So, You Want To Get Into Finches Then Do You??
OK then, some bright spark has just sent you a copy of Just Finches and you've read all those articles on finches and you have decided to 'get stuck into' finch breeding - but now where do you go to start? Let's have a look at a few of your options and some advice on the selection of your stock.
The Library:
This can be a great first stop to study up on the way to go about creating
the best environment for your ‘proposed new charges’. You can see pictures of
the species available to you and read how these authors keep and feed their
birds. If you concentrate on this aspect you will be able to create an easily
updateable regime for future use. Hate to be a pain, BUT, just check that the
author of the tome you are immersed in lives in a region that is climatically
similar to your own otherwise you could be courting disaster!
An example: a new breeder proudly told me which species he was obtaining for his
new aviary. When I expressed some concern about his species selection he assured
me that he had read all about them in Russell Kingston’s book and had followed
his advice on their housing needs. As he had an open aviary that I would be
loathe to be keeping Zebra finches in over winter I asked did he know where
Russell lived? "Somewhere up North " was his reply!! As Russell lives in
Queensland and we live in ‘sunny’ Hobart I tactfully suggested he might like to
rethink his plans with this salient point in mind!! Horses for courses – I dare
say Russell would have imparted the same warning!!!
The Bird Club:
Perhaps after our list is streamlined our next port of call should be to a
local Avicultural Society where it should be possible to chat with breeders that
have the birds that you are interested in. Here you should ask about the finches
that you have seen in your library search and don't be too disheartened by the
talk of Tanimbars, Sea greens, Orange-cheeks and Twinspots from the 'old hands'
because I will guarantee that someone will say "Zebras? Haven't kept them in 20
years but see old 'Trev' over there, he has dozens of them." And from such
beginnings your network starts to evolve. Go and pester 'Trev' for some
information and ask him as many questions as you dare for it is better to ask
seemingly dumb questions than to lose birds through NOT asking those self-same
‘dumb’ questions! Who knows, ‘Trev’ might invite you over and you can see
in person how he goes about his trade.
Most bird breeders remember when they started out in birds and are only too
happy to talk birds and help the novice. Attend as many aviary visits as
possible with your Club and see first hand how other more experienced breeders
are keeping and breeding their birds.
A word of warning though is prudent here for some Avicultural Societies tend to
be dominated by ‘parrot people’, which can be a tad off-putting if you are not
into hookbills. I remember getting into all sorts of ‘trouble’ from a ‘learned
gentleman’ from Melbourne over such a statement but I suspect even his resolve
might have been weakened by three monthly meetings in a row devoted to
hand-rearing parrots!!!!!!!!
If you live in just such an area where there is not a local
specialist finch club then do not despair because you can at least join
Australasian clubs such as The Australian Finch Society Inc., the
Queensland Finch Society or the New Zealand Finch Breeders Society.
These clubs send you their magazines, in which you will be able to read articles
written by people sharing the same affliction/addiction as yourself!
Publications such as NZ Birdz, Just Finches & Softbills,
Finch News, Finch Breeders Review and Australian Birdkeeper,
will also supply you with a source of articles on finch species and their
maintenance plus a listing of finches for sale. Even if you cannot attend
meetings you can certainly do your bit to help out telephone company profits by
contacting the committee members from these Societies in your relentless search
for finch information and that elusive ‘missing hen bird’.
Also many Finch Societies and breeders have web pages that
you can log onto and you can ask your 1000 questions via e-mail. The World Wide
Web is also a very powerful tool in gathering information for your list. Hey,
you could even drop an e-mail to me at
The Wish List:
So you've decided to specialize in finches AND you’ve consulted a few
(hundred!) good bird publications to access just what is out there that appeals.
We’ve suggested that you try to ensure that your book is an Australian/New
Zealand publication otherwise your 'wish list' might be VERY hard to fill! You
would be surprised the number of beginners that have contacted me looking for
Lavenders, Quail finches, Black-faced and Violet-eared Waxbills to 'START' their
collection with!
In compiling your wish list look for things like compatibility – best to find
out before hand whether your chosen bird will co-exist peacefully with other
finches or try to tear them apart!
Here are a few pearls from wiser breeders than I as a rule of thumb for some
species. Cubans and Green Singers never put together lest yellow feathers be a
flying. Never put the blue Cordon family with Cubans lest you wish your Cubans
to decorate their nest with pretty blue feathers! Blood finches are not lightly
named and can decimate most species should the mood take them – house only with
Bird of Prey!! If you intend to have one aviary (hey, we all started out
ONLY having one aviary, didn't we??!!) then you need to have species that will
interact together with some degree of harmony.
