New starter
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finchbreeder
- ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
- Posts: 11495
- Joined: 27 Jun 2009, 20:00
- Location: Midwest of West. Aust. Coast
- Location: Midwest of West.Aust.Coast
Decide what colour mutation - or normal - you wish to specialise in and advertise "wanted" on this forum. Then go for it. Welcome to the forum. Zebs are an interesting bird that you can have as a beginner and continue with for life. Like me. Read the Zebra section of the forum to see all the different mutations and how they are developed.
LML
LML
LML
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Shane Gowland
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Posts: 1430
- Joined: 19 May 2014, 22:42
- Location: Adelaide
- Contact:
Hello and welcome.
Zebs are arguably the easiest finches to keep, so they're a great starting place for a beginner. Let us know if you have any questions
Zebs are arguably the easiest finches to keep, so they're a great starting place for a beginner. Let us know if you have any questions
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Rod_L
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- Posts: 495
- Joined: 05 Mar 2018, 15:30
- Location: Mandurah WA
Get a decent finch seed mix and a blue ribbon canary mix and mix them 50/50. Finch mixes don't normally have many oil seeds in and blue ribbon canary mix has too much oil seed so a 50/50 mix gives a nice overall mixture for finches, canaries and small parrots.
Add lots of nests to the cage before you add the birds. Zebra finches and some other Australia finches sleep in nests at night and they like to choose their nest. Have the nests about 6 inches below the roof.
Add some green grass and dry grass that is between 6-12 inches long so the birds can use it to line the nests.
Make sure they have clean water every day. Keep food and water away from perches so the birds don't poop in it.
You can grow green grass seeds for the birds. the following link has information on how to do that.
viewtopic.php?f=84&t=21732&p=188305#p188305
Make sure they have a small bowl of mineral grit and some cuttlebone at all times. They don't use much but they need access to it.
Have the back, sides and top of the aviary covered to prevent draughts blowing in at night. Cold draughts can come through small gaps and kill birds over night.
Go to a vet and get some Ivermectin and treat all the birds as soon as you get them. Ivermectin treats internal and external parasites. If you treat the birds as soon as you get them, the aviary should remain disease and parasite free.
If you get more birds in the future, quarantine them indoors for at least 2 (preferably 4) weeks and treat them with Ivermectin before adding them to the established aviary.
Get a cat trap and have it set every night. You will be surprised at how many cats come and hang out on your aviary at night.
Add lots of nests to the cage before you add the birds. Zebra finches and some other Australia finches sleep in nests at night and they like to choose their nest. Have the nests about 6 inches below the roof.
Add some green grass and dry grass that is between 6-12 inches long so the birds can use it to line the nests.
Make sure they have clean water every day. Keep food and water away from perches so the birds don't poop in it.
You can grow green grass seeds for the birds. the following link has information on how to do that.
viewtopic.php?f=84&t=21732&p=188305#p188305
Make sure they have a small bowl of mineral grit and some cuttlebone at all times. They don't use much but they need access to it.
Have the back, sides and top of the aviary covered to prevent draughts blowing in at night. Cold draughts can come through small gaps and kill birds over night.
Go to a vet and get some Ivermectin and treat all the birds as soon as you get them. Ivermectin treats internal and external parasites. If you treat the birds as soon as you get them, the aviary should remain disease and parasite free.
If you get more birds in the future, quarantine them indoors for at least 2 (preferably 4) weeks and treat them with Ivermectin before adding them to the established aviary.
Get a cat trap and have it set every night. You will be surprised at how many cats come and hang out on your aviary at night.
death to all cats & ants
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Skinch29
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- Posts: 11
- Joined: 01 Mar 2020, 09:05
- Location: Vincentia
Wow, thanks for all that info I will be taking in all the advice I can get, I really excited about getting started but also want to make sure that the aviary and of course my birds are well looked after. Thanks again