Aussie Finch Forum

just so everyone does not know wel today is my birthday and with birthdays you get presents, well i got 100 bucks an with that 100$ i got myself a pair of goldfinches and a pair of zebra finches,a bird net and a bag of grass. what i want to know is information about the gold finch:
can they share a cage with zebs and quails?
what food do i feed them?
what season do they breed or can they breed all year round?
why does my pair fight?(only one attacks the other when they are eating or could it be the cage size?)

i need replies as soon as possible before i move them in with the zebs but i need info first

thanks

haydn

Happy bday mate sorry can't answer all your questions for now ,got to run but here is a good link for goldfinches.Best kept as one pair per cage.


http://www.finchforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=7282" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Happy Birthday Hayden.

Cant help with your question though as I have no experience with these guys.

They breed Spring/Summer so should start soon. Similar dietary preferences to canaries: good proportion of canary seed plus a variety of oilseeds, thistleheads a favourite + any other greens, will readily take eggfoods/softfood.
Aggression may indicate that you may have 2 cocks??

You can tell the two sexes apart reliably if you can catch them, the male has the black on it's secondary wing corvets turning into the brown, without any blending or overlap, and the female just has blended colours, I will find you a PDF that illustrates all the differences.

Also, the courtship dance of Goldfinches can be mistaken as fighting, it is described as "Courtship display involves disputes between males, or males and females. These disputes occur in flight and are accompanied by guttural sounds. "

Here's the PDF http://www.ibercajalav.net/img/431_Gold ... duelis.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hi I am back.Do you know if they were sold as wild caught or cage bred?If wild caught I say forget about breeding till next year spring time.Canary/ finch mix,mix in some niger seed and that's a start.I also give mine some hemp and sunflower hearts but in small quantities.Egg food and lots of greens.Bickering or fighting will happen especially as food is introduced to sort out who is dominant.Don't worry to much about fighting as it is usually harmless and as long as you have a large enough cage.A true pair once bonded will not fight but kiss.This is your first sign that they might be ready to breed.Set up your cage with one perch at a high position and one slightly lower elsewhere.The dominant finch will occupy the highest perch at it will be his roosting place to feel safe.Don't overcrowd their space as they are very flightfull and almost always on the move.Goodluck

i got them from my local pet shop and the store owner said the goldfinches just came in today. he had heaps, there are male and female cause the guy showed me how to tell them apart, when there is food 1 finch would attack the other one but on the perch they settle but the attacker pulled some feathers out and started chewing on them. what should i do, should i seperate them or could it to prove whos boss, what age do they breed

Hope you had a great day Hayden ...
Happy birthday mate and give Shanny my birthday greetings also .

thanks and will do
hay deb have u had any experience with goldfinches

What is your cage size?