FINCHforum

I did it! And I think its going to work

Yesterday I put all five Zebras in the large flight cage. My Pied Zebs are still in quarentine. Aside from phyco Lena attacking Lucy and causing fights, It seems to be working out

I want to put some natural branches and leaves in there, but I don't know how or what to use. Someone told me to use a Burning Bush, or 'Moses Bush' but thanks to the Finch Info Center, I was able to find out that this tree is toxic!

Does anyone know what is a common branch that I could use in it?

Someone told me to use a Burning Bush, or 'Moses Bush' but thanks to the Finch Info Center, I was able to find out that this tree is toxic!

That's very strange, can you post the link to that? I've used burning bushes for branches for years, the owls LOVE to build nests in them. I haven't had a problem at all and can't seem to find the reference that they are toxic.
thanks

I've also used fruit tree branches but they are not as full as the burning bush for nest sites but work great for a perch.

debbie276

http://www.finchforum.com/viewtopic.php ... es#p193603

Cindy posted this link last year, and it says the plant Euonymus alatus, AKA Burning Bush is on the toxic list

I thought I saw someone (now I know it was you) using them. I just wanted to double check before I put them in... Let me know what you come up with

Thanks Debbie!!

That is very strange, I wonder what part of the plants they think is toxic? I've had the leaves and branches in the aviaries but not the berries.

Just found this :
http://www.bellarmine.edu/faculty/drobi ... ngBush.asp

Birds eat the fruit and disperse the seeds.
Poisonous: None of Plant

Also:
http://www.skh.com/gardeningatoz/birds- ... to-garden/

Birds, How to Attract to Garden
Plants Attractive to Birds
F- Fruit, P -Protection, N- Nesting

Euonymus alatus (Burning Bush)
Value: F, P, N
Principal Birds Attracted: Brown Thrasher, Cardinal, Finches

Nanajennie while I cant help you with questions your birds are so cute! I really like the ledge idea...
another thing my brother in law will have to make for my birdies

chirpy Thanks Chirps... I have a four levels in this open cage, I am excited to add natural perches for more dimensions. I am trying to be careful not to take away the horizontal flying availability The wooden dowels are so huge, they are the ones that came with this cage and I want smaller perches without having to buy them. If I can find the right tree/branch, I would be thrilled beyond words... As would my peeps

I use grapevine branches or olive branches and the finches love them.

grapevines like as in craft store grapevine? Olive Branches from where? I was told by this woman (who isn't a member here on the forum BTW) that I could put them in the cages untreated. red flag..

This is from Avian Web a toxic list.
http://www.avianweb.com/toxicfoods.html

"The below is not a complete list. It is recommended that you consult with a vet, if in doubt.

Please note that the items marked with an* are especially toxic to birds and can be fatal. Toxic foods are foods that can cause allergies and/or health problems in birds. Anything high in sugar or salt is inappropriate, as are fatty foods. More serious are things such as chocolate, which is toxic to many pets. Caffeinated or alcoholic beverages are also dangerous. I provided additional information as was available.


Acorns

Agave, Maguey, Bayonet, Agavaceae Toxic Principle: Sap from the leaves, Seeds, Calcium oxalate raphides, Acrid volatile oils, Mechanically injurious Clinical Signs: Oral mucosa irritation, Contact urticaria, Skin: Immediate burning, erythema, urticaria, and edema, Granuloma reaction from punctures by leaves

Alcohol

Almond Plants / Seeds / plant-pan allergen profilin can cause serious reaction in some birds: Generally all plants of the Prunus genus EXCEPT the pulp of the fruit contain amygdalin or related glycosides which are slowly hydrolyzed to hydrocyanic acid. Some allergic reactions to almond nuts have been observed.

