subject: Do You Want To Start Zebra Finch Breeding? [print this page] There is an art to Zebra Finch breeding, but the birds embrace the process so readily, and they are so much fun to watch, it may seem more of a spectator sport than a science experiment. However, keeping your birds happy and healthy means learning what they need as well as what they want.
When the birds are both healthy and happy in their environment, breeding will take place if steps are not taken to prevent it. It is best to put a mature pair of finches into a cage that is private, as large as possible, provided with nesting places and materials, and that has lots of natural or simulated sunlight.
If the birds are at least six months old or older, you should place the pair in their own cage, choosing an area that is quiet and away from outside activity. The cage should not be smaller than 16 x 16 x 20 inches, and bigger is better. To prevent fighting, give each pair their own cage unless you can provide a very large one, like a yard high and several yards long 'flight cage'. The natural breeding season day is at least 14 hours long, so that much sunlight or full-spectrum light is needed.
If the birds are comfortable in their cage, the male will begin his breeding dance, and if the female responds, mating will occur. You should provide a choice of high up nests, and some of the material the male will like for his nest building.
These birds prefer enclosed nests, with a single entrance/exit, and it is a good idea to hang them outside a cage door to save the indoor space for the birds. Dried, chemical-free grass, special breeding cotton, and short strings will be what the male needs as he builds the nest, looking to the female for approval. String must be short or the birds will get tangled in it; no longer than two inch pieces of soft string like unraveled burlap are best.
When the charming phase of nest building is finished, the female will start to lay eggs. If you are using wicker basket cages, you will have to try to get a peek. Wooden boxes on the outside of the cage with hinged tops to allow you to look inside are great, and they are easy to clean as well.
After laying an egg a day for six to eight days, the female will start sitting, with some help from the male in this incubating period. Mark the date down, because the eggs should hatch in 14 days. If they don't hatch within 20 days of the start of incubation, they will not hatch and must be discarded. The female gird will begin the process over a few days after she loses the first clutch. You need to discard the eggs but leave the nest if the lining is clean and dry.
All this time, you must pay particular attention to keeping clean water and fresh seed available, as well as supplementing the grit with calcium-rich oyster shell and hanging up a cuttle bone. Don't forget the long hours of natural or simulated daylight.
Young finches are ready to leave the nest in three weeks and can feed themselves after four. You should then move them to a new cage, since their parents will have turned their attention to another clutch of eggs. The only way to stop this is to separate the mating pair; sometimes the babies may be left with the male until they begin to show their mature colors.
Zebra Finch breeding is easy if the basic rules are followed. Much information and support is available through the National Finch and Softbill Society, based in Tennessee.
by: Grace Hutchings
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