FINCHforum

Am considering crossing a strawberry finch (SF) to an orange breasted waxbill (OBW) and am only considering to do so because there is a massive shortage of females where i am from at the moment, and would think the SF would become lonely. Has anyone done this before? And what are the results of the offspring? I know hybrids are a bad practice, but would like to try new things too.

Fraudster

This particular subject was already covered here on the Forum once before.

http://www.finchforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=31993

As mentioned, it is not the best idea to cross breed, for the very reason which you mentioned (a shortage of either males or females of a particular species). Because of that reason, one should try to keep the lines pure.

Hybrid young, should not be sold as either species, due to the very real possibility of contaminating both lines of both species.

So, if they do breed for you, what would you do with the young?

The young looks like goldenbreasted waxbills. I won't cross them though.

This cross is likely to produce fertile hybrids. The ethical problem you would have, unless you kept them for yourself, is that once they are out of your possession, you have no control over what happens, and they are likely to be passed off as pure. With a shortage of both species, blood lines should be kept pure for future breeding.