I am so confused by your set up John, LOL! It sounds like lots of activity and fun though. I aim to have separate cages for each pair and then the ability to let them out in pairs into a larger flight area and also possibly a outdoor area. We are not there yet but the babies keep coming. I love your updates
It started out so simple. 8 birds, 4 pairs, 4 HUGE cages. Only one pair began breeding ( Fingers + Cha_Cha). Most of the time all were out together in a large aviary. Big converted double garage. So, very much your set up.
Years go by, alliances formed, and inter birdie rivalries emerged. It didn't help that I have two species, when the birdies don't care which species is which. But
I do, I cant be the one who allowed mixed species into this very rare bird gene pool. So I split pairings I didn't approve of, as they formed. This didn't help tensions
But all was relatively calm until the curious GTC's decided to raid Cha-Cha's nest while she was on eggs several years ago. They opened the inspection hatch from the outside and raced in and out excitedly shouting like bratty kids in a mall. I didn't discover this for hours, by which time Cha_Cha had lost her mind.
She never forgave them. She holds on to her grudges. Fingers ( her mate) decided the main culprit was Boo-boo, A big bouncy beautiful hopping male. These two adult males will now fight on sight and to the death if I do not quickly intervene.
Any new babies that come along for Fingers and Cha_Cha are now inducted into the religion of their parents. Num-Nums and Nik Nak thus follow the fatwa that their parents issued regarding collaborating with the frenemies the other side of the avairy, and WBC's have enjoyed a numerical advantage until now.
I reduced tensions greatly by moving Fingers and Cha into the house. But this year they have not settled to breed. There is lots of casual sex, along with lots of less casual arguing. Fingers began to climb out of the next box bearing minor battle scars, so now I don't let them spend much time together.
Then ten days ago, Diva (GTC) laid an egg, WTF? after 7 years. I quickly sequestered her in a breeding flight with Ken ( of Ken and Barbie fame). After 7 years of ignoring Diva, he suddenly took to fatherhood and this pair is currently putting on a show as ideal parents. They have two eggs at present, more any day.
His selected mate, Barbie (GTC), took to plucking her feathers as she didn't like not being allowed into the GTC nest box as usual. So she happily spends the day with me now, often contributing on technical software issues during my conference calls.
And the babies reached puberty. The hormones hit big time this month.
So you see, its all as clear as mud
LOL