got a cage for free!

[Tony Biscuits]

i just received a cage from a friend, so that is one less thing i need to buy, which is great. its a hand-me-down, so i of course scrubbed every surface from top to bottom. it also came with 2 perches as well. what else would i need to buy for my birds? obviously something to put food and water in, the food its self, and the bedding for the bottom, what else should i have on hand for my birds?

[Ria]

Yay! Free is always the best price!

There are lots of things to consider for your little birds - an extra food cup to hold treats, perches of different size and materials to work their feet and keep nails trim, cuttlebone for calcium, dish for a bathtub, maybe a swing or bells to play with.

A small cage to use as a 'hospital cage' in case someone gets sick so you can keep them away from other birds. a small lamp to shine on the hospital cage for extra warmth.

goodness, there's a lot to keep our feathered friends well and comfy! I know others here will chime in with the stuff I've missed. Lol, beware Tony, you're starting on the path to finch addiction! Pretty soon you'll be a 'finchaholic' like the rest of us!

[debbie276]

YAY, free cage!!
What kind of finches are you thinking about getting?

[G8love4finches]

Looking forward to seeing what birds you choose!!

[Tony Biscuits]

thanks for the advice, i want to make sure my new friends are comfy and happy in their new home.

i was thinking about getting a couple zebras, but after lots of reading on this forum, i think they are going to make too much noise for me, so i am looking at other species. any suggestions?

[ac12]

Societies are much less noisy and easy to raise.

I suggest throwing away the used perches and making/buying new ones. It is very difficult or impossible to properly clean/disinfect wood, as it is porous.

[Tony Biscuits]

i didnt think about that Gary, good thinking. they did get pretty clean, but better safe than sorry. well i guess i will be adding a few new perches to the list.

i am thinking that it would be best to go with society finches, i have heard nothing but good things about them. my only issue with societies is that it can be hard to sex them. i have looked for breeders in my area, but just my luck, i cannot find any. and pet stores can be kind of unreliable about these sorts of things.

[can]

Societies are very nice and sweet birds. I have three males and I've never had a problem with them. Mined you, my orange-cheeked waxbill buddies-up with one of them, so works out to having 2 pairs. I don't like keeping odd numbers of finches, everyone should have a partner.

For perches, I would get at least one of the following: cement, fabic/rope and natural wood (that is bumpy). The cement is for their beaks and nails. Fabic/rope for a soft perch. And natural wood, so they can rest their feet in different positions.

As for finding Societies, you could look into adopting them from someone. Try craigslist or kijiji, or a local bird rescue.

Best of luck.

[FinchNerd]

You just want to put the essentials in the cage. Don't clutter it too much because you want to make sure they have some clear flight space from side to side. The more room to fly, the better. You can never have too much flight space. Also, consider a swing. Mine love theirs. Playing with the swing gives them lots of good exercise. They swing on it, climb on it, and even hang off the side and spin around.