Zebra breeding

Ask your questions about breeding finches here.
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Bobbyboy
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Posts: 17
Joined: 03 Nov 2019, 08:53
Location: Ningi QLD

Hi, I am new to this site. I have my finch aviary all set up, now to stock it. I figured I would start with some Zebra finches to get the hang of it.
Do I need pairs or will one male look after 2 or 3 females?
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Rod_L
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Posts: 495
Joined: 05 Mar 2018, 15:30
Location: Mandurah WA

All finches do best in pairs consisting of 1 male and 1 female. However, most birds prefer to choose their own mates so don't just buy two birds and put them together because they might not like each other. Try to buy a group of 6 or more birds and let them choose their own mates. If possible get males from one shop and females from another shop to try and maximise the chance of them being unrelated. Some shops won't sell females separately so you might have to buy a couple of pairs from one shop and another pair from a different shop.

Zebra finches sleep in a nest at night so get a few nests and hang them all at the same height in the aviary. Put some grass in the nest and also in the aviary so the birds can build their nests. You need at least one nest for each pair of birds.

All finches need a good seed mix. I used equal parts finch mix and blue ribbon canary mix. They also need cuttle bone, mineral grit, clean water at all times, and some green feed each day. Green grass seeds that appear in winter and spring are ideal but make sure they are free of chemicals and have not been sprayed with anything. You can grow your own buy sowing some finch seed in the garden and letting it grow. Harvest when it seeds a few months later.

You can buy a vitamin supplement for birds. Try to get a dry powder form and use it at least 3 times a week or preferably every day.

Monitor your backyard at night and keep an eye out for cats, which regularly attack birds in aviaries at night when the birds are trying to sleep. If you have cats coming around, contact your local council and borrow a cat trap from them or buy one from a bird shop.
death to all cats & ants
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finchbreeder
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Joined: 27 Jun 2009, 20:00
Location: Midwest of West. Aust. Coast
Location: Midwest of West.Aust.Coast

Agree with 95% of the above. But a note - always have one more nest than you do hen birds. Every lady will fight for her right to have a choice. Enjoy your new finches.
LML
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pedro
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Posts: 23
Joined: 02 Apr 2020, 00:12
Location: ST Helens Park,SYDNEY,N.S.W.

Also try to buy from different breeders ,than shops.
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finchbreeder
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Posts: 11489
Joined: 27 Jun 2009, 20:00
Location: Midwest of West. Aust. Coast
Location: Midwest of West.Aust.Coast

Or a breeder who is running different avairies and can confirm that the birds are not too closely related.
LML
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