New challenge to overcome in mixed flock!

[muddy75]

since my pheasants are 18/22 weeks, I was not expecting to have any major issues until next breeding season!! However, the boys seem to be maturing faster and already attempting to mount hens as well as my female quail!!! Unfortunately this behavior has resulted in 1 quail death so far

 

[Midnightman14]

Separate them.

 

[muddy75]

Separate them.

that is one possibility but I was hoping to avoid having to separate.....all-in-all the flock gets along very well. my plan was to only keep 1 male pheasant if they start fighting at breeding season. im hoping that by reducing my number of quail, that harmony will return....(or at least the quail will be able to hide if they get messed with). the culprit is my melanistic....the one i am hoping to keep!!

 

[sourland]

I expect that you will lose more quail if you insist on maintaining a mixed flock.

 

[Midnightman14]

melanistics get crazy aggressive in spring. He would probably kill all the quail if you keep them together.

 

[muddy75]

melanistics get crazy aggressive in spring. He would probably kill all the quail if you keep them together.

Thanks for the heads up!! Melvin is my first melanistic....we have plans for separation and had tried a temporary separation in the past but was hoping to have a bit more time....just started seeing problems a few days ago so I guess I will have to speed up my plans!

 

[007Sean]

You need to seperate them ASAP, muddy. The aggression will only get worse.
I did have a male ring necked in with my Bob/Blue quail mixed aviary, a long time ago and had no problems. I have also of late, lost 4 quail, when I put them in with a trio of Zarundy pheasants. Pheasants and quail just don't mix, in general.

 

[muddy75]

You need to seperate them ASAP, muddy. The aggression will only get worse.
I did have a male ring necked in with my Bob/Blue quail mixed aviary, a long time ago and had no problems. I have also of late, lost 4 quail, when I put them in with a trio of Zarundy pheasants. Pheasants and quail just don't mix, in general.

thank you @007Sean.....today there was harmony, but am planning to separate ASAP.....i had a few additional factors at play as well including addition of new batch quail putting me at max density on quail, significant weather change, and inadvertently letting the feeders run low. also reminded by @R2elk that by “raising” them together, that Melvin (like Hodor) probably doesn’t realize that the quail are different species......will figure out something this weekend. we still have the supplies we bought to separate the main aviary when we figured out that it was not the birds but raccoons that were the problem in that instance. DH finally found all the stuff necessary for the redesign and new netting as well so hopefully will get that done soon too! a hobbyist work is never done!!

 

[muddy75]

@007Sean .....Melvin doesn’t like posing for pics!!

 

[007Sean]

View attachment 1930477 View attachment 1930478 View attachment 1930480 @007Sean .....Melvin doesn’t like posing for pics!!

Nice looking Melvin! The hen in the background looks like a regular ring necked hen? The background is fuzzy!