FINCHforum

I received wonderful advice on how to care for the injured zebra finch that I adopted. She is incredible small and is still recovering. However, if she survives (which I really believe that she will), I am unsure of whether to get her a companion. Considering the fact that the other birds went after her, I am worried that, once she is healed, that the other finches will still try to hurt her. Can a finch live by itself or would it be advisable to take a chance and later on, adopt another finch? That leads me onto my next question: can other breeds of finches live with my little zebra finch? Will I encounter problems if I were to get a different finch breed to live with my little zebra finch? Thanks for all of the help!

If you have a little society finch of the same sex they can be cage mates....cuddle buddies. Societies are very social and will be good company for a zebra. Just be careful to get the same sex though.

Finches are colony birds and love company. You can always get another zebra of the same sex if you do not want to breed them.

What kind of finches was she housed with? They probaly were the ones who went after her. I'd get a male zebra, female can sometimes get snippy with each other, (when I had about 9 in a colony setting the females always chased each other) If you don't want them to breed, I wouldn't provide a nest. Also, a little society would be great, they can share a nest. A male may try to hybridize with her, so ideally a female. If you only haver access to a male, you either can keep the hybrid offspring, as long as they stay with you their entire life time, or get rid of the eggs. Personally, I love little hybrids, (not saying I'd do it purposely!)

Do not get an opposite sex bird of a different species...if allowed to breed the hybrid offspring can have birth defects.

Getting a male zebra can result in the male wanting to breed, no nest he might get frustrated and she might be plucked again. I would go with the same sex if you are going to cage them separately from the rest of your flock.

Getting a buddy or one of your existing zebras is a gamble either way.
I have zebras where different pairing work out differently; some combinations get along just fine, some bicker and chase, some pluck, some FIGHT. You just do not know what will happen with them until you pair them up. It has been an experiment of juggling birds to different cages to come up to a workable (non-aggressive) combination.

If you decide on ONE of your existing birds, I would look for the most docile of them. Then put them together and WATCH the girl carefully. They may take a few days to work out the pecking order, but she should not be attacked. If she is remove the other bird.

Another method that I use, but is MORE work, is to put 2 cages next to each other. That way they can have the company of each other w/o the dominate bird being able to attack the other bird.

I noticed the same as Gary, one of the things he said about a friend being docile is right...sometimes a quiet, the shyer bird in the flock often makes a good friend. I had a very small FF male that seemed timid compared to his nest mates and a little fawn female that would often sit by herself. I set up a cage for them both...they have been together ever since, a very loving couple that have given me lovely FF and Isabel babies. They are so sweet to their young as well.

If you get her a buddy, I'd try a Society. The one's I've had have always been very calm and loved everyone.