bird compatability??

Question

i have zebra finchs and a pair of nun finchs. each pair has there own night cage, completely separated from the rest just in the same room. but during the day they all have free flight through the house, the nun finchs are new we have only had them a week, so they are still getting used to the one room but the "main congregation area" is in the living room.. so my question is what other birds would go good with the ones i have??/ to join the flock and be left semi unattended.. my boyfriend really wants strawberry finches... i want the lady gouldians altho he says they are a little clown looking lol

Answer 1

I forget how big you said the room was, but strawberry finches may work if the area is big enough. Strawberries are pretty shy too and very private in their nesting sites. Zebras can be pushy and may disturb the strawberries while they're nesting if the room is not big enough or have enough hiding places. Gouldians will be able to hold their own against the zebras and they are very pretty. They do look a little like clowns and act like them too but their songs are pleasant. They can be a little difficult to breed but once you get them started they are very good breeders, especially the normal mutation.
I would avoid getting society finches as someone else mentioned. They will breed with zebras very readily and you'll end up with hybrids.
Another great bird is the shaft tail finch. They are just as bossy as zebra finches and very easy to breed as well. They will even interact with you if you get them used to your presence. I could call mine from another room and they would call back to me. They form very strong bonds with each other and will do everything together. They are usually fearless and the first to try any new food I put in the aviary.

Answer 2

I apologize - passerines aren't my forté, but I'll give this question a shot.

If I remember right, society (Bengalese) finches are pretty good mixers. Most manikins are, too. My only concern would be about breeding season as some finches can be quite aggressive. Stay away from Barbarants (sp?) and wydahs. They're quite aggressive and have been known to kill smaller birds. Canaries might be a good choice :-). I believe parrot finches are nippers, but don't quote me on that ^.^ .

I believe strawberries are pretty sweet. If they have a lot of room to escape each other I wouldn't worry too much aout aggression. I had a conure and cockatiels free range in my studio several years ago and they got along pretty good. If you have several food bowls and several water containers, fighting will be kept to a minimum.

Good luck! Finches are a hoot!

Answer 3

...Yes, and no.

I'm sure your baby would LOVE the great outdoors, but you must be prepared for ANYTHING.

~1 Set up an emergency kit of cornstarch (to help clot cuts), a pair of scissors, nail clippers, bottled water (two 20 oz bottles), a hand towel, a washcloth, extra food and a phone number of your local veterinarian. Get the most recent issue of Bird Talk Magazine from a local pet store. It explains step-by-step how to administer birdie CPR.

~2 Make sure you have a travel-freindly, multi-purpose cage. It needs to be semi-roomy, but needs to be small enough for small spaces.

~3 Be sure you do not plan to leave your bird alone in a tent. This is asking for him to be stolen. You will be grounded to the camp during the day, because it may get too hot to leave your keet in the car by himself. At night is fine. You might want to take an extra measure and leave your bird in the car at night to make sure raccoons won't go after him.

~4 Keep him downwind from the campfires. The smoke from the fire can smother him.

~5 Take a light-colored bedsheet with you to keep the pests away. This will keep mesquitoes from dining at the budgie bar. Tuck it under the cage to cut off even the smallest entry way, even if he's in a car.

~6 Make sure he is clipped, and if not, do a crash-coarse in harness training. He's going to want out of his cage, and you need to make sure he does not hit the ground and pick up a tick or mites. Keep the cage off the ground. Because you are going to be outside, it may be worth your while to purchase those "cage protectors". This will help deter the pests.

Parakeets are not as sensitive as other birds. As long as you leave your bird in the car at night, he will not be affected by temperature changes. These birds are better equiped then Macaws, Lovebirds or Cockatoos. These birds are from tropical regions and are not as readily able to deal with the cold. Parakeets and Cockatiels are from the Australia bush, and there the temperature can dip below 30. It is more of a general rule rather then a set standard to appease the common bird owner- not everyone owns a Parakeet or Cockatiel.

I took my three Cockatiels and one Keet on a camping trip, and they loved it. They spend their time outside in a cage on my porch so they can watch the world go by. To see if the "stress" will get to him, spend some time outside with him in his cage and see how he reacts. This will tell you if he's more willing to adapt to a new situation. If you feel that you do not want to take the risk, then leave him at home.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Answer 4

no idea

Answer 5

It is easy to understand why the zebra finch is aviculture's most popular bird. The zebra's hardiness makes it an excellent choice for beginners and its' cheerful nature makes it beloved by the most advanced birdkeepers. This colorful little finch forever seems to be singing its' bright two note little song as it bounces about the cage busily working at either improving the nest or raising this seasons group of colorful youngsters. Zebras maintain this happy disposition throughout their 7 - 10 year lifespan of continuous work and song.
Color Variations
The colors of these birds are extraordinary with males sporting a bright red beak, chestnut flanks, chestnut ear patches and black stripes on the chest. There are several white mutations from solid white to gray to chestnut flanked to pencil-lined. These colors can occur with or without chestnut ear patches. There are also silvers which are pale silvery gray and fawns which are light milk chocolate. Add pied markings to all of these mutations and a rainbow of colors emerge. The females color is a duller version of the males lacking the chestnut ear patches, chestnut flanks and black chest striping. With some color mutations males and females may look very similar. They are easy to sex however when you remember that all males have bright red beaks while the females beak is always orange.

