Silverbills

[crazy cuban]

Purchased a pair of silverbills at orange sale today.
DNA pair so definite pair

can anyone give me keeping, breeding and diet advice as i cannot find anything on the AFF about them

[matcho]

Well done, saw them myself, tempted to buy them myself but erred because of space. Hope they do well for you.

[casehulsebosch]

Easy bird to keep.
Just the same conditions, food and all other requirements you would use for the Bengalese.
A little softfood when young in the nest, do'nt take live food and apart from that you should just sit back and enjoy the ride.
Unless the bloodlines are severely weakened in Oz they should breed like mice.

Cheers, Case.

[crazy cuban]

what type of nest boxes and material do they like to use

[Finches2011]

Hope you have success with them. Silverbills breed very easily and have no particular feeding requirements. They will take some livefood, but it is not necessary. With regard to nests most of my 6 breeding pairs build their own nests in brush, using the usual array of fine and coarse grasses, or they build in wire cylinder nests. I have not had any breed in a box, but then they all have a range of sites to choose from.
I have plenty of young DNA'd Silverbills available for $35 a pair.

[mccabe_07]

Good luck with them, once they get going they don't seem to stop but a lovely bird to keep.

If there were plenty around they would suit people trying to make the transition from zebs to other less hardy finches.

Mine nest in wire cylinders, cane baskets and one pair right now is nesting in a gouldian style nest box.

They will use any material, mine use november grass mainly and a few emu feathers.

[Finches2011]

Plenty of young DNAd silverbills available from QFS.

[crazy cuban]

mine are starting to make a nest in a cylindrical wire basket so fingers crossed

[mccabe_07]

very good, goodluck!

I have young in one aviary and in the other I have a pair sitting on several eggs

[crazy cuban]

are they nest inspection tolorent