Keeping finches without breeding....

[Hanlou]

Well am a total newbie here and though I've read a lot of information on the care of finches I am not sure about the answer to this question! I'm currently just doing research at the moment - we don't have any finches just yet and probably won't have any for a while.

From what I've read it seems apparent that finches are enthusiastic breeders - if we do decide to keep finches in the future I would not want to breed. So... my questions....

Are finches happy if they aren't breeding? Or would they feel that something was 'missing' if they weren't able to raise chicks?

Would it be advisable to only keep females to prevent breeding - would they be happy?

I'm sorry if my questions seem silly - - am here to research and learn to try and make sure that we can get things right first time. Thank you for any answers!

[FinchNerd]

First off it depends on the species. Some are more enthusiastic breeders than others. Some are happy in single sex pairs, others are not.

For me, personally, I'm a zebra finch owner. I had some before that bred like crazy and when I decided to get back into finches recently I knew I didn't want to go through all that again. I researched and found out that zebra finches are perfectly happy in single sex pairs. They are social by nature and do not normally fight over territories. Two males will not fight or try to establish dominance over one another.

I picked male zebra finches because they are more colorful and they sing. Females don't sing. I purchased two males, Aristotle and Socrates, and they are perfectly happy together. They have a very strong bond like mates. Interestingly enough, I recently read a study in a psychology journal done on homosexuality in zebra finches. Apparently they are known to make very strong single sex bonds and in some cases even to prefer the same sex. It's very interesting.

[dfcauley]

There is a hospital here in Atlanta, Ga that has an aviary with only males in it. It is breathtaking to me. I got started in finches when my husband was at that hospital. I spent more time there than with my husband.
The finches all seem to be very happy and busy in that aviary.

If you wanted just one sex, I would suggest getting males.

The hens would lay eggs anyway...... and the males are much more colorful.

[Hanlou]

Thank you very much.

Shall bear all this in mind! Am pleased though as I'd be quite happy to keep just a pair or two with no baby birds.

[Domenic]

If you are intent on not breeding then I'm not trying to change your mind, but I find that the most fun I have with my finches is trying to get them to breed. A lot of people say that they don't want the extra responsibility, but honestly all we as owners have to do is sit back and watch! The parents do everything so long as you provide them with proper food (and zebras are extremely easy to breed.) You could always put the chicks up for adoption, sell them, keep them, or give them to family members.

[Hanlou]

I've never bred any of my animals...... I've fostered a litter of rescue rats but that's as much experience I've had with raising babies!

I don't want to breed. I figure that breeding is best left to the experts who have the experience and knowledge necessary.

[Sally]

For me personally, the breeding end of finchkeeping is what attracts me, but it is definitely not for everyone. Sometimes babies are easy to rehome, sometimes not--my family members have made it quite clear that they do not want any of my babies! Many people have finches just to look at and enjoy their beauty and songs. Read the various species information located in the Finch Information Center, linked at left, to help you decide what you might like to have. Your choices will be determined by how much space, time, and money you want to commit yourself to.

[ac12]

Hanlou
Watch for how many males you put into the cage.
A pair would be OK.
More than a pair might be a problem.

According to the FIC (finch info center, on the left) you should get them in pairs, and either 2 or 6 or more. Something about with 3-5 birds, one of the birds can be picked on. With 6 it becomes harder to pick on ONE bird. I can see that problem exactly, as I currently have 3 males and had 3 females in separate male/female cages. I can see where one of the 3, not having a partner becomes a trouble maker. With the females it got so bad I had to remove that bird from the cage. With the males, it did not get as bad, so the 3 are together, but every once in a while, I can hear them hissing and chasing.

Bird 4 in both cages are currently taking care of a clutch of fledglings. They will be put back into the m/f cages in about 2-3 weeks, after the chicks wean.

Now if you wanted more than 2 but less than 6, I would go with society finches. BUT the problem is, you CANNOT sex them by looking at them. The only way to identify the male is to see if it sings, then that is a male. I got my societies from PetSmart, so I could return the bird and get another bird if it was a female.

I also prefer the singing of the societies to the singing of zebras. Sounds more pleasant to listen to.

[Hanlou]

Thanks again for all the helpful advice.

Have been reading and re-reading all the information in the Finch Information Centre - it's a brilliant resource! The cage I've looked at (a Double Flight cage - 65" wide) would be about right for 4 finches according to the cage calculator so I'd be looking at getting two pairs - I do so love Gouldians but need to research more as to suitability etc. obviously! (Though I have already noted that a well respected forum member on here is a Gouldian breeder and lives near to us.... )

I really like Society Finches too - their characters appeal to me somehow as do their plumage. My husband (who is a fair bit older than me....!) is due to retire next year and if we get birds they will be his to care for so time should not be too much of a problem.

But we shall see I guess. We won't be rushing into anything.

*goes off to read some more*

[Hilary]

Another thought is that most species other than zebras and societies can be fairly hard (harder) to breed, and if you like the thought of male/female pairs they should be perfectly happy childless couples as long as you don't provide nesting opportunities.

[FinchDegg]

I just want to add that your birds (when you get them) should and will be very happy. Nothing better than a too be owner does their research first
Nice to see

[franny]

I had a pair of Goldbreasted Waxbills, and they had 4 babies. Once the babies left for their new homes and my pair had had a rest I decided to let them try again. First they tossed chicks, and then the female started laying eggs with no shells! She had a couple of close calls where I thought I'd lose her.

So I removed the nest and she never laid another egg, even with her mate with her in the same cage. As Hilary said, they appeared to be a perfectly happy childless couple after that. No egg laying attempts, and they happily cuddled and preened each other the same as before. It was a huge relief to me.