Forbes Parrot Finches

[lovezebs]

Hello To All,

Just wondering if anyone on the Forum has any experience with Forbes (Tri- Coloured) Parrot Finches (?)

I have two young pairs, born earlier this year.
They appear to be going into breeding mode (big time).

Does anyone know if they are too young to be offered nests?
Also, will they breed in a large cage if both pairs remain together, or do I need to separate the two pairs into two separate cages?

Any thoughts???

[Stuart whiting]

lovezebs

I've bred them about 10-12 years back Elana,

From experience I'd personally like to wait until they are at least 9 months old,

If they are 9-10 months old and they are really showing signs of breeding mode then it'd be up to you if you wanna try to breed at this age as we know that some finches like zebras and society finches can breed at this age,
it would also be advisable to pair these together at an early age of say 5-6 months of age to form a strong pair bond as these are not long lived birds and are normally passed their peak by the time they reach 2 years old,

Also under no circumstances try to breed with both pairs in the same cage, these really should be kept in pairs when breeding as the cocks at times can be quite territorial and cause problems, possibly be a different scenario if the birds were in a big enough flight but in a cage I'd definitely separate em

You might also be interested in reading me local freinds website Graham Lee " parrot-finches.com "

[lovezebs]

Stuart whiting

Thank you Stuart.

[isobea]

lovezebs - Hi Elana, I didn't know you have two pairs of Forbes. They are absolutely gorgeous!
I would also separate the two pairs. Have they formed pairs yet? Can you tell which male likes which female better? Are any of these birds related?
I wonder if you should even set up the cages so the two pairs can't see each other since parrot finches can become quite aggressive during breeding season. They might be more relaxed if they can't see another 'competing' pair.
Just a thought.
Iso

[lovezebs]

isobea

Hi Iso,

How are you?

Yes, I got one pair at Feather Fest this Summer, and the second pair shortly there after.

I do believe they have formed two bonded pairs.
There is a lot of chasing and trilling going on, well into the wee hours of the night, lol.

So far, there is no aggression, but then again there are no nests in there at present.

Thanks for the advice.

[lem2bert]

lovezebs

I do not have any experience with parrot finches but I wanted to say what a beautiful pair. I cannot wait to see the beautiful babies they will have , when and if you decide to breed them.

[MariusStegmann]

lovezebs Hi Elana. I am green with envy. I adore tri-colours. Please email me some eggs and I will put them under my red-faced parrots.

[isobea]

MariusStegmann - Hi Marius, you've figured out a way to email eggs? How wonderful! If at all possible, can you please email me a few blue capped cordon bleu eggs? I am hoping/assuming they are not as rare over there as they are here.
Have a great day,
Iso

[lovezebs]

MariusStegmann

We are putting the cart before the horse my friend, lol.

I am just trying to figure out these little guys and their breeding, etc.

Once they do breed and lay eggs, I will definitely keep your requst in mind .
However, you'll have to e-mail me some Red Throat PF eggs in return .

[lovezebs]

lem2bert

Thanks Betty,

Hopefully we can figure out how to get everything right for these lovely little birdies. I do so hope that we will eventually get some pretty babies that they will raise.

Wish me luck .

[isobea]

lovezebs - Morning Elana, a friend of mine (right here in Carlsbad) breeds red throat PFs. If I grab two pairs of his and come up for a visit next summer, would you let me take a pair of your future babies home?
Iso

[lovezebs]

isobea

Hi Iso,

I can see it now: HEADLINE NEWS... Woman from the California caught smuggling birds across the border, held for possible terrorist activities. Birds being examined for explosives... Trump to build wall across the Canadian/US border, to stop all birds from flying over.

Hah hah hahhhh

[MariusStegmann]

Elana, quite a few of my WhatsApp finch group have tri-colour pf's. Most of them keep them in outdoor aviaries. The breeders in the interior of the country have to spray water mist on the eggs to keep them viable. For me at the coast that would not be a problem at all. Some keep them in double breeders. The biggest problem that the cabinet breeders face with these beauties is obesity. In a small space these birds become obese pretty quickly and you can forget of breeding them then.

[MariusStegmann]

isobea Bluecaps are certainly available here, but are terribly expensive. I expect to pay about R900 for a pair ($73 US). Here is a picture of a bluecap chick bred by Christo Kritsinger (also a member of finchforum). They fledged 2 days ago.

[Stuart whiting]

Elana, quite a few of my WhatsApp finch group have tri-colour pf's. Most of them keep them in outdoor aviaries. The breeders in the interior of the country have to spray water mist on the eggs to keep them viable. For me at the coast that would not be a problem at all. Some keep them in double breeders. The biggest problem that the cabinet breeders face with these beauties is obesity. In a small space these birds become obese pretty quickly and you can forget of breeding them then.

Spot on Marius, well said