What should I look for in my first Zebra Pair?

[StephOnIt]

Hey everyone! I've had so much fun reading all of the information on the forum thus far.

So there is a Bird Mart just around the corner here in Southern California, and since I have a pretty big cage already lined up, I am seriously considering buying my first pair at the show. I've been a hobbyist for a while, and have been to many Reptile Shows in the past, and so I assume that if they are anything alike, there's gonna be a ton of selection.

I was wondering what specifically I should look for in buying my first pair of finches ever. I am looking at getting a 1:1 pair as I'd like to breed in the future.

Any ideas?

[lovezebs]

StephOnIt

Hi Steph.

What I usually do, is get there early and take a quick walk around, to see who has what and where.

Once you have a pretty good idea where the Zebra breeders are, I would walk from table to table, to see what really captures your interest.

Strike up conversations and ask questions, while you're looking at the birds. If a breeder is not interested in answering your questions, walk away (I wouldn't deal with people who are unwilling or unable to answer your questions).

Ask how long they've been breeding Zebras in particular, and other birds in general. Get a feel for each breeder, and whether they care about their birds, or are just there to sell . Ask the age of the birds that interest you, their relationship to one another, their diet, if they're used to being indoors or outdoors, etc.

Look very carefully at the birds you like.
You want birds who are active, but not frantic.
Good clean smoothe feather condition, no plucked bald spots, nothing that looks like a fluffed baby chicken, or is sitting on the floor, with head tucked under a wing (no matter what a breeder tells you, those are red flags) walk away.
Look for bright eyes and a curious gaze. No cloudy, blinking, squinting eyes, no discharge from either eyes or nose.
Look at their feet and legs. Skin on young birds, should be faily smooth and supple looking. Toes should be normally shaped, three facing forward, one backwards, with nice clean nails. Old birds will have thicker legs and skin that looks drier. If they're banded, check the dates on the bands for proof of age.

When you find the birds that really capture your interest, ask the breeder to take them out, so you can see if their bottoms are clean (dirty vents, are a sign of illness). If you get a chance, run your finger along the birds chest, to make sure that they are well fleshed, and that their breast bone is not sticking out (denoting birds who are too thin).

Explain that you might be interested in breeding in the future, so you want unrelated birds.

I'm sure that other people will have more advice for you.

Good luck

[StephOnIt]

Amazing write up! Thanks so much, this gives me so much to think over, I will certainly be taking some notes with me.

[Nipper06]

As lovzebs says, make sure you get an unrelated pair - even if you don't plan to breed them right now, you might some day. Personally, I always buy male vs. female birds from 2 different sellers, to ensure they are not related. I'm not saying you can't trust breeders - but some may just want to sell their birds - and others may get confused in the excitement of the bird show and accidentally sell you brother and sister.

Too me, it's just so important to get unrelated birds so you avoid genetic problems in the babies. I wanted 2 unrelated pairs of Gouldian Finches and so I bought all 4 birds from 4 different breeders. The result was a big batch of healthy babies from both pairs AND later, I could offer buyers unrelated pairs because I color-banded the different families (one family got light green bands and the other got dark green).

[Sally]

Excellent advice from both lovezebs and Nipper06. Unless you personally know the breeders, the safest way to get unrelated birds is to purchase single birds from different breeders. I also prefer to buy closed-banded birds, because some breeders may pass off an older bird as young.

When going to your first mart, it is important to have a plan/budget, or it is easy to get carried away. My first mart was a huge hit on my pocketbook, as I was out of control, so excited to find an actual bird mart!!

[StephOnIt]

Thanks for the great advice, and I completely agree, it seems a safer bet to buy the birds from different breeders!

[lovezebs]

Sally & StephOnIt

Oh yea, forgot to mention the budget, lol.....
How can you tell, I don't like to think about 'the budget', bleh

A set amount of cash, no credit cards, debit cards, or jewelry to barter....

[lovezebs]

Nipper06

Beautiful babies Ron.
Do you have a better picture of your white faced blue?

[StephOnIt]

lovezebs Sally

How much do you gals think I should plan on spending for a pair here in Southern California?

[lovezebs]

StephOnIt

That's difficult to say, as I'm up in the frozen wastelands of Canada (well, not really frozen yet this year....)

Prices can range from $10.00 and up over here. The normal grays, which you said you liked best, are usually the least expensive, while some of the more rare mutations, can go for sky high prices.

To see the many different mutations, just google 'Zebra colour mutations', and you should be able to see quite a few of them.