FINCHforum

Hello everyone.

As some probably saw, I've downsized a lot in the past months from between 40 and 50 birds at any one time to, currently, fourteen birds. This has been a result of some changing circumstances, reduced time, and reduced available finances for bird care causing me to reconsider my large population in favor of a smaller one I can put all of my resources into keeping to the best of my ability. I never neglected my flock - they were always spoiled, I'd say, but I did find myself loathing daily maintenance, putting things off, and worried about that progressing to a level I would not be okay with. So I found some really good homes, with some really good people, and I let a lot of the birds go. It was tough, to pick and choose, but I knew they'd be well taken care of, and I knew when all was said and done, I'd be happier. It was a fun era, but I got in over my head.

I am happy I decided to downsize. Fourteen birds is a definite improvement work-wise, cost-wise, and all around has improved my enjoyment of the bird hobby again by a wide margin. While I enjoyed it while I was doing it, I realized that the amount of birds I had collected previously had slowly but surely outgrown my means, and I had overdone it a bit. With just over a dozen now, things are a lot more manageable.

However, for the past few days again, I'm still not sure this is what I really want.

Six cages, six pans of litter, is still a bit of a pain in the butt to keep clean every morning. Six daily plates of fresh food is still a chore. As I find myself with less and less time as I've grow older and things have changed (I am now nineteen and first got into finching when I was sixteen and with virtually no other responsibilities, and I live with relatives who until recently assisted in my providence for the birds' needs but are no longer able), I wonder if I should downsize even further. Possibly, to find homes for all of my finches.

I do like my finches - currently, reduced to just three societies, a pair of canaries, and two waxbills - but I'm just not feeling the same spark of joy I used to with them nowadays. The diamond doves too, which for the longest time I couldn't wait to get my hands on. Perhaps I've been spoiled by my tame birds, my lovely three budgies and my cockatiel, with whom I can interact and form a real bond, that the finches or the diamond doves, ever wild, just aren't appealing to me on the same level they once did. I wonder if at this point in my life I'd be happiest with just a few tame pet birds, not an aviary or a world-class collection to rival the local zoo. The idea of just a single flight with a couple of cockatiels and a trio of budgies all happy to come out and actually enjoy my presence as much as I do theirs, a single cage tray to clean and but one enclosure to worry about keeping tidy is a very enticing thought as of late, I'll admit. I also have to begin to think about the future. Right now I live with family, and I won't always live with family. I am young with a lot ahead of me in life, presumably. It will be a lot easier to have just one cage and a few pets to worry about when it comes time to move and find my own place than it would be with 40 birds, or even now, with still six different large cages. I figure there will always be time again to get back into the hobby later on.

But I feel bad thinking of rehoming my final little birds, nonetheless. I still carry a fondness for them, but at times they feel like more of a chore than a joy anymore - even with only a few of them.

Feeling a little conflicted right now I suppose. I thought fourteen would be the perfect number, but I'm truly wondering if I'd be happiest with just my companion birds, and to pass the wheel and now let someone else experience the joy my little singing folk once brought me. I just can't shake the idea that I'm abandoning them like outdated software or old toys, I suppose, especially since some, like the waxbills, I've had for only such a short while, and that leaves me hesitant to let the final few go...

Sheather

At least you are honest with YOURSELF, and thats the best place to start.

If you need to re-home more of the birds in order to focus on the ones you feel more bonded with, then I would do so.

The birds will be happier for it.

Sheather

Ahh Dylan..... growing up is difficult at times, isn't it ? You are showing a level of maturity beyond your years.

I hope that this is what you really want, not just what you feel you have to do, because of family obligations. However, if this really is what will make you happy, then go for it. When a beloved hobby becomes a chore, than it's time to let it go.

When people (family Included) poke fun at me and my bird hobby (craze), I always say: Look, I enjoy my birds, and if ever I stop enjoying them, then I will rehome them. End of story!

It would appear that you are to that point now.

All the best

Thanks you both.

It's somewhat both, Elana, it would give me that much more time to spend with my parrot pals, but I also think it may be necessary anyway not too far down the line, and perhaps something I should do sooner, when I can go slow and make sure they only go to really good owners, rather than later in a rush.

It is something I will keep thinking about. There is no rush now, but if someone comes along whom I know would get more joy from them, maybe I will let some of them go with them, and focus on my sweet hookbills. Until that time comes along, I will care for the bunch as per usual.

Sheather

It's funny isn't it, you discovered that you enjoy hookbills better, while I discover more and more that I enjoy finches better than hookbills.

