Housing Question From An Absolute Beginner

[kagejs]

Hi everyone,

First post for me here. My wife and I are interested in getting some finches, but I have some questions that hopefully you can help me with before we make the plunge. Any help would be appreciated.

I should start off by saying that we have no desire to breed finches. We don't have enough time, space, or the inclination to take this on, so our interest is rather one-sided. With that in mind, my first question is whether or not there is an alternative solution/product that we can get for where they can rest so we don't have to deal with a wicker basket and straw bedding material. Is there something else we can use that won't involve the straw mess?

[L in Ontario]

Hello and welcome! If you don't want the birds to breed - then do not give them a nest. Easiest and cleanest solution! Birds do not need a nest to be happy and healthy.

Sooo... what kind of finches were you thinking of getting now that you do not have to think about any nesting problems or mess!?

[franny]

They will be absolutely fine just roosting on perches. Birds do NOT all need nests to sleep in. While many would like a nest, and would sleep in it if one is available, most do not sleep in nests in the wild, except when breeding. So I would say not to worry about providing a sleeping spot. Just a couple or three good natural branch type perches (depending on the cage size). Don't over fill the cage though - leave perches at either end, only, to encourage them to fly.

You could get some silk or plastic plants, that will give them some more perching/resting/hiding spots where they will feel a little more secure, and not so out in the open. Just don't put any nests in.

But my pair (both girls) just insist on perching at the front of the cage on the smallest perch, snuggled up to the wire right at the front! Even though I gave them plenty of perches and some plants to "hide" in.

If you do have girls, just be prepared to have to occasionally toss an egg... that's why many people who keep them just for pets, choose all male birds. Nice colour and song, and no worries about egg binding in hens.

Nice to see you doing your research before getting the birds. They are wonderful to watch, and very interesting little creatures, even when not breeding. My pair are best buddies, and preen (groom) each other all the time. As happy as a celibate pair of birds can be!

[kagejs]

Wow! You guys sure came back quick. Thanks so much for the replies. Not needing a nest area certainly takes some pressure off my mind in terms of what I need and how much mess it will create.

I am looking at this cage and am pretty sure the bars a close enough together so the finches won't escape: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.j ... Id=2754290. It's about as big as we can get given our living arrangements. We can't really go very big horizontally-speaking, so I'm opting for a bit higher so at least they have some options. I don't want to crowd them.

As for what kind of finches, I'm not 100% sure yet. I want two or three same-sex (again to completely rule out any breeding possibilities).

[franny]

..I am looking at this cage and am pretty sure the bars a close enough together so the finches won't escape: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.j ... Id=2754290. It's about as big as we can get given our living arrangements. We can't really go very big horizontally-speaking, so I'm opting for a bit higher so at least they have some options. I don't want to crowd them.

As for what kind of finches, I'm not 100% sure yet. I want two or three same-sex (again to completely rule out any breeding possibilities).

I hate to say it, but I think that the cage you are looking at may not be suitable for some finches, for a couple of reasons. I don't know what the gap is between the bars is, but since they claim it is suitable for parakeets, I would think it is wider than 1/2". Most likely it's 5/8". This is too wide, and any species of finches could get their heads through the gap, or worse, squeeze out. I would say 1/2" is the maximum gap you want.

The other reason is that it is a bit small. Even though it is fairly tall, the horizontal space is also very important for finches. They may be small, but they need room to fly, if you want them to be happy and healthy. If you put two perches in that size cage, the birds can pretty well hop from end to end without room to actually fly between perches. According to the Finch Information Centre cage size calculator:
http://www.finchinfo.com/housing/cage_s ... ulator.php
you might be able to put a pair of finches in there, but no more.

In any case, often keeping 3 birds can be worse than 2, because 2 will buddy up, and one may be picked on. Though this is less likely with same sex. I think if you could go with one that is just a bit bigger (30" cage) you might be ok with 3 in it, and it would easily accommodate 4 finches.

As height is not as important, you could go with one like this:
http://www.wctropicalbird.com/cages/fli ... %20med.htm

But for best viewing of your birds, I like a bit taller, too:
http://www.wctropicalbird.com/cages/fli ... %20lrg.htm

While these cages don't look as decorative as the one you were looking at, once you add some natural perches and fake plants, and of course some colourful birds, it will be a beautiful sight to behold!

[DVBourassa]

You didn't mention a location. If at all possible I recommend going to a bird fair. You can find a cage for a lot less money than at petsmart. My local bird fairs have 30x18x18 inch cages for around $20 and you can get 30x18x36 for not much more.

[ac12]

I would caution the odd number.
Even with same sex, they will pair up, and one will be left out. And that one may be picked on by the others.

