize society calls, not zebra calls. I had that happen to a male zebra. When I put him with the other zebras, none of them responded to his calls.

The problem with zebras is they are aggressive birds. I had a juv turn on its society cagemates soon after I put a nest into the cage. It took over the nest and prevented the societies from going near it. So I had to remove it from the societies and put it with the other zebras to color out until I could figure out its sex, then move it to the appropriate community cage.

Maybe in your case since she was raised by the societies, she won't develop that claiming the nest personality.

But it will take a LONG time with zebras before she assimilates with them. Mine spent long hours looking out of the zebra cage at the society cage and one day got loose from the zebra cage and was trying to get back into the societies cage.

[sgolds]

There are both zebs and societies in the aviary, but I moved her real parents before she hatched out b/c they were so aggressive towards the white zebras. She hops around with the others, but still loves to crawl in the community nest at night.

I'm afraid if I moved her in with her parents they would pick on her.....

[MiaCarter]

I say if she's happy, let her pretend to be a society!

In cases like this, I think they always feel most comfortable with the foster species vs. the biological parents' species.

Though if mating is your goal, then you can usually get two birds to bond when you pair them up in a cage with just the two birds. So you could always try that.

But if it was my bird, I'd just let her think she's a society. As long as she's happy, that's a win in my book!

[sgolds]

MiaCarter

I like your thinking! Thanks!