FINCHforum

Hello All,
I've been looking into obtaining (with an eye to breeding) a pair of waxbills. I am currently considering either Golden Breasted or Orange Cheeked waxbills and was wondering if I could get any advice on which is easier to breed and keep? Also I already have a cage, a standard 30x18x18 flight cage, will this be big enough?

I've had some experience owning birds before, everything from a lovebird to an orange weaver a lady gave me. That being said I've never attempted breeding before so any advice would be helpful! Thanks!

Waxbills are not easy to breed. Most of them require some sort of live food for successful chick rearing.

As for which is easier -- that is a subjective question because much of it depends on the birds themselves, their environment, how they are fed, etc.

I don't raise either so I can't speak to your question regarding whether yellow bellied or OC waxbills breed more readily... perhaps someone else will jump in.

I have both types of finches and my OCW's did not even try to breed until I had them for about one year, then they laid eggs inconsistently, one in each available nest and would take turns sitting on the different eggs in the different nests. LOL. My GB's seem to have no interest in breeding, but the cock likes a red ear waxbill in the flight. That red ear and the GB hen are always sitting next to each other and the cock does not know what to do. The GB's don't really make nests well, but play a lot with nesting material. My OCW's played with nesting material too at first and finally just laid their eggs in the nest without any nesting material. Both types of waxbills want eggfood and/or mealie worms or freeze dried blood worms and need lots of privacy. Good Luck deciding.

Personally, I would go with the Goldbreasts. For one thing, they are easy to sex visually. The hens do not have the red eye stripe, the males do. The OCWs are monomorphic, meaning the two sexes look identical, and too many of them are sold as pairs when they are actually two hens or two males. Minor differences in looks are not an indication of sex.

Goldbreasts are delightful little birds, very active, one pair would be fine in a 30x18x18 cage. The one problem with them, which you would have with the OCWs as well, is that they are so tiny, the babies can squeeze right thru the flexible bars of the typical 30x18x18 breeding cage. I have mine in that size cage, but with 1"x1/2" mesh, and never have a problem with them getting out.

My Goldbreasts also will raise babies without live food, just plenty of eggfood and perhaps some freeze-dried bloodworms, like you find in the fish department of pet stores. They have used wicker hooded nests or wicker tubular nests, coco fiber lining, and then white feathers for soft bedding in the nest. Hang some plastic plants in their cage to give them privacy, and then leave them alone.

We need Igor (ikhom) to post in here with his experiences with OCW breeding. He has been successful with them and I too could use a lesson in cage size, foods, nesting materials and types of nests for my pair of OCW's. I don't know about the GBW's.

Okay so I have decided on the Golden Breasted, from what i hear they are more willing breeders, but I guess we'll see.

I'm not sure if this is the best place to ask but are there any green foods they seem to like a lot? And can I find most of the veggies in the grocery store?

I feed mine Romaine lettuce, torn up in pieces and shredded broccoli slaw in the veggies section of the grocery store. I also add some shredded carrots.

Thanks for the help everyone, the little fellows arrived today and seemed rather stressed out. The hen was missing a few tail and neck feathers so I was concerned. After watching them carefully I figured they were stressed out, either by the journey or in the previous environment.

I thought the male might be a bully as he was a tad aggressive. At times he would take a nip at her if she got to close to his branch, other times they would huddle together. They have a fairly large cage 30"x18x36 so I figure it's just the stress of being in a new place. Any way I'll keep watching them and if the behavior persists I might get rid of the male, or separate them.

Any advice? Things I'm not thinking about? Previous experience?

*update*
After watching them for a bit it seems the hen is the more aggressive of he two, she'll chase he male around a bit but no blows have been landed. Is this just a natural expression of dominance or should I be worried? I have another smaller cage on stand by, should I separate them or just play it cool (they've only been in the cage 2 days

Just let them settle in a bit. This happens in new environments. Do you have some greenery in your cage for privacy? Have a picture of your setup?

That is normal, but for the most part they are peaceful. Mine raised a clutch on dried eggfoods like ABBA. They had no interest in live food. Offer an assortment as well as a small dish of the Zupreem Fruit Blend pellets for finches (PetSmart or Petco). They love tube nest mounted up high, I usually attached mine at the top corner, tilt the bottom down some. Give them coco fiber in tiny pieces, hamster fluff or shred a couple of cotton balls...just watch they do not get caught in it.

Once they lay eggs and have young do not nest check, they are flighty and could leave the nest or knock chicks out accidently as they fly out. The chicks are very tiny so put a little newspaper covered in paper towel under the nest on the floor so you can spot tosslings or little ones that got knock out accidently.

Don't get discouraged if their first patch of eggs gives you a little clutch or are infertile, it may take a few times before they get it right especially if they are young.

Ok that's good to know, I have a bit of cover for them, not as much as I would like but enough so that they can hide in at least one corner