New fincher - What species are Mr. and Mrs. Finch?

[wildbird]

Because finches do not climb as parrots do, they prefer a cage that is wider than it is tall. With a perch on each end, they normally fly across, rather than up and down.

[lovezebs]

Have to agree with wildbird on this one.

Although your cabinet/cage is a beauty, it is not ideal for finch species, whose main exercise in captivity is flying from side to side (rather than up and down). Too bad you can't lay it sideways .

Elana

[debbie276]

That cage looks gorgeous!!
As the others said it would be even better if it was wider but they will get great exercise going up and down too. Up and down flight is just as important as side to side.
Does it get very hot in there? With all that glass I would worry about over heating them and not enough ventilation. Cleaning must be a nightmare

[JSHRAM]

Well, they seem to fly up and down a lot.. maybe the tall cage makes more adept with less birds?.. but I think it is OK...

I was worried about the heat, and if it were in direct sunlight a lot, it might get hot. It only gets direct sunlight in the late afternoon in the location we have it, and not for very long. But the entire back (which is now on the right side in the picture so you can access the cage) is completely mesh top to bottom so it has plenty of airflow.

Washing is not too bad. Damp cloth, one section at a time...

Two puppy eggs....

[lovezebs]

JSHRAM

Yahhoo! Egg babies already. They sure didn't waste any time, did they?

Elana

[Colt]

As soon as the babies are weaned I would recommend removing them from the cage. While very unique, you'll find it is going to get very crowded and very chaotic in there with the parents plus their offspring.

[JSHRAM]

Babies have fledged. They are awesome! I love having five finches.. seems so much more like a community. Can I keep them without fighting and infinite babies? I can plug up all the house holes so they can't build a nest I can't see and take eggs out of... Thoughts? After two days of fledging, the babies are already flying up and down the whole cage pretty accurately...

And we got two black ones with fun tear-drops at their eyes.

John

[debbie276]

Congratulations!!

[lovezebs]

JSHRAM

Congratulations on pretty fledges.

Parents and kids, will breed together, as will brothers and sisters, so you will really have to watch for any eggs laid, and remove them.

If conditions get too crowded, you might have to remove some birds to a different flight, as Zebras will become aggressive with each other once the kids become adults.

Good luck

Elana

[Sally]

Congrats on the fledglings! As others have said, Zebra finches can get quite aggressive when they don't have enough room, and when you keep related males and females together, they will mate. They don't care if it is mother/son, brother/sister, they will mate.

[lnlovesorange]

Congrats on the Kids. More pics would be great, (i love Zebbie babies) I'm sure they are adorable!!! If you plan on keeping them all together be careful of sexes, as sister/brother mother/son father/daughter offspring are really not ideal, especially when you don't have a lot of background on the original parents... You really don't want any inbreeding. I recommend some fake greenery, just kind of string it around and near perches, make sure it is tight also, so that they can land on the vine part and hide behind the leaves, they really love that! (well mine do) It also helps when the cage gets crowded for them to have thier own "spot" they may get territorial over this "spot" but if there is enough hiding spaces and "spots" the fighting will end... actually it never really ENDS, they will always bicker it's just in their nature, but trust me it will help. Also, I read quickly that you read on their diet, just want to make sure you know about sprouted seed, and hard boiled eggs (which where they already had babies, I'm sure you fed them eggs) but also Vegtables cukes, kale, mustard greens, parsley, romaine... etc. Mine will DEMOLISH a cucumber, they eat out the middle. And cukes are really good for the fledges easy to eat and a great weaning food, as well as sprouted seed. But i've found my babies (the ones that my birds had, and I raised in my home from egg) are the best eaters I have, because since they fledged I've been giving them all sorts of different foods, so unlike birds from a store or previous owner, they will try anything that i give them... and most of the time, they LOVE It!!! Anyway, just my two cents, I love baby Zebs (mine were born in Feb) So glad we have another finch lover amongst us. You will be very happy on this forum, and find pretty much ANY info you need. Everyone is very helpful, non judgmental, and anything you hear/read here is not for you, it's for your bird, whatever anyone says to you, it's because they have the FINCHES best interest in mind... not yours which is what makes this forum great!! Your birds are beautiful (only butt shots of the babes) but i'm sure they are beautiful too (nothing cuter than a freshly fledged Zeb huh?) Good luck, and welcome to the forum (a little late)