FINCHforum

Hi, I had two orange cheek finches, but I just found out today one died I knew she was laying eggs so I checked the nest today and found her with two eggs and one was still stuck but cracked. When do you think I can get a new finch? Also is it best to get the same species?

So sorry for your loss
If you are wanting to try for babies, I would try and find another of the same species.

Thanks, do you think it would be too soon to buy another one this week?

Never to soon ,if you can find what you want

So sorry for your loss.

Orange cheeks are cuddlers, so I would definitely try to find him another companion. Sorry about your little hen.

Is there a way to tell which one is female?

Good luck with that! My male sings, and his mask is comparatively brighter than that of his mate, but if I just had the one I doubt that I'd be able to sex it accurately. Maybe somebody else has some tips?

Thanks! I guess I'll just have to wait and find out.

That reminds me of when I went to a mart several years ago. A vendor had a cage full of Orange-cheeked waxbills. They were only $10 each. Another vendor who had them told me they are very difficult to sex, so I was intrigued when this second vendor seemed to be able to sex them very easily. He had a customer who wanted three pairs, so this vendor went to work, catching the little fellows. Caught the first one--male, second one--male, third one--male, fourth--female, fifth--female, sixth--female. All this in a matter of minutes. Now what a coincidence, that he just happened to catch exactly what he needed to sell to that customer.+

When I bought "a pair" over 6 years ago the vendor had many Orange Cheeked Waxbills and he selected "a pair" for me fast. He caught about 4 of them. One had much brighter cheeks than the other, so for a long time I thought that I had a pair, but just couldn't manage to breed them. The brighter one was singing and chasing the other one. The second had never sing until several years later I lost a female Red-Banded and the pair split, each of Orange Cheek started to hang with different birds one with a male Red-Banded Waxbill the other with a male Gold-Breasted Waxbills. It was a first time when I heard the other Orange Cheek sing when he was chasing Gold-Breasted. Last fall I bought 'female' Orange Cheeked Waxbill. The vender had cage full of them. He went maybe throw 5 of them before selecting me a female. He was checking the cheeks color of the birds. I wasn't very trustful, but took a chance and he was right or lucky. She was missing some feather from the back of the neck, but they grew back well and now they started to nest. So now I'm sure I have a pair. Wish me a good luck!

Good luck

Good luck