feeding

The zebra finch diet consists of a seed mixture for small birds with millet being the principal seed in any finch formula. Buy a commercially-prepared mix which will be specially balanced in nutrition. This is generally made up of different kinds of millet and canary seed as well as other seeds. It's important that zebra finches always have access to food. In the UK, grain or seed for zebra finches is often called 'foreign finch food' and can be bought in stores either by the kilo or, more economically, in 20kg bags. The Mealworm Company (www.livefoodsdirect.co.uk) is an excellent source for your zebra finch food needs. Always mention ZebraFinch.co.uk if you place an order!

Foreign finch food is the staple diet of zebra finches Egg food is recommended when there are babies to feed Try a little canary food for a variation in diet!

Insect food (or Universal Patée) is full of nutrients - insects, vegetables, honey, protein, fats, oils, and cereals Millet seeds are particularly well-liked by zebra finches. Hang them from the aviary roof and watch the birds swoop to eat them! Calcium, in the way of cuttle bone is an essential mineral supplement to zebra finches' diets and is important both to the birds' bone development and maintenance

In addition to this, zebra finches like many greens such as dandelion leaves, chickweed, spinach, vegetables and fruits. Millet sprays are also appreciated. Sprouted seeds are given to birds by most finch owners to satisfy the need for greens. Grated carrots and cucumbers are examples of vegetables, and owners are encouraged to try apples and bananas to see what appeals to their individual finches. Make sure you get any greens from a non-polluted area. Picking dandelion leaves from the roadside is not a good idea! Take the vegetable material out of the aviary after a few hours so that it doesn't begin to rot and smell. The more fresh food that you feed them the better; that way they get a good variety of foodstuff together with important vitamins and minerals. A comprehensive list of supplementary foods can be found here.

Zebra finches should always have access to fresh water. If you are unable to replace water daily, then a drink tube obtained from most pet shops would be ideal.

There have been studies to determine how long desert-adapted finches can survive without water. The longest study was 1,5 years. The late Dr. Luis Baptista of the San Francisco Academy of Science conducted a study on water deprivation with zebra finches but gave up after a year, giving the birds water because he felt sorry for them. However, he was confident that they could have survived for a much longer period without water. During this period they survived on metabolic water alone. However, zebras cannot survive a single day without food. Note that the study incurred losses on the way - several of their subjected zebras died along the route

In general, birds should always also have access to some form of calcium. Calcium is an essential mineral supplement to zebra finches' diets and is important both to the birds' bone development and maintenance and to the females' calcium-intensive needs in egg laying. Understandably, the need for calcium is most acute in the female during and after the egg-laying process. Generally, a cuttlebone, obtained at many pet stores, is the easiest method for assuring that calcium is available. Crushed sea shells are also popular and so are egg shells from regular chickens. If you wish to use egg shells then microwave them for a few minutes (or heat them in a regular oven if you don't have a microwave) in order to kill any bacteria (salmonella). Allow the shells to cool off before feeding them to the birds!

Egg food recipes are also recommended periodically as a calcium supplement. Additionally, during the egg laying process, many owners and breeders recommend that a baby bird hand-feeding formula be mixed with dampened seed and presented to the nesting pair although this is not always necessary. The benefit of the hand-feed powder formula is that it's easier for the parent when gagging up food to feed the fledglings and easier for the fledgling to digest. The idea behind this is to get the parents accustomed to it prior to the time it is needed for feeding the young. Additionally, when birds are going through stressful experiences, such as a change in housing, breeding or the loss of a mate, it's helpful to supplement their diet by putting a powdered vitamin in the water.

Even if no bird is breeding, adding some new nesting material is a great way to break up a fight or calm down an agitated cage. Fresh green stuff especially gives everyone something to do, eat, play with, stuff into nests and so on. Changing the water in the bathing dish also works

All birds need grit or sand. They use this to grind their food as they don't have teeth. Buy a commercial gravel/grit mixture and preferably one that also has minerals added, like oyster shell and charcoal.  A vitamin additive can be purchased to be added to the food or water.  However, this is not a requirement if the rest of the diet is well balanced.

A comprehensive list of supplementary foods can be found here. Use in moderation and remove the stones/seed from the fruit marked in red.

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