Alocasia

Amaryllis: Clinical Signs: Can cause vomiting, diarrhea, depression, appetite loss, tremors, drooling and abdominal pain

Angel's Trumpet (some species), seeds, leaves

Apple Seeds (small quantities ok)

*Apricot (seeds, wood)

Arrowgrass

*Autumn Crocus

Asparagus Fern - Sprengeri Fern, Lace Fern - Toxic Principle: Non-toxic, Berries, Sapogenins, Foliage Clinical Signs: Dermatitis, Irritant, Cardiac, sedative, and diuretic effects

Autumn Crocus/Meadow - Saffron

*Avocado (any part of the plant -- including flesh, leaves, seeds, stem, skin)

Azaleas: Can cause weakness, upset stomach, drooling, heart failure, depression and possible coma

Baneberry
Bayonet


Beans: Broad, Castor, Glory, Fava, Horse, Mescal, Navy, Pregator, Scarlet Runner) - Large Beans: such as Anasazi, Black, Fava, Kidney, Lima, Navy, Pinto, and Soy - should never be fed raw. However, thoroughly cooked are safe and healthy.

Beargrass

*Begonia

Bird of Paradise

Bitter Almonds*

Bittersweet
Black-eyed Susan
Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)

*Bleeding Heart

Bluebonnet
Bloodrot
Box
Boxwood
Bracken fern
Buckeye
Buckthorn
Burning Bush
Buttercup (Ranunculus)

for the complete list see link above

for safe woods see

http://www.avianweb.com/safewoods.html

If you go to the link for toxic plants and click on the link at the bottom of the list (Related Resources: Indiana Plants: Veterinary Medicine Library (Alphabetic with Photos))
you will see
"Burning Bush see Fireweed"
and when you look at fireweed:
http://www.library.illinois.edu/vex/tox ... firewd.htm
Fireweed (Kochia scoparia (L.) Schrad.)
Other names: Summer Cypress, Burning Bush, Mexican Fireweed

The burning bush I have in the yard is Euonymous alatus, totally different plant

That is the problem with using common names for plants, several very different kinds can have the same common name such as "burning bush". Scientific names will tell you much more clearly whether what you have is safe or not.

Birch is a good wood for perches, and readily available in our part of the country. I use white birch in my finch cages, tho the smaller branches aren't white yet, but the dark reddish brown color is pretty, too. Have a huge grove of white birch just up the road a ways that I take from. I only take already dead stuff, but that is still on the trees or off the ground on a fallen branch or tree (hurricanes and monster snow storms have helped me so much!). Wash it, bake it dry in the oven (also makes sure no bugs come with it) by doing a slow roast at 250° for an hour, then just turn off the oven and let it cool in place. Roasting birch smells SO GOOD.

Have also used beech, lately, in the parrotlets, found a big chunk broken off by last fall's storm that branches out in all kinds of directions, so dragged it home and trimmed to fit the cage. Too big for the oven, so I washed it, scrubbed really to remove loose bark, then soaked it with peroxide to kill off whatever might be there whether bug or fungus or what not (kept drizzling/pouring peroxide on it and letting it "sizzle"), then cooked it dry with our dangerously hot blowdryer for good measure.

Birch and beech are easily identifiable trees in our forests here, because of the white bark. Have to get some pictures up for you, recently put birch "trees" up in the Spice cage by taking branches with all the little branchlets/twigs still on and putting them in standing upright, the Spices love this, and it looks cool.

then I used plastic plants for the zebras, started with some silk ones, but they're pretty rough on them, so after the initial set up, all else added has been plastic, it's tougher and doesn't shred. Bought some of those big clumps of plastic greenery for reptiles, then just cut apart the individual stems to be able to spread them all around. Tho I am fortunate that one store here does not seem to realize that their price on those plants is only half of what everyone else sells them for. Going to be quite sad when they finally mark them up properly.

Birch is a good wood for perches, and readily available in our part of the country. I use white birch in my finch cages, tho the smaller branches aren't white yet, but the dark reddish brown color is pretty, too. Have a huge grove of white birch just up the road a ways that I take from.

LOL birch is also in that link under Unsafe Plants / Fruits & Trees

I just wonder if some of these 'toxic plant' lists are aimed more at hookbills, which will chew on bark, leaves, branches, rather than our finches, which don't seem to consume much of their perches.