Caring for Bengalese Finches

Bengalese is sometimes used to rear the chicks of Australian finches to increase the number of youngsters reared in season. Eggs can be removed from a pair of Australian finches and placed under Bengalese, who then rears the chicks as their own. The pair of Australian finches then goes on to produce more eggs. Frequently, Bengalese is also used as foster parents for rearing chicks of those Australian finches that reject or refuse toffee their young.

There are one or two simple measures which are of great help if Bengalese aroused as foster parents. Always use the largest and strongest pair of Bengalese you can find. Color is immaterial for this purpose, only their health and willingness to rear chicks are important. Impossible, obtain a pair which have already proved themselves to he willing fosters.

It is vital that the Bengalese pair chosen is prepared to feed the youngsters proper-lee. Before using these foster parents, try them with the chosen rearing food. If one or both of the brides only eat dry seed, donor uses them and exchanges them for another pair. A dry seed diet is not sufficient to rear healthy chicks. Test them first with a clutch of their own Bengalese youngsters to find out Howell they rear chicks.

The young Bengalese may be split ringed for identification purposes and kept for future use. However, they shouldn’t be used to rear until they are at least eight months of age.

When fostering it is easier to provide more controlled conditions indoors than in an outside aviary. Whether inside rout, a fairly constant temperature of20°C (68"F) is necessary to prevent the foster parents going into a moult during the rearing period, which would make thesis lose interest in feeding the young. Arrange the nest box in such a way that daily inspection is easily managed. Ben-gales do not resent this.

When ready to use the Bengalese, try tonsure that the fostered eggs or chicks coincide as closely as possible with the hatching of their own eggs. Their own incubation period is 14 days and chicks leave the nest after three weeks. They donor object, however, if the fledging time of the foster chicks is different from their own. They do not have a specific nesting season and may go to nest at any time. When placing eggs under Bengalese, give no more than six at a time. As all the eggs hatch at the same time, chicks belonging to more than one pair of Australian finches cannot be told apart. 'Fry to keep accurate records as to how many clutches of eggs have been taken from each pair of Australian finches.

Most Australian finches will lay again eight or nine days after the last egg of the previous clutch is laid. If the eggs retaken away as soon as the last egg is laid, four or five clutches can he taken without overstraining the birds. A maximum office clutches should he adhered to since inferior chicks result if any more are allowed.

As soon as the fostered chicks hatch, feed only sprouted seed which has been well trashed and scalded for a few seconds in boiling water. Scalding removes some of the natural vitamins from the seed so it is beneficial to add two or three drops of a multi vitamin preparation to the birds' drinking water. Fresh rearing food with mashed hard-boiled egg should he offered daily. Always stick to the same proprietary brand, in case the Bengalese is reluctant to eat a new type once rearing has started.

As soon as the last chick leaves the nest, remove the nest box. This stops the Bengalese laying again before the young Australian finches can feed themselves properly. Do not replace the nest boxiest after the young finches have been removed.

Sometimes Bengalese prefer wicker baskets to nest boxes and it is a good ideate try them with both.

Australian finches may be reared in greater numbers by using Bengalese as foster parents, but it is generally considered that parent-reared chicks are stronger than their fostered counterparts. In a mixed collection, it should be pointed out that Bengalese can make nuisance of them by trying to assist birds who do not require their help. It may be necessary to house them apart from other breeding birds at times, keeping them in reserve for emergencies.