IndianRingNeck.com

Right now I have an aggressive hen - she was not this way before and all of a sudden started being really aggressive to her mate.

Here is the story - she is a new addition and she has been getting along with her mate very well with no problems. I got her from a breeder that is down sizing her flock and she was in an aviary with other birds - right before she was shipped to me the owner caught her mating with another male, however that male was young and the breeder thought it probably didn't take.

Anyway, she has since been with me and has been fine - she was slowly introduced to her mate and they both liked each other from that start - they have now been living together 24-7 with no problems they have been eating together, preening each other, flirting, and sleeping within inches of each other - the last 36 hours the female all of a sudden has become very aggressive towards her and will chase him around and not let him on the top perch.

Does anyone know why this hen would be getting so aggressive all of a sudden? Could it have something to do with her possibly being pregnant and wanting to protect herself and the eggs to come? I don't know what else it would be?

Any have any ideas?

If these birds are not in climate-controlled and artificially-lighted and manipulated environment, the she is probably not "pregnant". It is too late (or too early) for these birds to be breeding as breeding season in North America starts late winter through early spring.

Breeder IRNs can be fickle and temperamental and for the most part, their social behavior is unpredictable. I've heard of stories wherein a pair was bonded and had produced young for three years yet on the fourth year, for whatever reason, the hen kills the male without batting an eyelash.

Just when you thought you had these birds figured out and then they throw you a curve ball.....

The person I got this hen from is a breeder of only IRN's and has tons and tons of pairs - she breeds them year round and not seasonal, so they must be climate controlled - they were matting right before the hen was sent to me, however the breeder doesn't think anything will happen as the male is still young.

I am not worried about if she is pregnant as I really don't want her to be, it just sort of happened right before she was sent to me. This female has just been getting along with the male fine and all of a sudden she is just attacking him every chance she gets and I am curious as to why this would come on so quickly and if her possibly being pregnant has anything to do with it.

As I said above since IRNs' breeding behavior is sometimes unpredictable, we can only react to what they show us and not what we think is happening. I would separate them for now to protect the male.

Thanks for the advice Jay - I have another question for you, I separated the male and hen and now they are constantly climb the sides of the cages trying to get to each other and calling one another non stop.

I am not sure what to do with them right now - should I leave them be and just have them keep climbing and calling for one another or should I put them back together so they settle down and see if they can work things out?

I'm not sure what to do at this point - it was such a sudden change and nothing seems to be making the situation any better.

Any advice would be very kind - thanks in advance.

I don't think they will breed until this coming winter anyway so I don't see a point in putting them together in one cage at this point in time.