Zebras also occur in a crested variety. The ideal crested will have a perfect circular swirl of feathers on its crown. The crested zebra can be found in all color varieties. For best results when raising cresteds, do not breed two crested together. The crested mutation is dominant and only one crested parent is required to produce crested chicks.
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Selecting Healthy Finches
A healthy zebra finch will be active, bright and alert. A healthy zebra should sit up tall on the perch with tight feathering. When zebras feel their personal space has been invaded they may pull feathers out of one another. These pulled feathers are not a sign of illness and the feathers will regrow when the birds are separated. You will notice that all compatible pairs of finches pick at and gently preen each others feathers. If a pair does not go near each other, pulls feathers out or attacks and chases each other; then the pair is probably not compatible and should be paired with new birds. Birds do not have to be the same color to be paired.
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Selecting a Cage
After you've decided to get a pair of zebra finches your next decision will be which cage to buy. The minimum size for a single pair of zebra finches is about 18" square, but the bigger the better. There are many different styles of cages available that will suit a zebra finches needs. Zebras, like most finches, rely on flight for exercise so try to pick out a cage that will provide some flying space. Having a swing inside your cage will also provide exercise. Your cage should be large enough to accommodate one or two nests and at least two perches which should be of different diameters in order to exercise the feet. Concrete perches are available to help keep your zebra finches nails trimmed, but this must not be the only perch provided as continuous perching on rough surfaces can make your birds feet sore.
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To nest or not to nest. . .
Zebra finches do not need to have a nest in their cage, but they enjoy sleeping in one at night and will miss it if not available. Zebra finches will accept almost any nest provided and some hens will even use food dishes when nests are unavailable. The preferred nest is a large covered wicker nest, but they'll also accept open canary style nests and wood nest boxes. Position the nest up high in the cage to make the birds feel more secure. The addition of plastic plants to the nest area will increase the parents acceptance to the nest site and may also help to relieve aggression if more than one pair of birds occupies the cage.

To complete your set-up you'll need nesting material. Zebras are not fussy and will accept a variety of materials from cotton fiber to goat hair, coconut fiber and straw. For our convenience we prefer the cotton nesting material available in a small box which clips to the inside of the cage. Place it far from the nest to encourage "flying" exercise. Do not use acrylic yarn as the fibers can get wrapped around the birds feet and result in injury.
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Breeding
A compatible pair of zebras will go to nest in almost any environment. Zebras are good parents and rarely have breeding related problems. In fact, next to the society finch, the zebra is the most commonly used "foster parent", used to raise many rare types of Australian grass finches. After your zebra finches have settled down in their new surroundings it will be only a matter of time before they start to set up housekeeping. Some zebra finches will even start nest building the same day they move in!

The male zebra finch weaves the nest and is very careful as to where each piece of nesting material is placed. He will build a thickly padded nest often coming close to filling the entire nest with nesting material. While the male is building his nest an endless supply of nesting material should be offered. As soon as the hen lays eggs, remove any excess material to prevent the male from covering up the eggs in his enthusiasm to improve the home. Zebras will lay one egg every other day until their clutch is completed. The average clutch size is 4 to 5 eggs.

After the eggs are laid the pair will sit tightly until hatching. The hen will spend most of her time on the nest with the male often accompanying her or relieving her for a much needed food and exercise breaks. The eggs will begin to hatch between 12 and 18 days after the day the last egg was laid.

Parent birds share responsibility for raising the young. High protein foods (Petamine or nestling food) must be available for the parents when chicks are in the nest. Parents also need unlimited access to calcium which may be supplied by cuttlebone. The chicks feather out and start to leave the nest at about 18 days old. By the time the chicks are a month old they will be eating completely on their own and can be separated from their parents.

If Mom and Dad go back to nest before the chicks are completely weaned, you may place Dad and the chicks in a separate cage. Dad will finish feeding the them and can rejoin his mate when the chicks are weaned. Some parent birds may on rare occasion get aggressive with their young, pulling their feathers. This is usually due to overcrowding and the parents desire to encourage the chicks to move out on their own. Although they may try to drive the chicks from the cage, rarely would they actually hurt them.
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Feeding
Zebras should be fed a fresh quality seed mix that contains as wide a variety of seeds as possible. Abba is the ideal brand. Pellets may be added to round out the diet. Spray millet is a natural and nutritious low fat food that offers variety and exercise. Greens should be added to a finches diet in either dry or fresh form. If your birds refuse to eat fresh greens, there are many canned finch seed treats which contain dried greens.

Petamine or "nestling foods" must be available while your finches are feeding chicks and are an excellent high protein supplement when finches are molting or under stress. It may be used as a treat at other times but do not use it as your only treat food since it can make your finches overweight.

In the wild your finches would feast on bugs and fresh foods. In captivity with only dried foods to eat, a vitamin / mineral supplement must be used to insure good health and long life. Nekton S is ideal and should be added to the water every day. A cuttlebone or mineral block is needed to supply extra calcium and is especially important for the hen when laying eggs and when growing babies are being by Mom & Dad. If your finches don't use cuttlebone, you can scrape it over their seed or add a liquid mineral supplement to their water.
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Toys
Zebras don't generally play with most toys the way parakeets do, but there are a few which they enjoy. They like small bird toys which have brightly colored beads and also appreciate treat dishes with mirrors and beads.

All zebra finch cages should have bird pacifiers. The pacifier helps keep the finches "busy" during the day. Zebras will even pick at and pull out the straws of their pacifiers to use as nesting material.
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More Info?
Zebras cheer up any room, offer fascinating lessons in genetics and inspire us with their devotion to work and family. You'll find more books written on zebra finches than any other soft billed bird. You'll find more info at http://www.finchworld.com/Zebra.html