Tasty or Terrible !
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Hilary
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- Location: Arlington, Virginia
I've noticed that some birds tend to "forage" on the bottom of the cage more than others. I finally put newspaper on top of the wire for my fire finches because they threw all of their seed out of their dish (which I then had to move to the center of the cage on the paper since half the seed was ending up on MY floor). They now fling, then hop down and spend a lot of time looking for the good stuff.
Hilary
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S. W. Houston
- Mature
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- Location: Houston Texas, U.S.A.
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Sally,
I’m sure that most all here think of having a Clutch of Chicks is old hat. I’ve been through the process in “real life” several times, but it still is exciting, seeing a new life come to be. I haven’t actually seen the whole Chick yet, just a head or feet sticking out from under the Hen or Cock, can’t seem to catch it when they move!
Removing the Grids from the bottom of the cage is definitely an option. I’m sure that what they drop down there, seriously impacts my study on how much they eat daily. Trouble is, it would be in a negative direction, I want them to eat MORE not less !
You spoke of “capture”. I often think of what we’re doing, taking those beautiful little creatures out of their natural environment, and confining them as we do. But our selfish desire to have beauty near us demands, how can we not. I too endeavor to enrich their lives, and with time and the gentle tutelage of wonderful people like you, and Hilary, and, and, and, SO many here, I may at some point, feel modestly qualified.
Hillary,
I have a heavy Plastic Coated wire Cage, with the bottom Grid permanently attached in it. It, no doubt, was made for a much larger species, than are the Finch. BIG door, which concerned me, that when open, they could fly out past my arm easily. I hung a swatch of cloth permanently inside it, where that open area is now protected. It hangs from just above the Door, covering it, and I access the Cage by pushing it out and setting the items in and down.
I really dread pushing a whole sheet of Newspaper into the Cage, that’s about how large the footprint is. I DON’T like to terrorize my Birds like that, but maybe they’ll get used to it. I am very conscious of how they respond, when I approach the Cages. If one of them “bolts and flies” from surprise/fear, then I haven’t spent enough time with that Bird. A very good incentive, to keep the population under control !
Have a good Day !
I’m sure that most all here think of having a Clutch of Chicks is old hat. I’ve been through the process in “real life” several times, but it still is exciting, seeing a new life come to be. I haven’t actually seen the whole Chick yet, just a head or feet sticking out from under the Hen or Cock, can’t seem to catch it when they move!
Removing the Grids from the bottom of the cage is definitely an option. I’m sure that what they drop down there, seriously impacts my study on how much they eat daily. Trouble is, it would be in a negative direction, I want them to eat MORE not less !
You spoke of “capture”. I often think of what we’re doing, taking those beautiful little creatures out of their natural environment, and confining them as we do. But our selfish desire to have beauty near us demands, how can we not. I too endeavor to enrich their lives, and with time and the gentle tutelage of wonderful people like you, and Hilary, and, and, and, SO many here, I may at some point, feel modestly qualified.
Hillary,
I have a heavy Plastic Coated wire Cage, with the bottom Grid permanently attached in it. It, no doubt, was made for a much larger species, than are the Finch. BIG door, which concerned me, that when open, they could fly out past my arm easily. I hung a swatch of cloth permanently inside it, where that open area is now protected. It hangs from just above the Door, covering it, and I access the Cage by pushing it out and setting the items in and down.
I really dread pushing a whole sheet of Newspaper into the Cage, that’s about how large the footprint is. I DON’T like to terrorize my Birds like that, but maybe they’ll get used to it. I am very conscious of how they respond, when I approach the Cages. If one of them “bolts and flies” from surprise/fear, then I haven’t spent enough time with that Bird. A very good incentive, to keep the population under control !
Have a good Day !
Good Golf good times and anything else that makes you happy llike
Peophila Guttata-Australia
Peophila Guttata-Australia
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Sally
- Mod Extraordinaire
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- Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2007 11:55 pm
- Location: DFW, Texas
Nah, Houston, it never gets to be old hat to have new chicks! It is always exciting. And you don't have to remove your grid, or put newspapers on top of it, if it doesn't work well for you. Your Zebras are among the species that probably are more comfortable with the grid than others (Hilary's Fire finches are a species that spends a lot of time on the ground in the wild, so they do the same in our cages.)
I have wrestled before with the thought that I am keeping wild birds captive just for my pleasure. I have horses, and my sister asked me one time why I needed to feed them grain and have their feet trimmed or shod, when the wild horses get by just fine without that care. I replied that the wild horses actually don't do as well as my captive ones--my Honey, who passed away at age 35 last year, had basically no teeth, and in the wild, she would have perished long ago. So I try to apply the same thinking to the birds--if we keep them, we should give them the best care we can, so they have long and happy lives--in the wild, they may have succumbed to a predator long ago.
I have wrestled before with the thought that I am keeping wild birds captive just for my pleasure. I have horses, and my sister asked me one time why I needed to feed them grain and have their feet trimmed or shod, when the wild horses get by just fine without that care. I replied that the wild horses actually don't do as well as my captive ones--my Honey, who passed away at age 35 last year, had basically no teeth, and in the wild, she would have perished long ago. So I try to apply the same thinking to the birds--if we keep them, we should give them the best care we can, so they have long and happy lives--in the wild, they may have succumbed to a predator long ago.