FINCHforum

I have 3 baby finches that left the nest 6 days ago and this is my first experience with baby birds. They all seem healthy and strong and appear to be eating on their own.

The cage is quite dirty and needs a good scrubbing. I was actually thinking about buying a NEW cage because this one is too small. Is it too soon to move the 5 birds to a new cage with all new "stuff"? I don't want to shock them and I'm afraid that moving the nest might traumatize them. Any suggestions? I am very sensitive to smells and it's starting to get to me.

Thanks for any feedback.

What kind of finches? Zebras and societies can usually can be move without much care...do move the parents with them though. Though same may panic. Usually it is the parents that will get freaked out and may quit feeding so it is always best to make sure the chicks are eating and drinking just in case the parents will not feed.
Do you see tham eating spray millet? If not they should within a few days.

You probably should remove the nest if you do not want more chicks. The birds parents will lay eggs in the dirty nest If it is a roosting nest type finch then you can replace with a clean nest.

They are Societies but someone told me that the female was something different. She has the same coloring as a society although she has "funky feathers" atop her head. Hence her name "Phoebe with the Fabulous Feathers". Two of the babies have the same feather heads and the third looks just like the daddy.

Should I give it another week to make sure they're ALL eating and drinking on their own? You're right about the parents freaking out. THey still kinda panic when I reach in each day to change their bath water and add millet spray.

Is it true that the way to tell them apart is that the males sing? I think I'll separate them to gender specific cages when I can because I don't think I want more babies and they shouldn't breed with one another right?

The one with the head of feathers is a crested society. They do have fancy names they call them Bonten, along with otehr names depending on the frills.... but it is still a society. It is always best to breed a crested with a plain head....you will get some of each. Did you get ant crested in this clutch?

I would probably just wait until you know the chciks are eating and Drinking on thier own before risking a move. The only way I can sex them is by song. I do the same thing....seperate them as they sing...I also band with a blue for boy and a pink for girl....just in case they were to comingle.... like when going to the bird fairs.
Congrats on you chicks

They came so far...
I would not do anything to risk the survival of the chicks.
Just remove the nest. That would be one less trigger for the parents to mate again.
Leave them in their cage until the chicks are weaned, where you are SURE that they are able to eat on their own. And not just peck at the food, but EAT enough to survive on their own.

If you can clean by just removing the poop tray, just do that.

I think the chicks must be seen drinking on their own in addition to eating on their own.

6 days past fledging is a little early in my opinion but you could try it (considering these are Societies) if -

a) the new cage is right beside the older one
b) you have everything set up in the new cage before you move birds
c) once you move them - leave them alone for a couple of hours at least, to get settled in

Congrats on the crested babies!

Sorry...I see that you had already posted that you got 2 crested societies in this clutch.

She is planning on moving the parents and the chicks to a larger cage...not just the chicks.

No worries, yes two of the babies are crested and they are SO adorable. I really am not in this to breed so I don't have any banding tools but I really like the idea of the pink and blue.

I think it's pretty unanimous that I should hold off another week or so. I'll just do some surface cleaning and replace the lining (which I've been doing regularly) until I've seen the little (really not so little!) ones drinking on their own.

Thanks for all your support!