FINCHforum

Can you share with me Your experience with these finches and best way to house them and how they are as pets? Not planning to breed, but just might though if I change my mind. Not new to finches, but am looking for a pair to keep my Bourke Parakeet company. Seperate cages of course!

Planning to house them indoors in a 30x18x18 cage.

I have kept Society Finches in the past and tamed em enough for free flight time out of the cage. They were very finches.

Are bugs required on a daily basis or will they be fine with seed, veggies, Quiko egg, fruits on occasion. And of course oyster shell.

Anything you can share would be wonderful including photos of cage set up?

Thank you!

I wouldn't keep Red-billed Fire finches in anything smaller than what you are using, they are very active little birds. If possible to remove the grate, they spend a lot of time on the bottom of the cage. If you can't remove the grate, I'd cover it with paper.

Live food is necessary if you plan to breed them, though I have had them raise babies without live food in the past. If not breeding, you don't have to bother with live food. Your diet sounds fine, mine never went much for fruit.

Mine used a large hooded wicker nest, lining it with a tight round nest they built of coco fiber. They absolutely need white feathers to use in lining their nest.

They are quite fast, so if you plan on free flight, plan on having a hard time catching them, at least that is how it always was for me. I didn't allow mine free flight, but escapees were hard to catch.

Typical waxbills, they don't make great pets, as they simply aren't domesticated enough. Not to say they can't be calmed down some, mine will be quite inquisitive, but I never tried taming them, even the babies. And not to say they can't be kept as pets, they just aren't going to be like your typical Society.

Thank you. I'm still researching and just not sure what I want. Great information.

Sally

Absolutely agree, well said