If I could gift you Freebie and Opie, I would gladly do so. You seem to have a real knack with them, where I feel more of a connection with my other guys.

Goodnight

I agree with you 100%! do what you think is best for you and your future.... I'm sure a lot of nice people will take you birdies in!

Sounds like you've thought it out very well. If having companion birds is more your thing then that is what you should do. You can always get back into finches. When your more settled and on your own you'll know how much time and space you have available to include other varieties if need be.
For now I say enjoy what you like, if many cages and finches are becoming a chore and not as enjoyable, it may be time to let it go.

good luck in whichever you choose

I know how you feel. I want so many more birds, I even have a couple of extra cages, but I don't want to be bogged down with cleaning. I used to have the linnies and canaries in one large flight, but when the linnies started breeding in earnest, I found it stressful (I don't think the birds really cared ). At the time my dad gave me a large double breeder, which happened to be the right size to stack on top of the other cage, so it was actually more convenient for me to separate them. Everyone told me to get rid of the canaries (and doves) but I really enjoy having "finches" , although I've always preferred hookbills and if it came down to just one they would win. Perhaps two cages...hookbills and finches will be your happy medium too.

I consolidated some of the cages today - the societies and waxbills went together and the diamond doves joined the canaries with my ringneck dove moving into their out-of-the-way hanging cage, so I could fold down the very ungainly and difficult to clean dog crate he'd been in. They are getting on okay in their new accomodations. That will make cleaning a bit quicker yet and has opened up the room a lot.

lovezebs

I think I am going to sell my canaries and my diamond doves for now, but there will be no urgency if a perfect home takes a while. I want to adopt a second cockatiel in the future, and would like to be able to focus more attention on the parrots in general without more than a few cages to worry about keeping tidy. That will leave three societies and two orange-cheeks finch-wise, each in a flight. I don't think I could part with my societies on a sentimental level, these last three are just too special to me, and the orange-cheeks are just such beautiful little birds, and uncommon enough I do feel I'd regret selling them. They are a true pair and been working a nest off and on, and though I don't have high expectations, it would sure be something if they were to breed, especially in a cage.

The canaries just seem genuinely unhappy lately, they are not adapting well to cages, and are starting to bicker with each other (which never happened before), and they can't be let out to fly like the others are because they simply will not go back to them on their own and catching them is so stressful. I really think they'd do better in an aviary again, or at least larger flights than I have to offer right now, and that's what I will look into for them.

I don't know how you do it Elana, with so many huge cages to keep clean every day. It was one thing when my guys all flew in the room, and I just cleaned the room. It was a ton of work but honestly seemed less so than a bunch of cages every day! How many finches do you have now?

Sheather

It is time consuming Dylan, I'll admit to that.

Some days when I feel energetic (like a speeding turtle) I can breeze through it. Other days, when I'm dragging (like a sickly hare) due to one reason or another, it takes me a long time. That's ok though, I need something to keep my mind and hands occupied, and my pets do a grand job keeping me busy. I don't know what I would do without them.

You ask how many finches I have now...... You know, to be honest with you, I'm not exactly 100% sure. As you know, there has been some sad losses, and some new feathered kids have come my way, and some youngsters have been sold. I would have to do a beak count .

Good luck with your decision.

Aw, so difficult.

I'm a firm believer that your animals should be a source of joy; they shouldn't seem like a chore. And if they DO seem like a chore, then something needs to change.

But giving up your babies is MUCH easier said than done! I do know that. In fact, I've never given up any of "my" babies - only fosters and other similarly temporary residents, whom I always knew were bound for another forever home.

My advice would be to follow your heart. You know what's best for them; and if what's best is to rehome a few more, then so be it.

I will say that one of the reasons I"m attracted to finches is the fact that they don't have an insanely long lifespan of 20-30 years, so if I did find myself in a situation where I'm close to capacity, it would be simple enough to just halt new acquisitions and allow the flock to shrink naturally over time.

It's just a matter of finding the right balance for you as an individual, I think. And finding a routine and set up that allows you to streamline the care process.

That may be another area to look into - your care routine. There are ways to cut down on the time you spend caring for them. Lots of little things (like I used to cut up the cucumbers into tiny beak-sized bits....then one day, I gave them big slices and they ate them just fine! So I saved 10 min a day just on cutting up cucumbers!

Similarly, I used to spend a lot of time pulverizing eggshells. Then, I saw a photo of someone's cage here on the forum and they'd put the entire eggshell as-is into the cage. I gave it a try and they love it! No pulverizing required, so that's maybe 15 min a week cut out.

So little things like that can make a big difference.