Hello, I recently got a spice finch to go with my 6 yr old society finch male. We found out that she is a female. They immediately got along, and we had put 3 nests in the cage so that they would get along. Now, they snuggle, eat and bathe at the same time and same bowl, and sleep together in the biggest nest. A few days ago, they started rigorously adding bedding to that nest, and are still adding and adjusting it. Should we be expecting eggs soon?
Hi Gabrielle,
It does sound like they are getting into breeding mode. If you do let these birds breed and they produce hybrids, it is very important that if you find homes for the chicks, you make sure the new owners know they are hybrids. Serious breeders discourage cross breeding, because it can result in young that look like a true species. An unaware breeder can end up with one and not be aware they have a hybrid, which can result in them accidentally producing more hybrids. It’s not a pleasant surprise for serious breeders. Society finches are a domesticated species, created by humans, and they do not exist in the wild. They are closely related to the wild Spice finch.
It is very important that your birds are on a nutritionally balanced diet, and not just a seed mix. A finch granule or pellet should be their main diet, with a small amount of seeds as well as dark leafy greens & chopped veggies. To get them in breeding condition, you should now also be offering live or dried insects – most people find it’s easier to offer the dried insects. Also offer cooked eggs, with the shell washed, crushed and cooked with the eggs. The female needs the added protein and calcium she will get from the insects and eggs.
If they do produce chicks, you need to remove all of the nests as soon as the chicks have left the nest. I would advise you to go ahead and remove the extra nests now, as this can be confusing for a pair and possibly cause the female to lay eggs in more than one nest. Adult birds only need a nest when they are breeding – they do not sleep in nests in the wild. If you do not remove the nest once the chicks leave it, the parents will try to breed again without resting, and in some cases it can cause them to stop feeding the chicks. You should always rest your pair for several months between clutches, and limit them to two clutches per year, which is one more than they would have in the wild. In captivity they do not get the environmental changes that end breeding season for wild birds, and they will over breed if you don’t remove their nest in between clutches. You also need to be prepared to remove the chicks as soon as they are weaned, so that the parents do not pick on them or try to breed with them. Never allow related birds to breed.
Since your male is on the older side for a finch, it’s hard to say how well he will do with breeding or raising chicks. If the female was that old, it would be time to think of retiring her from breeding, because laying eggs is hard on her system. Hopefully all will go well. It’s great that they get along so well and are busy working on their nest.
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
Brenda
