May 11, 2021
breeding finches
How do I know if my female is breeding. I see no sign of her using the enclosure reccomended to me, I provide hay for them to forge through which they seem to enjoy, I have never had a female and male before
Question:
Answer:
Hi Marge,
You didn’t mention what species they are? It is important that both birds are old enough – about a year and a half is good for finches. They can breed at a younger age, but they really are not ready to settle down and care for eggs or chicks. You need the appropriate nest for the species of finch. It needs to be hung as high as possible, in a corner of the cage, a few inches from the top – the adults need to be able to stand up in the nest. Or if it is the enclosed type nest, it can be hung higher. I do not recommend hay for nesting material – it can have dust, fungi or mold like aspergillus. You can buy nesting material that is sold for pet finches – it often comes in a box with a hole where they can pull out what they want. Do not give them anything with fine threads or fibers – some places sell coconut fibers and I do not recommend that. The cage needs to be in a quiet, private place with very little human contact. As for diet, they need to be eating a nutritionally balanced diet like pellets – a seed mix will not provide the nutrition they need. Also offer dark leafy greens and chopped vegetables. They need an egg food – this provides the female with the protein and calcium she loses when she lays each egg. The egg food is also good for the chicks. You can cook an egg with the shell washed, crushed and cooked with the egg. There are also commercial egg foods that are made with dried eggs. Sometimes you can do everything right and they still do not breed. Not all birds will be good breeders. All you can do is be patient and hope they breed.
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
Brenda
