FINCHforum

Hi all I am new to the forum, glad to be able to be here. My name is Gary and I am from South Africa. We had a male Zebra and he was outside in summer, so I grew attached to them.

I built a really smart cage 1,500 wide by 1,300 to the floor with a foot leg. It is 68 cm wide, has boxes etc. However the pair liked the wicker basket and nest high against the roof. The male is a permanent construction worker, all grass matter is made into nests all over....so now I limit what I put in the cage.

They have a 30cm by 25cm bath and 3 other spare nesting boxes to choose from, I made my roof half round and put more dowels high up. The cage is on castors so rolls inside at night as its winter now and very cold at night.

They are well cared for and have a real grand cage to live in. I only got a single pair, dont want troubles.

The male loves to fly, so summer i will build a large outside cage.

He answers the Hadidas outside when they fly over BEEP BEEP BEEP x 10 or 12 times, and she is more quiet and chirps quietly, he is a naughty and pleasant character, she very fine and so small.

She was about two months old when I got her, so they are about 6 months now, BUT

PROBLEMS;

Maybe somebody can help;

Sometimes she rocks on floor, cant fly and he gets angry and tries to talk to her, I pick her up and put in a nest, for two days she is a ground feeder and cannot fly then BOOM, an egg on the floor, or in a spot, lays every say 7 to 18 days lays an egg.

But then she just forgets about them, and the egg just sits around, I have lost 6 eggs now.... one egg vanished, do know what happened to that one!

Maybe she is still to young?

They love Qcumber, egg and lettuce.

Lovely little birds, he - " mechanical wind up toy" - she - Little beep.

Great birds!

If somebody can shed some light on my problem....... thanks.

I will post a few pictures of the humble abode soon.

Gary

Gary
Welcome to the forum! If I understand your question, you want to know why the hen lays eggs on the floor? Or are you concerned that she seem to have trouble laying the eggs? Does she get eggfood and have cuttle bones for calcium? She is young, so she should not be bred yet. So, if you have her with the male, she may be too young to know what to do at this stage. I would give them some time to grow up a little and then, you can add the nests and nesting material if you want babies. I don't let my finches breed until they are one year old, which helps avoid eggbinding being a problem as often. Young hens are more prone to have an eggbinding problem. If she does, then add heat and humidity and give her Calcium Guconate by beak, one drop a couple times a day til the egg is laid.

Good luck with them and post pics when you are able.

Hullo, yes I am concerned that she just forgets about the eggs, I now have 6, so maybe to young. I will feel mighty bad taking away the nests now as they are used to the home, so I think I will just wait and prey. Here are a few pics. Thanks, yes for your advise, yes she has cuttle, egg and all of the hotels extras here lol.

When I bought my birds the seller told me " No, they breed straight away, put in a breeding box and you are ready to go" he never said I should wait a while first, so now I cannot take it away, I will just wait. Thanks 4 your advise. All new to these bird dynamics........

The bottom carpet slides out and is easily cleaned, the top is half round and offers shelter but allows cool air in summer ( when it comes) but then I will build another hotel. Note the nice bath

Couple bath finch pictures - sunshine here today so they enjoying all of it, the bath also!

Welcome to the forum, Gary! Great pictures, and I love the cage you have provided for them. That looks like very small hex wire, the hex wire that is available to me in the U.S. is much too big for finches.

There are two schools of thought on breeding age for finches, one that they should be at least one year old, and the other that they are old enough at 6-7 months. At any rate, the younger they are, it may take them a while to figure it out. I had a pair of sibling Owls accidentally produce and raise one healthy baby when they were only 3-4 months of age. Besides the cuttlebone, if you can find a mineral mix or even just plain oystershell grit, that provides lots of calcium. They need vitamin D3 to utilize the calciium, but as long as they get a bit of sunshine outside, that is the best source for it.

There's lots of good reading at the Finch Information Center, linked at left, and the members are always ready to help.

Welcome to the forum Gary. How old are you Gary? You did a great job with the cage. Your female will find it easier to lay eggs when it is warmer. Just another month before it is spring in South Africa.

Welcome, Gary. I really like your cage!

Thank you all, I am trying to work my way around this forum and picture thingy ha ha, anyways, thanks 4 all the help thus far, I am going to tell the female to stop now till she is a year old, hope she understands

Yes I built the cage. Took 3 days taking my time.

If you need small mesh I can buy you some and mail it to you if you need it badly.

Regards.
Gary

Don't mean to be rude but what kind of liquid are you talking about that I can put in water to help her get stronger, here we wont be able to buy that type of stuff, can you give me a name I can google please. Thank you.

Welcome Gary . Great pics! Love your cage too!!!

Thanks all, I will build a bigger one that can connect to the side and put them outside in summer, close it at night for cats, the one side has a door that can open to hang a small cage to catch other birds if I ever get them,........ at this rate is 6 down and no wins bad mommy! forgetting she had eggs

Anyway, yes I will build a bigger cage so he can fly more, he loves to fly, at night they sleep inside the lounge, when I first got them once the sun was gone they hid away, now we are in lounge past 7-00 like now at night and they still out on the dowels, so they are relaxed now. In 35 days time its lighter at night again summer on the way in Cape Town South Africa.

They are lovely little birds, they sort of grow on you.

Thanks again for the help, I hope soon she will start looking after her eggs.

Regards.
Gary

Welcome. That cage is AWESOME! good luck!

I noticed very quick that the birds have habits, like everyday between 4 and 5 they have a bath, as if they know the time on the wall.... he loves to answer the Hadida as it passes over, and they LOVE and I mean LOVE a local dry biscuit we have here called a MARIE BISCUIT. They love it, and Qcumber, two major hits here.

Glad everybody likes the cage, the bath is a hit

CHIRP You can buy Calcibird at Panorama Petshop in Parow, Western Cape. It cost R96 per bottle. It contains Calcium, Vitamin D3 and magnesium.

Thanks 4 the tip, will look at closer shops also, now that I know what to look for, much appreciated.