I have searched through the forums here and haven't found anything that really describes my situation.
I know quail are territorial. But from everything I have read on here, it's usually seen with new birds or between roos. I have a 3 week old silver that is causing havoc in the brooder. I have eight birds total in the brooder. There are three pharaohs, which are the only ones i can tell the sex of: two hens and one roo. The other five I do not know the sex of yet, as they are silvers, white, and pearl.
The silver causing all the ruckus began making a new vocalization yesterday. To me it kinda sounds like a guinea pig. And it looks like it is claiming space. When it makes the sound all the other birds scatter, and if one doesn't move fast enough or runs too close in its panic the silver pecks at it. No blood, just a feather pulled sometimes.
It doesn't seem to be one spot the silver is defending, more the immediate area around it, because as it moves around the cage it does the same behavior of vocalizing and chasing. Like it's saying "No one else is allowed where I am."
I have watched all this for quite awhile and I don't see any difference in the way it behaves to the three that I know the sex of. And sometimes it will allow a bird to stay near, though it seems like the bird in that situation just refuses to move or calls the silver's bluff.
So, any ideas on what is playing out here? Does this sound more like roo or hen behavior? I have hope this won't be a permanent thing, as I will be culling roos and moving everyone out to their larger permanent hutch in about another week.
I know quail are territorial. But from everything I have read on here, it's usually seen with new birds or between roos. I have a 3 week old silver that is causing havoc in the brooder. I have eight birds total in the brooder. There are three pharaohs, which are the only ones i can tell the sex of: two hens and one roo. The other five I do not know the sex of yet, as they are silvers, white, and pearl.
The silver causing all the ruckus began making a new vocalization yesterday. To me it kinda sounds like a guinea pig. And it looks like it is claiming space. When it makes the sound all the other birds scatter, and if one doesn't move fast enough or runs too close in its panic the silver pecks at it. No blood, just a feather pulled sometimes.
It doesn't seem to be one spot the silver is defending, more the immediate area around it, because as it moves around the cage it does the same behavior of vocalizing and chasing. Like it's saying "No one else is allowed where I am."
I have watched all this for quite awhile and I don't see any difference in the way it behaves to the three that I know the sex of. And sometimes it will allow a bird to stay near, though it seems like the bird in that situation just refuses to move or calls the silver's bluff.
So, any ideas on what is playing out here? Does this sound more like roo or hen behavior? I have hope this won't be a permanent thing, as I will be culling roos and moving everyone out to their larger permanent hutch in about another week.
