quick questio:mixed aviary, female zebras not male?

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KoacNation
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quick questio:mixed aviary, female zebras not male?

Post by KoacNation » Wed May 05, 2010 10:08 pm

I think I know the answer, just want to make sure.

In a mixed aviary, female zebras are less likely to cause trouble than male, right?

I dont want any more zebra babies, and I have a gorgeous solid white female zebra. So, putting my females in there will keep aggression lower than if I put all the males?
4 adult goulds, 4 baby goulds, 2 fires, 2 cordons, 2 zebras, 2 goldbreasts, 2 mannikins, 2 javas

ac12
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Re: quick questio:mixed aviary, female zebras not male?

Post by ac12 » Wed May 05, 2010 10:44 pm

Not necessarily.
One of my most aggressive zebras was a hen. She was so aggressive that I sent her to the bird store to be rehomed. And interestingly, all of her chicks were almost as aggressive as she was. And 3 of her 4 have also been sent to the bird store. Almost like that aggressivness was genetic.

I have since separated the males from females so I can't compare which is worse. And when I get a VERY aggressive zebra, it goes to the bird store.
Gary

gouldians (GB,YB,BB), blackbelly firefinches (trying to breed), societies (foster parents).
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Nagdabit
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Re: quick questio:mixed aviary, female zebras not male?

Post by Nagdabit » Thu May 06, 2010 6:21 am

Going to have to agree with Gary on this. While at present we have four breeding cages, we also have two male cages and two hen cages. (Also have our little handicapped guy, Jake, by himself again) Of all these, the girl cages consistently give us the most problems. While the guys will squabble on occasion, they seem to resolve things quickly and move on, while the girls will be at each other constantly. Even on occasion ganging up on the "weaker" bird.

A couple of months ago we were away for the better part of the day. Once we returned home in the evening, we discovered our beautiful Solid White hen (Lyric) a bloody mess on the bottom of the one girl cage, barely breathing. Despite our efforts, She passed the next day. While we did not witness anything, our one Normal Gray hen was extremely aggressive and mostly likely to blame for Lyric's death. She has since been rehomed. And just like in the case Gary described, her chicks inherited her aggressiveness and also live elsewhere now,

In rereading your initial post, I'm still not 100% sure of what it is specifically that you are asking. While a cage full of girls can present problems. it's a far better alternative then just one hen and several boys. Keeping in mind that each bird has it's own unique personality, and that some are just more aggressive by nature, what has worked for us might not work for you. Therefore all things considered, an all girl cage might be what works best in your situation.
30+ Zebra Finches (The actual number constantly changes) 2 Rabbits (1 Mini Rex, 1 Dutch), 1 Grouchy Old Fart, and 1 Dang Redhead

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Re: quick questio:mixed aviary, female zebras not male?

Post by L in Ontario » Thu May 06, 2010 8:11 am

For my separate cages of male and female Zebras - it's the males that quarrel the most and pluck others non-stop. So much so that I had to separate them into 3 cages of 2 males, 2 males, 1 male! :evil: The males are taking up too many cages. The females are all in one cage and while they argue sometimes, they don't injure another. That being said, I did find my biggest Zebra hen dead last week and have no idea why. Then again I've no idea how old she was but she did not appear injured nor plucked.
Liz

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