# Zebra Finch information



## cloggers (Mar 13, 2010)

I've always adored birds and would love some Zebra finches :flrt:

But alas Google has so much conflicting info and I'm struggling to find the information I need. Can I keep them indoors? or do they require an outdoor aviary? I've also seen that its a minimum of pairs that they're kept in? So what would be the smallest enclosure a pair could have and any suggestions of a good enclosure available to buy?

Some websites have also said they can be fed on purely a mixed seed diet you can buy especially for finches. So would they not eat anything like fresh fruit? or egg, bread crumbs etc? 

Do they need any heat or anything, if they were outside, would they tolerate a British winter or would they need to be brought indoors?

Oh and any good books on the care of Zebra finches? I love a good book, thanks in advance : victory:


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## FeralWild (May 9, 2011)

Zebra finches are fairly easy birds to keep. There will always be conflicting advice on any species you research on google as everybody likes to think that because they have the experience they are automatically the know all of that species.

I have kept and bred them and although this is my advice, I have read up and learned from experience and this works for me though others may suggest otherwise.

You do need a pair, they are social and need to be kept as two or more. You can also keep a pair of bengalese with a pair of zebras if you like some variety but don't give them a nestbox or basket as they will almost certainly hybridise, usually the bengalese male mating with both his female and the zebra female.

You can keep them in a standard budgie cage or finch cage sold at most pet shops. I have even kept a pair in a hamster cage of suitable size with the wheel removed and perches put in. Anything with quarter inch bar spacing works, but getting much bigger than a cockatiel cage, and the bars become too wide spaced and your finches escape. You can colony breed or keep them in an indoor aviary or outdoor but with an outdoor aviary you need an additional shed attached with heating in the north of England, or winter protection in the south.

To house a pair, you need a cage and in this you need either sanded sheets to line the bottom, or simply cage bird sand to pour over the bottom. Zebras like most birds need grit not just for egg production but also to absorb the calcium for feather and bone growth. 

You also need perches. Use either sanded perches of an inch diameter or the same thickness of plastic clip on perches. You can also use tree branches as perches but they HAVE GOT TO BE from a fruit tree such as apple or pear, and not recently sprayed with any chemicals. Sanded perches are best as they keep the claws short and prevent unnecessary visits to the vet for nail trims which can cost more than the birds are worth.

You will also need a food dish or hopper, and a water hopper. These clip onto the inside of the cage. The water needs to be emptied and refilled every day. Finches have a tendency to try and bath or even just sit in the water dish, hence changing it every day.

Foodwise their base diet should be a foreign finch seed which you can buy in pound bags for a pound at every petshop in the country. Each bird should be fed a teaspoon of seed a day in the dish but if there is any left at the end of the day, change it or blow off the seed husks which settle on the top. Finches have not managed to grasp the concept that when they have dehusked and eaten the seed, more remains below and will not dig down looking for it. In some cases, left over a weekend they will starve from their own inability to dig out the whole seed below the layer of empty shells.

Apart from seed, they can have a cabbage leaf twice a week, or a slice of carrot or apple. Remove it after an hour and only twice a week. Millet sprays are fun for them and can be left until they have run out and a cuttlefish bone is also a compulsary item. You can also provide a small dish of cagebird grit which they may or may not use depending on how much sand and cuttlefish they consume. With the cuttlefish, attach it soft side up in the cage. Its amazing how many people don't realise this.

If you plan or hope to breed, bear a few things in mind. You will not make vast amounts of money from selling the babies. You will not be able to keep all the babies every time they breed and you will not be able to afford to breed long term unless you have a bird shed with multiple cages and a never ending supply of money to cover all the expences. If however you would like to breed and are confident you can rehome the babies to shops or other enthusiasts then have a go.

All you need is a finch basket, and a male and female. Place the finch basket into the top corner of the cage and attach it with the wire clips attached. Leave it for a week for the birds to explore it. Then place a handful of chopped hay or straw in the cage bottom. If they are ready or willing, the male will start to gather bits up and use them to line the nest basket. The female will then follow suit and eventually she will pluck a few feathers from her chest and also gather a few more old ones from the cage floor to line a small cup in the nest. The way to tell she is laying is by two ways. One if the male has been overly attentive and keeps attempting to Jump her, then she will have a slightly bald head and neck. This is where he plucks feathers whilst clinging on during the mating process. The other is that the female will vanish into the nest every other day for a long time. Once she vanishes from the cage altogether, she has gone to brood the eggs and will be away for about three weeks. Do not look in the nest at any time or they will abandon the nest.

