FINCHforum

All proud of my eldest fledgling today when he begged and the patents didn't feed he jumped down to the food (eggfood and millet and some tonic seed) and when he jumped down the father chased him away back to the perch? I thought the wanted him to eat on his own? These birds confuse the hell out of me. The mother fed them but if they keep getting chased and pecked how do they learn? So i used to have the best parents ever.... now, not so much!

I don't know about zebra finches, but canaries don't share. Usually the parents will be a little bit more accommodating to their young than your zebras are being, but I've had little fluffy headed fledglings chase their parents away from the food dish I make sure there are multiple food dishes, so when there are fledglings, there can be up to 10 dishes ( for 10 birds...two clutches and the parents). Or as many as you can put in the cage while strategically placed to avoid soiling. Also, clip fresh greens in various places so that the birds split up and don't have to fight over one bunch.

lnlovesorange

I would let them figure it out. The parents still need to feed at this stage and they know it. They will feed the fledglings when they figure it's time.

As Anna said, I would hang up more seed cups. Also several sprigs of spray millet close to the perches where babies like to sit. Spray millet, is a very easy, soft seed for the babies to nibble on. Also some veggie leaves, and slices of peeled cucumber, again close to perches.

~Elana~

So I did all these things (added seed cups) put in cukes, and lettuce, and spinach leaves) put spray millet like everywhere I could (I don't have any pray millet holders, as I was using that as my "training" food before these babies came along) so I have one cuttlebone holder, but I put millet in that, up near them, i stuck it through the cage in spots that they can reach, i pretty much put it everywhere, and the parents are going around eating it all!!! They are really going downhill in the parenting department!!! But thanks everyone