Hi. I have 3 chicks in my zebra finch nest. Two of them are 20 days old and one is 18. So they will come out from the nest soon. My question is what type of soft foods should I give them when the chicks come out? And should I remove the nest box after the chicks come out? And how can I stop the zebra finches from breeding again? And when do I need to separate the chicks from the parents?
Hi,
When the chicks have left the nest, then go ahead and remove the nest and all of the nesting material. The chicks will learn to eat the same foods you are feeding the parents. As soon as the chicks are eating on their own, remove them from the cage – do not give them a nest. Do not give the parents a nest again for 4-6 months. If the male picks on the female or keeps mating with her, separate them while she rests. You should only allow 2 or 3 clutches per year with a 4-6 months rest in between each clutch. If you keep the chicks, you need to separate them by sex as soon as you can tell which are male and female, otherwise they will try to breed with each other.
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
Brenda
