Black-faced Fire Finches (new birds)

[lovemyfinch]

Great names for beautiful birds.

[Domenic]

OOH OOH OOH OOH! I am green with envy! I love BF Fires! You are so lucky Liz, they are gorgeous. I love the soft colors of the female too, they compliment eachother well.

[L in Ontario]

Thank you Janine and Domenic. Yes I am fortunate to get this pair - I've never seen them available around here before, so I consider them a steal costing less than even a pair of yellow Gouldians!

Thank you! Now I'll hope for many healthy babies from them in time.

[kinnika]

Absolutely beautiful. I love the colours. Congrats

[L in Ontario]

Thank you Kinnikia!

They are making such a mess with their seeds (seems like more are outside their cage than inside) but they are doing fine. I know they are eating their fresh eggfood daily too.

[JohnBoy]

Liz they are real picky with the seed. I hardly notice any eaten. They prefer spray millet and that is all they will eat if its in their cage all the time. I see mine picking at the miracle meal and roudy bush pellets. Also they like hard-boiled egg mixed with the roudy bush, miracle meal, and gammarus patee. I also use pretty bird pelleted food. I switch between the roudy bush and pretty bird. I also put thistle seed in their seed mix and they do eat all of it. However this doesn't mean yours will, but you may want to try it.

[L in Ontario]

I do (did?) have a spray of millet hanging in their cage (as I do for all newbies) and with the fresh eggfood is soakseed and commerical dry eggfood as well. I know they are eating that or maybe just spreading it all over the floor of the cage? I'll check tonight.

Re the thistle seed - is that nijger seed? I have gallons of that for my wild birds! I have enough to make it the only seed they live on for the next 10 years! (yep, got lots!) I'll add a little tonight for them.

Thanks JohnBoy! ...would you know what kind (if any) of nestbox they prefer?

[JohnBoy]

Liz, everything I have read says they will only breed in an aviary. They build their nest in bushes or reeds. They need soft grasses and coconut fiber. And they like to line their nest with hair and feathers. They lay 4 eggs and the eggs hatch in 11-12 days. Ant pupae and live insects are a must for them to rear their young. If these demands are not met they will toss the chicks.

I have mine in a cage at this time. I will not be able to put them into the aviary till winter is over. I got them too late to acclimate them to the weather changes. I have them housed with 2 pair of Yellow bellied waxbills. I have a wicker nest and a half open plastic box nest in their cage. Both have nesting material in them but I could not tell you who is responsible for building the 2 nest. I have not witnessed the building and I have never seen any of the birds go into a nest.

[L in Ontario]

Thank John. I'll have to put my thinking-cap on! Cocofibre and soft grasses I have... aviary??? hmmmm

[JohnBoy]

Liz keep in mind that the birds have not read the rule book. Liz could be the first to cage breed BFF's.

[L in Ontario]

Liz keep in mind that the birds have not read the rule book. Liz could be the first to cage breed BFF's.

Right after you do! But never say never!

[Rayray]

first Liz i am so %^%# jealous , they are so beautiful and so rare .

i had these birds for years and had plenty young ones and all in breeding cages , what they need is space and privacy ( so no other birds in the same cage ) , if i was you i would take the first round of eggs away and put them in a socities nest ( its worth to breed first a few young ones to build up a family ) after that you lett them try themselfs . they need plenty insects and small green seeds when they have babies or you won't make it . If i could buy a pair here with perm band i would pay around 750usd for them . well even Santa here can't afford that

hope you breed with them

Ray

[L in Ontario]

Aww thank you Ray - that means so much to me! I'm trying to gather everyone's advice and experience with these birds. I will definitely let the Soc's have the first eggs then and will keep everyone posted on any progress... as if I could keep anything secret!

Thanks again!

[Rayray]

a good secret is a thing you tell to everyone and say don't tell anyone else

back to the birds ... BREED them Liz

Ray

[CandoAviary]

I have also known a breeder who bred these and other fires in flight cages. approximately 48 " long x 24" wide x 24" tall. He made these out of 1/2" welded wire. He would hang these cages outdoors by chains under a carport type roof and allow the poop to fall through to the concrete below. This was hosed down regularly. He had some sort of vines growing over the hanging cages... He bred many types of finches this way. I do know he kept only one pair per cage. I do not know the diet he provided.... I had gone to his facilities to pick up an Indian ringneck to finish handfeeding for a pet. He gave me my first handfeeding lesson and a tour of his place where he had the smaller birds and handfed big birds..... He also had acres in the country where he bred macaws and amazons but he kept this a location a secret from most everyone.
I sure wish I had been more interested in finches way back then.... I could of learn tons from this guy.... would of, could of
Anyway, best of luck with your endeaver of cage breeding