BREEDS & THEIR NEEDS
Bengalese Finches
A good easy-to-keep "Starter Finch" for Novices and Beginners

This information was provided by Molly and John Eldridge, Club Members from Scotland.
Molly has bred Gouldians and Bengalese for many years. She has Won and been well placed in 
many prestigious Shows with her Bengalese and Gouldian Finches 
both in Scotland and England, so is an expert in her own right.

Fawn & White	Chocolate	Fawn & White

THE BREED

• The Bengalese is a "man-made" hybrid originating from China where they put combinations of
  Manakins together to eventually produce what we now recognise as the Bengalese.
• They are approx. 3" in size
• They are quiet and very sociable.
• They mix well with other Finches of similar size and temperament
   
• Don't put in with Cockatiels or Lovebirds or anything similar. 
• Lovebirds, in particular, have been known to nip the legs off small finches.
   
• They tend to be used extensively for fostering other Finches/Waxbill's Eggs and Chicks
• They foster chicks only if/when they have their own chicks in the nest of similar age to the ones to be put
  in with them).
• They tend to live approx. 5 - 6 years.

HOUSING

• They are quite hardy and can winter-out, if given a well-covered, sheltered Aviary and free access to a  Frost-free Shelter/shed.
• Most people prefer to house them in cages, in well-lit sheds.

FEEDING

• Their staple diet is large white Millet, with pinhead oatmeal and Millet Sprays.
• They tend NOT to eat much or any fruit and Veg.  Altho' they do seem to relish Broccoli.
• They require constant access to Cuttle Fish, mineralised/oystershell Grit and water.

HABITS

• They are a similar to a canary, in that they love to Bathe, so must be give constant access to either a bath or a dish big enough to bathe in but not so big to put them in danger of drowning, esp. if youngsters in the Aviary/Cage.

COLOURS

• Fawn & White :  Brown & White  :  Chocolate & White  :  Chocolate/Grey  : 
  Chestnut & White  :  Dilute  :  Self Chocolate  :  Self Chestnut  :  Self Grey  :  Self Fawn  : 
  Whites with Dark eyes.

SEXING

• They are Di-morphic - i.e. both sexes look very similar - not easy to sex visually.
• They can be sexed by the cock singing once they mature.
• They Mature around 7 months, after they have gone thru their first Juvenile Moult.
• They can breed any time after they have gone thru the above moult but it would be preferable to wait until they are at least 1year old.

BREEDING

• Once they are between 7months and 1year + you can pair them up.
• You should provide an Open Fronted Nest box approx. 4" x 5" with a 2" gap for entry at the Front.
• Provide them with a 2-3" wadge of Coconut Fibre in the Nest box.  They will then pull it all apart and make themselves a ball-shaped nest.
• They lay between 5 - 6 eggs. 
• Unlike Canaries, where you replace each egg as it's laid with a pot egg until the 4th egg is due before putting all the real eggs back.  This ensures all the chicks hatch together.
   
• With the BENGALESE  you DON'T TOUCH THEIR EGGS - Ever!!!!
  •  i.e. do not remove any to replace with Pot eggs as you would with a Canary
     
• They don't start to incubate until the last egg is laid
  • - so that removes the worry about the difference in size when the chicks hatch
  • - which is why you remove canary eggs so that they all hatch together.
• This way the eggs will start to hatch approx. 14 days after the LAST EGG is laid. 
• This is their way of ensuring most if not all their chicks will hatch together.
• The cock and hen tend to sit in the nestbox together during incubation.
• One pair only per cage for breeding. 
• If you leave them to their own devices in the Aviary they tend to squabble amongst themselves
  and the chances of losing eggs are high!
   
• CAGE SIZE:   approx.  (3ft long 12" wide and 15" high minimum)
   
• Once the chicks have hatched - provide EMP or similar Egg food 1 - 3 times per day.
  • incl. supplements (Daily Essentials 3 sprinkled over the top of the moist egg food and mixed in).
  • Read instructions on supplement tubs to make sure you do not OVER-supplement!

FLEDGING

• They tend to Fledge approx 20 days and will be out of the nest perching at approx. 28 days.
• They are independent approx. 14 days after Fledging - make sure they are eating adequately, before even considering removing the youngsters to separate quarters.

RINGING

• Close rings Size :  E  
• (same size as a Fife Canary) can be put on approx. 10 days old. 
• Split plastic rings, size XCS    - can be fitted at any time after 10 days old to Adult. 
  • Split rings are a better option if the parents could be prone to abandoning chicks
  • if interfered with or you don't want to risk bothering the nest.