Agression during brooding

[Aussie92]

G'day all!

Sorry I haven't got back to everyone who has replied to other threads yet - have been super busy!

Recently upgraded my hutch to a 1.5 x 1.5 x 2m aviary, and installed gravity feeders and waterers to the wall, and also lots of hiding spots, hay and also live grass.

My females have started laying, but I've noticed one (they are all jumbo Japanese) has begun chasing the others away from eggs, pecking and jumping at them.
She doesn't ever draw blood, and doesn't pursue too much, but it seems to stress the others a little.

My question is - is this normal with brooding females? And do I only need to worry if feathers are torn or blood is drawn?

Hoping this isn't anything too worrying - she's usually pretty relaxed, and exhibits this behaviour a lot more when my partner or myself are present.

Should I get a breeding box and try and migrate her to it, or otherwise isolate her within the cage? I have a lot of wooden planks bricks, stones etc in there.

Thanks in advance!

 

[JaeG]

Are you positive it's a girl (just my first thought because it acts aggressively when you are there - that's often a show of dominance that males will do)? Sometimes boys can have spotty chests and look like girls, just with a little more red in the spots. If you do think she is a she it might be an idea to put in a divider so she's not alone but cannot be a bully. Some coturnix, even when raised together, just plain don't get along. Some seem to like making trouble and being a bully. Sometimes dividing them off for a week helps to bring them down a peg or two. It's unlikely she's broody if they've only recently started laying.

 

[Aussie92]

Are you positive it's a girl (just my first thought because it acts aggressively when you are there - that's often a show of dominance that males will do)? Sometimes boys can have spotty chests and look like girls, just with a little more red in the spots. If you do think she is a she it might be an idea to put in a divider so she's not alone but cannot be a bully. Some coturnix, even when raised together, just plain don't get along. Some seem to like making trouble and being a bully. Sometimes dividing them off for a week helps to bring them down a peg or two. It's unlikely she's broody if they've only recently started laying.

Cheers for the reply!

I'm very sure she is a female, around 3 and a bit months old, and by vent sex she seems to be female. She also sits on the eggs a lot of the time, even sitting on ones from the other hens.

I could try putting her in a divider - would it be adequate to seperate her "nest area" by bricks, planks etc so she interacts less?

I've also seen the two definite males mount her a few times for mating. I'm fairly sure it is for mating as I've only seen her with foam after, and not producing any on her own.

Is there any chance she may calm down over time by herself, or is a "time out" much more necessary?

Thanks again!

 

[JaeG]

As long as she's not injuring any of the others and they have the space to get away from her then you could just monitor it. Fingers crossed she'll calm down, especially if you don't supplement their light over winter and let them have a break to calm the hormones. I have had one territorial female in a large run as well.

Socially they can be quite tricky sometimes. I had a group that was fine for a couple of months before the male took to one particular female. Her eye won't ever quite be the same but they are tough little birds, and really very sweet for the most part. He has been replaced and everyone seems happy now (though some girls took a bit of convincing)!