Newbie with no idea

[Lellykelly]

So yesterday I was helpfully given two finches in a cage. Now I have changed their food and got them a cuttle fish/bird bath and a honey seed stick. Apart from that I’m presuming they are both zebras one I would say is a boy from googling and I have no idea on the other as it’s white mainly. I’ve hopefully attached a picture. Any information on set ups etc would be much appreciated.

[DunbarDinnes]

Hi Lelly. The bird to the left def looks like a male, can't see from the photo the white bird too claerly. look at the beak of the Male which will be red, if the white birds beak appears more orange then a female. My birds are in an outdoor aviary their diet is: (all in same large dish) (1) Breakfast Seed , tiny bit charcoal, dried egg food small amount, oyster shell grit, grated fresh brussel sprouts, grated fresh carrot, a few dried meal worms & spinkling of dried greens (2) dinner, as above without the egg food. Water changed twice a day.

The birds also have millet sprays hanging in various places.

Your set up looks fine, not sure about the honey seed stick, my birds won't touch it! As long as diet is varied, food changed often and fresh water available at all times birds should do fine.

Are you planning on breeding? if so lots of useful blogs on here. Enjoy!

[Lellykelly]

Not too sure on that yet. The white ones beak is just as red. I put some kale and broccoli in this morning as I read somewhere they liked that. But when I got them it was purely two perches a water tub and food tub with wild bird seed. We have an Allotment so plenty of fresh veg and fruit around. I have oyster shell for my chickens so will grind some of that smaller as the local store just sells bird grit with no mention of what’s actually in it. Dogs,cats and chickens are my main knowledge, my grandad used to have huge aviaries with lovebirds/budgies and no idea what else as I was only young we did raise a couple of kicked out of the nesters though, although I’m sure his soggy cornflakes wouldn’t be the done thing today

[DunbarDinnes]

Funny enough Lelly, My Zebbies are rather partial to the odd helping of soggy Rice Krispes! Milk softened bread etc often refered to on various sites. Fresh Veg can be frustrating, finches are often difficult to move to anything new, so trial & error and a lot of perseverance. Celery is a good one to try.

I have had a number of white birds who turned out to be the opposite sex to what I originally believed. Often convincing myself that I had Gay pairs, most rude of me...particularly when the offended bird started laying eggs!

Your Oyster grit should grind down nicely. Oyster shell is valuable source of calcium. I'm a bit over the top as I offer Cuttlefish bone also and have numerous feeding stations during day light hours.

Best thing really is to observe what the birds like/dislike. Persevere with balancing the diet, I find a little charcoal goes down very well and aids, I believe digestion & relives any stomach upsets.

I also use vitamin drops every other day in their water supply

[DunbarDinnes]

Back to the White Bird...if only the other appears to sing then likely the white bird is female. In my experience when two Males live together neither rarely sing??

[Lellykelly]

I will keep my ears open I know the grey one does his very vocal about things and keeps bobbing around the white one. They where just sat on a perch earlier grooming each other. They seem to like the kale I’ve caught them having a nibble. Early days for them though and a big change in living style. The cage was actually being kept inside a polytunnel so into a house and change of food etc. I could spend hours just watching them.

[DunbarDinnes]

The bobbing around singing would be typical Zebbie Male to Female ritual. Good Luck hope all works well for you.

[Fraza]

I think they are both Male from the pic the white one has flanks and so does the grey so yeah u have two males add some more pictures closer up It would be great to see them in detail !!!!

[Lellykelly]

They are very flighty so here’s the best I could get right now.

[Icearstorm]

Lellykelly

Yep, both male. The grey one looks pied (white flight feather and throat patch). I'm not experienced with zebra finch genetics, but haroun should know.

[Fraza]

Icearstorm ur right it’s pied haroun told me this I had one with an only one white feather on wing and he said it means pied

@Lellykelly and yeah u have both males do h mind if I ask if u are going to get females and breed

[Lellykelly]

Honestly right now I don’t feel I know enough to breed. I have had a look around locally and only found two places to even buy finches from one being a pet shop and one a breeder when I was trying to work out what I’ve got. I don’t even know how old these two are.

Although with my addiction to reading forums im sure it wouldn’t take too long to learn the basics.

[haroun]

Lellykelly HI And welcome to the finchforum ,
yep the grey one is a grey pied male
the soft one is Grey CFW chestnut flanked white.

@Icearstorm Fraza how're ure doing mates

[haroun]

Icearstorm

[Lellykelly]

So if I had a cfw hen with the grey cfw cock from my admittedly quick research the outcome would be Light Back / CFW Cocks + CFW Hens.

Pieds should not really be bread to cfw or other lighter mutations apart from the all white or penguin as it tends to ruin the orange markings.