# Zebra Finch in nest



## raju4545 (Jan 7, 2013)

Hi
I am a new owner of two pairs of zebra finch..two males and two females..
I have provided them two woven nests. Inside the nests, I kept old newspaper pieces, dry grass, coconut fibre, cotton, tissue paper pieces etc. Also kept these inside their cage to help them fine tune their own nests. 
But now, the problem is they don't sleep inside their nests at night..they're sleeping on the perch..!!
What should I do??
Please suggest..
Thanks


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## poohdog (May 16, 2010)

Bengalese/Society finches always sleep in their nest at night...zebras don't.The birds will choose their own nest material you don't have to make nests for them...just provide a nest box.

And if you have cotton in there...remove it,it's not safe,many finches get their feet tangled in it.Hay and coconut fibres is the ideal for zebras to nest with.

Knowing zebras as I do, it won't be long before you need more cages for their youngsters...they breed like rabbits.


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## raju4545 (Jan 7, 2013)

thanks...i kept very little amount of cotton in the nest...
the problem is they are not even going inside their nest box...
it seems like they don't even know that there're two nest boxes inside their cage..
more opinions are appreciated...
cheers


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## poohdog (May 16, 2010)

You have to show patience...the birds may not be in breeding condition.They will use the nestboxes when they're ready provided they are in a large enough cage and have some privacy.No other experienced breeder will tell you otherwise.


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## Guest (Jan 7, 2013)

How big is your cage? 2 breeding pairs in one cage doesnt sound like a good idea to me. 

I am a mutation zebra finch breeder and if ever two breeding pairs have even a pot big enough to sit in they will fight over it. Sometimes kill each other. If planning to breed, sperating them is a must. (Again depends how much room they have)

How old are your birds? It is not a good idea to breed birds under a year old. 
First time parents under a year old are more prone to killing their chicks/abandoning the nest/eggs/chicks.

What are you feeding them? Certain foods can bring birds into condition. 
Egg food which you can buy at the local pet shop, boiled and grated egg is another. Soaked seed, sprouting seed, green leafy veg such as spinach or rocket and most birds love brocalli. Another thing i do not go without either is kelp. Birds require iodine and this is the best way forward. It comes in a granulated form which birds love.

Providing oystershell/grit and cuttlebone is a must when planning to breed.
If your birds do not get to go outside then introducing a good vitamin liquid to their water is a must. Birds require vit d from the sun to process calcuim for eggs. Without this then they tend to produce soft eggs and they can break bones more easily.

Lighting. Birds do not see the same way we do. So introduce as much natural light as possible. Lightbulbs we use for ourselfs cause many issues with domestic birds. All a bird will see is constant flickering. I use an ARCADIA bird buld in my birdroom. It imitates the sun. It contains the right CRI that birds see in.

Birds are all different. And not just breeds but EVERY bird is an individual. You could pick youself the best birds from a breeder only to get them home and to set everything up for them to reject each other or worse fight. They just may not be impressed with your choice of mate for them lol.

The biggest issue that i think you have is mainly the type of nest. Again every bird is different. I have some zebras that will only use woven nests, some that prefer nesting boxes with no removable lid OR a lid you can lift up, i have some that will readily nest on the floor or feed cup and others that will only nest in canary nests :yikes:

Its just experiementing what your INVIDIVUAL birds prefer. HAVE FUN! :ciappa:


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## raju4545 (Jan 7, 2013)

thanks all for replying me..
my cage is like 3'Lx2'Wx2.5'H. I am feeding them seeds now and I give them vitamins and calcium also.
But didn't start to give them any vegetables yet but gonna start that soon...
one thing to say, I don't see them fighting...they're also not very friendly to each other too...I think bonding is still not there...
the seller told me they're more than a year old and they'll breed..but I'm not sure whether they will breed or not..
One of the female finches is totally white (others are not) and that one today evening just came to check inside of one nest from outside but didn't go inside it...I think they're afraid of it..do you think so?
They're now all using the roof of the nest to sleep at night..funny!!!
thanks once again..


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## epicaiden (Jan 17, 2013)

Do you have any tips on breeding them or is it just a matter of putting nesting matirials in ithe cage


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## epicaiden (Jan 17, 2013)

Do you have any tips on breeding them or is it just a matter of putting nesting matirials in ithe cage


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## epicaiden (Jan 17, 2013)

Soz my finches have started to build a circular nest out of nesting fluff in side the nesting box is that a sign of breeding 
They are 1 and a half years old thanks im just hoping they are going to breed because the arnt that tame so I hope too tame it the chick (hopefully if they do breed) from a young age (as soon as it has feathers)


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## poohdog (May 16, 2010)

Epicaiden
Disturb your birds as little as possible when they're nesting.And don't get the idea you can hand tame your finches...parrots yes...but finches aren't really suitable and usually lose their tameness after a while.Be content with watching them in the cage.

As for taking them to school ...I wouldn't.The birds that breeders take to shows are gradually adjusted to public view by training them to spend time in the show cage.Better if you leave them at home and enjoy their antics in the home cage.

As for four deaths from an aircraft flying over...That just doesn't happen,one bird may panic and have an accident, but not four.If you really did lose four birds it was because of another reason.

Start giving your breeding birds grated hard boiled egg for when they have chicks....fresh every day.


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