zebra finches
zebra finches
basic info
care
people have been breeding zebra finches for many years. They are one of the hardiest of all birds being bred today. I believe this is one of the reasons
they get a bad reputation at times. not that they are bad but that they are too common to take seriously. yes its true you can find them in just about every pet store
across the nation, and just about every grandma out there has a zebra or two. but zebras go far beyond just a pet, or a starter bird.
many breeders have chosen to take zebra finches too another level. and this is not just recently, breeders have spent countless years fine tuning size, type,
and color . now I believe their are at least three different levels of zebra finches. their are the pet quality zebras you find in pet shop, color bred zebras, and show quality zebras. each taking their own place in helping to further the popularity of this zebra finch fancy.
pet shop zebras are the most common, small, about 15 grams, mostly normal, fawn, cfw, pied. color bred zebra finches are very popular now with countless
colors being bred. new ones poping up all the time. some of the newer colors being eumo, goerge, and grizzle. these birds range from the common size of
15 gram and can go up to about 20 grams. and then there are the show birds. big braud chests, large full heads, well balanced zebras. some reaching up to
40 grams! thats two to three times bigger than the avearge bird. these are mostly normals, fawns, black cheek, lightback, con. cfw. you can find large show
birds in other colors but the largest being the forementioned. so you see witch ever kind of zebra you decide to pursue, each require special needs to maximize results, they dont seem so common now do they!
people just starting out with zebras finches will find they have a wonderfull personality to them. they are very tough, curious, and happy little birds. a pair of
zebras, a small cage, some water, and some finch mix and will do just fine. give them a few treats and they will love you to death.
zebras do well in aviary type cages with large number of pairs given they are provided with the right amount of space per pair. overcrowding is a unhealthy condition that leads to problems like feather picking and diseases spread very fast because birds are in close contant with one another.
number one thing you must proved is clean water all the time if you wish to have any kind of
success. this seems so basic but it is the most important thing. green mold on water cups is
what you need to avoid. also very important is a good quality seed. seed pots and water bowls
should be keep clean. free from and bird dropings.
zebras require some sort of calcium block, or cuttle bone not found in zebra finch mix. cuttle-
bone will provide the essential calcium needed for reproduction, and the birds love it. health girt
is another thing they will need. zebra finches hull the seeds like sunflower seeds, but they don't
have teeth. they swallow the seed hole. health git contains small grains of sands, crushed granite,
oyster shell, charcoal. they must have health grit at all times.
with just these basics your zebra finches will do very well. some might say that all they need
even if you intend to breed them. I have done it. in large flight cages I have put even numbers of
pairs of finches, and extra nest boxes than pairs and I have done very well. they are good parents,
they will do the rest.
now that I have been a little more serios about breeding zebras I have also learned more about the birds health. about getting the birds into condition for breeding and trying to keep that conditioning up throughout the year. a good start is parasites. internal or external are very damaging to heath. both must be handled and there are plenty of products that will handle them. the birds digestive track is another reason for failure to thrive. probiotics is good for the birds digestive tracks. it basicly keeps the good bacteria in the birds they need to thrive. it also is good for stress. a good eggs food mixture is also filled with vitamins, minerals and amino acids that will aid in keeping the birds health up during the breeding season. and the birds love it. A mixture I have used for years and I have not seen a better one is Roys egg recipe.
I hope this page will help you in breeding zebra finches. please email me if you have any questions.
francisco@finchfactory.com
they get a bad reputation at times. not that they are bad but that they are too common to take seriously. yes its true you can find them in just about every pet store
across the nation, and just about every grandma out there has a zebra or two. but zebras go far beyond just a pet, or a starter bird.
many breeders have chosen to take zebra finches too another level. and this is not just recently, breeders have spent countless years fine tuning size, type,
and color . now I believe their are at least three different levels of zebra finches. their are the pet quality zebras you find in pet shop, color bred zebras, and show quality zebras. each taking their own place in helping to further the popularity of this zebra finch fancy.
pet shop zebras are the most common, small, about 15 grams, mostly normal, fawn, cfw, pied. color bred zebra finches are very popular now with countless
colors being bred. new ones poping up all the time. some of the newer colors being eumo, goerge, and grizzle. these birds range from the common size of
15 gram and can go up to about 20 grams. and then there are the show birds. big braud chests, large full heads, well balanced zebras. some reaching up to
40 grams! thats two to three times bigger than the avearge bird. these are mostly normals, fawns, black cheek, lightback, con. cfw. you can find large show
birds in other colors but the largest being the forementioned. so you see witch ever kind of zebra you decide to pursue, each require special needs to maximize results, they dont seem so common now do they!
people just starting out with zebras finches will find they have a wonderfull personality to them. they are very tough, curious, and happy little birds. a pair of
zebras, a small cage, some water, and some finch mix and will do just fine. give them a few treats and they will love you to death.
zebras do well in aviary type cages with large number of pairs given they are provided with the right amount of space per pair. overcrowding is a unhealthy condition that leads to problems like feather picking and diseases spread very fast because birds are in close contant with one another.
number one thing you must proved is clean water all the time if you wish to have any kind of
success. this seems so basic but it is the most important thing. green mold on water cups is
what you need to avoid. also very important is a good quality seed. seed pots and water bowls
should be keep clean. free from and bird dropings.
zebras require some sort of calcium block, or cuttle bone not found in zebra finch mix. cuttle-
bone will provide the essential calcium needed for reproduction, and the birds love it. health girt
is another thing they will need. zebra finches hull the seeds like sunflower seeds, but they don't
have teeth. they swallow the seed hole. health git contains small grains of sands, crushed granite,
oyster shell, charcoal. they must have health grit at all times.
with just these basics your zebra finches will do very well. some might say that all they need
even if you intend to breed them. I have done it. in large flight cages I have put even numbers of
pairs of finches, and extra nest boxes than pairs and I have done very well. they are good parents,
they will do the rest.
now that I have been a little more serios about breeding zebras I have also learned more about the birds health. about getting the birds into condition for breeding and trying to keep that conditioning up throughout the year. a good start is parasites. internal or external are very damaging to heath. both must be handled and there are plenty of products that will handle them. the birds digestive track is another reason for failure to thrive. probiotics is good for the birds digestive tracks. it basicly keeps the good bacteria in the birds they need to thrive. it also is good for stress. a good eggs food mixture is also filled with vitamins, minerals and amino acids that will aid in keeping the birds health up during the breeding season. and the birds love it. A mixture I have used for years and I have not seen a better one is Roys egg recipe.
I hope this page will help you in breeding zebra finches. please email me if you have any questions.
francisco@finchfactory.com
"certainly lots has been written about these wonderfull little birds, each person giving their own version of what they have learned along the way breeding and raising these beautiful zebra finches. so here goes my version, please keep in mind that these are my opinions that I have gathered over years of raising zebras. its not the only way to do it, its my way."
