Colony Breeding

[nick88]

Hi Guys,

I currently have 4 pairs of finches

Zebras
Stars
Ruddies
Red Cheeked cordon blues

I was wondering to get good breeding results would i be better concentrating on 2 or 1 breed?
or taking the zebras out as the seem to dominate(I think they stole the stars nest) and the zebs just had their first babies leave their other nest yeasterday.

Im abit unsure of which direction or pairs i should continue with or keep all of them?

[natamambo]

Can't comment on cordons and ruddies but I reckon zebs are a waste of space if breeding the rest is your goal. If you like them then of course that's a different matter....

[Myzomela]

The zebs are almost certain to upset the other species when nesting.
Ruddies, stars and cordons should get along fine, but the size of your aviary is also important.

If you're still uncertain what direction you want to take, then if you can, keep your zebras in a separate aviary from the others.
Zebras are good breeders and are good for building up your avicultural skills.
See how all the birds go ie which species respond best to your management and then decide which ones you want to specialise in. Specialisation often gives the best results but usually you need to try a few species to see which ones you really like & suit your set up.

Good luck.

[shox]

myzomela is right zebras are good for experience but will be disturbing the others. Please try and keep the zebs in a different section of the aviary if possible, they will breed well, then you sell the young to pay for the feed.

[djb78]

First off zebs are a great bird to start off with, their food requirements are basic seed fresh fruit and veg with greens anything above this will be beneficial but not essential for rearing young, there range of breeding facilities is wide as they can breed in many different nest boxes, cane baskets and more as well as they will breed at different heights. Ruddies cordons and stars need a bit more varied diet with addition to live food seeding grasses and they have more specific breeding requirements. As for zebs they tend to be more dominant and can be disruptive to more placid types of finches where the other three are very good in a mixed aviery. As for what to do, I would suggest if your looking at trying a more difficult type of finch than a zeb then I would stick with the ruddies, cordons and stars but make sure that you can provide the essential requirements that will allow them to stay healthy and breed. Dint get me wrong with zebs they are a great little finch with alot of mutations which look great so in the end your going to have to make the choice what finch you want, if you can cater for their needs and are younable to afford/source any new birds that you pick as there will always be losses or new birds required to finish off pairs.

[teg33]

I think the zebras would bother the other birds a bit, I used to have painted finches in with my 3 pairs of zebras, as well 2 star finches, and 2 mannikins. We had to remove the painted finches because the zebra finches were actually bullying them, to the point that one of the painteds had to have 2 toes removed!