hi im trying to breed finchs..

27 Jul 2010, 21:26

hi I am trying to breed some zebra finchs.I have had a few in the past but finaly got around to getting a huge cage and wicker nest baskets and trying to breed some. I got 3 pairs of zebras and a pair of bengalise I think ,little brown and white guys.I could just watch them all day !!! they are such lovely little birds so active.the brown guys are in a nest and one pair of zebras have built an amazing nest so im realy hopefull they may breed...although I may have to be carefull what I wish for,I saw on a site some guy in Qld say he left 25 pairs in an avery for 3 months and found 497 when he came back!!!!ohh ....im hoping to end up with about 40....

27 Jul 2010, 21:29

welcome

27 Jul 2010, 21:31

G'day & welcome.You'll get them no worries.

27 Jul 2010, 22:46

cool i have zebbies and they are breeding

and i could help you with any question that you might have

28 Jul 2010, 11:35

Welcome. Both Zebs and Bengos are easy to breed provided you have pairs. Which is easy with Zebs and a little more difficult with Bengos. Who will bond and sit in a nest together regardless of their sex. When you say a huge cage? how big in metres is that? I find with Zebs and Bengos it is best to have 2 avairys, one with no nests or nesting materials and one for selective breeding. Where you put a pair of each type and 3 or 4 nests and once they have produced 2 nests each and you have rung the young so you know who is who, put them all back in the holding avairy and select your next 2 pair of breeders.
LML

28 Jul 2010, 12:20

Hi and welcome to the forum

28 Jul 2010, 17:51

Welcome and good luck with em

28 Jul 2010, 19:45

hi,thanks or the welcome!!! the cage is 1.2 m sq by 1.8 m .I know the zebs are paired up but the bengals im a bit duboius...the guy told me they were a pair and they have built a lovely nest together but their beaks look the same to me ,I read that one should have a rounder underbeak if a pair. oh well I will try and get 4 more bengals when they are back in stock .Man only had the 2 ,one is a lot more vocal so perhaps I have a pair??? their happy anyway !!
I notice the bengals are real water birds ,they can empty the bath in a couple of min.Had to buy them a bird bath today to try and keep some water for the zebras,they are not averse to a bath but they dont stay in it like those bengals

28 Jul 2010, 20:30

My Bengos love a bath too. With the quantity of birds you have and the size of your cage it might be best to just wait and see what the Bengos do. I have very little faith in the sexing by beak method myself. A cock in breeding condition will sing and dance. You need room for young if they breed and the cage you have is not big enough to house any more than what you have with young.
LML

28 Jul 2010, 21:48

hi ok i will wait and see how they go then,what im planing is if they breed I have a 4 m avery for them to go in come summer.It has to be concreted in though so I will see how I go and I find its too cold in the winter for them outside.also I dont want them to breed to much and iv been told they will realy go wild in an avery ,esp the zebs.that guy who got from 50 pairs too nearly 500 is a worry!!!