Zebra finch pairs?

[PamD]

Hi All,

I had two pair of zebra finches but one male was killed by my cat, who figured out how to get the cage door open!!! The birds are now closed off in another room while work on the new cat-proof aviary is completed. The remaining male and his hen seem to be quite happy and have built themselves a nice little nest, but the other female doesn't cuddle with them in their nest and looks lonely to me. Am I imagining things? Should I get her another male? I have a parakeet in the same cage as well, and they all seem to get along just fine. Once the aviary is finished, I hope to get a canary as well. If I do get another male finch and a canary, should I introduce all the birds into the new space at once so none of them have established territory?

 

[mythic55]

Ill jump in on this one.

Zebra Finches naturally pair off, and are very aggressive. They may even pair off same sex, but they do tend to find a 'favorite'. Getting another male can be very tricky- if they are all housed together- best to follow a routine for introduction- and of course quarantine beforehand. As mentioned- zebs may kill the canary as they are extremely territorial and dislike light colored birds (CFW or Creams will always get picked on before a LB or N).

For integration, I would recommend quarantine. Then proceed:

PREVENT DEATH FROM PHYSICAL STRESS:
First I increase the heat (I use a space heater) to around 80 degrees
I add vitamins to the water with probiotics, and larger quantity of favorite foods are added to the enclosure (like millet) and items with gluclose like fresh fruit.


PREVENT DEATH FROM MENTAL STRESS:
Purchase a replacement finch immediately. And place second finch in an adjacent enclosure for 2-3 days. After that time, please reposition items in the main cage, and then add in your new finch with dim lighting. Finches don’t have very good night vision, and when it becomes dark they immediately become calm. So be sure they can find the resources (food and water) before lights go out completely (they shouldnt go out completely). You could even place a towel over the cage if you are unable to dim the lights. I set up a web cam which can see in the dark so I am able to view them 24/7


INTEGRATING A NEW FINCH- TO SAVE YOUR FINCHES LIFE:
Once the new finch is in the enclosure- be sure to monitor them. If there are subtle signs of aggression this should subside in a weeks time:
Mounting: dominance behavior
Beaking: pecking at face (can be a problem if it continues)
Chasing: to chase one or another

Aggression should stop within the first week. If the aggression should escalate to plucking or any other type of physical damage you will need to separate them. You can try to reintroduce them again in a weeks time (leaving their cages next to each other).

Cohabitation: Positive- if the pair sits next to one another on a perch. Adding a finch to an existing group can cause jealousy, infidelity, territory changes, etc.

Images would help to determine if the aviary can house more birds, and what type without certain death. Hope that helps.

 

[PamD]

Hi mythic55,

Thank you for all the detailed information!! Wow, this group is great!

I do have a few questions.

What do the abbreviations CFW, LB, and N mean?

I got a plug-in cat pheromone gadget to calm my cat before bringing the birds back into the living room. Should I remove it before putting the birds in the same (12' x 22') room? If so, how many days before? I can open the windows and air out the room if necessary.

Should I place the new male finch in one cage adjacent to the current cage and the canary in another cage beside them for a couple of days and then put them all into the aviary at once, or should I introduce the new male finch first, move them into the aviary, and then wait a few weeks for the canary?

My parakeet is yellow, and she and the three zebra finches all get along fine in their current cage (14" deep, 30" wide, 30" high.) I'm hoping to find an American Singer canary.

Here are some pics of the new aviary. The doors and drawers are propped open while the paint 'cures'. I used paint meant for a baby's room, and will let the paint cure for a week before introducing the birds. Perches will be added, plus a branch from my magnolia tree. There's an LED light (closest I could get to full spectrum) in the top which will be on a timer, 12 hours on, 12 hours off. The aviary will be placed next to a window. To the right of the light is a window shade to pull down and separate the interior for cleaning. The top two drawers (the open spaces below the doors) will pull out for cleaning and feeding. The bottom cabinet & drawers are for storage. The windows and top two drawers will be secured with strong magnets to prevent my cat from being able to open them!

There are 15" x 19" screens on both top sides for air circulation. The interior space is 24" deep, 42" wide, and 43" high. It's on locking casters and the whole thing is 7'6" tall. The really nice artwork (done by an artist friend) is framed and covered by glass.

So what do you think about the "sequence of events?"

Thank you so much for taking the time to give me such a detailed response!!

Pam

 

[mythic55]

Ideally- 'if' I was to do what your doing- which honestly I think it is too many birds in that space... But ideally let them 'get to know eachother' in adjacent enclosures. Then when the enclosure is prepared with all natural branches, etc. all birds should enter the new space at once (new zeb or new canary included).

What do the abbreviations CFW, LB, and N mean?

Continental, Lightback and Normal- they are types of zebra finches.