FINCHforum

This has come up before, and I know I've told of cramming all kinds of plants in among lots of branch perches, and the fighting stopped. So here are some pictures of what I mean, as my "heavily planted" is different from what I've seen others do.

This is two petco finch flight cages with the ends removed and zip tied together, so despite the camera tricks, it's five feet long. I have 8 reasonably happy zebras in there, four males, four females. There are two swings as well as hanging 'swingable' vines, 3 food bowls-two raised, one at ground level, one bath jar (making a second this weekend, they really muck it up), one perching stone (native limestone from my yard), 3 cuttlebones, countless loose fake leaves for attempted nesting (that actually distracts them from picking on each other), and four perch complexes made from natural birch branches I collected, broken up into multiple zones and hidey-nooks by all the greenery. Lots of food sources, lots of places to perch without having to look each other in the face, and they live rather peacefully for zebras. And the cage has a clear pathway through the middle, so they can take advantage of the full five feet of length for flying. Having written this, now all hell will probably break loose on me tomorrow, but so far, this is working great. Even removed one pair for breeding, leaving two pair behind in there, no fighting, then re-integrated both the pair and their pair of chicks successfully, after adding yet more perching areas and greenery.

The cage overall. It sits on top of my budgies.



View from an end:


A section of from the front:


Down one end, showing how the greenery divides up the perch branch giving private zones:




The other end, there is a fawn female hiding in the back:


Perch in the middle back, it now has another branch added and a lot more greenery:


Miracle shot, seven of the eight are visible in one picture:

It looks great, hope it works and the stop fighting! Good luck with your breeding pair.

all 8 have been in there for a good month, so far, and the original six for several months before that, so, so far, so good!

That looks fantastic!! The more hiding spots for them to have quiet moments, the better. Good luck and all the best!

Nerien
Wow! Gorgeous and functional!!! Great job.

Nerien
I am going to be making a cage just like this when I re-organize my finches next week. The only difference is that my cages are black. I was planning on putting my 5 societies in it...but since its working for your 8 Zebs (with the added greenery of coarse) I may put my 3 male zebs and cut throat pair in it instead. Worst case, I can just turn it back into 2 cages again...

Worst case, I can just turn it back into 2 cages again...

Yup, that's what I had figured, is why the ends are still attached and just flipped up out of the way on top. Should probably take them off now. But have this feeling that as soon as I commit, they will decide it's time to cause trouble and I will need to split them up. Just don't trust their little featherbrains. After all, Lisa's know how to order and pay for things!

Yup, that's what I had figured, is why the ends are still attached and just flipped up out of the way on top. Should probably take them off now. But have this feeling that as soon as I commit, they will decide it's time to cause trouble and I will need to split them up. Just don't trust their little featherbrains. After all, Lisa's know how to order and pay for things!

Yeah, sometimes it's better to leave well enough alone. If it's working well as is, don't change a thing!

I used a piece of the heavy clear plastic to cover the gap, under the cage grids. Bent it so it sticks down into each tray to make sure it stays in place. Little bit annoying sliding trays back in and making sure it all sits together right, but does the job well. And for cleaning, it's plastic, so it washes right off.

Did the same thing down below in the big double flight cage, there is a gap in the middle when you aren't using the divider, so we covered it with a strip of the heavy clear plastic that slopes into each tray on each side of the gap. Since that one tends to life the bottom grates a touch, I put a few big rocks from my yard across it to help weight it down. the budgies love their rocks, climb on, chew on, scritch molting heads on, and when they get pooped up, throw them in a tub of water to soften then just scrub clean.

In fact all my cages have a stone or two, gives a solid place on the floor, birds like the variety of the rough surface, helps with toenails, sometimes use them in front of baths and food trays as places to perch on. I live on a giant lump of limestone, so I have rough white stones in unlimited supply.

I love it. I've connect 2 of the petco cages already. I have a third that I want to find space for and add it. I also need to buy more plants. Love the limestone idea. I'll be getting one for them soon now.

that's a great idea. your set-up looks really nice. -tammy