New Owner-need info PLEASE!!!

LucyLover · Post by **LucyLover** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 10:22 am

Alright, I started out with a Society finch that I thought was male. Than I got a male Society finch because he had clubbed feet and was going to die at the pet shop. Well, right away the two bonded and now I have a society female with eggs in the nest. Will the eggs be fertile??? There are five of them right now, and I only know the basics of finches. I wasn't planning on having a male and female, likewise I wasn't planning on breeding. Has anyone heard of this??? They do share incubating duty.... If anyone can help, please do.

kenny · Post by **kenny** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 11:14 am

hi lucy
societys are notoriously hard to sex,and the only way you can do this is th male sings and the hen lays eggs.they will have no trouble rearing any young as they make great parents the club foot will not stop them breeding as i know of one footed birds that have bred youngsters .the feet of societies do some times turn out like this as there has been 500 years of interbreeding so you can expect a little deformity once in a while if you want them to breed just supply them with a nest some material to put in it and they will do the rest

ken

LucyLover · Post by **LucyLover** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 11:17 am

Hi! Thanks. My original question was can a society and zebra breed? A female society and male zebra breeding. There are five eggs in the nest and I don't know what to do.... Thanks for you help!

tammieb · Post by **tammieb** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 11:33 am

Yes, societies and zebras will breed. If you don't want your birds to breed then either remove the nests (they don't need them for sleeping) or the eggs as they are laid. The eggs have to be incubated for 12-14 days before they will hatch, so removing them soon after they are laid will relieve you of any worry about throwing out chicks.

Welcome to the forum.

LucyLover · Post by **LucyLover** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 3:52 pm

Alright! Thanks! I'm brand new at breeding finches, but I've been breeding doves for some while, and I've never heard the term throwing chicks out. I assume this refers to the weaker ones that aren't able to get enough food??? Sort of like the runts of litters??

tammieb · Post by **tammieb** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 4:41 pm

No no no, I meant that if you dispose of the eggs before they begin to develop into chicks then you have no reason to feel guilty. Some keepers find this a difficult thing to do. SO, if you don't want chicks then you either need to remove the nests or toss the eggs. Simple as that.

LucyLover · Post by **LucyLover** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 5:28 pm

Ohhhhhhhh, OK. Well, I would like to see how the chicks turn out. That would be one weird mutation.... Do you have any idea as to what kind of problems might accure??? Both parents are sharing nest duty. Anyone have pictures of the chicks???? Thanks again!