FINCHforum

Hi,

I have four zebra finches, one pair is currently raising their young. I recently put plastic plants in there just because I couldn't get my hands on any real plants. Now the mother finch has some kind of darker discoloration (a greenish-grey) on the edges of her beak where it looks like she has been chewing on the plants (I thought finches didn't chew on fake stuff, or even take an interest in it) but I'm not sure if that's it or if there is a nutrient problem? Also, if it is from the plants, do you think the residue oils or whatever it is that's rubbing off will affect the baby birds when the mother feeds them?

They said the plastic plants would be fine, but I'm not sure if the paints/oils will be toxic if the birds chew on them (and by chew, I just mean they quickly grab at it with their beak and try to pull it off with no success, so they're just rubbing their beaks along the surface of the leaves)

I might just switch them out with real plants, but let me know if I should worry about the toxicity of those plastic leaves

Thanks

If in doubt I would remove the plants....Then you know nothing will affect the little ones....My juvenile cage has silk type plants and they are always biting and pulling at them....I think it is just curiosity makes them check them out....They shred some down to the plastic center.....My other flight has pairs in it and they have removed some of the leaves to use in nest building.....

I also have a ton of fake silk plants in my aviary, mostly ivy. I don't use some that have berries or flowers on them, for fear they might eat those. With the ivy I never had a problem. The budgies chew off the leaves at their stems, I assume just out of curiosity and because they chew on everything. But the finches dont touch them.

Do you feed them green leaves like organic romaine? If not, I'd try that. I'm sure they'll figure out which leaves are really edible. Maybe they just crave greens?

I agree though, if in doubt remove them. But if your birds are chewing the fake plants they will chew real ones and you have to be very careful what type you put in.

Forgot to mention also: I thoroughly wash the silk plants before putting them in and soak them in water with vinegar to get rid of possible sprays that are on there.

If you are using not silk but real thick plastic plants, I would probably not use them. Especially if they do look as if paint could come off.

Ursula wrote:I also have a ton of fake silk plants in my aviary, mostly ivy. I don't use some that have berries or flowers on them, for fear they might eat those. With the ivy I never had a problem. The budgies chew off the leaves at their stems, I assume just out of curiosity and because they chew on everything. But the finches dont touch them.

Do you feed them green leaves like organic romaine? If not, I'd try that. I'm sure they'll figure out which leaves are really edible. Maybe they just crave greens?

I agree though, if in doubt remove them. But if your birds are chewing the fake plants they will chew real ones and you have to be very careful what type you put in.

Forgot to mention also: I thoroughly wash the silk plants before putting them in and soak them in water with vinegar to get rid of possible sprays that are on there.

If you are using not silk but real thick plastic plants, I would probably not use them. Especially if they do look as if paint could come off.

Ursula,
I have plastic ivy on the outside of the cage to help with privacy and my Society and GS's keep pulling at them. I am not sure if they are trying to eat them or not because I give them fresh Romaine lettuce daily with other veggies and seed/pellet mix, plus eggfood. They may be curious or bored, IDK. LOL.

I do have silk and plastic and I have had no problems.
I do give them a good wash and rinse before placing them in the aviary, but I think they are too hard for them to chew (unlike some silk ones)