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Where do Zebra finches come from?
Zebra finch are native to Australia
What do the mutation abbreviations mean?
http://members.optusnet.com.au/ellist/abbreviations.htm
http://www.zebracrazy.com/ - Abbreviations
http://www.efinch.com (abbreviations with thumbnails)
Where can I find more information on Zebra finches?
(Be sure to use your web browser's Back button to view ALL the Links below)
http://members.optusnet.com.au/ellist/zebrafinches.htm
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Valley/7134/zebras.html
I heard there is web site with a Zebra genetics calculator.
http://zebrafinch.info/info\genex.html
From: Ken Glasson
Incubation = 14 days
to fledge = 21 days
to independence = 35 to 42 days
to start first moult = about 35 days
to complete mature feathering = about 60 days to approx. full size = about 90 days
to breeding maturity for hens = (my rules only)min 6 months, preferred 9 months. (Cocks can be 3 months)
My finch has just hatched eggs, do I have to do anything special?
From: Garrie Landry
No not really, the parents should feed the chicks. You could provide some type of nesting food designed for finches or canaries to the parents to aid them in feeding the chicks.
A baby finch was thrown or fell out of the nest, can I hand feed it? What should I do?
From: Garrie Landry
I would not attempt handfeeding a baby finch, it is very difficult, very time consuming and generally not successful. If the baby is featherless I would put it back in the nest, generally that is the best choice. If the baby is older and has some feathers, determine if it can move around on its own. If it can, then generally any attempt to return it to the nest will be futile as it often will jump out again on its own. Generally the parents will attend to the chick at this stage and you need not do anything about trying to return it to the nest. But you can try to return it if you want to. If the baby is feathered but not old enough to walk or hop around the cage floor, try returning it to the nest. Even if it jumps out again, return it repeatedly to the nest, eventually it should stay in the nest and all will be well.
My zebras have babies and the parents suddenly are fighting one another. What should I do?
From: Garrie Landry
I would watch them carefully for a day or so to see if the bickering subsides and disappears, If it does not, then I would temporarily remove one of the parents (perhaps the aggressive one) and place it in an adjacent cage for a half a day or full day, then try returning it to the cage and see what happens. Often they calm down after a while and resume normal behavior. If the fighting begins again and again. Your only choice may be to remove the parent that is non aggressive and allow the single parent to raise the chicks. Often times this will work too.
What to expect when your Zebra finch eggs hatch.
http://www.geocities.com/Petsburgh/7125/baby_zebra_finch_page.html
What does a Zebra finch eat?
From: Robert Glendinning
With zebras you will always have seed wastage. When buying your seed ask is it a foreign finch mixture, this should contain Panicum yellow, Panicum red , Yellow millet, Red millet , Canary seed , Niger seed. I also use Japanese millet and Perilla, these two seeds are give twice a week in finger drawers. Your birds will also enjoy Millet sprays. If your birds are not breeding soft food twice a week is plenty. Greens every day will make the birds soft. Mineralised grit and Cuttle bone should always be available. Also give as directed water soluble multi - vitamins and calcium.
Do finches need grit in their diet?
http://www.efinch.com/grit/grit.htm
How do I change from Daily Digest form to Individual Email Messages so that I can see the pictures?
How do I STOP these email messages?
Go to the Yahoo! Groups web site at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/zebrafinch Select the Edit My Membership link on the right.
Where can I find a Safe Plants List?
NFSS Safe Aviary Plants List From: Jeff Bridges “If you are new to the hobby and either have just
obtained your first birds or are planning on purchasing some birds soon, then I
strongly recommend that you purchase a basic book on the care of the birds. Zebra
Finch is an excellent book by Hans J. Martin that you can purchase
inexpensively from Amazon.com or Petstore.com™ and it will answer almost
all of the basic question you will need to address.”
http://www.finchworld.com/ztalk.html
http://www.zebrafinchsociety.co.uk/zfs_faq.htm Poll Question: “I’ve been raising/breeding
finches” Under 3 months, 3 votes, 11.54% 3 - 12 months, 9 votes, 34.62% 1 - 2 years, 4 votes, 15.38% 3 - 5 years, 6 votes, 23.08% 6 - 10 years, 2 votes, 7.69% 11 - 15 years, 1 votes, 3.85% 16 - 20 years, 1 votes, 3.85% 21 - 25 years, 0 votes, 0.00% Over 26 years, 0 votes, 0.00% From: Roy Beckham Here in the US, our national club recommends a band size of
“D” for zebra finches. I have seen both “D” and even
“E” bands used. I have used “D” bands in the past and
have been using an equivalent band from Red Bird products in Sacramento, CA.
