Zebra finches laying eggs in food dish

[Finchbreeder]

He is a Gray normal (the original wild type colour) she looks like a silver or dilute. (they are hard to tell apart in photos) So both of those colours are likely, but he could be carrying a sex linked fawn gene - breeding like this is the only way to tell - so if you get a little fawn she will be a daughter. Can't see an odd white feather or toe so probably no pied genes. But there are still other recessives they could both be carrying.

 

[Kimmycup1]

He is a Gray normal (the original wild type colour) she looks like a silver or dilute. (they are hard to tell apart in photos) So both of those colours are likely, but he could be carrying a sex linked fawn gene - breeding like this is the only way to tell - so if you get a little fawn she will be a daughter. Can't see an odd white feather or toe so probably no pied genes. But there are still other recessives they could both be carrying.

Thank you for all the information! You have been so helpful. Both chicks are doing great, they're about a week and half old now. Since they grow so quickly, I want to be prepared for when they leave the nest. I know the parents will still be feeding them for several weeks, but once they start eating on their own, do they need anything special or just a regular diet like the adults?

 

[Finchbreeder]

Just keep feeding the Parents and chicks a good healthy seed mix with the addition of green seeding grasses. Cuttlebone is also good to supply.
They are ready for the seperation when their beaks are the same colour as mum and dad's.

 

[Kimmycup1]

Both chicks seem to have light colored beaks. Everything I've read says they should be black. They have the wing feathers in so far and both currently have dark feathers. Attaching a couple pictures of the darker chick, they're not the best, the babies are starting to stand more upright and stick their heads out a bit. Will hopefully get better pictures soon, I just thought it was interesting that they have light beaks instead of black

Just keep feeding the Parents and chicks a good healthy seed mix with the addition of green seeding grasses. Cuttlebone is also good to supply.
They are ready for the seperation when their beaks are the same colour as mum and dad's.

 

[Finchbreeder]

Bit soon to say if the beak colour means anything. I generally leave the parents to their job from the time I know they have all hatched (or not), till they are about a fortnight old and some colour feathers are showing. Your situation is a bit different due to their choice of nest. Look forward to update pics in a week.

 

[Kimmycup1]

One baby has just left the nest. Here are her/his first official picture

 

[Finchbreeder]

Congratulations on a healthy little girl. Due to the colour of Missy, Dad is obviously a split fawn. Unless Mum is a dilute fawn - as I say dilute is sometimes a hard one to be sure of, due to looking different in different light. Mum looks more like a dilute fawn in this pic than the previous ones.

 

[Kimmycup1]

Both chicks are spending part of the day out of the nest and go back in to sleep. I've been trying to get a good picture but it's been difficult and it's hard to get the right lighting. Some pictures they are lighter, some darker.

The first picture is the smaller baby with mom, second and third is both chicks with the smaller in front. Fourth is both chicks with dad, the bigger one in front and smaller in the middle. The very last picture is the smaller baby with dad, this baby has gotten much lighter feathers the last couple of days. The chicks are now about 3 and a half weeks old and doing great.

 

[Finchbreeder]

Mum looks more fawn in the later pics.
When you see just the 2 kids together they look like the eldest is fawn and the youngest a dilute gray.
So it mum is fawn the fawn could be either sex, ditto the younger one.
It can get complicated.

 

[Kimmycup1]

At what age do they get their adult plumage? Also, yesterday the parents started pulling feathers out of the chicks, only a couple but I was concerned. I do think they're interested in breeding again, during the day I took out the nest and put it back in for the babies to sleep in. I'll do the same thing today. If I see the behavior continuing, I'll separate one parent. Since they don't need to be fed as often, I don't always catch who's doing more of the feeding but I'd say it's about even so I'm not sure whether it'd be better to remove mom or dad. I want to make sure whichever parent is kept with the chicks takes care of them until they wean.