First Finches - How do I?

[hiredrose]

I'm thinking of getting a pair of finches. They are a breeding pair, and they have had four clutches, according to the current owner.

Now, I have read up a good bit on finches, but I currently do not feel equal to the task of breeding. Will the finches be alright if not breeding? I have heard of males bullying females or females plucking themselves 'cos they want babies.

More to the point, how do I accomplish this not-breeding thing? I understand from one source that I should remove the nest, but I have read from another that nests are necessary to the birds well-being, mating or not.

[hiredrose]

Essential fact: the pair are Zebras.

[Hilary]

Very important fact! They'll be fine without breeding - just do not give them a nest or nesting material (and watch the seed cups!). Zebras are very determined. They love nests, but nest = chicks. They'll be fine sleeping on a perch.

[Sally]

You will find two schools of thought on nests. Some think birds have to have a nest to be happy, and others think it is better to limit the breeding. If I could have nests in my cages without breeding, they would have them in a heartbeat, but especially my Zebras, give them a nest and they give me babies in return!

If the pair of Zebras has just finished raising four clutches, they need and deserve a rest! There are only two ways I have found to stop the breeding. 1. Take out nests and all nesting material and limit high-protein and fat foods, and 2. Separate the pair. Actually, there is a third way, let them have a nest and throw away any eggs, but this will eventually exhaust the female as she keeps laying eggs (you can try to fool her by replacing her eggs with artificial eggs, so she will hopefully sit quietly on the fakes).

Zebras are great beginner birds, but they do like to breed. If you thwart them, there is the chance of feather-plucking or aggression. There are some good articles at the FIC about handling this kind of behavior. Then again, you might not have problems at all, they are all different. My pair of Zebras did OK without a nest and without laying eggs everywhere, but the second I put in a nest, they lined it and laid eggs.

[hiredrose]

Thanks very much! I'll try this with the no nest for a bit and keep an eye out for any trouble signs. I'll keep ya'll posted!

[S. W. Houston]

Definitely two schools of thought Sally, and a paradox.

I have four Males as you know, and when I put my Pair together, that left three. BAD CHOICE I found, leaving them together in one cage. Two buddied up, and I had to move “Lonesome” to a cage by himself. Given I have Chicks on the growth runway now, Lonesome will have some company soon. I hope that at least one of the Chicks is a Hen, but, this Pair does not have a very good history of producing Hens.

In the mean time, got the nest out of the Cage, and saw that they sat around a lot, and these Birds were not designed to do that, my opinion. I like to see them doing something, and may cause a little exasperation in them, by furnishing a nest, as I have with the Buddys and Lonesome by himself.

I’ve put some Jute String in the Cages with them, tied it to a Perch, not much “material”, but, they all work on the String for hours, trying to get it into the Nest. That may be “teasing” them, but, it does keep them busy.
Your opinion on that Sally ?

Of course I have toys-Mirrors, Rings, Swings, Branches, lots. Flight is fairly open, but the Cages do look a bit cluttered, maybe I overdid it, but, they use most of the stuff, which I think is good for them, exercise and variety of Perch size and composition.

My objective is, when the Chicks get independent, to move the Cocks and Hen(s) into separate Cages, maybe two Cages for the Males, given how I might combine 7 of them, IF she gives me three more Males. Uoooo!

Have a good Day !

[Sally]

If you have a males only cage, you can put in a nest. The only thing you would have to watch for, I think, is anyone being territorial about the nest, and featherplucking.

Houston, those babies need more than seed right now. If you would hardboil an egg, then mash it up, and offer small amounts to the parents, they will feed that to the babies. When there aren't babies being fed, you mash the egg shell and all, but I read that when there are babies, you need to remove the shell (it could cut the babies crops). Egg is very high protein, and that's what the babies need for growth. And don't worry about one being bigger or smaller than another, they should all wind up the same size in the end. They can have this mashed egg every day while feeding babies. Just put a small dish of whatever they pretty much clean up in 3-4 hours--you can offer that several times a day, if you want.

BTW, if one of this clutch is a hen, it still shouldn't be paired with your other males. Even when they come from different clutches, if they have the same parents, they are still brothers and sisters.

[beccafigs]

My two cents:

Watching the seed cups is important! My zebras try to make nests out of even the smallest seed cups if they can squeeze in it.

[S. W. Houston]

Sally,

Your comments added to my "SS-Notebook" !

I havn't tryed the HB Egg yet, I WILL, but, isn't it supposed to be rather dry, where they can sorta pick up the little chunks.

I've read about putting it in the Microwave, or that may have been the Egg Shell, getting the skin real dry, whre it would break up in smaller pieces.

But, how about adding that Yellow Corn Meal, is this a good time to do that too?

beccafig,
Thank you for the "heads up", or "tales in" as it were, I'll keep an "eye out" anyway !

Have a good Day !
Edit Update:
HBEgg in cages now, Hen and Lonesome interested, no other takers as yet.

PS: Whoever wrote the how to about boiling an egg in the FIC, THANK YOU !

[S. W. Houston]

Well here I go, doubleclutching a Topic again !

Not much has changed on the Egg Food.
Hen and the single Bird ate some, but no one else that I saw.

Just that one Egg was a LOT, for the few birds I have, can I put the extra in a closed container and into the Frig.
Or does it go bad even in there?

Have a good Day !

[Sally]

Sometimes they take a while to try egg food. Just put a small amount in a small dish, sprinkle some of their seed on top, and they will eventually try it. You can keep the extra in the fridge for about 3 days.

[S. W. Houston]

Sally,

What would we do with out ya !

Thank you again (that's about a billion thanks now, according to my Log)

Have a good Day !