I am happy to pass along those people to the best possible options for them based on my experiences with breeders. Often times I will get messages from people asking me where they can find a bird that I don’t have or a mutation I don’t have readily available. NO EXCUSES! Get out there and join now and I’ll send you free TWFA offspring! And don’t forget the AFA is only $40 for one year, the NFSS is $30 per year. So JOIN your local club! It’s probably only something like $20 a year as it is with the CCBA, and you can even attend an event or meeting to join and get started. Once you’ve lost dozens over the span of decades something like that doesn’t phase them. They don’t judge either, so if you’ve lost a bird or two due to some kind of accident, don’t feel as if that will outcast you. They have been raising finches for decades and nothing phases them. There are so many helpful and wonderful people in these organizations who are EAGER to help us newbies and set us in the right direction. That was a waste of my time and I should have joined the day I bought my first pair of finches. This is a small bit of help, but I do hope it makes even a tiny difference in the avian community! I know there are some of you out there who have “thought about” joining but haven’t gotten around to it – I used to be the same way! I personally didn’t want to join until I had some experience under my belt so I didn’t sound like an idiot. But other than that I don’t care about the rarity of the mutation or if it’s a specific marking I only see in 3 offspring per year (like my BF males), you can have it if you’re supporting an avicultural organization of any kind. Please keep in mind that I do keep a regular waiting list in between clutches and this means those people on that list do have first pick. If you’re a member in good standing (meaning you haven’t been kicked out and have paid all of your dues) then you’re welcome to whatever I have available or will have available soon. It MUST be an organization that supports aviculture specifically. This can be a national organization devoted to aviculture (breeding birds) like the AFA or ASA, a local hobbyist club like the CCBA, or the NFSS which I always highly recommend. That being said, in an attempt to help bolster the numbers of our various avian organizations and local clubs I will be giving away any of my offspring for free to any hobbyists who have joined. The prices also help deter people who request 100 pairs at a time so they can flip them for a profit. Otherwise I’d have 50 people waiting for Penguins alone at any given time! Can you imagine! They breed only 1-2 times a year, I’d have people waiting for decades. The reason I have prices in the first place is to dictate rarity and difficulty to breed. When it comes down to it I could really care less if someone is willing to pay $75 for a rarer mutation. I spend on average $250-$350 every other month or so not including the medications I keep fresh on hand. I then explain to them that if/when I do charge people, the profits only go right back into the care of my flock. There are probably too many zebra finches in captivity so it is absolutely OK to throw eggs away and not provide a nest for them.When I tell people that I give most of my offspring away for free, they tend to look at me with a cocked head and a furrowed brow. If she does start laying eggs, try moving the cage to another place in the room to disrupt her routine. And limit their light to 8-10 hours by covering the cage early each evening. If she starts to sit on a food cup, replace it with smaller cups. Never give them a nest or anything they can sit in. There are some things you can do to discourage egg laying. No matter what, Zebra hens usually lay eggs at some point. Zebra finches will usually get along, but not always, so watch them carefully when they are first together in the same cage. You should have an extra food and water dish in the cage. If they start sitting as close as they can, then you can put them together to see how they get along. Let them be side by side to see if they show interest in each other. If you add a new bird, of course start out with it in a separate cage.
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