The Finch bird, with its cheerful singing and lively behavior is a beautiful pet to have but requires specific care like any other pet. Whether you are interested in breeding the birds or owning a few, consider the Zebra Finches, which are the best birds for amateur bird owners.
The Zebra Finches have beautiful markings and a Zebra pattern with orange feather accents along their coat. They are different to other birds you may have owned previously, but are easy to house train. The Zebra Finch can be kept quite easily but it is a wild bird, meaning that it functions better when it is in a pair. Having an odd number of Finches in one cage may result in the beating of a single bird by the others. If you wish to have more than one, keep them in even numbers and give them plenty of room within their cage. They can often be found at local pet stores and may or may not have been trained. Inform yourself on the health of the bird and how long the pet store has had it before purchasing it and make sure that they are free from any illnesses. Zebra Finches range in price depending on where you buy the bird, but they are usually great pets.
Zebra Finches, like any other Finch, need daily exercise by flying back and forth in their cage. It should be large enough for perches, a bath, food and water tanks and should be larger if you have more than one Finch. The perches in the cage will allow them to file down their nails and motivate them to fly. Placing a bird cage in the right area means avoiding setting it up by doors and windows. Whether you have an aviary room for them or not, they should have a steady amount of air circulation and make sure to keep it at room temperature. Though too much sunlight is unhealthy for a Finch, give them enough so that they don't feel isolated. Whether you have them in an aviary or in your home, always put a protective mesh covering over the cage to keep out small insects or mice from crawling in. Covering their cage at night will keep them from disturbing you and from being disturbed by other distractions.
The Zebra Finch is the most common bird to obtain, and prefers to eat a grass seed or egg food. The containers need to be cleaned daily. One teaspoon of grass seed is a healthy amount of food for one day. If you are breeding Zebra Finches include vitamins and supplements into their diet which can be purchased at your local pet store.
The cost of Zebra Finches can range anywhere from $50 to $150. For what they have to offer as a pet bird, it's very reasonable. The bird has a very lively chirping song and behavior that is entertaining to have in a home. A male Zebra Finch can easily be distinguished from a female, for the male has white patterned bars on the throat and on the chest with orange patches on their cheeks. Before buying the Finch make sure that it's claws and beak look healthy. They should not be deformed or outgrown; it means that they have an illness or have had one in the past.
Breeding Zebra Finches is the same as mating other breeds of Finches. The male and the female should have a cage that is large enough for both of them. Their food and water should be enhanced with vitamins during the breeding process and they should have separate feeding cups as well as separate baths. Put a store bought nest into the cage in a safe and secure spot. Don't feel that you are doing something wrong if the birds stray from the nest at first, it will take them some time to adjust. Soon enough, the male will take grits, seed and whatever else you supply in the cage and will place it in their nest. The process begins and when the female lays her eggs it will be at a rate of one egg a day. When the eggs hatch the mother regurgitates food to feed the baby Finches. At this stage take the newborns away from their mother.
