Zebra Finch Help

Laura · Post by **Laura** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 11:53 pm

I'm Laura and I come from an animal-loving family. In my life, I've had dogs, birds, rabbits, chickens, and fish. Now, I have 4 hamsters and will be getting 2 zebra finches in the late spring/early summer. I am very excited, but do have some questions.

I will be getting 2 finches of the same gender. (Obviously, I don't want them to breed.) Would you tell me which gender, male or female, of finches will be better? I would rather have males but am afraid that they will fight regarding territorial issues. Is this true?

I'm also considering of buying this cage for them:

http://www.petco.com/product/100285/Pre ... escription

Does anyone have it? Does it work well?
Even if you don't own it, do you think that 30"X18"X18" is large enough?

How often must you do a thorough cleaning of the finch cage? Also, when you do, how do you take the finches out to clean their cage? Where do you put them during this time?

Lastly, I'm very concerned about owning finches and using PTFE. Will this affect my finches greatly? If so, how can I prevent it, without disposing of the pans?

I do realize that finches are pets that do not like to be handled and are timid. However, is it good to let them out into a small enclosure, such as a bathroom, for daily flight? Or do they stay in their cages everyday of their lives?

williep · Post by **williep** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 3:26 am

Hi Laura,

I'm sure you will enjoy your finches. Let’s see if I can help you with a couple of your questions.

Two male zebs housed alone should be OK, finches are social birds and enjoy each others company. In the non breeding season I always keep my males together and my females together to prevent fighting. Just watch out for aggressive behavior as some Zebras are just naturally more aggressive.

The cage you are looking at looks fine, but I would say it is the bare minimum size for 2 finches.

I clean my breeding cages one a week, the pull out tray below your cage makes it easier to clean, but at least once a month I would clean the entire cage.

I wouldn’t let the finches fly around in a bathroom or any room, it causes too much stress to catch them every time and re-catch them, also a new environment might cause them to panic and fly into windows and walls

FeatherHarp · Post by **FeatherHarp** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 7:12 am

Hello Laura...how fun to be getting some finches....I am sure you will be a great finch mom. Sounds like you have done some research and are pretty much ready!

It is so hard to wait once you know you are getting some isn't it?

I have 2 male Zebra brothers and they have been getting along just fine with each other and my 2 Gouldians. But I know others are having quite a time with their agressive Zebras. So you will just have to keep an eye on them and see if they get along. I like the males cause they are more vocal...they sure make tons of noise for just the 2 of them...lol.

Using pans with PTFE is of great concern when you have birds. If you can at least keep the birds as far away from the kitchen as possible and make sure to use the pans under a good stove fan that exhausts the air to the outside while cooking with them. Otherwise the stuff will migrate everywhere into the house and endanger your birds.

Post by **Sally** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 10:26 am

Hi, Laura - the cage you are looking at will work for a pair of finches, but no more. One suggestion I would make is that you don't use the perches that come with it. They run the length of the cage, and you want to encourage your birds to fly the length. I would either get a couple of 18" perches to put at either end of the cage, or just cut some branches from a shrub in your yard to use.

I am also not fond of the cups that come with those cages, they are a little deep for finches, and the birds tend to jump down inside the cups. I would recommend a seed hopper, as it hangs on the outside so doesn't take away from space for the birds, and small treat cups for other foods.

I agree with williep, I don't let my birds out, at least not on purpose. I think I scare them more by trying to catch them than by reaching in their cage to clean.

Laura · Post by **Laura** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 6:17 pm

