handrearing zebra finches

[Birdsofallsorts]

Hi!

you may have read a thread about handrearing two zebra finches.
well that was my older brother,this is his account and now i am handrearing some of my own zebra finches, and i would like to keep you updated on whats happening.

[Birdsofallsorts]

Yesterday I set up all the equipment etc. lighting, tempreture, and brooder.

At about 2'o, clock I was ready to take out the finches but before I acted I made sure I was making the formula right and practiced that a couple of times. Now I was ready to take the finches out. I went in the aviary and took out four finches with my brothers help and to i was phleasently shock to see i had two big cinoman pied finches one small (runt)cinoman pied finch and to big normal pied zebras.I thought i would get some pied babies but not all of them,scince there mother is a white and her dadis a normalpied. These finches were 13 days old and when my brother took out Phil and lil they were around 8 days old and they had just opened there eyes. So I wasn't sure how my finches would feed and I had 4 finches not knowing if they would be harder to maintain.

At about two fifteen I had the finches in the brooder of a steady temperature of 35 degree’s. These finches were nearly fully feathered with still a bit of down on them. For about half an hour I played with them then I put them in the brooder for a rest. Half an hour later I tried to feed them, I didn't try to feed them sooner because they had full crops. At first I only gave them a little bit in the mouth. And then my next feed about 10mins later I succeeded in crop feeding them filling up their crops. I feed them every hour and a half(as soon as their crops had emptied. the next couple of feedings they were all feeding well. they were quiet easy to feed and so I decided to take out the last finch in the nest and feed him pretty well to. I feed him till 10 o'clock
Making sure I could keep the temperature even at about 34degrees which they were comfortable with. I went to sleep fearing for the worst.

[Birdsofallsorts]

I woke up at 5:00am. Quickly I went over to the brooder to discover that the finches were alright at 35 degrees. I made the formula went over to the brooder and tried to feed my babies the two big cinnamon pied babies ate a little bit so did one of the normal pied babies. At that point I was a bit worried a tried again 5 minuets later, they did not eat, there were sleepy looking. I tried again about an hour no takers so I waited another hour and they all at nicely. They were more active before I feed them so I am assuming that they were just tired. Continuing the day I fed and I feed.
At about 11:00 I took those out for a flying lesson seeing that there were nearly fully feathered. One of the cinnamon pied finches was nearly flying to a height of 5cm and a distance of 8 cm. the longer I taught the higher they flew. I taught them by putting them on the ground and calling finches as my key word and putting my hand in front of them gradually I moved it higher and longer.

At about 3:00 I was doing some more teaching and by the end of the lesson every one was flying or flapping at least. They still couldn't fly too far.

Later on the day I feed them 3 more times ending at 9:00.
I put them to bed at a temperature near 36 degrees.

[Monica]

I enjoyed reading your bothers log, and I'm enjoying this as well! Someone just recently asked if it was possible to tame finches, and they'd probably be interested in this thread!

[Birdsofallsorts]

Thanks monica



IF ANYONE HAS ANY I DEAS FOR NAMES I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR THEM

[Birdsofallsorts]

Since my babies didn't eat very well in the morning I decided to feed them a little later at 6:00. When I came in to feed them I saw they were all wide awake chirping for food. I feed them all about a syringe but the little finch wanted more so he let me feed him double!! And he was crying and squealing all about, the most active I have seen him. So I decided to get to know him more by putting him in my pocket of my shirt, and he fell right to sleep.
I feed them at about 8:00 left them in there brooder for 25mins and decided to take them out for a training lesson(left the small finch in my pocket)and by the end of the lesson they were flying more then double the height and distance then yesterday.

I gave them another training lesson again at 10:00, to my surprise one of then cinnamon pied finch could fly from the ground to me sitting three metre's away.

About 11:00 I saw a fascinating site I saw one of the cinnamon pied finches preening the smaller finch.

7:00 as I was admiring the little zebra finch on my hand I saw that it opened its mouth and sort of gargled.
I thought it was air sack might have but I thought were could they get them from his parents don't have any that I know of or any of my finches in the aviary.
Would he be too young to get air sack might’s? I thought
what I should do if he does have air sack mites

[Gary B.]

T Tt ? what is that

[Birdsofallsorts]

sorry i didn't mean to press it


does anyone know how to show pictures ?????????

[Birdsofallsorts]

5:45- I woke a little later confident they will be all right. I made the formula and checked the brooder temperature which was 37 degrees. This morning they ate about a syringe of formula, one of the normal pie’s(Albert) had a little less, and as usual the runt had nearly double, so with a bulging crop he got to sleep in under 3 seconds! At first I thought I killed him. I don't know how but I was worried so I picked him up and he popped up his head looking curiously around. I sighed in relief.

7:30- I had donut and albert sitting on my belly whil i was liing down. i watched them just chirp away to each other so cheer fully then when i moved they looked at me and opened their mouths squealing and squeaking. I put my finger infront of one to find out if it was hungary, sure enough it tryed to gobble my finger down.

[Birdsofallsorts]

this is one of the normal pied finches(albert) on second day out of the nest

DCP_3723.jpg