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I saw a few Spice Finches for sale at Pet Smart, and thought they were beautiful. I've been to many bird shows, with many finch breeders there, but never noticed/saw them before.

Does anybody have any info about them?

Aren't they pretty? Spice finches are pretty peaceable guys, get along well with other species. My sense is that they breed pretty easily as well.

If you've never owned finches before, here are a few pointers:

(1) They need a fairly large cage -- need to be able to fly to get their exercise! A minimum standard will be at least 30" long, 18" wide, 18" deep. This is great for a pair; I've housed two pair of compatible birds in a cage that size without problem. Just bear in mind that the 30" dimension is the "must have." They need some sunlight, but also take care that they have a cool/sheltered corner to escape hot direct sun.

(2) They're seedeaters, so a standard seed mix is a great basis for diet. But they'll benefit from fresh food too -- greens greens greens, other fruits & vegetables (our guys love broccoli and apples), sprouted seeds, and even grains -- ours go CRAZY for our leftover wholegrain waffles. And they loooooove millet, so give 'em a spray of that to work on.

(3) Fresh water is an obvious "always" need, as are a little grit and some cuttlebone.

(4) Particularly if your finches are breeding, they'll want some protein. You can buy egg biscuits at most pet stores. We serve egg food, based on a standard recipe (try Roy's egg food -- google that & you'll bring up the recipe) with whatever is lying around thrown in. We also save eggshells from cooking, nuke 'em to kill any nasty critters, and serve them up crushed for calcium.

(5) Any standard finch nest will do fine if you want to encourage breeding.

Those are the basics! Finches obviously aren't "sit on your finger" pets -- I call 'em "eye candy." But we dearly love our guys -- it's a hoot to watch the social life in the aviary, hear their sweet songs, and they can really endear themselves to you.

Hope this helps. Let us know if you decide to take the jump!

Cheers,
Pat

Huh -- I'd always heard they are pretty peaceable. They can certainly be kept w' zebras, and I know they'll hybridize with a number of other species, so I wouldn't count them among the most aggressive.

All finches need company, and pairs is the best way to do it.

FWIW,
Pat

How can you tell males from females in spice finches??? i bought two from petco, but they are looked the same, so i just picked any random two. they get along fine in my flight, but haven't bred yet, while i can't get my zebras to stop breeding! ha! anybody know???

I don't think you can distinguish the sex of spice finches visually, and it's my understanding that the male's song is not strong. So you might just have to keep an eye out to watch for courtship behavior.

Zebras... yah. I've had to step up the egg gathering patrols. Got lazy & the little devils slipped another clutch in while I wasn't looking. LOL

Enjoy your new guys, & keep us posted!

Cheers,
Pat

thanks so much! i'll try it out tomorrow and let you know!

What does the society song sound like?
My zebras sound like the woody woodpecker show.