Hand rearing Zebs

25 Oct 2018, 16:06

So I want to hand raise 6 zebra finches because I want them friendly and tame.

Once they are 3 weeks old I'm going to take over raising them. I'm thinking what I'll do is move them into a sperate cage from the parents and put a nesting box in there with lots of warm materials. Then as a cheaper alternative heating source I've seen a hermit crab heat matt in my local pet store, it doesn't say how warm it gets but apparently they are kept at similar temperatures.

The challenge is that I'll have exactly one week after taking over until I go to tafe from 7am to 4pm during the week.

I need to know how much I need to feed them and if I can leave them for 9 hours a day. Maybe if I get up at 5am for a feed then another one before i leave and then another one when I get home. And leaving the formula for them during the day to eat along with a bowl of seeds so that they might become weaned.

Hopefully someone with the right knowledge can help me on this one

Thanks!

25 Oct 2018, 19:07

Hi, welcome to the forum.

Honestly, I don't think I'd bother hand-raising zebs if your goal is to end up with tame finches. I've hand-raised quite a few finches—by necessity—and none have become even remotely tame.

The big gap during your day might also be an issue.

25 Oct 2018, 20:41

Thanks

26 Oct 2018, 10:10

The quietest zebs I have ever come accross were fed greens by hand from the time they came out of the nest. They just got used to hopping onto a hand to eat their treat.
LML

26 Oct 2018, 21:39

Yeah my aviary raised Zebs eat kale off my hand

26 Jun 2023, 05:34

Honestly, supplement feeding and good training & socialising will bring you the same results.
Even if you hand feed, you can't guarantee a tame bird without the proper socialising.
You just need to limit uncomfortable and scary interactions, and make sure you have positive social interactions with them on a regular, predictable basis.
Birds like consistency, and if you use these principles you can tame down even an old bird.
Just takes more time with adults since most have had negative interactions with people already.
It's also important to establish a good relationship with the parents before breeding season even starts. If you try interacting and they hear the distress of their parents, they just won't trust you as much.