Any chance of possible hybridization is another key factor in deciding what
birds to mix together. Here goes with another ‘rule’ - members of the Nun family
should not be housed together (the 3 Asian Nuns and the Chestnut or Yellow rump
for example) neither should Nuns and Mannikins be placed together.
Parrotfinches should be kept separate as they will all crossbreed and, in my
experience, the resultant young are sterile – many of the early Tri-coloured
parrotfinches offered for sale were hybrids between Tanimbars and Blue-face.
Cordons and Blue caps together are another no, no, as are Red Strawberries and
Orange Breasts. Masks, Longtails and Parsons are all prone to crossbreeding if
housed together but here many of the resultant hybrids are fertile – extra need
for caution!! Even try to keep the sub species of the Longtails away from each
other – namely the Hecks (red billed) and the ‘Normal’ Longtail (yellow bibbed).
The list is longer but this covers a few of the more obvious and commoner
species not to put together. Despite our best plans occasionally non-related
species will cross and I have seen Red Star X African Fire finch and Plumhead X
Double Bar!
As another thought you might like to consider really hard whether you are
prepared to dive ankle deep into maggot and mealworm culture!! Better to check
that the finches you have selected are not live feed dependent and will rear
young on the basics that you are comfortable supplying them with – better to
factor this in than suffer the frustration of finding dead babies on the floor.
Your work schedule and commitments will also play a major
part in what birds you include on your list. As most of us have found out at one
time or another the more delicate/difficult species require a degree of
attention that is difficult to supply when you work full time. Plus not all of
us are lucky enough to have an understanding, or at least bemused,
partner/spouse!
The Breeder:
You've spoken to 'Trev' and you're off to his place to get some Zebbies for
your aviary. What sort of questions should you ask him and what should you take
notice of in his aviaries – I mean they are only Zebs after all, aren’t they?
The word ‘EVERYTHING’ mean anything to you!!! Only Zebs indeed! There is many an
exotic finch breeder that still remembers his first pair of Zebs!
OK, I’m calm again now so let’s try to put together a list of questions for
you:
· How old are the birds? – often better to buy half
coloured than ‘brightly’
coloured
adult birds as you know how old the babies are?
· Are they related? – might need to consider swapping
with another breeder
if all the
available finches are too closely related.
· When were they wormed, what was used and in what
dose rate?
· What are the birds feeding on - seed mix, greens,
live food, 'specials'? –
here is
where you need to ENSURE that you ask your 1000
questions.
· What other medications are the birds being treated
with - in the water or
seed?
· Favourite nesting material and where they prefer to
nest in the aviary.
· The breeder's tips for getting them into breeding
condition. – if he/she
says "That’s a
secret" then walk back
out their door.
Asking questions about the diet of new finches is one thing that we should
all do -yes, even us 'old hands' can learn from other breeders – whether they
keep Zebbies or Violet-ears!!
Hopefully these few questions will help you to provide a similar suitable
environment for your new birds in their new environment.
Even before making your purchase ensure that you have taken the opportunity of
observing the set-up of his aviaries and comparing them to your own. Not much
point in buying finches from a warm, covered in aviary if your own resembles a
'wind tunnel' with very little cover! As you compile your 'bird wish list' it is
imperative that you select your birds to suit your aviary design and your
climatic extremes. Again not much use putting Violet-ear waxbills in an open
flight -even in Queensland!
The advantage of obtaining your birds from a breeder is that you have access to
a source of information that will prove invaluable over the coming years. Oh,
and make sure you get their phone number!
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| Blue-cap waxbills. | Pair of Cubans. | Double Bar. |
The Dealer/Pet Shop:
For many of us this avenue is the main way that we obtain our birds whether
through choice or necessity! No doubt we have all listened to breeders over the
years and opinion is fairly evenly divided as to whether you love or hate them!
But those of you that live within easy distance of numerous breeders can afford
to pick and choose where you get your birds from but try that where breeders are
scarce and finches even scarcer! Until recently most of my birds were obtained
through a Sydney bird dealership and I was more than happy with the service and
quality of birds that he chased down for me. But I have known and dealt with
others that were not so genuine. But then I guess not every bird breeder is
Florence Nightingale either!
