For a year now I've been keeping Bobwhite quail in a roughly 6x6 outside enclosure. 5 pairs have been living together quite comfortably. But all of a sudden and with no warning whatsoever, they've started fighting. Two mornings ago, one male became the victim of all the others; chased relentlessly until I had to take him out and put him in isolation with his paired female. This morning, another male has become a victim in the exact same way. All the other birds attack him and drive him away, forcing me to take him out and isolate him. After isolation, all efforts to re-integrate fail; they just get attacked again. Tomorrow I bet that another male will be victimized, and then the remaining two pairs will almost certainly fight as well.
What's suddenly made them all violent like this? They've lived together for months with no problems. Originally there were 10 pairs, but during the spring, I had to separate 5 pairs due to fighting. But the 5 remaining pairs have been peaceful ever since, until just now.
If this continues I'm very strongly tempted to simply let them go into my valley and let them fend for themselves. Not out of malice, but simply because I can't keep ten pairs all in separate runs. I'm very much at my wit's end with this problem, and could really use some advice.
What's suddenly made them all violent like this? They've lived together for months with no problems. Originally there were 10 pairs, but during the spring, I had to separate 5 pairs due to fighting. But the 5 remaining pairs have been peaceful ever since, until just now.
If this continues I'm very strongly tempted to simply let them go into my valley and let them fend for themselves. Not out of malice, but simply because I can't keep ten pairs all in separate runs. I'm very much at my wit's end with this problem, and could really use some advice.
