Emmy

The reason I thought you could get male CFW/split for another colour and female fawns splt for another colour is when I paired a visual CFW cock with a visual fawn hen the chicks were mostly CFW hens and Normal cocks until this time they have produced 2 fawn (dont know sex yet) Emmy

So does this mean if I have a visual CFW cock bird and a visual CFW hen (whose mother was a fawn) then if I paired those two up I would get all CFW chicks (male and female)? Emmy

If I pair up a cock CFW/normal with hen CFW /fawn Will I get all CFW chicks -cocks and hens? Emmy

Fingers crossed that all 6 will hatch out. Emmy

Skims Sorry I forgot to post you to let you know i have posted some photos of my finches in the gallery I think my posts arre about 3rd from the end on 'page4' Hope the birds are settling down well. Emmy

We'll be waiting for those photographs now. So pleased for you. Emmy

Hi Mack Welcome to the forum. Dont think the 'Pro's' on this forum will get upset about you 'pestering' them for information-- they are used to that since I joined (I still get answers even yet -lol) Joking apart they are a great bunch on this forum and are always willing to share ideas and give their opinions and advice. So enjoy saying what you think and also asking your questions. Look forward to reading your posts Emmy

Thanks Chris These are the parents. http://s7.postimg.org/5qjxt4hgb/Pair_Pied_zebras_finches_2012.jpg The bottom finch on the first 2 photos has had an odd coloured beak since it hatched it was black and pink striped from day 1 Emmy

I found another egg on the floor of this cage today. Be grateful if someone would please have a look at the photographs I took tonight to see which one you think is the hen -they both have the orange speckled feathers on their chest. Emmy

Thanks Kerry I've always used the wicker nests before but there is a lot more room in these nest boxes I bought and they can be fixed either inside or outside of the cage. Emmy

When I put the last 2 pairs into the Onrinex cages I gave them some hay as nesting material along with some moss and (? bought it at the birds sale) looks like animal hair,and they went for the hay. The same thing happened today I changed the nest box in the cage where the chicks are just fledging (it was really dirty and felt damp) I put some hay into the nest box and left some of the other 3 nesting materials I had used previously just to see what they would go for --the hay won so i've removed the extra nesting materials (dont want them breeding again too soon.) I'm using plastic nest boxes now- could this be why inside the nest felt damp? Emmy

Now here's an idea. Wonder if it would work What if the closed rings were fed to the hen before she started to lay the eggs ?? :lol: If someone could work how to do this they would make a fortune!! Now if they hatched out already ringed that would be much easier for me -I have bought the closed rings but I just couldnt get them on the chicks - maybe left it a bit too late. Emmy (lol)

They're lovely Trevor, Have a close look at the bottom chick - I was beginning to think you had found a way to put a ring on its leg while it was still in the shell "It's there now, had a senior moment " : We may have been thinking that but dont forget its YOU that said it :lol: Emmy ps Is that hay you have given them to make their nest?

At the moment I have one pair of adult pieds and it has been easy to identify the hen from the cock -(he has orange cheek patches) They are in a cage on their own. The 2 young pieds (the other two were their parents) are showing no orange cheek patches but both are beginning to show some speckled (pale orange) feathers on the chest near the flanks. Odd thing was which I didnt think possible at their age is (they hatched out 3/2/13)I found an egg on the bottom of their cage this morning!! They are the only three young birds in this cage, the other one is a normal cock -he's showing orange cheek patches. Is it usual to find them laying at this age? and is it common to find this colouring with pieds? Emmy

I agree with Kerry Emmy What University will you be going to? Good luck with the eggs When do you think they will hatch? Please let us know what happens? Emmy

He is a lovely bird. Great that it's settling down Is that Fidget at the bottom of that 3rd photograph? Emmy

Kim I'd just leave the swing mobile mine sometimes like to roost on their swing. Can just imagine what they look like. Hope you have a nice comfy chair (and a side table for your coffee) next to the cage i can see you spending lots of time there. It's addictive!!! Emmy

Yes I do have an . inside aviary ( feel now I made a mistake in the one I bought-- the doors are not very wide which makes it difficult when cleaning it and also makes it very difficult to catch any of the birds - but I've rigged up a kind of trap so I can remove a bird if it needs attention. Really its just a 'extra outsized' cage on a stand with wheels. actual cage part approx 45"x40"x22" My idea was to put all the birds in the aviary and the Chinese painted quails on the floor of the aviary. But that didnt happen At the moment I have 13 finches there but I know now its much easier to breed the finches using indiviual cages. Hope you are sitting down when I tell you this-- Apart from the Texan White quails the others are all indoor birds and at the end of April I'm getting a cockatiel (for my grandson -good excuse) but it will be staying here with me. Just cant repeat everything that my family say when they come to visit. One comment was that I'm beginning to resemble the 'Bird woman' in 'Home Alone 2' Emmy

Thanks Paul that's what I thought but wasnt 100 percent sure. Emmy

Kim to see the photographs of members zebra finches Go to the top menu and click on ZFF Gallery then when you open that page look to the right hand side then choose 'Members Gallery' this will bring up a list of names on the left hand side of the page just choose a name and you will see the photographs they have posted. (I'm afraid i havent got around to posting photogrpahs there yet) At the moment I think I have around 28 zebra finches (various colours) and 4 chicks in a nest, 2 fife canaries, 3 Chinese painted quails, 11 texan white quails - but I guess that's not really a lot compared to what some of the other members have. My BIG problem is I get too attached to them and find it difficult to let any of them go. (lol) Emmy

Hi Kim I've just overcome the problem of identifying mine. I have been putting coloured split rings on them - first time I've tried doing that and its really easy. Before I always looked carefully at them to find any slight differences in their feathers but using the coloured split rings makes identification really easy. Emmy (some of the names of my finches re help of the grandchildren: Tiko and Tika, Teeny and Weeny, Tootsie and Woopsie, Olga and Oggi-- They've still got quite a few names to come up with yet. (lol))

Thanks Trevor I'll try to get a photo of their tails. Re the hen - could she be a BB without any links to OB even if the 'dad' was OB? Emmy

Kim, Thank you for letting us see the new members of your family - are you giving them names? Yes they look to be 'normals' --they are lovely! Are the other pair you are thinking about the same colour? Re the paper around the cage that's a good idea for stopping the seed husks going all over the place too. I have my Orange Breasted ones in a large cage (it's one that can fold down when I dont need to use it) and seed husks were everywhere. I had a very large cardboard box that another cage had been delivered in so I cut the sides of the box down a bit and put the cage inside the cardboard box. This meant that about 6"/7" from the bottom of their cage was covered and all the seed husks were caught in the cardboard box. Now instead of hoovering on/off all day I just need to lift the cage out from the box to get rid of the seed husks that would have been on the floor Hope your new cage arrives OK. I can just imagine you having some fun transferring to their new home- (just keep all windows and doors closed just in case the decide to have some exercise Emmy

Hi Kim Glad it was of help to you. As well as the foreign finch mix the other seed I give to mine is panicum millet and moist egg food with honey (the honey is in the mixture when I buy it) I give them all the other things you have mentioned as well. This is what egg food and panicum millet looks like. Please dont keep us in suspense - what colours are the new arrivals ? Isnt it fun to watch them having a bath? Emmy ps should have said the first photograph is the egg food 2nd panicum millet

These are the 3 chicks from my OB cock and ?OB ?BB/ hen (the hen died and the cock raised the chicks) I'm thinking I have two cocks BB/OB and one hen BB/OB Not sure if I'm correct be grateful for your opinions Emmy