Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2010 1:57 pm Post subject: kak ate quails head!!!
hi everyone
one of my male kaks has killed 2 of my quails and ate their heads what the hell is going on ???? i caught him in the process of eatin the second quails head i mean is this stuff normal and y haven't i heard of this??? the other kaks were all perched together watching in disgust and once he approached his mate she really shunned him!! anyone got a clue _________________ thanks brucie.....
We have kept quail bob and japense for many yrs with kakariki crimson wing, kings , turqs cocteils...never had an issue except for 1 male in a smaller flight who intiminated them....We assumed because they where to close to the nesting box
This also happened when we had burkes nesting in that flight
That the closest we have ever had any issues.
As to eating their heads...we have had kakariki quail die and never had anything like that...But we do feed protein in the form of chopped cooked left over steak, chops, chicken carcass...
kakariki have been reported in the wild feeding on carrian and dead fish on beachs...they do have a high protein content in their diet in the wild...could he be lacking in diet?
As to killing or intimidating ..unless other birds get too close to the nest never heard of it.
Once in a while one does get a rogue kakariki, like in any species...these tend to be a bit screwed in the head and will attack damn near anything.. when we have had one its always been a single male and will pick on only 1 or 2 birds in a flock....as to killing...bloody agressive but they have been culled before any serious....and they have never attacked a quail.
This doesnt mean they would not have done so.
All of the rogue kakariki we have had have been from other sources not breed from us...and we dont want these tendences in our breeding stock lines.....like blue budgies, they can be pretty mean at times.
Hmm thinking, our quail will fligh up at night to get to ledges to roost...maybe the quail where trying to???
I would at a gess suggest it is not a single issue I meantion above but maybe a combination of more than one??? _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
A small rectification. I meant the 'Least Weasel'. He is from the same family as the stoat but slightly smaller. Least Weasels tend to eat the head only.
Kakariki don't kill other birds to eat them and certainly not the head. If Kakariki does a violent peck it is always pointed at the back.
Are stoats weasels a reasonabky common issue around avaries in Europe?
They are an issue in the bush but have never known them to be an issue in towns here...Rats yes
Are you sure it was not a staot weasel rat what ever and it not the alpha male happened to go down 'inspecting; and the rest sitting up watching...
In an espablished flock, no one moves eats or 'sneezes without the approval of the Alpha male....usually with a chrip and a foot on the back
A rogue bird (disvcuseed this last nigh with another breeder who has seen it) will be all out visious, killing other birds kakariki, this is usually done by attacking mid air feet out like a hawk. Once it has done substantual damage, manages to get the target into a cnr on the ground, will attack at the head with the beak....once the bird is dead they will play with it for a while.
It maybe ok for a few days, then it will pick on another bird. _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
it's a indoor flight newly built , i have a south facing window and extra full spectrum reptile lights for those dull days , no entry points either he was eating the head when i came across it n yes steptoe he was always chasing them about but nothing serious
i just remembered seeing the term kaks will be kaks alot and thought little of it!! we live and learn ... do u advise culling this bird he came from a family home not an aviery maybe he's taken on board the human characteristic of exterminating every living thing around it!!! _________________ thanks brucie.....
domestic cats and rats are the biggest problem oh and the odd fox encounter but i wont have that problem for a year while the outside aviery's are ready!! not looking forward to falling out with next door .. she has loads of cats which will be treading dangerous ground next year _________________ thanks brucie.....
n yes steptoe he was always chasing them about but nothing serious
That description is not general kakariki behour....and behavour of a rorgue.
A rogue can vary as to the trempriment of the bird from chassing around to all out attack.
Did it tend to chass the same 1 or 2 birds only? this is the tendency of a rogue.....And it is possible that he would be quite ok with a couple others..NPs put him in with some others and he takes a dislike to on or 2 and does it again
Take the opportunty to get some experiance at this stage, pull him out and put in a cage for a week....put him back and watch close...the chances are he will do it again....
Quote:
do u advise culling this bird he came from a family home not an aviery maybe he's taken on board the human characteristic
At the end of the day...yes on all counts.. human characterist , I would suggest more the bird has been teased . abused, mis treated...the result is not just a human thing, it applies to all animals.
