I'm starting to appreciate how social these animals are.
A couple weeks ago when a grow-out tub reached adult size I saved the 2.6 that seemed most docile to set up two new colonies and fed the rest. However, I only had one available tub but figured it would be fine because they where still a month or more from having babies and had always been together. I had not noticed any trouble between the two males when I finally finished some new tubs and was able to split them into two 1.3 groups the other day. However, I noticed the next morning that neither tub bothered to pull the sunflower seeds through the wire from the two small scoops of wild bird seed I supplement their lab block with. When all 2.6 where together they eagerly ate this treat just like all my other tubs but now the day after being broken into two 1.3 groups neither seemed to have an appetite. I'm wondering if they are this sensitive to group changes if I might have delayed production by not setting up the eventual new breeding groups right at weaning.