That Quail Place Forum
Raising Gamebirds => General Discussion => Topic started by: eggy on September 14, 2005, 04:34:24 PM
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Hello,
I have a dozen pet bobwhites in a pen, 5 cocks and 7 hens. The pen is about 5x7 feet, and about 5 feet high, so I don't think they are overcrowded. One of the cocks has started hiding almost constantly in their little house (the rest of them only go into their house when I enter the pen to clean or whatever). I'm pretty sure he hangs out in there because the others chase and peck him. He seems either really bummed-out or ill, hanging his head and so on. A similar situation occured last year when I had only 2 cocks and 2 hens, and it didn't end until the "inferior" cock was killed by the dominant one. I am thinking of moving the current scapegoat to a separate cage, but I am afraid that the others will just pick another scapegoat who will end up in similar straits. What do you folks think? Have you noticed similar behavior, and how did you solve it, if at all?
Thanks,
eggy