On December 4th our first baby finch hatched, since then two more
have hatched and grown quite quickly! Today they are two weeks and 3 days old and we are beginning to notice more about them.
They are no longer ugly looking now that their feathers have come in, they are actually very cute right now. Two of the finches are a light tan/ cream color, one of them has an all white body and a dark gray head.
We were thinking that this finch could be albino because of the white colored body. However, the head is not white and the eyes are not read so we are not sure if this is even the case.
I found a bird message board that provides good information, it’s called Phil’s Feathered Friends there is a ton of bird information on this site if you need it. I am planning to post some questions and hopefully my photos there with hopes of gaining some more information about my odd colored finch.
We were hoping to give a finch as a holiday gift but we have learned that at two weeks the babies need about another 3 weeks with the parents.
By the looks of the nest activity last night I was sure they were getting ready to leave the nest. One baby was trying to climb out of the nest and the parents seemed to be coaxing them out of the nest but we have not witnessed anybody actually leaving the nest.
Most of the information online says that they wont leave the nest until about 5-6 weeks old, that gives ours another 4 weeks! I really thought they were developing faster than that.
When the babies begin to venture out of the nest and for right now as they try we are putting some crumpled up napkins directly under the nest to soften the fall if any babies happen to flop out of the nest. If baby finches fall out of the nest before they can fly they should be gently placed back into the nest.
Whatever you do don’t move the nest closer to the floor! This was a thought we had and we were advised that finches find safely in height, this is why they like to nest high up in trees. Moving the nest may cause the parents to fear the placement, avoid the nest and essentially stop taking care of the babies. That would be bad.
Lots of people are asking if their is special baby finch food that should be used in these developmental weeks. I was also wondering this and as it turns out the only thing the babies really need is proper nutrients. The parents will eat and regurgitate food into the baby’s mouth. Some people recommend using “egg food” during this crucial time, I was unable to find egg food at the local pet store.
I have resorted to adding a vitamin supplement to the drinking water and I feed the finches their regular food (finch seed blend). This appears to be working great but the finches are eating 3 times more food than normal so I am dumping cracked seed and refilling quite often (3 times a day). We only fill the very bottom of the feeder dish with seed since the finches aren’t digging through the seed to find un-craked seeds to eat, they only eat from the top layer of food.
If you are looking for all the posts I’ve written about my baby finches, their progress and photos check this link! I’ll be posting more as they grown and develop!
I have baby finches right at my front door. Little mom and dad taking good care of them. I was happy to find your post. They are only 3 days old. There are three. You have been helpful. Thanks Wendy