what is it like

[haydn92]

hey all i have a question even thow i am a parrot fan (i have thought to myself i want to give finches a try) so whats the best starter finches ? iknow the zebbies are one but i dont want them cause my bro all ready has 8 and what is it like keeping star finches?
can i please have any info about them

[Jayburd]

star finches are good for beginners and they come in a variety of mutations,
bengalese finches are also good, easy breeders, and Painteds, Gouldians and blue-faced parrot finches

[haydn92]

what are painteds

[GregH]

Birds you are likely to have success with as a beginner are society finches and their large cousin the Java sparrow. Both of these species are vonsidered easy to breen however they aren't sexually dimorphic so you have be either to be very lucky (although there are many that say they can pick the sexes) or you must be prepared to buy about 6 head to ensure that you have at least one true pair and don't get thenm all from the one source or you may be getting closely related birds. Line breeding invariably means loss of fertility/vigour untill you have eliminated the undesirable recessive genes from your population and since that puts a small population at risk of extinction it's best left to those able to sustain the risk like those breeding large numbers like those breeding to get show quality canaries or zebras.

Stars are another great choice although a little more difficult to keep than zebbies they don't represent an insurmountable challenge. Luckily they are sexually dimorphic so you can purchase just a single pair but make sure they aren't siblings before you buy. There's a fair bit about them on this site (try viewtopic.php?f=79&t=295 for the basics). In general they won't tolerate nest inspections whereas zebs will. While you can get them to breed on dry seed alone, your breeding success will improve markedly if you add some greens, green seeding grasses, sprouted seed and live food. There are some nice and not so nice mutations around (yellow faced, cinnamon, yellow bodied and pieds) if you are interested and perhaps if you are super keep you could source some of the southern subspecies and breed up their numbers as it has already gone extinct in the wild - just remember never to hybridize them.

Gouldians do have a mystique about them but their food requirements are as humble as that of a zebra finch but they are soft - picking up and sucmbing to every parasite, pest and disease so be prepared to lose a few but they are prolific breeders. Another point to consider is if you don't have the space to house the progeny you are unlikely to be able to sell uncoloured individuals until they have coloured up and that may be up to 12 month away. The consequence of hhis is that the more crowded your breeding facilities are the less breeding success you will have.

Cheers

Greg

[Jayburd]

Painted Fireatail Finches - google them (because I'm lazy and it'll be quicker than me uploading a pic )
They are hardy finches, pretty in my opinion, placid and well worth having.

[haydn92]

what are they like to keep and how much for a pair

[Jayburd]

for a pair usually around $40... so not too expensive.
They are very nice, placid so not aggressive to other finches, even ones with red (though other red finches may attack them). They can be housed as more than one pair per aviary.
They can be kept in cages, but for their welfare keeping them in aviaries is far more desirable.
They will eat plain finch mix and LOVE green food (leafy greens like silverbeet and lettuce) and live food (mealworms, termites etc.)
They are fairly easy to breed, accepting a nest box, or basket, or they will build their own nest in a clump of brush.
They also come in one common mutation (though Garymc is developing another), the yellow, where all red on the bird is replaced byt yellow.

[haydn92]

have you had them before
what r they combatable with
what finches have you had before or now

[Jayburd]

Yes I have kept them before
many non aggressive species - in short anything that won't hurt them. Do some research on other species you might like to keep and basically anything deemed placid should be fine.
I have before now had:

zebras
long tails
red faced parrot finches
tri coloured nuns
ruddies
painteds
goldfinches
pictorellas
red-cheeked cordon bleus
orange breasts
Double-Barred ficnhes
cubans (hen kept for a friend)
King Quail

so basically most of the beginner-medium birds. I have not bred very many, but I have had most go to nest. I have attributed the lack of results to overcrowding and lack of sufficient live food.

Now I just have to breed them properly (with proper Livefood and no overcrowding)

[Redwing]

where would you be thinking of putting them Hayden? Have you got a spare aviary so they're not in with your parrots? I have stars and painteds and they are both really good birds.