Phoenix24 4 Report post Posted April 26, 2013 Just wanted to introduce myself briefly - hi there hello to all us lovers of lovely zebras. I got my first one last year, but I had a friend a while back who kept them and they were great and I fell in love. My little girl, who I *think* is a fawn, was found exhausted on the floor in a car park in Wales, and the person who found her had her in a box and was asking the store assistant at a pet store what to do with her, as they didn't even know what she was. I was being nosey, and err yeah, I told the woman what the little bird was and she looked a bit hesitant so I offered to take her and find her a new home. A few months later I gave up and got her a boyfriend instead. A few months after that and they have their first nest. He is, again I *think*, a recessive silver, though I am still waiting for their only chick (first brood not a great success) to complete moult - I think it is going to be a female. But her belly is white like her dads not creamy yellow like her mother's, though otherwise she appears to be fawn - which I am not sure how that is possible because fawn is sex linked... and i'm sure he is not fawn as he is pale grey not brown. Anyway, that's me and my zebras, though I would love to expand to an aviary full of them Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
casamber 60 Report post Posted April 26, 2013 Hi Pheonix and welcome to the forum. It's wonderful that you rescued your poor hen. I'm glad she found a nice home with you. I think maybe you should post some pictures of your zebs as from what you described they could be something different. The dad sounds more like a lightback than a silver. Kerry Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Emmy 528 Report post Posted April 26, 2013 Hi Pheonix Welcome to the forum Lots of fantastic members here always willing to help in any way they can. Looking forward to seeing some photos. That was nice of you to rescue that Zebra finch - but its like what happens to us all instead of parting with the one we always seem to go out and get a partner for them instead. Emmy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phoenix24 4 Report post Posted April 27, 2013 I gave her a mirror for the first couple of months, as I knew that she wouldn't do well on her own. She used to sit on the perch by her reflection and talk to it, and then sometimes she would obviously be having some kind of argument because she would do those angry chirps and short whirring flights. It was hilarious, actually. But when I got her the male it was love at first sight. Now he is totally different - she is now quite quiet and settled, and only ever freaks out if I have to stick my hand in the cage (even then sometimes she just stares at me) - but he by contrast is a total maniac. He bounces around like a jack-in-the-box on steroids, and is totally obsessed with nest building. He looks at me seeing only my hair ('ooo I wonder how much of THAT I could get in the nest...') rips the newspaper to shreds and tried to carry whole sheets of it (I ended up getting one of those awful cages with bars at the bottom), and if I give them millet spray he tries to carry the whole thing to make a nest. Sigh. Poor mrs bird gets no peace. He tries pulling bits out the nest whilst she is sitting and then putting them back in again. No wonder she gets P-d off with him! I will get a photo up of them all. I guessed at recessive silver for him based on photos from another zeb website http://www.efinch.com/species/rszeb.htm (he looks like the cock in this pic, but my hen does not look like that hen). All of his black is washed out (not brown) but the cheeks and flanks are full strength (so not dominant silver). I'm not sure what colour their back is meant to be, his looks the same colour as the hen's. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phoenix24 4 Report post Posted April 27, 2013 Not very good pics of the parents - will try again soon - and one of their only chick from their first brood. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
casamber 60 Report post Posted April 27, 2013 I think you may be right about dad being a silver. The dad can carry the fawn gene in hidden form so it is not unlikely to get fawn chicks, although the chick looks more like a cream to me. I have no experience with creams so could be totally wrong I think the chick may also be black breast or orange breast as it has no tear marks. Thats a very interesting pair you have there Kerry Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phoenix24 4 Report post Posted April 27, 2013 Oooh I was wondering why I hadn't seen tear marks coming through. The cheek patches are in full moult - but not tears - and there are bits of black on the chick's chest. i can't wait to see what their next brood produces! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
casamber 60 Report post Posted April 27, 2013 I'm excited for you! Please post a picure of the chick once he/she has finished moulting. Hopefully someone else can help give you a better idea as to what colour it is Kerry Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phoenix24 4 Report post Posted April 27, 2013 I read somewhere that... was it the orange breasted... have orange fringes on the primary feathers???? My male has these which I always thought was odd. Perhaps this would explain the chick? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
casamber 60 Report post Posted April 27, 2013 Black breasts tend to have orange fringes to the primary feathers... but then at least half my birds have that and they are not black breast, orange breast or anything else that would it explain it! One of my males has thick white edging to the primaries, tipped with orange. I have paired him with every colour i have and he has never produced anything other than grey! But, all his chicks have that same white and orange markings. Its very odd! And not to mention, very annoying Kerry Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
birdfan13 34 Report post Posted April 28, 2013 Hello Its really nice when people adopt pets as you have done. They are both lovely birds, I had two to start with and Kerry and Emmy know all about my ever expanding zebra finch family! I have six in total and Rosie the budgie. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phoenix24 4 Report post Posted April 28, 2013 Aww, I would like to expand too - been looking at various larger cages, indoor and outdoor aviaries (unlikely to be able to do outdoor one though) and stacks of breeding cages. There were two zebs in our local RSPCA branch this weekend, and I offered to take them but they are going to one of the inspectors who has an aviary. I will keep looking - I would like to find a suitable colour to breed my mystery cream/silver/fawn/OB/BB female to and see what comes out. I love the black cheeked/BB/BF types, would be nice to get some of those *sigh* Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phoenix24 4 Report post Posted April 28, 2013 Haha, Kerry, strange! I wonder about your fringes, and my boy's. My chick doesn't have the edgings, but does have a halo of dark spots on the breast. No idea what these are... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
norfolk flyer 208 Report post Posted April 28, 2013 Phoenix, That youngster i would say it's a BB Fawn. Can you tell me what the tail markings are like to comfirm a BB. Both parents must be split for a BB, this will give you a 12.5% chance of getting BB Fawn males and 12.5% chance BB Fawn hens, Trevor Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
casamber 60 Report post Posted April 28, 2013 Hello Its really nice when people adopt pets as you have done. They are both lovely birds, I had two to start with and Kerry and Emmy know all about my ever expanding zebra finch family! I have six in total and Rosie the budgie. Thats the thing with zebs... it doesn't take long to get hooked and before you know it your building aviaries or buying cages Haha, Kerry, strange! I wonder about your fringes, and my boy's. My chick doesn't have the edgings, but does have a halo of dark spots on the breast. No idea what these are... That is breast markings coming through with the moult. Your chick could possibly be a male but sometimes females have faint breast markings. I find that a lot of my black breast or black cheek hens have it. I never assume its a male until i see cheek patches or flanks! Kerry Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phoenix24 4 Report post Posted May 24, 2013 Oops didn't see your post here Trevor. My mother hen doesn't have any obvious markers for BB, but I have read that the tail usually often only shows in juveniles (something I have found on the chick hen - her juv coverts have the 'split' pattern, which i will photograph next time I get chance, or when they have moulted out). The cock I have discovered have the characteristic white flecks in the chestnut flanks being elongated rather than rounded. I am guessing now that the male must be 'split' for fawn (I only just read that males can carry the fawn gene and don't show it unless they carry two copies) for the hen chick to be fawn, because hens don't pass the fawn gene to their daughters. Now all I have to do is figure out how to get the black breasted 'out' in full in the next generation. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
