I just adopted a Zebra Finch & have a few question!!

[ShannTmw]

Thats awesome thanks for all the info. I'm not having any luck finding a society finch here yet. But I'm def going to keep looking. I have a few mirrors in her cage and she keeps sitting in front of them and pecking at them. Makes me feel bad cause I know she's lonely, she was in the back at my store for almost a month alone before I decided to take her.
So sweet too! I've learned a lot by coming to this forum which is great because I was having a hard time finding good information.
When I do find another finch how do I introduce them?

[Sally]

ShannTmw

You've gotten a lot of good advice already. I've learned myself, as I didn't know that with Black-cheeked Zebras, both sexes have the cheek patches. So with these, the difference is the breast bar, which the males will have, but not the females.

Now you can keep trying to find a buddy for her, either another Zebra female, or a female Society finch. Normally, you should quarantine before putting new birds in, but in this case, I wouldn't think it terrible if you skipped that step. Don't quote me on that, it is not good advice, but sometimes you just have to do what works for you and your birds.

A belated welcome to the forum! There's lots of good reading at www.finchinfo.com, where you will find many articles on finch care/nutrition/housing. If you put your general location in your profile, it would make it easier for members to help you find another bird.

[lovezebs]

ShannTmw

When you do find a little companion, I would introduce them slowly.

If you have another cage, I would let them see each other, and visit through the bars initially. If all goes well, I would place the new finch in with your girl, but keep a close eye, to make sure that there is no fighting or aggression from either one of them.

[Fraza]

lovezebs lol

[cindy]

the BC you brought home is a hen....

[cindy]

2-22-12 young femle BC.jpg (29.97 KiB) Viewed 1348 times

Females typically do not have breast bars but can have a smudge of black called a show fault.

Female

Male

offspring...male, female, male
note the black smudging on the hen's chest....also note the color of the beaks. The hens have orange, males red

[cindy]

Diet wise they do not need egg food daily only when feeding young and molting... it can be given once a week. Too much day after day protein can keep the hormone levels up and in breeding egg laying mode. You need to watch too much protein for females, raises the hormone level to trigger egg laying, same thing with fatty seed.

I use a good fresh seed mix for finches and pellets 50/50 ratio... either Zupreem fruit blends or Roudybush Nibles (they have a new formulation with alfalfa, the bird like it).

If not using a pellet then add a good vitamin mineral supplement to the soft food/veggies as directed. AviVitaGold is a good complete vitamin, mineral amino acid supplement. Supplements added to water can grow bacteria within 24 hours, supplements can be given in little bits of soft food then serve the rest once eaten.

Avoid too much fruit..most fruit is mostly sugar and water.... more nutrients in sprouted/chitted seed/millet strands (you can chit/sprout millet strands), dark greens like kale, darker leafy greens, broccoli heads (shaved or whole), shredded carrots. Veggies should be about 10% of the diet. Chitted seed has 3 times the amount of nutrition than regular seed.

[Fraza]

I really can’t get over the black cheek females I think they look great really want one

[haroun]

2-22-12 young femle BC.jpg

Females typically do not have breast bars but can have a smudge of black called a show fault.

3-24-2011 BC mom, very gentle and calm.jpg

Female

3-24-2011 BC Dad handsome dude.jpg

Male

BC MALES and FEMALE.jpg

offspring...male, female, male
note the black smudging on the hen's chest....also note the color of the beaks. The hens have orange, males red

Cindy correct me please if im wrong, the hen in thelast picture is yellow beak Wright ?!

[cindy]

No she is not. Not from this pair. Had this pair for almost 7 years.

I had yellow beak totally different pair kept separate....my YB's were all large English. Hens from the YB pair had horn colored beaks or light very washed out orange or yellow.
males had orange to yellow.



Can not post pictures at this time.

[Flight Feathers]

Definite boy, very cute

[sparrowsong98]

ShannTmw
Gorgeous black cheek girl. Congrats on the feathered kid.