FINCHforum

Hi guys,

Im really new to this forum and would really appreciate your advice.

My cousin is going on holiday for some time and has requested that I look after his Finch, I think its a male. Anyway, after observing him for a while, it appears that he just hops from perch to perch. It doesn't look like he is actually flying as much as he should be. This is my concern, I think this cage might actually be too small for him. The cage is about 1.5ftx1ftx8inches.

So I took a couple of the perches down so there is more flying room, leaving just one perch and a swing. So, this my concern. In addition, I dont want him to get bored so do you know of any boredom breakers for them. There is a small plastic bird with a bell in there. I would of liked to take him out but it might be a little tricky to get him back in due to his small size plus the area would have to be really safe and sealed.

It appears he has just been fed on a seed mix. I don't know which kind as the seeds are not in the original container.

What do you guys think?

Thanks

I think the cage is to small I use a cage like that to transfer my birds. Can you get a bigger cage like 30"x18"x18" that would be ideal or one a bit smaller. Any one of the white cages in the photo would work.

I agree.... too small. They need flying room. I also use one that size for travel....

If it were just going to be for a few days, I would say that would be okay, but longer definitely not. Is his cage not moveable?

Yeah, thanks guys. I knew it was too small! I mean, I haven't kept birds before myself, but I have a couple of hamsters, and when I put one in a smaller cage, I could tell he didnt like it.

Anybody know how much a bigger cage would be?? Say, 2 or 3 feet wide as mentioned above?

Local Petsmart or Petco has cages 30" for under $40. Don't know where you are located.

I agree with the others. I would say a minimum cage would be 24x16x16, but for myself, I use 30x18x18 or larger. Most finches are active little birds and need much more space than we would think. Pet shops are notorious for selling finch cages that are too small, and cage manufacturers are just as bad, stating that their little cages are 'perfect' for finches. Many newbies have bought those small cages because they were told they were the right size.

Petco has the white 30x18x18 cage for less than $40 IF you buy it online. In the stores, it's $50. The stores don't necessarily offer nor match the online prices. It's a very nice cage for the price.

Everyone has given you good advice on the cage requirements. A general rule with birds is bigger is better.

You don't see finches react to boredom like parrots, but you can entertain them with things like natural perching of varying diameter (not only flat dowls), the addition of safe to eat live branches, some fake plants for them to hide in… lots of arb things like bath, swings, cuttlefish bone and veg / fruit. Nothing like a friend to really cheer up a finch.
http://www.finchinfo.com/index.php is a link to a very useful site – the usual link it up on the top left of the forum pages.
You will find loads of general info on there for you to read up and learn about your new bird friends needs.

Great advice guys.

I have now switched my finch to a cage which is about 2.5ft x 1.5ft x 1.5ft.

I just put him into the new cage, and he seems a bit shy as he is just staying in one location (for about 30minutes). Most likely due to new surroundings, or maybe hes just tired.

Can anyone advise how long this will last for if this is normal?

I once bought a pair of finches that apparently had been in such small cages that they had to learn to fly rather than just flitter a foot or so! Now they are bouncing off of the walls and happy as can be. When I started out, I bought cages from garage sales and joined them together...worked great for little $.!

Oh. yes - also need to say as stated above - You Can Not Have One Finch. That is a terrible thing for that species

That is very nice of you to go buy a new larger cage for your cousins finch. It may take a while for it to get used to the new surroundings but it will be much appreciated.
As far as getting another finch I would let your cousin make that call. He will have to quarantine the new finch before putting them together and may not be prepared for that at the moment. What type of finch is it?