Mrs. Zeeb picking at Mr. Zeeb

[sparrowsong98]

lovezebs The hen went back in the cage, and for a while, everything has been fine, then today, the serial pecks strikes again, this time attacking the tops of his wings, his tail, his side, AND then, as if that wasn't enough, the back of the neck. I cannot separate them again for at least two weeks, because my quarantine cage takes an experienced user to keep the bird inside, because it opens from the top (supposed to be a rat cage). And we are leaving, and I don't want the bird to get out for my petsitter. What in the world should I do?

[MisterGribs]

Another thing I'd like to add (Sorry if it was mentioned and I missed/forgot it) is that 'picky eaters' often simply don't realize that what you're offering them counts as food.

Continue to offer it, even if they won't eat it, and replace it once it's not fresh anymore (After half a day or so) and eventually, they will see that it hasn't moved, and will investigate. My own finches refused to eat anything until I sprinkled it with seeds. They went to eat the seeds, and curiosity got the best of them.

[sparrowsong98]

MisterGribs well I mixed celery and cucumbers and put some millet spray in too. They picked out the millet and celery and left the healthy stuff in the bowl.

[MisterGribs]

sparrowsong98 That's ok! Just keep doing it. The important thing is that they got close to the healthy stuff and stared at it a while. Eventually they'll pick at it.

[sparrowsong98]

MisterGribs I did get really frustrated one day, and instead of filling the food dish back up with seeds, I put in chopped carrots, and left them with them for 10 minutes. They freaked out. they were like What IS that! EWWW! then they rolled it around in their beaks and started throwing it around the cage. so they got the seeds back.

[MisterGribs]

sparrowsong98 It's good that they actually tasted it, lol, it's important for them to always have seeds. Maybe try boiling and cooling the vegetables, or shredding it with a cheese grater?

Let us know if you have any luck.

[sparrowsong98]

MisterGribs Broke my foot o I came back for a couple days but now am back at the beach. Addy is plucking like crazy. I shudder to think about what macho will look like in a week. Please stop Mrs. Zeeb.

[MisterGribs]

sparrowsong98 While I was making some nesting and play materials for my zeebs, I thought of something that might be useful for anti-plucking

I will take a stack of fat paper strips, staple or tie the top with yarn, and cut lots of really thin strips ALMOST all the way through, but so that they are still connected to the part that's stapled.

It makes like.. A paper tassel. I just tie that somewhere they can reach it and they pluck off the paper strips all day. Maybe mrs zeeb would pluck one of these instead??

[sparrowsong98]

MisterGribs I have things tied from the ceiling and walls. Dad is taking care of the zeebs, and he skyped me, and Showed me the zeebs. She pecked him a lot. I will try the tassel though. I do not know how those poor societies will survive Addy when I expand the flock.

[sparrowsong98]

MisterGribs Good news... and not so good news. Mrs. zeeb has stopped... but she is sitting eggs. I did not want that, because I was concered about space, if for some reason I couldn`t get rid of them. But I might as well try anyway.