![]() ![]() Watch for excessive sneezy, blocked nostrils or runny eyes and nostrils. Are the feathers bright and shiny or dull and dark? Are the eyes and nostrils (nares) clear? Is the bird fully feathered or does it have bald patches?Īll birds are prone to respiratory problems, and keeping the housing clean is the first step to prevention. To assess the health of a zebra finch, look at the obvious signs first. Hold the bird firmly but without squashing it. An aviary net can be used to catch them in large enclosures, a cupped hand over the bird while it is on the bottom or the side wires of a cage will be sufficient. Zebra finches are not usually hand tame, so handling will only be necessary to perform health checks, administer any medication or to move them from one location to another. The chicks fledge at around 3 weeks and are usually independent at around 4-5 weeks old. The young are fed by both parents, who will offer them regurgitated soak seed and egg food. As the eggs are laid in succession, if the hen starts sitting as soon as the first egg is laid then the chicks may hatch over a week or so. In a colony aviary this may be difficult in practice! The hen will lay 4-8 eggs which are incubated for around 14 days. They are sexually mature at around 3 months old, but it is advisable to wait until hens are at least 6 months old before allowing them to breed. Zebra finches are free-breeding and one of the easiest species even for novice birdkeepers. The product you choose will depend on your budget, home and the number of birds that you have. A range of solutions are available, including screw-in bulbs which fit into standard E27 fittings, right up to stand-alone overhead lights or florescent tubes. Indoor birds require additional lighting, known as UV or “full spectrum” lighting. Cleaning should be done weekly, unless there is a lot of debris or a build up of droppings, in which case spot cleaning should be done more regularly. Both are available in a ready to use spray or a concentrate. We recommend F10 or Avisafe from The Birdcare Company. Nest boxes should be provided even for non-breeding colonies, as they will use them to sleep in at night and shelter from the worst of the weather during the day.Ĭages, aviaries, bowls and solid surfaces (walls and floors) should all be cleaned regularly with a bird-safe disinfectant. Indoor quarters must also be provided as shelter from wind, rain and extreme cold. The mesh should be small enough not to allow mice or wild birds into the aviary, and the structure should be strong enough to withstand chewing from rats and digging from foxes. If you are keeping your zebra finches in an outdoor aviary, then then you must make sure that it is wind-proof and predator-proof. Bar spacing should be no more than around 7mm to prevent them from getting their head through the bars. ![]() ![]() Zebras can be kept as house pets, and they need a cage which is big enough for them to fly in as they are unlikely to be tame enough to be let out for exercise. Zebra finches are social and must be housed with others of the own species or with species with similar requirements such as Bengalese finches or canaries. Positioning perches out of the way of water bowls will help to reduce soiling from droppings and food waste. Finches should also be provided with grit – either fine oyster or a mixed grit containing oyster shell, coral and charcoal.Ĭlean water must be provided daily, and changed more often if required. Even birds on complete diets will often still require a calcium and D3 supplement. Supplements are required for all birds on a seed-only diet and should include multi-vitamins, including D3, and calcium. All fresh food should be removed at the end of the day, or earlier if it has spoiled or it is very warm. Foods are often more readily accepted when they are grated or very finely chopped. Finches will also take fresh fruit and vegetables such as apple, orange, grape, melon, pomegranate, broccoli, peas, lettuce and carrot. This will ideally contain mixed millets, rapeseed, plain canary and sometimes other small seeds such as niger and grass seeds. Zebra finches can be fed on a commercial foreign/tropical finch mixture. ![]()
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