Once she reappears, they will start to gather food and then regurgitate it for the chicks. You can help at this time by feeding along with the seed mix, a small dish of eggfood, either dry or mixed with warm water to a sloppy porridge consistency. Buy the eggfood from a shop, don't simply feed mashed up boiled egg.

After two weeks approximately the chicks will start to peep out of the nest hole and be fed there by the parents. After three weeks they will perch on the rim and during the forth week they will jump out and perch on the perches being fed from time to time as they learn to feed themselves. During this time remove the eggfood and just feed seed but give them some eggfood once a week as a treat. Once the chicks are fledged and fully feathered, about 6-8 weeks, they can be rehomed as the female will be ready to lay another clutch and the male will attack or drive away any male chicks and start to show an unhealthy interest in his daughters.

It is however unwise to allow the female two lay more than two clutches in a season without a break. To prevent this, clean out the cage and remove the nesting basket. Give it a good clean out and wait a month or two before replacing it. This gives the female time to recondition herself before breeding again. Prolonged non-stop breeding will weaken her and she will abandon her eggs or even die durin the third clutch.


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## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

FeralWild said:


> Zebra finches are fairly easy birds to keep. There will always be conflicting advice on any species you research on google as everybody likes to think that because they have the experience they are automatically the know all of that species.
> 
> I have kept and bred them and although this is my advice, I have read up and learned from experience and this works for me though others may suggest otherwise.
> 
> ...


You can also use branches from Willow trees, Pine trees, Oak trees & Chestnut trees. I have used these types of branches with Parrots, which are avid chewers of wood, unlike Finches.


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## samurai (Sep 9, 2009)

I agree with feralwild that they'll always be contraditions in caring for any type of pet. I have kept finches and others as pets indoors. Only have one female zebra left, she's 8 years old and i havent been able to find a similar aged one for a companion (it turns into a never ending cycle to keep replacing their partners when one dies and i wont be getting any more). Star seems happy though, she's very chirpy and enjoys listening to the radio and wild birds. 

If you decide to keep them indoors and you have the room i'd definately get an indoor avairy such as the ones made by ferplast. They offer lots of room and you can often pick them up second hand for a reasonable price.I've found them very social and although probably not recommended i have housed them with budgies and other finch types like white headed nuns (very quiet birds if you don't like noise ), cherry, spice, bengalese without problems.

My little ones have always been given vege as well as the seed mix. Star still gets really excited when she sees her veg arrive and her favourites are cress and dandelion flowers.

I have used many types of perches including natural ones (apple, bamboo canes), rope (sold as bird perches), swings (most birds seem to love these) the lava looking ones that help with keeping claws trim. I use various widths in a attempt to avoid arthiritis, which i've read birds can get from lack of foot exercize).

Personally i've never had to trim a zebra finches claws as i've found they grow very slowly and don't seem to get over grown. Other types like white headed nuns seem to need theirs done often (i'm sure there are others that grow quickly too i've just not had to trim my zebras). Finch claws are very easy to trim once you have hold of the bird, using small cat claw clippers to just remove the tips, avoiding the quick (blood vessel) then let them go again. Zebras don't usually try and bite like budgies and some other types of finches.

They make a cute chirping noise "meeep meeep meeep!"  and can be quite messy flicking seed and splashing water around (up the walls if using a hopper). I use a water dish on the cage floor so theres less splash, just need to make sure its not under any perches so it stays clean of poo.

Very pleasant little birds overall.


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## *mogwai* (Feb 18, 2008)

ooooh get some finches, i love them too. they wer emy first birds as a child & i'd like to get some more at some stage. hubby doesn't get it though, when i have a flock of parrots and still want a pair of finches (2 pairs actually but don't tell him). 

i was only a child when i had mine but everything posted above brings back memories. i remember carefully cutting the sanded sheets so they fit perfectly lol. and wedging the cuttlefish in the corner of the cage so it didn't fall down.


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