FINCHforum

I am thinking of adding some fake foliage around the nest. I went to Joanne's Fabric Store yesterday and chickened out because I didn't know if they would try and eat it, And I am wondering if I should buy a specific type and if I need to do anything to it before adding it to the nest.

Thanks!

Hi Jennie,
I have artificial plants in my cages and I think they look great however the do come with some health warnings. Here are a couple of incidents I have had...
1) One of my young uns got a silk thread wrapped around his leg which he could remove. He ended up hanging upside down for I dont know how long. Luckily I got to him in time and there was no permanent damage done however I think others have had similar problems that didnt work out so well.
2) There are V joints in the plants where the birds can catch their feet and cause themselves damage.

In 12 months of keeping finches each of these incidents have happened only one.

The finches do chew them however it doesnt seem to do them any harm. Just like perches, strategic placing should be considered as a couple of mine are too near perches and are covered in poo lol!!!! I'm getting close to the annual cage cleaning task so will relocate a couple of the 'plants'.

Good luck

thanks Simon!

I have been using silks andplatic plants for years and have not had an issue with it. Secure it firmly to the corners up high, to the top of the cage. Some birds like to build in it..

I only use the plastic plants that can't come apart like the silk ones. We have a craft store called Michaels that has these long strands of greenery (sort of like a large garland). They are $15 each - I love them. I buy them and then cut them into multiple portions and use them in several areas.

Thanks ladies! I have a Micheal's store here too! I will buy some tomorrow.

I use the softer garland kind too, like Lisa has pictured. It has worked well for me.

I use a lot of greenery in my flight. I've never had any problems with the birds getting hung in them, though I guess there's always a first time. The ones I like best are some big bushy ivy ones I get from Hobby Lobby. They have stiffer wire and thicker branches than most so they can be bent out into nice springy perches. My societies love playing in them. I use their coupons so they aren't so pricey. However, I have used lots of different kinds.

They do get the poo treatment - especially with the notorious enthusiastically pooping societies. I just pull them out (the plants, not the birds - LOL) and soak them in a sink for a while in warm water, then swish them around, and it almost all comes off. Once in a while I might have to rub a leaf. Sometimes I put some vinegar in the water too. If I do that, they get a fresh water rinse after. A shaking outside the door and they're ready to go back in. They're still wet, but I figure outside birds land in wet bushes all the time and it does them no harm. Oh, and the sink gets a THOROUGH bleach scrub when this is over!

I would just be sure to avoid anything with bits that they could pull off - berries or fake stamens in flowers, anything like that.

I have been using the plastic only 'shrubbery' with my Owls and they love them. Some are aquatic plants that I drape from the ceiling of the flight and others are plastic grass and plastic spanish moss.
Listen to dcompt for the poo treatment. I think silk plants wouldn't stand up to it.
@dcompt - like your approach.

Actually those are silk plants I wash that way, and they survive just fine.

To clean my silks I use a mild solution of bleach and water, soak for 15 minutes, scru, rnse real well and set out in the sun to dry. The color holds up just fine. To spot clean in the flights and cages, use a bit of white vinegar on a clean paper towel or rag.

I like to use Green Christmas Decorations, you can find them real cheap right after Christmas. It looks like evergreen pine tree limbs. Sometimes you can find 25' or so for a couple of dollars and is a little stronger since is made of wires in the center so you can shape around the cage. Fake plastic plants and vine tend to be a little pricier.

Thanks Everyone!!!

I agree with Donna. I also have lots of fake ivy, and I buy only at Hobby Lobby. They often have 50% sale on fake plants and are way cheaper than Michael's or JoAnn's.

I avoid anything that's with berries, or too colorful to not attracts the birds attention to the fake plants too much. But I also have budgies and it's mostly them who might chew on the plants. The finches typically use them only for hiding and they love that.

I had an accident also with a bird getting caught in a plant, so that's the downside. But I still think the benefits outweigh the risk. You can't make your aviaries 100% accident free, unless you put your birds in a plain sterile box. And even then they would probably bang their heads against the wall....

When you clean the silk plants with bleach/water, doesn't it affect the color?

I have some artificial aquarium plants stored in a box (I also have aquariums, but I prefer to use live plants). I did not even think about using the artificial aquarium plants. I know they could handle the occasional clean with bleach/water.

Speaking of cleaning, does anybody use Simple Green?