Zebra Finches are great birds for a beginner or any bird enthusiast! These attractive little creatures are hardy, inexpensive, active, and one of the easiest birds to keep and breed. They are long-lived, with a life span in captivity of about 12 years.
B .Guinn - 2010-08-02 I have 6 and I'm getting eggs that hatch but for some reason after a week or two I'll find the babys thrown from the nest. Some have a few fuzzy baby feathers and all are at least 3/4 of an inch in size. Should I be hand feeding or buy special feed so they can feed them or are seeds ok? Thanks.
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Deb C - 2010-08-19 This sounds like it may be stress behaviour from overcrowding. Are all 6 birds in the same cage? If so, you might try putting them in a larger cage or putting the breeding pairs in separate cages. It's also possible there is some mate competition occurring, although it is difficult to tell without a little more information.
Nancy - 2010-08-25 I'm a little new to this, just getting my first 6 zebras in June. Soon after their first 4 babies hatched and were fine. The 2nd one it seems was a little different as the first babies may have been jealous? Anyway - 2 were thrown by one of the first babies from the nest! The sound was awful. I carefully scooped them up and put them back in the nest. Last week all three flew from the nest and seem to be fine! That being said - I would try to put them back in the nest and let mom/dad take care of them. Hope this helps!
kelleen - 2010-07-25 We have two zebra finch. 11-12 months old. They had one clutch of nine and they nested on them for 30-45 days. We took them out thinking this was not good for them a ways past due time, and allowed them to try a second clutch. There is seven in this clutch and has been three weeks nesting and no babies out yet, should we be concerned yet or not?
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\"SKM\" - 2010-08-22 On average it takes a little over 2 weeks for the eggs to hatch.
sarah - 2010-07-08 Hi....there is a cage of 6 zebra finches at my workplace. Currently, we have found 2 eggs in a basket....but none of the birds are sitting on these eggs. Also, I stupidly took the basket out to look closer at the eggs.....question is- is it ok that the birds are not sitting on their eggs, and why? Did I harm the situation by taking the nest out briefly? thanks!
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Deb C - 2010-08-19 Zebra finches typically lay one egg per day and don't start incubating until the 2nd or 3rd egg is laid (ave clutch is about 4-6 eggs). At the beginning of incubation, they may not sit robustly, but as incubation continues, they will sit more and more tightly on the eggs. Since there were only 2 eggs when you removed the nest cup, they may not have started to incubate yet. Zebra finches in our colony tolerate us handling the eggs to mark them (so we can tell lay order) very easily. The only time I have had a pair abandon a nest was when I accidentally cracked one of their eggs. They are prolific breeders and will take every opportunity to do so! I doubt you disrupted their breeding by inspecting the eggs for such a short period of time.
If it also possible your eggs were infertile and "dropped" by a female. They sometimes do this if within sight and sound of a male, even if not paired.
Edwina - 2010-07-23 I have a male and female who have produced 4 babies. The babies are now flying but not eating on their own yet. The last one hatched came out of the nest today. Almost immediately, I found a new egg in the nest. What should I do? Leave her to continue to lay more? Take out the nest? Put the male in a separate cage? I don't know the sexes of the babies yet, they are still grey, no adult colors yet. They are not yet eating on their own. Please help!!
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Sandra - 2010-08-14 The mother and father finches feed their young until they are ready to eat on their own. I think it takes about 3 weeks for this. As soon as baby finches are born I start putting cooked scrambled eggs (without salt and milk) in their cages and the parents love to feed this to their babies. Finches also love raw spinach!
J.MCD - 2010-08-19 Edwina it is ideal to allow the colours of the fledglings to develop until you can tell the sex's apart and they are independent but may still call for parents to feed them, it would be ok to allow the new one to hatch and fledge over two to three weeks hence the others would be independent, leave the egg to hatch is my personal opinion and deal with the birds then definitely halt the nesting.
Bob A. - 2010-07-11 I have 2 fiches , male and female. They are blue in color. My question is, Why does the male peck at the female? Is this a common thing? Is he hurting the female?
Cathie - 2010-06-26 I had a male and female zebra finch who mated and had 3 female finches. All 3 lived and matured. About a year later one died, no idea why. Another 2 yrs. later the mom finch died. The male finch and his 2 female offspring remain. He and one of the females have paired up, usually sleeping together at night. All seem harmonious during the day. My question is, if I put a nest in the cage, will the father bird mate with his female offspring that he's been cozy with or will he recognize the female as his hatchling and not mate with her? I would like a couple more finches so that the 3rd finch is not the odd finch and breeding is the easiest way, but I want to make sure that the father & daughter breeding is ok.
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Dominique - 2010-06-27 They will mate and it is not a good idea. It adversely affects the species to have them inbreed. They need to be separated from their siblings and opposite sex parents after 2 months old. Good luck.
Ludovic Prevost - 2010-07-09 Yes it is ok for now but since your original birds might have been also a father-daughter pair my advice is to introduce soon at least one new bird from a different provenance or pet store to keep your small flock healthy. If you think their space will become limited, just band the new bird(s) to differentiate later them from their offspring that should be removed first.
leslie - 2010-05-05 We just got 2 female zebra finches, mother and daughter. We were told they were quiet, just chirping first thing in the a.m. Well they are at it all day. Short periods of quiet but then they'll start up again. It is annoying because it is constant and loud. Is this normal?
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The Bird Lady - 2010-05-09 Yes, it is normal. Birds chirp when they are happy. It is good.
