Orange Cheek Waxbills?

[DanteD716]

I got three yesterday does anybody keep them? Any info or good links are appreciated

[cindy]

I have had them in the past, sweet little birds
this is pretty good info...
http://www.finchinfo.com/birds/finches/ ... axbill.php

If I do say so myself!!!!!

They are a bit hardier than some waxbills and fairly easy to care for.

[DanteD716]

Thanks Cindy! While I was banding them so I can tell them apart, one slipped away and flew right into the window. I thought it would die! It/she/he is happily flying with its friends. Thank god it didn't get hurt.

[DanteD716]

Great info Cindy! Thanks, I put silk plants around one of their nests, only the entrance is visible. I also think I may have two males and a female according to the picture.

[PrettyBird]

congrats on more finches. would love to see pics

[DanteD716]

Thanks! I gave up my budgie breeding set up for them. oh well, my uncle didn't have luck with them so I'm gonna try my luck. I'll post pictures in a fewz they're just so flighty. I might be getting societies or a new zebra pair, maybe both. Can't decide

[ikhom]

I keep them and my pair raised me three clutches this year.
Galleries:
Chicks
Juveniles

[DanteD716]

Very nice! Congrats! What do you do? Like, what do you consider I do?

[ikhom]

I didn't do anything special. They like privacy and with one clutch I even didn't know that they had eggs. Every time I came in the room they both were jumping from perch to perch and nobody was in the nest. I provided them with egg food, live mealworms, veggies and the rest of usual food. They fed cheeks with mostly protein, so egg food and mealworms should be provided several times a day. They built the first nest inside a small wicker nest, but after they built nests at the bottom of the cage. I provided them with coconut fiber and they also used some white nesting material.

[DanteD716]

Thanks! I'll try.

[MariusStegmann]

They are strange critters. I have never seen any of my birds come out a nest. The male warns the female and she leaves the nest long before I get there. Mine has bred twice this season. The only way I can see that they are breeding is that the female's tail curls to the one side. Mine nested in a large wicker finch nest, the first time. The 2nd time they nested in a gouldian nest, with the chicks in the deep part of the nest and with a cock's nest in the front. The male has always also built a nest in a nestbox or wicker nest close to the nest where their chicks are. They also pick up strange things and put in into their nest.
They like their baths and also love the insides of cucumber.

[DanteD716]

Mne hear me open the door and when I do everybody stops what theycre doing. Should I keep the "hen" with the two males or take one out?

[ikhom]

My OC also had curled tails and they both slept inside the nest.
I would remove one male. They could be aggressive. I had two males with one female and I found other male at the bottom of the cage. I removed him, and he was ok later, but I would never put them together again.

[DanteD716]

I'll move him as soon as I get home