Be VERY careful at stores. Some clerks at the big chain stores have NO IDEA how to tell male from female. My first pair was "supposed" to be 2 males. We found out one was a female when I found eggs in the nest. Having said that, some bird (such as society finches) are VERY difficult to determine their sex in the store. I had to bring the society finches home and watch them for hours to see if they sang. If they sing, then it is a male.

[B CAMP]

kagejs
Welcome to the forum ,if you fill in your profile with where you live it makes it a lot easier to answer questions sometimes ,have you checked out the finch information center there is a lot of good reading there
http://www.finchinfo.com/index.php
That cage won't work well for finchs,ok for parrakets as they climb more than fly.If you get a wider cage so they can fly ,by the time you put some plastic plants or ivy and the looks of the finchs you can make it look good

[kagejs]

I measured the bars and they are exactly 1/2" apart. I simply don't have that much space to play with and tried to find the biggest cage that didn't completely take over the room (living room). The ad that comes with the cage says it's suitable for finches. Not trying to defend the cage, per se, I'm just relaying information.

I did end up buying the cage on the way home. I can certainly return it for something else if everyone screams at me to do so , but again it's about space.

Here are some pictures of what I had in mind.









I tried to leave as much empty space as possible. I put the food stuff on one side so they wouldn't poop on their food. I put a bar near the bath so they could easily get to it. I put a ring with a bell at the top in case they liked to be even higher.

I will also have either a cuttlefish dispenser in between the food and water dispensers, or another round, metal bowl in between that I can put the cuttlefish and millet.

And I'm perfectly fine with only having two finches and not an odd number.

Does this still seem like it's too small?

[Sally]

That cage measures 24x18x33. The biggest drawback I see with that cage is that it was designed for hookbills, with the top opening up like that. You would have no use for that feature, as even if you choose to let your birds fly free in the room and then return to the cage, finches don't cooperate like that, and you would have a time trying to close the arch top once (if) they returned to the cage. And you are definitely paying for that feature.

The ads on many cages say they are for finches, but that is because they are trying to sell cages. Unfortunately, not many cage manufacturers cater to the finch crowd--we are always having to make-do with what we can find. This is why many who can do so, build their own cages.

If you could possibly fit a cage that is 30x18 on that table, here are a couple of cages that would be a lot more appropriate for finches, with a couple of natural branch perches, one at each end, instead of lengthwise like they show. As Bill said, decorate with a little fake ivy or plants, and they look a lot better. These also have a flat top, which allows you to lay a light on top of the cage, highlighting your birds. Also, there are cheaper prices at other sites, but many of them only sell by 2 or 4 to the case.

As others have said, trios usually don't work, except with Societies, but 2 males or 2 females would be fine. A lot depends on the species you decide to keep.

https://www.birdsupplynh.com/catalog/pr ... 13b155ba01

https://www.birdsupplynh.com/catalog/pr ... 13b155ba01

[Domenic]

I think two zebra finches could be very happy in that cage. Finches tend to perch at the highest possible place, so what I do is place the food at the bottom forcing them to move around more. My aviary is a bit taller than it it wide and my finches utilize all the height given to them, from top to middle to bottom. The big issue with tall cages is that a large amount of finches will get territorial over the highest perch or that the finches will become or obese or at least out of shape for not wanting to up and down. It is much easier for them to fly from side to side. Give them reasons to go up and down and they will.

[franny]

I think Domenic has a point. Give them reasons to use the height and they will. Feeders down low is good, in this case. I feed my birds treats on the bottom of the cage.

The only problem I have with the cage (other than being a bit small) is the way the door drops down from the top (meant to be a landing perch for budgies etc, who are allowed out for free flight). A better door would be one that slides up to open, then drops down automatically when you pull your hand out. Less chance for birds to escape. But it may not be a problem, as birds tend to fly up to get away, and they will have the room above the door to get away from the hand that feeds them.

If you only have Petsmart near you, this one is probably the best of all the ones they have. And if it's 1/2 inch it will be OK for most finches, except possibly the smaller waxbills. Would be fine for zebras, or society finches though. And societies are pretty laid back, so they will probably be OK in this size of cage, though not ideal. Definitely just stick with a pair though. And if you get societies, I'd get 2 boys! They will get along just fine, and they will sing and dance a funny little dance, too.

I hope you don't let all of us "jumping" on you discourage you from finches. You will love having them. And maybe someday you will be able to find the room for a larger cage. Or make one that will fit your space, while giving them more room. Also, I think a home made cage will be better for keeping in the inevitable scattering of seed husks and feathers.

Here's a link to the one I made - I have plexi glass around 3 sides of the cage, part way up, as well as a sheet of clear vinyl hanging on the back, so the wall behind stays clean, and it really helps to keep the mess in. It's really not that hard, and you will get what you want, and not have to settle for the limited types of cages you can find at the pet store.

http://www.finchforum.com/viewtopic.php ... 56&start=0