How to Raise Baby Finches

Raising baby finches also includes taking care of two adult finches since the chicks rely very much on their parents for food and warmth. It is important that you provide a comfortable nest, nutritious food, and play time for parents and their chicks, once the adults have begun to lay and incubate fertile eggs.

Things You'll Need

  • Male and female finch
  • Bird cage
  • Finch nest
  • Nesting material (scraps of burlap, kleenex)
  • Bird and cage toys and mirrors
  • Water
  • Finch seed
  • Fresh fruit
  • Eggs
  • Millet
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Instructions

  1. Preparing the Nest

    • 1

      Purchase a cage large enough for the two parent birds and their offspring, about 2 feet long x 1 foot wide x 8 inches high. Purchase a finch nest, such as a small or large bamboo finch nest. The size you purchase depends on the type of finch you buy and how many chicks they tend to have. Wooden nests are also available. These are wooden boxes mounted on the inside or outside of the cage, with a hole for the birds to get in and out. Wooden nests are easy to clean, and you can count eggs easily this way.

    • 2

      Line the bottom of the nest with nesting material, such as scraps of burlap and Kleenex.

    • 3

      Equip the cage with toys and mirrors. The birds will appreciate them, and play will keep them happy and healthy.

    Feeding

    • 4

      Buy bird seed that is especially made for finches. You can also ensure their ongoing health and well-being by supplementing their diet with a variety of foods. Millet, fresh fruits, sprouts, and eggs provide an array of nutrients for your feathered friends. Cook a hardboiled egg and chop it up with the shell still on. Chop up some fresh fruit and add it to the finch seed.

    • 5

      Feed your birds as you normally would when they've started incubating their fertile eggs. They will do all the work needed to keep the eggs warm.

    • 6

      Let the parents do the work. When the chicks are born, their parents should feed them within the first three days of life. Typically, the parents always feed the chicks. If parents do not feed their chicks, the chicks may die after a few days. There is a chance of saving the chicks by hand-feeding them. Find out more at www.ladygouldianfinch.com/features_handfeeding2.mgi.

    • 7

      Provide extra millet, fruit, bird seed, and eggs to the parents so they can adequately feed the chicks and themselves during the chicks' nestling stage (after a chick is a week old).

    • 8

      Continue feeding millet and soft foods over the next few weeks, the fledgling stage, when the chicks have come out of the nest but are still extremely dependent on their parents. In the next few weeks, the chicks will have their first molt, and in six months they will become sexually mature.