Tips for the New Zebra Finch Breeder
Becoming a finch breeder requires that you have some knowledge about finch breeding, their habits, and their behavior.
If you want to make a profit or extra income out of breeding finches, it may not be possible unless you have a sufficient number of birds and potential customers for your young-lings. When you have your young-lings, selling them right away to save on money that would otherwise be spent on bird food, is a realistic enough goal. This is especially true if you have only one or two pairs of breeding finches.
Zebra finches are particularly easy to breed. That is why they are among the most common finches out there. If you are a first time breeder, choosing these birds would be a wise choice. They can even breed in unfavorable or strange conditions. Although as a pet owner, one should always ensure that the birds have all the requirements needed for them to achieve good health. A sickly finch won’t breed well at all.
Zebra finches color mutations are particularly lovely. As with other finches, they are particularly pleasant to watch during courtship when the males sing their songs, build their nests, and raise their babies. Breeding Zebra finches for color mutations for the purpose of a bird show exhibition is also quite fun. You can sell them to pet stores, online, or even to nursing homes. Birds are particularly of interest to nursing homes because these establishments try to establish a calm and naturally beautiful environment for their residents.
First and foremost, get a pair. And then house them in a cage with ample room. The cage should be placed in an area with zero to minimal people / pet traffic. Once the nesting process starts, the cage should not be moved. Therefore, the location should be well thought of and in the right location in the first place so you don’t keep changing their locations.
To avoid fights between zebra finches, place only one pair in one cage. You cannot house more than one pair in the same cage because they can get violent and fight each other which disrupt the mating process. If you have lots of pairs, either you house them in one cage per pair, or you house them in a spacious aviary where they can establish their nesting place without disrupting other pairs.
Wicker baskets with a hole for an opening are much preferred by zebra finches. You can purchase these in pet stores. When buying nests, make sure the materials are natural and avoid synthetic materials at all cost.
As to where you put the nest, place it in a higher location inside the cage or aviary. The higher it is the safer the birds feel. If you notice your finches not using the nest you provided for them, try putting it in a different location, or change the nest. Another option would be to give them ample materials so they can build their own nests themselves.
Whether or not you want to be a finch breeder for extra profit or for your own enjoyment, breeding finches may have a kind of therapeutic effect that is a result of observing a part of nature first hand.