Here you will find a large range of finches that you can
select from but it is still best to have done your homework on the species you
want, as many pet shop employees are less than well versed in the ways of
finches! For example the lad in Melbourne that told me how peaceful Cubans and
Crimsons were in mixed collections and the dealer in Hobart that sold a friend a
hen African Fire as a hen Blood! The owner of the business may have little idea
where most of his/her finches came from so it is difficult to question them as
you would a breeder. Some dealers are free with the information as to where
their finches came from but you can understand why many choose not to divulge
that information. So, we can't find out if they were wormed or treated with any
other medication or what they were fed, what to do?
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| Finches at Gunnedah Bird Sale. | Garswood Bird Shop Sydney. |
Here are a few (hopefully) helpful tips that might help in stock selection.
· When observing the birds stand
well back from the cage and observe the appearance of the birds - a sick bird
will look fine if you are up close to it and putting the fear of God into it!
However, if you step back from the cage it will not feel as threatened and will
'fluff-up' to conserve body heat. Leave that one where it is!!
· If you have a number of birds to
pick from don't choose the brightest coloured birds go for the younger,
half-coloured ones. Why? Simple, the brighter ones are usually brighter because
they are older and at least you know how old the half-coloured ones are!
· When you finally make a
selection have a close look at the legs, as they will tell you a great deal
about the age of the bird - pronounced scaling usually is a sign of age and long
nails say the same for the Mannikin family.
· Check the beak for signs of
abnormal growth. Watch for over or under shot beaks. I am led to believe that
some of these 'beak traits' are genetically passed on.
· If you are able to handle the
bird check that the chest muscle is well developed and that the keel bone is not
too prominent - if the keel is sharp enough to have a shave off gently place the
bird back in the cage and select another!
· A dirty vent in a finch is
usually a sign of some intestinal problem but may also simply denote stress in
the bird (especially in Diamond Sparrows). A dirty vent coupled with a sharp
keel bone is a real problem.
· Clean cages in the shop also
tell you a lot about how the birds have been looked after. If you can, try to
get to the dealer when the birds first arrive which will prevent any
contamination from the previous occupants of the cages.
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| Dybowski Twinspot | Male Red Strawb. | Male Green Strawb. |
Well, hopefully I have avoided offending anyone and also given a rough guide
to what to look for when visiting the bird shops. However, many of these points
could equally be applied to obtaining stock from a breeder as well. As
previously stated, I am not a 'dealer basher' and have enjoyed harmonious
relations with several over the years. The notion that dealers only contain old
and failed breeding birds is nonsense, as many aviculturists would rather take
their surplus stock to a dealer than advertise privately and risk 'unsavoury
types' visiting their property.
The other really great thing about your bird dealer is that he will send you
birds no matter where you live in Australia and/or new Zealand! How many times
have you rung a breeder in response to an advertisement only to be told, "We
don't freight." Without Les at Birdsville's efforts to chase around for those
rarer finches we would be far worse off for finches down here - let's face it he
has access to far more breeders and finches in one suburb than exists in the
whole of Tasmania and many parts of New Zealand me thinks!
Now that you have thought about all these points it would be remiss of us not
to add one last paragraph for the person that is new to finches and that is
about the Zebra Finch!
This bird, I believe, should be the first stop for anybody
intending to start breeding finches. Practically indestructible, these guys are
free breeders, will put up with 'heavy' nest inspection and are relatively
cheap. The desire to 'see what is happening' is present in most of us and the
Zeb allows us to learn about finches and their needs first hand. Many finches
are very intolerant of any form of nest inspection but you can get down nests of
Zebs to show children in relative safety. I started with Zebs as did a number of
finch breeders that I know because of their noisy calls and friendly
disposition.
The desire to breed rare and exotic species will always be
lurking beneath the surface of most finch breeders but let's not lose sight of
the fact that many of us started out breeding the Zebra finch. It would be far
better to find out that keeping zebras is 'too hard' before outlaying money on
more 'exotic' and difficult species. Not to mention reducing the available gene
pool in areas where finch numbers are low – just because you can afford a finch
doesn’t mean that you have the skills to breed them!
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| Red-face parrotfinch. | Diggles Parson. | Mask finch. |
Well, we've given you a few tips for selecting your finch stock so get out
there and join one of the greatest hobbies that you can become involved in.
Remember; start off with only a few pairs in your aviary as the fewer birds in
your cages then, generally, the better they will breed. When, some years from
now, you are cursing the author of this article for getting you into finches
rest assured he will plead ignorance!!!
Welcome to the fraternity of finch breeders OR "you haven’t got a spare hen have
you mate!!!!"
