Spontaneous bully syndrome?

[Susan Skylark]

I had to coin a medical term, maybe it is just my line of birds (coturnix) but I’ve had several perfectly peaceful hens, no issues or aggression ever, no changes to pen or management, plenty of space and food/water, suddenly get mean to the other birds. My son’s favorite male just got beat up by what I thought was our most timid hen (the same guy that needed couples therapy last summer after getting beat up by other hens!). I had another one a few weeks back, just started bullying other hens. Do they just decide to be the boss quail? Or is there some hidden trigger that makes a previously peaceful bird go bonkers? I don’t get it! Any ideas?

 

[Nabiki]

I've never had them go violent without some reason behind it. Is there a predator hanging around? Maybe add a few more hiding places for them?

 

[Susan Skylark]

They are in a secure garage, we don’t even have resident mice. Just found another bald male, but he’s kind of a jerk with the ladies and probably deserves it! There probably is a trigger, I’m just not noticing the pattern or maybe it varies bird to bird. Ridiculous creatures!

 

[Susan Skylark]

I think I got the pattern in this case, the two males are father and son, both are very girl crazy, and tend to hang on to the hen’s head a bit rough and I think the hens get a bit ticked and just let them know their feelings, ‘marital’ spat not bullying. Completely different than hen mean to other hens.