Tips for breeding Java finches...?

[hat.him]

Hello!!
I got a pair of Java finches. They are doing things together and for for the other when one is taken out of the cage, which shows that they developed a bond between them. I don't what's wrong, they never go inside a nest. it is a wooden box, the ones used for parakeets. Size is perfect for them and position is also good (high at the top corner). I just can wait to breed them but they aren't even entering a nest?
Please give me some tips for breeding them If they aren't ready for breeding, what could be the reason? Plus, I don't know their age.
Thank you in advance

[cindy]

it takes time for them to get curious about the nest, male usually checks it out first.

[javier1119]

After 20 years working with them i found out that they do great in add # groups. I put a layer of coconut fiber in the nest and use dry grass as building material. They need brown rice is a reason for their name. They need to able to fly and move freely. My cages are 5 by 2 by 2. Hope you the best. Make sure they can bath around three times a week.

[w.l.]

First of all, you should try and find out if they are really a true pair.
Two same sex finches kept together will often appear like a cuddly pair, too.
Javas are not as easy to sex as say zebras, but it should be possible to see differences between male and female both physically and in behaviour.

[cindy]

I feed a finch mix, canary mix with extra white proso and oat groats.... the relish oat groats and ant should be part of the diet. Mine do not like rice... they love dried eggfood, shaved Broccoli and kale, finely grated carrots. Mine also eat Roudybush Nibles size pellets. They basically get the same diet as my grasskeets. If not using pellets supplement with a powdered all inclusive vitamin mineral supplement like Avitech AviVita Gold added to dry food as directed.They also like dried herbs. I also sprout/chit seeds for them...they love it

Some of mine when breeding give up to 8 to 10 babies per clutch so a parakeet nest box is ideal.

[hat.him]

After 20 years working with them i found out that they do great in add # groups. I put a layer of coconut fiber in the nest and use dry grass as building material. They need brown rice is a reason for their name. They need to able to fly and move freely. My cages are 5 by 2 by 2. Hope you the best. Make sure they can bath around three times a week.

First of all, you should try and find out if they are really a true pair.
Two same sex finches kept together will often appear like a cuddly pair, too.
Javas are not as easy to sex as say zebras, but it should be possible to see differences between male and female both physically and in behaviour.

I feed a finch mix, canary mix with extra white proso and oat groats.... the relish oat groats and ant should be part of the diet. Mine do not like rice... they love dried eggfood, shaved Broccoli and kale, finely grated carrots. Mine also eat Roudybush Nibles size pellets. They basically get the same diet as my grasskeets. If not using pellets supplement with a powdered all inclusive vitamin mineral supplement like Avitech AviVita Gold added to dry food as directed.They also like dried herbs. I also sprout/chit seeds for them...they love it

Some of mine when breeding give up to 8 to 10 babies per clutch so a parakeet nest box is ideal.

Hmm....I'll start providing them with rice and some grass for the nest. Cooked rice right?because uncooked ones absorbs water. They take bath twice a day, one in the morning and the second one, whenever I change the water. Herbs are being given daily.
I HOPE that the pair is of one male n one pair. One has lighter beak than the other,which has pretty dark one, same goes to the eye ring. Males are supposed to sing but mine doesn't, only makes clicking sounds, other one is making a series of clicking sounds.This is one reason that makes me think it is NOT a male. And the second reason is that, when I played some 'Java sparrow songs', the one which I'm considering as the female, got excited and started dancing to the male!!! Shouldn't HE be doing this to HER??

[Shannylee]

hat.him, I give my Javas Lundberg Wild Blend rice about once a week. I soak it overnight so it's not dry but it's not cooked either. They love it. Oat groats are their absolute favorite though.

It took my Javas about 2 months of sitting as far away from the nest as they could get before they finally started sleeping in there. They are sitting on a clutch of 10 eggs now.

[cindy]

ten eggs..... are they are fertile. Mine did that they all hatched and the snuck eggs in under the young and had 8 more... they got a big rest after that!!!!!

[Shannylee]

cindy, she was sitting on 6 eggs when I left for VA and left hubs in charge. They were due to hatch while I was away. When I came home, there were 8 eggs in the nest. Now there are 10. I don't want to disturb her by candling because they are sitting tight. If she's not sitting, he is. I'm sure the original 6 are not fertile. The second group should hatch in 10-12 days. If none hatch, I'll remove the nest and she can rest until Spring.

[hat.him]

Hmm... gotta give em more nutritional food. Currently, she is choosing her nest...out of three. She is entering each one of em and try em out. Hope she gets the best one.
Btw, I'm now worried of their s3x. What if they both are of the same? Lol. There is a noticeable difference in the color of their beaks and eye rings. Any other way to differentiate? Surprisingly, male isn't singing. One the other hand, the female does, that's weird

[hat.him]

I also heard that silver java finches are more suitable for breeders. Is that true?

[w.l.]

It is often said that white Javas in particular are easier to breed than wild color ones.

Some still stand by this, others say this opinion dates back to the days when wild color Javas were still imported wild-caught, and of course those wild-caught birds were much harder to breed than the long-domesticated white ones. These days basically no wild-caught Javas are imported to the West and all wild color ones are captive-bred, too, and those captive-bred birds should all be quite easy to breed regardless of color.

Regardind sexing them, one major difference is the shape of the bill, especially when viewed from above with the birds in hand, but also from the side. Google "sexing java sparrows" and you should find some pages showing the difference.

[hat.him]

It is often said that white Javas in particular are easier to breed than wild color ones.

Some still stand by this, others say this opinion dates back to the days when wild color Javas were still imported wild-caught, and of course those wild-caught birds were much harder to breed than the long-domesticated white ones. These days basically no wild-caught Javas are imported to the West and all wild color ones are captive-bred, too, and those captive-bred birds should all be quite easy to breed regardless of color.

Regardind sexing them, one major difference is the shape of the bill, especially when viewed from above with the birds in hand, but also from the side. Google "sexing java sparrows" and you should find some pages showing the difference.

Hm.... thank you for the info

[Animalzoo]

hat.him

I have bred Javas and had trouble sexing them, but I got there in the end and with patience they started to investigate the nest box then there wasn't any stopping them.

One point to add is the male sings, a lot, and courts the female with a little courtship dance. If you have not seen any activity like this then I would anticipate you have 2 females.

Can you locate anymore which are guaranteed males?

[hat.him]

hat.him

I have bred Javas and had trouble sexing them, but I got there in the end and with patience they started to investigate the nest box then there wasn't any stopping them.

One point to add is the male sings, a lot, and courts the female with a little courtship dance. If you have not seen any activity like this then I would anticipate you have 2 females.

Can you locate anymore which are guaranteed males?

Recently, they started using a nest, not so often as it belongs to another zebra finches lol. They take turns to stay inside for sometime. As I mentioned above, the one that I'm considering as a female, started dancing (by jumping and bowing) to a male..... she sings too, not so perfectly but yes she does, a little. But what makes me think that it a 'she' is the color of her beak and eye ring, they are light shaded. The 'male' doesn't sing, makes only clicking sound and never danced before. He doesn't seem to be interested in her. I think that it is a 'him' because his beak is dark shaded. I will check for other differences ASAP.