Button community ratio?

[Bettacreek]

Well, I'm weighing all of my options for the buttons, and I'm thinking about doing pairs of uncommon varieties and a community of commons. What I'm wondering is, how many males to females should I use without risking a low fertility rate or fighting?

 

[Akane]

The space is more important. I had 2 pairs together that were fine in 8sq ft so 2sq ft per button. Then I had 2 males with 8females that were fighting because there was only 1sq ft per button. The individuals also matter. I've been weeding out the aggressive buttons I hatch. There's 1 every hatch I cull because anything will set them off and they'll start picking and fighting. This time it was a female who keeps beating up any males that try to mate with her. Last time it was a male who first plucked all the females bald and left them bloody despite plenty to choose from and then started going after every male he was put with. Put a different button in the exact same setup and they are just fine.

I have yet to see any magic number amongst my buttons that has them all get along. It all seems to depend on the buttons themselves, the cage setup, and the overall space they are given. For fertility though I probably wouldn't go over 4 females per male. Buttons aren't really colony breeders and actually prefer to be in pairs to groups.

 

[AK_Button_Mama]

I agree. I have been just moving agressive bird out. I have some that do GREAT with larger numbers in a larger cage and then I have a few that no matter how many you put it with it is still trying to eat the other alive.... some birds seem more easy to aggitate. and I am thinking about just removing them completly from the whole equation! I have this one little guy who tries to tattack the big hand that feeds him EVERYDAY!!!! he is a strange little cookie!!! he all fluffs up and does a little dance and then tries to peck me!!! it makes me laugh!!! he has what I call napoleon syndrome (Or little mans syndrome)..... he thinks he is a big bird!!!!