Everyone here is so nice, welcoming, and knowledgeable! Thank you! Oh, and FeatherHarp, I did do a lot of research..thanks! I'm ready for the zebs anytime!
~~~
I will be getting 2 male zebras, because of their ability to sing, as FeatherHarp has mentioned.

Since the cage seems to be just a minimum, does anyone know of quite a roomy cage that doesn't cost a fortune? Also, I will not let the finches fly around. I just thought that they would like the freedom. Silly me.

To my concern of PTFE, I will keep the birds in the farthest room from the kitchen. I will also open the door to our backyard, the kitchen window, and living room window. Will this be safe enough?

Lastly, I still need to know how to take the birds out to clean their cages monthly...and where to put them at this time.

FeatherHarp · Post by **FeatherHarp** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 7:08 pm

Laura.....I use the term "sing" loosley when referring to Zebra finches.....they don't have a nice melodic tune so to speak. My hubby likens the sound they make to non-stop squeaky toys...lol!

Post by **Sally** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 10:58 pm

This is an excellent cage for 2-6 finches, depending on the species. It is heavyweight, easy to clean, and is on rollers, so it can be moved to clean underneath. The best feature is that it has a removable grate, so it can be cleaned easily, or not even used at all if you wish. It is also very attractive inside the house.

www.hqbirdcages.com/hq_flight_cage/

This is the economy version of that size cage, but it does not come with a stand--if you want one, it has to be ordered separately. This is a perfectly good cage for 2-6 finches, it is lightweight, and its biggest drawback is the fact that the bottom grate is not removable, making it harder to keep clean.

www.birdandcage.com/flight.html#2480

Both these cages are available from many sources, and these are not necessarily the best prices at the moment. I just gave those references so you could see the cages. It pays to really shop around with cages, as there can be quite a difference in price. Many cages are available on eBay, but you have to feel comfortable about the seller. When you decide on a cage, post it on the forum--perhaps someone will know where you can get the best price.

As far as the Teflon pans, the birds that are in my house are in my second bedroom, with the door closed. However, it is a small house, so it is not that far from the kitchen, and the doors have a gap of at least 1" at the bottom, and I have not had a problem. I think where you get in trouble is if you overheat the pan, so fumes are released.

If you want to take the birds out completely while you clean the cages, you could get a small travel cage, or just any small cage, that would also work as a hospital cage--double duty. I have most of my birds in breeding cages, and I don't want to disturb them, so I don't have the floor grates in, then I can just scrub the tray when needed, and I never take those birds out to clean the cage. If I need to clean perches, I just remove them, one at a time.

Laura · Post by **Laura** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 12:07 am

FH, I understand what zebs sound like because I listened to a recording of them. I do realize that canaries are much better singers but I do love finches.

Sally, those cages are very nice, however are a little too pricey. My mom would go berserk. Are there any affordable ones that can fit 2-3 zebs comfortably?

I'm very happy to hear that you have not had a problem with the PTFE. I've read so much online of birds getting killed because of it and it has scared me quite a bit. My house is neither large nor small, about 1200 sq. ft. The gaps underneath our doors are about 1 cm, so I'm sure they'll be safe. However, my mom cooks on HI quite a lot, but we don't know how many degrees HI really is. Will it be safe?

Lastly, I will just leave them in their cage whilst cleaning. I guess it's much easier to just scrub the pan, toys, perches, etc. with the birds in it.

Post by **Sally** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 12:28 pm

Laura, I completely understand about the price considerations. That cage you have checked out at Petco is on sale right now for $33.97. I'm sure that doesn't include shipping. I can't find the same cage or anything similar online for less than $50 including shipping, so that might be the best deal, at Petco.

The other thing, since you aren't in any hurry, is to check out bird marts in your area. It is so hard to get info on these things, there just isn't enough advertising about them. I just went to one and a vendor was selling that same Petco cage for $25! See if you can find out if there are any bird clubs in your area, also. If you have craigslist in your area, you could do a posting that you are looking for a certain size and type cage, and see if you get any leads.

Laura · Post by **Laura** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 6:07 pm

That you very much Sally, and everyone else too! You are all so wicked awesome.

Actually, when I was researching about birds, I came across a section about Bird Marts. That's when I thought I would check it out. The next bird mart is April 6, and I might be able to catch that one in time, but that's the only one. And yes, they do have cheap prices there, but the irony is that you do have to pay $7 to get in, so add that to the $25 and you get $32. Still cheaper than getting it off Petco or any other place, though!

Do craigslist want ads cost anything? I want to be prepared for it.

Post by **Sally** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 6:39 pm

craigslist ads are completely free, all you have to do is post something. Bird Marts are dangerous, though, because I always come home with more than what I had planned to get! But so much fun!

Laura · Post by **Laura** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 6:54 pm

Thank you!
Oh, and I totally understand where you're coming from there! Haha.

But I do have yet ANOTHER question..

My family will be going to Disneyland for spring break. We will absolutely not be getting the finches before this time, so I don't have to worry about them while I leave, but...

just in the case that I go on vacation some other time, how many days can finches be alone? Will I have to get someone to care for them when I'm gone?

Post by **Sally** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 7:02 pm

It is always best if you can have a friend check on them while you are on vacation, but the less they have to do, the better. That's one reason I like the seed hoppers, too. For two finches, they will probably hold about a week's worth of seed. Water is a little harder. If you can teach your birds to use a water bottle, that would be good--otherwise, you would need the water changed out more often. If you are still in school, maybe you could have a good friend keep the cage at their house while you are gone, so there would be some supervision by a parent, too.

Laura · Post by **Laura** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 7:08 pm

I think it'll be much better if I teach my birds how to use a water bottle. And by water bottle, you mean the water bottles that hamsters use, correct?

Do you know how to teach finches to drink from a water bottle? Or any site that does?

Post by **Sally** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 7:18 pm

It's similar to the hamster bottle. Has a little ball at the end that releases the water. I haven't used them myself, but I know others have, so maybe someone will post how they got their birds to use the bottle.