Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Setting up the cage
• Part 2 of 3: Mating finches
• Part 3 of 3: Taking care of the finches and chicks
• Tips
• Warnings

Zebra Finches are beautiful birds and fairly easy to breed. They are good parents and can breed all year round. In addition, they are easy to care for. Start by setting up the bird cage and creating the right conditions for them to start mating. Once the eggs are laid, the parents will hatch their young until they hatch and feed until the babies are ready to leave the nest.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Setting up the cage

1. Choose a large and high cage with a solid bottom. Preferably a cage that is at least 50 cm high and 30 cm wide. Keep in mind that you must have enough space to house more than just the two birds you buy.
   • A solid bottom in the cage is important because finches like to feed on the ground.
2. Place large food and water bowls in the cage. They should be big enough to fit four finches as the finches take a bath in the water bowl. You can place the trays on the bottom of the cage if you wish, but also leave some room for the birds to forage.
3. Place several perches in the cage. Place the perches at different heights in the cage. The last perch should hang six inches from the top of the cage to allow the birds to sleep.
   • Put a lot of perches in it, but not so much that the finches can't fly around. Also, do not hang perches directly above the food and water bowls, as this can cause the birds to contaminate the bowls.
   • You can use dowel rods or even large twigs, ideally about half an inch wide.
   • Attach some perches to one end. As a result, the stick gives a little, which provides the tick with movement.
   • Finches generally don't pay much attention to toys, but you can use small bird toys if you prefer. However, they can enjoy swings or ladders.
4. Place litter on the bottom of the cage. Use sand, wood chips or shavings for this. The birds often feed on the bottom of the cage and dig through the litter you put in it.
   • Whatever you use, you should replace it regularly, at least once a week.
5. Place the cage in a warm and quiet environment. Too much noise can disturb the finches and may prevent them from wanting to mate. Put them somewhere where they can have some peace and quiet away from the hustle and bustle in your home.
   • Also put them somewhere where there is not too much draft.

Part 2 of 3: Mating finches

1. Buy a pair of male and female zebra finches. You can ask for a few, or if you want to pick them yourself, look for the masculine and feminine characteristics. Males have reddish-orange cheeks and a black stripe across their chest. Females have gray cheeks and no streaks. However, these differences cannot be seen in birds less than six weeks old, so ask for help if you are unsure.
   • You can buy finches from a pet store, online, or from a reputable breeder. Buy a couple if possible. Ask the grower or shop owner if he or she has an already paired pair.
   • The birds must be healthy and 9 to 12 months old to mate. Healthy birds are alert and active, and their feathers appear clean and undisturbed.
   • Make sure the birds are not related as you don't want inbreeding. That can lead to genetic defects and unhealthy babies.
   • Zebra Finches are social birds, so if you have a very large cage you can put several pairs in it.
2. Provide your birds with sprouted seeds and vegetables to encourage mating. Your birds can eat a mix of finch seed, mealworms, and feather millet. However, make sure to include leafy greens and sprouted seeds as well, as that will signal to the birds that it is time to start mating.
   • Put the food in the containers as well as in the litter on the floor.
   • You can germinate the bird's seed mixture yourself or buy sprouts from the supermarket.
   • Wash all leafy vegetables thoroughly and chop them finely.
3. Place nesting materials in the cage. The nesting material stimulates the birds to breed. Add dried grass or nesting material from the pet store that your finches will use to build their nest.
   • Finches also use the nest baskets that you place in the cage. Try with small wicker or even plastic baskets or bowls. Put a few of them in the cage.
   • Do not use rope in the cage.
4. Wait for your birds to mate. Finches usually mate easily when conditions are right. You may see a male carrying a patch of grass around while it hops after a female; he shows that he can build a nest. If the finches haven't mated within a month, then something could be wrong and you should contact a vet.
   • While the birds are courting and nesting, make sure that any vegetables you give them are eaten; some birds may want to keep them in their nest where they will rot.

Part 3 of 3: Taking care of the finches and chicks

1. Monitor the female during the egg laying and incubation period. A female lays up to seven eggs, one per day. Both the male and female sit on the eggs during this time and incubate them. Once the eggs appear, they will hatch in about two weeks.
   • If an egg has not been opened within three weeks, that will not happen again. Get him out of the cage.
2. Remove the nesting material after the female has begun laying. If you notice an egg, remove the extra nesting material from the bottom of the cage. If you don't, the birds can start building layered nests, with a clutch of eggs at the bottom of the nest, nesting material, another clutch, and so on. These birds will keep breeding over and over again, but to stay happy and healthy they really need a break between clutches.
   • If you don't have other nesting pairs in the same cage, remove the other nest baskets.
3. Let the young be fed by their parents. The finches know how to feed the babies, so you don't have to do anything. The babies will have feathers in about two weeks and start moving out of the nest after about 18 days. After that, the parents will feed the chicks for another two to three weeks.
   • Trying to wean the birds early can even cause ill health.
4. Provide complete egg protein while the birds are feeding their young. Look for a bird food mix with egg in it, as that's a complete protein. Feeding it to your birds while they are taking care of their young will help raise healthier and stronger birds. You can also continue to feed them their normal food.
5. Keep an eye on the babies being weaned. Usually, after four to five weeks, the parents begin to chase the babies away to wean them, especially if they have started a new clutch. If you start to see this behavior, move the young to a new cage so that they can be left alone by their parents.
   • If the babies are too young to be moved, you can instead take the new eggs away from the parents and discard them so that the parents focus on the older fry.
6. Discourage mating too often. These birds will continue to mate again and again if you allow them, but you really shouldn't allow a single pair to breed more than four times a year. To discourage them, put them on finch seed mixture and don't feed them leafy greens. Also, only keep nesting material in the cage if you want the birds to breed.
   • If necessary, you can take out and discard a clutch of eggs for the first few days. That gives the finches a pause in the mating process.

Tips

• Fortunately, zebra finches are actually quite good parents. You don't have to do much to raise them.

Warnings

• The young should not be taken from the parent until they can feed themselves.