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Re: zebras not building nest?

Posted: 19 Apr 2009, 19:59
by novastorm
Good idea. I'll try to get a pic in the next few of days. Need to borrow a camera. thanks.

Re: zebras not building nest?

Posted: 20 Apr 2009, 21:53
by novastorm
.

Re: zebras not building nest?

Posted: 20 Apr 2009, 21:55
by novastorm
Here are some pics, pls excuse the poor quality. There are only 2 birds in the cage. One with a black marking on the chest and one without.

What are you guys' thoughts?

Thanks :)
zeb1.jpg
zeb2.jpg
zeb3.jpg
zeb4.jpg
zeb5.jpg
zeb6.jpg
zeb7.jpg
zeb8.jpg
zeb9.jpg

Re: zebras not building nest?

Posted: 20 Apr 2009, 22:14
by Steven
Great pictures mate. It looks like you have a hen and a cock. In pic 1 the beak is really dark red which is a male and in pic 2 the finch beak is lighter orange which is a female.

Re: zebras not building nest?

Posted: 21 Apr 2009, 04:28
by nswchainsaw
Hi nova
They are a true pair but they are not Whites which are pure White they are Marked Whites which are a White bird with normal Zebra markings.
Garry

Re: zebras not building nest?

Posted: 21 Apr 2009, 07:00
by Page0044
Hi Nova nice pair of zebs you have.

Re: zebras not building nest?

Posted: 22 Apr 2009, 00:01
by novastorm
Thanks for the kind words and for confirming their sexes.

I didn't know they are Marked Whites, as I'm very new to this. Thanks for the heads up.
They are nice, if only they will get in the breeding box and get busy!

Question: do Marked whites, or any finch for that matter, usually sleep in their boxes/basket or roost on a perch? cos mine roost together on a perch.

Re: zebras not building nest?

Posted: 23 Apr 2009, 20:52
by gomer
nice pair Nova.some speices of finches use a roosting nest,some roost on perches.

Re: zebras not building nest?

Posted: 26 Apr 2009, 16:29
by novastorm
GREAT news!!!

Found an egg today - only 1. I assume they laid it yesterday or the day before. They had made their 'nest' and taken refuge in the seed food container! Of all places! grr....The egg was on top of some seed and empty husks and some dried up vegetables which they had used.

So I quickly emptied their orange bathing container (front) and filled it up with feathers and hessian material. Came back about an hour later and found they had used up most of the feathers and they had taken out the seeds from the container! Quite extraordinary!

A bit hard to see the egg, but its under the feathers. I've circled it in red...you can sorta make out a roundish shape.

I made a makeshift box to keep the seeds inside the box, so it doesn't get messy. I cleaned their cage last week, but its due for another clean. Should I leave it and not hassle them too much?

Any tips for now? anything I should do? I've given them some more lettuce, which they absolutely love. How exciting! I'd love to hand raise them, what's the best way to go abouts this?

Is the reason why they are not using the nesting box and wicker basket? maybe the basket is in the wrong place without a perch directly in front of it??

Thanks so much, and you guys were right! just need some patience. :)
cage1.jpg
cage2.jpg
egg.jpg

Re: zebras not building nest?

Posted: 26 Apr 2009, 17:24
by Page0044
Thats great news Nova, keep us update on there progress