FINCHforum

Out running errands, stopped in at local pet store because we were right there. They are having a sale on all the birds. We finally got Lily the budgie, who has had to live alone since her prolapse, a companion, a mostly yellow recessive-pied female now named Buttercup.

But, everyone else is on sale, they have a pair of OCWB's for $55, and a pair of GBWB's for about $60. Not necessarily m-f pairs, just two birds, and since they were in the lowest of the stacked cages, I couldn't get down low enough to take a good look. They have a pair of silverbillsfor $80, and a pair of green singers for $115, tho I'm sure they were two males, one was smaller but had barely any grey on the chest/neck, the other bigger and bright yellow chest.

We have been eyeing the OC's forever. And GB's when they had them. Having space problems, we have cages, but running out of room to put them in. Wondering if they will squeeze out of a petco cage, or another 1/2" bar-spacing cage, do they really need 3/8's inch, or is that only if they have babies? (we have cats and a dog. cannot have escapees. had one once, she had been eaten before we even realized she was gone.)

So we keep going back and forth, OC's or no OC's, GB's or no GB's, OC's and GB's or no OC's and GB's.

They would live happily with Societies, right? what about Spices? Considering new, bigger cage combos rather than a separate cage.

oh what to do, oh what to do... finchaholic teetering on the edge, here....

Those are really good prices on the OCWB and the GBWB. However, I was just talking to a friend yesterday, she was in her bird room, and one of her GBWB squeezed right through the bars of a 1/2" cage and was loose in the room. Right in front of her, she saw it happen. The problem with the 1/2" bar spacing on those Petco cages is that the bars are so flexible, not like the HQ cages that have a more rigid bar. I keep my GBWB in mesh cages, 1" x 1/2", and they don't get out of those. You would have the same problem with the OCWB.

Good to know that about the petco cages. Mine seem fairly sturdy, but they've never been put to the test.

We also have a Visions Large cage, the gaps at the corners worry me but I could fill them in with fake vines & leaves. But the bars are 1/2", tho much sturdier than the petco or other lightweight cages.

My societies are in a home made cage of 1/2"x1/2" mesh, once they were done with quarantine the OC's could share with them, and we have one twice the size half-made out in the garage, just waiting for rearranging of house to occur to make room for it.

Quarantine always happens in one of the bedrooms of the house, which have screen doors on them to keep the cats out (because one of the cats eats tulle and sheers and such. Eats. Yes, bites off, chews, swallows, big chunks & things gone. psycho.) So if they got out during quarantine, despite the recovery problem, they'd at least be safe from cats & dog.

But if I buy more birds, then I have less space to breed any of my birds, as so far I have found no outlet for excess babies I might raise (which is why no one is breeding just quite yet). Chain stores won't take them, and the two private stores in town are not places I'd ever consider giving a bird to. ever.

I need a bigger house. I need a bird's house. And I guess I need to become a licensed pet store so I can sell off the babies on my own, making sure that people knew what they were getting into and how to take proper care and all.

Good info folks. Thanks! Gold breasted waxbills are the birds I want next. Wish my local pet stores carried them. Some people are so lucky!!

I would say that the OCWBs are the most trouble free birds I've ever owned. Super easy to care for and keep healthy. They thrive on seed and very little else. (Not that I don't try to offer them other fresh goodies) They also love to chew on sprouted grass. Haven't got them to breed, but then again I haven't tried too hard. May not even be a true pair. That price isn't cheap for around here, but if it's a good deal up your way, go for it. Had my pair for nearly six years. Bob

If they weren't on sale, at this store they'd be $70 for the pair of OC's and I think $80 or $90 for the pair of GB's. The only other place I've seen OC's is a store an hour away where they would be $80 for a pair. (Yes, we stop in and look for birds wherever we go. we are obsessed. I got hubby addicted, too.)

Would a pair of OC's and a pair of GB's happily share a single cage? Or would the 4 birds in one cage thing create problems? It's my birthday next week, and so there is justification for this addition to our flock.

You could try sharing a cage with a pair of OCWB and a pair of GBWB. I have put RB Fires and GBWB together and they have gotten along. Just make sure you have a backup plan in case they don't work out as cage mates. Normally, you want 2 or 6+ in a cage, but as long as the cage is big enough and you provide some plastic plants for hiding spaces, it should be OK with 4.

As you are deciding about orange cheeks versus gold breasts, you might like to know that the male gold breast likes to sing his smoke alarm-like, very loud and piercing song in the dark, very pre-dawn hours during the breeding season -- in very similar fashion to the male strawberry finch. My husband was not a fan.
When the male eventually died of old age several years ago, I chose not to replace him, despite his beautiful "cheeto-like" colors. I still have the little female, and she is quiet and pretty, and hangs out with an unpaired fire finch friend now. The orange cheeks are easy, active, chipper little birds with a pleasant, relatively quiet vocalization. They are fun to watch as they flit around and perch at odd angles, cocking and flicking their little tails like wrens. Mine became little acrobats hanging from a swinging bunch of dried grass seed heads, working them over for the seeds in them.

debbyloo, good to know. No one in the house is very fond of predawn animal noises, feathered or furry; good thing we love these sometimes annoying creatures so much.

Sally, you said that they can squeeze through the somewhat flexible 1/2" bars of a petco cage, do you or anyone else know if there is the same problem with the Prevue cage of the same size (30x18x18), it says it has 3/8" bars, which is smaller, but if it is also a bit flimsy and flexible, is it any better?

Or can anyone suggest a better cage that is big enough, but reasonably priced? Or a bigger cage that would be good, that I could put either Societies or Spices together in there with them? Both of those should mix okay, right?

Hubby keeps saying he wants to get me the OC's for my birthday, and it is getting harder to resist. Hmmmm....OC's or a new bathrobe? Gee, what a choice....

Also, would OC's and Owls get along okay, in a big enough cage?

Hubby loves Owls, not that we've seen any owls anywhere near us yet, but someday I'd love to get him his owls. So if we could get a bigger cage and mix oc's and owls, that would be good for both of us.

yeesh, it is so bad when both of you are finchaholics....