FINCHforum

Just got a pair of zebras over the weekend and worried about them. Can't get them to drink water from a tube and I've been chastised for allowing them to drink from their bathtub because they also wouldn't drink from the water cup in their flight cage. So.... I took the tub out as advised and after some time they finally discovered the water cup. The female, who enjoys her bath, took a couple sips, then you guessed it dove in. She was up to her neck in water and it began to look like a birdie dunking booth. She struggled to get out because her tail feathers were so water logged. So now I am worried about her potential to drown if I force her to drink from the water cup and it's the same issue as with the bathtub drinking that the water can be contaminated with bacteria. They just can't figure out to tube drinking. I have another type of water bottle that has an opening they can stick their head in hoping that will solve the problem once it arrives in mail.

Meanwhile they won't eat nothing but seed mix and are turning down egg and romaine lettuce which my neighbor's finches love. What is wrong with my birds? They don't act right!

They could be young or got sold very early from the parents there fore never learned to eat the wider range of foods

But if u just rip up tiny pieces of the greens and egg mix and mix with abit of seed they will slowly start to eat it over time make the pieces lightlbigger until they eat whole pieces

And no the water bowl will be fine I usually do about the size of my thumb in length

i have to remove the yolk from the egg or they wont go near it, however they love the whites and shells and particularly enjoy throwing it through the bars. They dont care for the dried egg but i mix a little in with the seed

I just tried egg with shell for a second time and it's still a no go. Also gave them a bit of banana and waiting to see if they will take it. No idea as to their age, but their legs and beak are bright orange so I thought that meant they were older.

Is it really risky for them to drink their bathwater if you change it 3 times a day? What I've heard makes sense, but at the same time just think how nasty a bird's water is in the wild.

I read they should eat about 2 tsp of seed a day and they aren't taking anywhere close to that even though they are now constantly eating or else fighting over the food cup as now they female is getting aggressive with the male and tries to hurry him up every time he goes to eat. She also bathes at least 4 times a day and he maybe once.

I'm worried I may regret getting zebras and/or getting a male because he is loud and is non-stop courtship singing or at least that is what it appears to be. The store blackmails people. I wanted maybe 3 females but they had only m & f left and said they would not get anymore in till they sold those and they insist buying just 1 female she would be so lonely. I asked if they could get a yellow or red factor canary and they said not until they sell the brown canary they have now and tried to insist I buy it and then they would get the kind I wanted! I got zebras because they seemed quieter in videos I watched than societies. And after I started reading old threads on here saw where many say societies are quieter. Funny thing is my neighbor has white zebras and they barely make a peep. My male jabbers nonstop from sunrise to sunset and I don't know if hers are just quiet because they are sitting on a nest or maybe because they are in a tiny cage. She had said she would give me some of the babies but they are 3-4 days late hatching.

Zebras are the loudest finch in the world!

Mix egg and seed and tiny pieces of ripped up lettuce, sweet corn, broccoli tops etc together in a cup and don't provide other food. In a few days they will be eating everything and you can start to feed the fresh food separately.

To train birds to drink from a tube, hang a cup and set the tube inside it, so they come to associate it with drinking. In a few days, remove the cup. They will go there to drink and figure it out.

Well how long have u had them the males can sometimes sing loads at first to impress their mate trying to become a pair and from what ur saying the hen fighting him is her sayi she doesn’t want to pair yet so therefore he’s singung more to try and win her over

I’d say wait till they are fully paired eg huddle in nest regularly preen together,eat and drink together .... and if he still doesn’t shut up then do a trade for society’s as society’s are a lot better in my opinion

Also a trio will not work 1 Male and 2 females is a no just as 2 males and 2 females zebras only work as a male and female or 3 females and 3 males, then 5and 5 and 7and 7

Goodluck

I've had the zebras 4 days and he has been courting her since day 2. She was all timid at first and wouldn't leave her perch the first day then he was the one started exploring the cage and I could tell he had told her where the food dish was as she only moved after he went and ate and flew back several times to her. I'm debating what to do since I want more finches but I don't want the mating and the male noise. I adore the beep beep sound the female makes though. My neighbor came outside as I was leaving today and asked me how my birds were doing and said her's still hadn't hatched there eggs and she said she would take my male. I don't know how that is going to work though since she has an established couple in a small cage. Though she asked about buying my 2nd flight cage before she offered to take him. I'm going to have to think about it because I'm kinda attached to the little bugger because he's so durn cute.

Now if I do end up getting society sounds like I may end up with the same issue of ending up with males that want to breed or fight since you can't tell them apart from what I understand. I do think the pied societies are really cute though.

You can tell Societies apart. The males will sing and be puffed up singing. Just watch closely and make sure the bird you want sings. That is how I bought mine, all males. I have three Society males together and they don't fight. They all sleep together in their own nest. Zebras are more likely to fight. When you get your new water tube with the opening to drink out of, I think they will use it. Place it near their water that they are using now. Always provide some seed for your finches so they don't starve when trying new foods. Finches should not be kept in a tiny cage.

Has the pair still got pin feathers? If so, they might be really young. You should just let them drink from the bath container and leave the water container in the cage too, so they can get used to it and eventually drink from it.

CathyCraftz wrote: Has the pair still got pin feathers? If so, they might be really young. You should just let them drink from the bath container and leave the water container in the cage too, so they can get used to it and eventually drink from it.

They don't have pin feathers. They seem pretty old. I got the new open faced water tube thinking she could just stick her head in for a drink and sure enough she managed to climb in it enough to splash half the contents out. She loves bathing. I think part of the problem may be the pet store gave them food and water in dog bowls so of course they bathed and drank from a big dish and that's all they know.

U can never stop them drinking bath water it doesn’t work I have bath water on the floor and water feeders in the air near perches and they still decide to go to the bath water to drink they only occasionally drink from the water feeders,it must look more aptetizing

My Societies have an open tube waterer, a bath dish and a small treat type cup, less than an inch wide. The small cup is the one they drink mostly from, but they also use the tube water.

They might be fed a completely different diet from what they ate in the pet shop. They will get used to it eventually. When I first got my zebras they won't eat anything except for their seed and now accepts eggshells, cuttlebone, spinach and apple.

CathyCraftz wrote: They might be fed a completely different diet from what they ate in the pet shop. They will get used to it eventually. When I first got my zebras they won't eat anything except for their seed and now accepts eggshells, cuttlebone, spinach and apple.

For eggshells do you just boil those in water to kill off any pathogens then dry and crumble? I offered cantaloupe today and think they finally ate some.

HillbillyFinch

Yep, that works! Some birds are rather picky when it comes to calcium and mineral sources, so I use several:
- Cuttlebone tied to side of cage
- Ground oyster shells in gravity feeder
- Clay block tied to side of cage
- Ground eggshells and calcium and multivitamin powder mixed with boiled egg