These bands can, in most cases, be applied even on the day of fledging. From: Ricardo Pereira In Europe we use a different size measure bands will range
from 2,0mm for waxbill to 14,00 mm for macaws and ducks. The zebra size was
2,30mm but this season it was increased to 2,50mm, believe me that those 0,2mm
do make a difference!!!!! It’s the same size used for Gouldians and most
Australian finches, spice and most munias. This bands are actually small for some lines like English
zebras and because I ran out of bands half way this season I had to use some as
large as canary bands which can be used on the fledging day with no problems
but will then stay on quite well, these measure 2,80mm. Anyway national size
here is 2,50 this season which can be placed around 7-10 days old as you
mentioned, for gouldians it will only go in until day 6-7. From: Frank Nielsen We’re increasing the size from 2.7 to 2.9 next year
in Denmark. From: Christophe Faizant In France, we use a size of 2.7mm for 90% of the zebras,
and we use 2.9 for the others. I know that English and German zebs are huge birds, but
what is the difference between the two? From: Roy Beckham The original German stock that was imported into the US
were larger than the birds brought in from England. They do have different
standards in those countries and the birds look a little different in terms of
conformation, but they are all zebras. Larger due to selective breeding for
size. It really started for bird shows. The larger birds
show better. Same really for pets. The larger birds just seem to have substance
and show the colors better, but there is nothing wrong with a true ‘wild
type’ bird both in color and size. From: Roy Beckham One refers to a shape, the other to a feather type. Cobby
refers to the shape. An English term that means to ‘have
substance’. Cobby generally refers to rounded lines that are called for
in most zeb standards. Buff refers to a ‘fluffy’ almost downy feather
type. Tight feathered birds are sometimes called ‘yellow’
feathered. From: Roy Beckham I would put down five. White, regular CFW, Cont. CFW,
Isabel or US Florida Fancy, and Gray or Fawn Cheek. For more information: (Be sure to use your web browser's Back button to view ALL the Links below)
http://www.efinch.com/species/cfwzeb.htm
http://www.efinch.com/species/whitzeb.htm
http://www.efinch.com/species/ffzeb.htm
http://www.efinch.com/species/fczeb.htm From: Roy Beckham From Garrie’s book and many other sources, Hazel Kipp
of Tarpon Springs, FL was the “first” breeder and marketer of the
Florida Fancy back in the early ‘70’s. You have to figure that she
was producing “Silver Isabel” birds as well. Garrie also notes that
other breeders in TX were breeding birds of similar color and calling them
Texas Fancies. We’ll tip the hat to Hazel and say that she developed the
mutation. From: Roy Beckham Although the American and European (and Aussie) Isabels are
phenotypically similar, they are different genetically. The European Isabels
when crossed with a Gray bird results in a Gray bird that is split for Isabel.
A true recessive mutation. When the American Isabel (called Florida Fancy) is
crossed with a Gray, the result is a bird often referred to as a Silver Isabel
(Jeff has suggested the name Fancy Pastel to avoid confusion with the Euro
Isabels). This is called a co-dominant gene. unlike a dominant gene like Fawn
Cheek, it is unable to assert itself against the normal color in heterozygous
form. A FC in heterozygous form is a FC. The Florida Fancy in heterozygous form
is unable to change the color of the bird to white. The result is a bird
“half way” there. Since the FF (and Isabel) gene reduces the eumelanin to
produce the white color, a heterozygous FF effects the eumelanin, but not to
the degree that a homozygous FF does. The strong influence of this gene, yet
incomplete action is why it is referred to as a co-dominant gene. From: Richard Renshaw Correct.
From: Dr. Terry Martin An albino can exist, but not as a single primary mutation
in any species of animal with both melanin and carotenoid pigments (most
birds). In avian species with carotenoid, the same mutation that produces albino
in mammals produces lutino because the carotenoid is still present. Having said
that, the bird in question in Zebras would have such restricted distribution of
carotenoid, it could still be comfortably called albino. Keep in mind that
technically, you could argue that the White zebra is really a
‘Yellow’ because it still have carotenoids, but naming along these
lines for Zebras would be extreme. That is why avian geneticists are calling
the Lutino mutation ‘Ino’, to cover all those species with little
yellow carotenoid or even other colours like red and pink. The reason for making the point, is that the primary Ino
mutation would still have red legs and bill. Therefore the birds described in
Rogers would either be juveniles that do not have adult colouration as yet or
were misidentified. To produce a true Albino (colour) requires a lutino gene
and a blue gene in all avian species carrying carotenoids. The true ‘Blue’ mutation, is one that removes
only carotenoids and produces what we call a ‘white ground’ colour.
It is well known in Canaries, changing the bird from green into blue and yellow
into white. But in other finch species it is almost unknown. This is probably
because in many finches, the carotenoids are so restricted in distribution that
breeders have missed the occurrance of this mutation. In the Zebra finch, this mutation would only lose the red
of the beak and legs, making the legs pink and the bill (unknown)? If you had
an aviary of twenty birds and one of these flying amongst them, it would be
easy to overlook or dismiss as just a youngster. From: Richard Renshaw
New Delhi, India - 11:00 PM
London, England - 5:00 PM
New York, New York - 12:00 Noon
Los Angeles, California - 9:00 AM
Sydney, Australia - 4:00 AM
http://www.nfss.org/Depts/Eduction/safeplants.html
Which book should I buy?
Answers to common Zebra Finch questions
The Zebra Finch Society (UK) 22 Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of experience do the people in this Group have?
Choices and Results, Aug. 2001
What size of leg band for Zebras?
And what value is there in such huge birds?
What does cobby and buff refer to?
How many white Zebra mutations are there?
Who was the first breeder of Florida Fancy Zebras?
What is the difference between a Isabel and Florida Fancy Zebras?
Question... It's my understanding you shouldn't breed CFW's and FF together. Is that correct?
They do not compliment each other.
It is NOT just a simple "blending" of the visual colors.Is it possible to have an Albino Zebra?
What are the Time Differences between Group Members Who Live in other Parts of the World?
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