If the noise is such a problem, a bird isn't the best pet for you.
kimrichards - 2010-06-30 Hello! Have you ever been outside? Birds chirp...
Zebra Finches are great birds for a beginner or any bird enthusiast! These attractive little creatures are hardy, inexpensive, active, and one of the easiest birds to keep and breed. They are long-lived, with a life span in captivity of about 12 years.
I have 2 finchs and they do lay eggs, but they have been in there for like 2 months now. What do I do?
I have 6 and I'm getting eggs that hatch but for some reason after a week or two I'll find the babys thrown from the nest. Some have a few fuzzy baby feathers and all are at least 3/4 of an inch in size. Should I be hand feeding or buy special feed so they can feed them or are seeds ok? Thanks.
This sounds like it may be stress behaviour from overcrowding. Are all 6 birds in the same cage? If so, you might try putting them in a larger cage or putting the breeding pairs in separate cages. It's also possible there is some mate competition occurring, although it is difficult to tell without a little more information.
I'm a little new to this, just getting my first 6 zebras in June. Soon after their first 4 babies hatched and were fine. The 2nd one it seems was a little different as the first babies may have been jealous? Anyway - 2 were thrown by one of the first babies from the nest! The sound was awful. I carefully scooped them up and put them back in the nest. Last week all three flew from the nest and seem to be fine! That being said - I would try to put them back in the nest and let mom/dad take care of them. Hope this helps!
We have two zebra finch. 11-12 months old. They had one clutch of nine and they nested on them for 30-45 days. We took them out thinking this was not good for them a ways past due time, and allowed them to try a second clutch. There is seven in this clutch and has been three weeks nesting and no babies out yet, should we be concerned yet or not?
On average it takes a little over 2 weeks for the eggs to hatch.
Hi....there is a cage of 6 zebra finches at my workplace. Currently, we have found 2 eggs in a basket....but none of the birds are sitting on these eggs. Also, I stupidly took the basket out to look closer at the eggs.....question is- is it ok that the birds are not sitting on their eggs, and why? Did I harm the situation by taking the nest out briefly? thanks!
Zebra finches typically lay one egg per day and don't start incubating until the 2nd or 3rd egg is laid (ave clutch is about 4-6 eggs). At the beginning of incubation, they may not sit robustly, but as incubation continues, they will sit more and more tightly on the eggs. Since there were only 2 eggs when you removed the nest cup, they may not have started to incubate yet. Zebra finches in our colony tolerate us handling the eggs to mark them (so we can tell lay order) very easily. The only time I have had a pair abandon a nest was when I accidentally cracked one of their eggs. They are prolific breeders and will take every opportunity to do so! I doubt you disrupted their breeding by inspecting the eggs for such a short period of time.
If it also possible your eggs were infertile and "dropped" by a female. They sometimes do this if within sight and sound of a male, even if not paired.
I have a male and female who have produced 4 babies. The babies are now flying but not eating on their own yet. The last one hatched came out of the nest today. Almost immediately, I found a new egg in the nest. What should I do? Leave her to continue to lay more? Take out the nest? Put the male in a separate cage? I don't know the sexes of the babies yet, they are still grey, no adult colors yet. They are not yet eating on their own. Please help!!
The mother and father finches feed their young until they are ready to eat on their own. I think it takes about 3 weeks for this. As soon as baby finches are born I start putting cooked scrambled eggs (without salt and milk) in their cages and the parents love to feed this to their babies. Finches also love raw spinach!
Edwina it is ideal to allow the colours of the fledglings to develop until you can tell the sex's apart and they are independent but may still call for parents to feed them, it would be ok to allow the new one to hatch and fledge over two to three weeks hence the others would be independent, leave the egg to hatch is my personal opinion and deal with the birds then definitely halt the nesting.
Please can you tell me whether zebra finches are part of the parrot family?
Thanks
No it's not at all a part of Parrot Family!
I have 2 fiches , male and female. They are blue in color. My question is, Why does the male peck at the female? Is this a common thing? Is he hurting the female?
I had a male and female zebra finch who mated and had 3 female finches. All 3 lived and matured. About a year later one died, no idea why. Another 2 yrs. later the mom finch died. The male finch and his 2 female offspring remain. He and one of the females have paired up, usually sleeping together at night. All seem harmonious during the day. My question is, if I put a nest in the cage, will the father bird mate with his female offspring that he's been cozy with or will he recognize the female as his hatchling and not mate with her? I would like a couple more finches so that the 3rd finch is not the odd finch and breeding is the easiest way, but I want to make sure that the father & daughter breeding is ok.
They will mate and it is not a good idea. It adversely affects the species to have them inbreed. They need to be separated from their siblings and opposite sex parents after 2 months old. Good luck.
Yes it is ok for now but since your original birds might have been also a father-daughter pair my advice is to introduce soon at least one new bird from a different provenance or pet store to keep your small flock healthy. If you think their space will become limited, just band the new bird(s) to differentiate later them from their offspring that should be removed first.
I have 2 zebra birds they lay eggs but they don't hatch, every time I don't find the eggs.
They might eat the eggs once my canary laid an egg and her friend zebra finch helped to eat it!
We just got 2 female zebra finches, mother and daughter. We were told they were quiet, just chirping first thing in the a.m. Well they are at it all day. Short periods of quiet but then they'll start up again. It is annoying because it is constant and loud. Is this normal?
Yes, it is normal. Birds chirp when they are happy. It is good.
If the noise is such a problem, a bird isn't the best pet for you.
Hello!
Have you ever been outside?
Birds chirp...