Weaning Zebra Finches

[DanielleMBrown]

I'm curious to when you wean the babies from the parents. My finch babies can eat on their own, drink water on their own, and take baths. However, they still want their parents to feed them even though they are clearly capable of doing it themselves. The parents look beyond exhausted and I want to move the babies to another cage so that the parents can rest. I plan on breeding the parents again, but I think they deserve a rest. I've also noticed that the parents will chase the babies especially the one that seems to be male. I removed the nest two weeks ago because the dad was getting very aggressive and plucking feathers from the babies and the mother. I estimate that they are between 5-6 weeks now.

Any help would be appreciated. This is the first set of baby zebra finches I've ever dealt with.

[ac12]

I use 3 weeks after fledging as a guide for when the chicks should be weaned.
Some will wean earlier and some later. You just have to watch them.
The guideline that I've been given is, when the chicks can drink on their own, they are weaned.

One thing that I did notice, is that some chicks (zebras and gouldians) will "freeload" and keep begging to be fed, long after they can eat by themselves. For these, at about the 3 to 4 week mark, I will force wean them by separating the chicks from the parents, and they feed themselves just fine in the juvenile cage.

Caution: Just because the chicks can eat by themselves, does not mean that they can eat ENOUGH by themselves.

Since your chicks can drink on their own, I would consider them weaned, and would separate them from the parents. IMHO, they are freeloading.

[cindy]

If the babies are begging, the parents are still feeding they may not be ready, some do take longer than others.

If you do remove them from the parents give the babies boiled grated egg, dried eggfood if you use it and millet along with seed and pellets (if you use them. I usually give both a water cup or shallow dish and a water tube to weaned young that have been removed from their parents. Keep an eye on them. If getting thin you may need to supplement them with extra food (handfeeding)

If the eyes get squinty and small check the skin and belly for dehydration, the skin will be dark on the belly, it should be pink with most mutations. You can dip the end of the beak in a shallow dish to get them to drink if dehydrated. (do not get it in the nostrils)

I tend to leave them with the parents until all begging stops plus a week to make sure they are good to go, being on their own.

[DanielleMBrown]

Thanks. I am going to separate them from the parents and see how it goes. I'll keep you updated.

[lovezebs]

DanielleMBrown

I do not seperate chicks, until the parents refuse to feed. At that stage, chicks are feeding themselves and drinking on their own.

I do not seperate, if parents are still willing to feed.

To my way of thinking, the parents know best, when the toddlers are ready.

[cindy]

DanielleMBrown

I do not seperate chicks, until the parents refuse to feed. At that stage, chicks are feeding themselves and drinking on their own.

I do not seperate, if parents are still willing to feed.

To my way of thinking, the parents know best, when the toddlers are ready.

I agree... then I wait a week past that if the parents tolerate it. Big risk moving young still begging.

[Derk]

cindy

check the skin and belly for dehydration, the skin will be dark on the belly, it should be pink with most mutations.

I did not know this. What an excellent tip. Should the belly skin of most finches be pink when properly hydrated?

[Derk]

Oh wow! I just laid an egg!

[cindy]

cindy

check the skin and belly for dehydration, the skin will be dark on the belly, it should be pink with most mutations.

I did not know this. What an excellent tip. Should the belly skin of most finches be pink when properly hydrated?

It should in most... you can tell it sort of looks like a dark reddish bruising if dehydrated, the skin looks a little wrinkled not smooth. The eyes get squinty, they bird act sleepy, that is the first sign...also very little urine put out around the droppings, check for that also. You see this in really sick birds also. See if I can find a photo of someone in a group that had a dehydrated bird, there was one recently on a topic about a toe injury.

[cindy]

example on the this topic http://www.finchforum.com/viewtopic.php ... 44#p382944 (first page)

[Derk]

cindy
Thank-you Cindy!

[DanielleMBrown]

Just an update. Their transitional was fine. The parents are much happier and the babies are no longer babies. They've been eating on their own, drinking on their own, and take baths on their own. Very easy transition.

[Babs _Owner]

DanielleMBrown

Good job! Happy days for the parents and kids!