I like to enjoy our birds...that means avairies/ flights dont have this sort of crap/ violence taking place, because they are stressed and I have something I dont like on the back of my mind which interfers with my selfish attitude to enjoy watching interacting with my birds.
A normal kakariki (unless going to nest and becomes terroitorial) at most will jibber and curse the other bird vocally and or put his foot on their back the push them...and maybe a ting little more when the roost in the evenings...a younger bird will always try it on to move the the pecking order and get growled at
Do you have nesting boxes in their?
Do you have more than enough perches at different height for them to roost on...pecking order. _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
i agree it started with just the hen quail at first more like bullying and then became more frequent hate the idea of culling him tho isn't there any other use to him maybe a pet for a friend i'd quite happily supply a nice cage and give him away after all it's not his fault we mention human characteristics i kno im my country and yours we say no to the death penalty no matter what the crime "just a thought other wise cccrrreeekkkkk" no seriously tho is there any other way. _________________ thanks brucie.....
after all it's not his fault we mention human characteristics i kno im my country and yours we say no to the death penalty no matter what the crime
Doesntmean i agree with all my countries legistation.
Keep in mind We have now, a doz polus weaned so far this yr, approx another 18 chicks in boxes, about 10 pair parrots sitting. Time to mess around with rogue birds or have the space to do so...nope.
We produce big healthy birds, anything defective we do what nature will do anyway _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
back then when I didn't feed enough protein it was really common if there was any dead body in the aviary kakariki wouldn't take long to start to deal with it.
Once I spent 3 days without visiting the aviaries and when I arrived I found a lineolated parrot (or whatever was left) in a really sad state.
The other times the body was just a bit plucked, but this time... it was not nice to see, and I doubt it was mice.
But I don't think I never had a kakariki kill any other bird, I even bred kakariki + cockatiels in relatively small aviaries (2x1x1,80) and never had an issue other than a kakariki 'cursing' as Steptoe says.
The only situation I haven't tested so far is breeding with several kakariki pairs in the same aviary but I don't really see the point of doing so, I have the experience of several other guys and it's a sure fail unless you have a huge aviary and nests are well separated.
Overall I have found kakariki to be surprisingly more peaceful than cockatiels. Cockatiels aren't vicious but they have a lot of bickering, they will start beak-wrestling for any reason, and they even bully the plumheads if they have something the cockatiels want (peanut, millet spray, herbs).
Even when I need to catch the birds, kakariki when they bite usually they just make some pressure, cockatiels... I have had several nasty bites, most of them will look around and twist their heads big time to get to bite your finger or fingernail.
My grandpa used to laugh at me until one day he had a sampler of a cockatiel bite, he confessed... "my desire was to snap his neck", he has thick, weathered skin (working all his life in the fields).
Kakariki killing another bird sounds possible, but I think it's a rare ocurrence and probably it's a bird with problems (screwed in the head ). Same as birds that have a habit of plucking feathers and stuff.
There are worse species like lovebirds, budgies (colony breeding), rosellas/platycercus, and other birds. Probably the most vicious is the red rump, I have seen a male in action bullying a pair of eastern rosellas in an aviary so I believe they are capable of anything hehe.
From what I have been told cockatoos and vasa parrots can also get out of their mind when breeding and kill the partners.
Just a thought...you didnt have 2 male bob whites in there....that can cause issues....generally one can only tell the diff between sexes by physical examination and even that needs someone who knows what to look for. _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
no was a pair of button quails the kak was always bullying em about. really dont kno wat happened i kno he aint no good for breading now but other than this insident he's fine ... with me and other kaks.
our lasses gran jus bin widowed n i was wondering if he'd be still alright as company for her ???? live his life away from other birds. _________________ thanks brucie.....
Give it a go....male birds (most pets) tend to make better companions for ladies and visa a versa.
Thu be aware he could get a bit agreesive/posseive if your Gran has male visitors _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
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). Same as birds that have a habit of plucking feathers and stuff.
what do u mean male visitors 
