fetchingfinches

Welcome!

@Emmy What is this photo contest I keep hearing about? Do you need submissions?

Welcome! Emmy is great, and I am always happy to help...

Welcome!

Welcome!

Wont vanguard the 'hello thread' (Im splicing cells right now... talk about tiring work) so I dont have time to 'search'. But I have hand raised more birds than I can count- and worked with troubleshooting nutrition and illness. PM me the link, and Ill see what I can advise BTW! Welcome to the guy who is new! lol

I figured, lol (I read your post and said ?!?!) Im so sorry about your cockatiel, I might be able to help- feel free to contact me PM, or show me a thread in which you have questions.

Dont want to start a war either- I think there must have been a misunderstanding. Read my post again- Im saying they care MORE about their birds if they show them or are on this forum. Show breeders and enthusiasts are the best thing to happen to finches. But 73% of finches are sold at pet stores and become nothing more than a 'disposable pet'. Im looking to change that by elevating the species and making them more appreciated by the general public.

AH HA! you nailed it. However: The people on this forum are not the average finch owner. Breeders for show: are not your average finch owner. The fact is that the majority of zebra finch owners are: Family with two kids-and a dog, or a lonely individual. They dont have an aviary- they have a small cage in the living room or bedroom. If you can make this little thing more interactive- people pay more attention to it. If you can them more sociable, then the pet stores have to take better care of it, and it makes the life of the bird more rewarding. You are less apt for 'forget' about something that likes attention. (fyi- I dont sell my birds- I adopt them out. I do it for the love of the species. I have never had one not survive as I studied the species- and I have a method and process. Similar to the process of parrots)

Zebras are unique because they actually learn the song they sing. There are genetic lines of songs that are passed down- this song that they lear at an early age helps prevent inbreeding in the wild. Zebras will choose the healthiest bird, with a unique song (unlike the song that they heard growing up). People say it is difficult to breed hand fed Zebras- but that is a false statment. They just have to be taught 'how to be' a zebra (how to sing, how to behave, etc). If they are held with ther finches- it is not (usually) that they will mimic the other birds song, but rather they modify the 'normal' zeb song to something that will not be able to create a new song that is pleasant to the ears of other zebra finches that are accousomed to the note cycle of the zeb mating call. The majority of my finches are hand fed (almost every single one that I adopt out) I believe it makes things easier (cleaning, medication) and in general when they are adopted out- becasue they are tame people treat them with more respect.

Greetings! After a wild journey around the world (most recently USA, Hong Kong and now UAE) I have a new understanding of th avian species. I am excited to find a group that is just as nuts about finches as I am.... while it started with two- my exploration of the species took me to great lengths. I have a passion for nutrition and care of our finches, and take a scientific approach to raising them. Im interested in learning as much as I can, especially about genetic mutation, and I am happy to share my research and conclusions on finch specific topics (although they relate mostly to health and behavior). Hope to meet you all in a natural manner on the forums soon, Cheers!