New pet shop birds

[JennyinFlorida]

Hi. I consider myself new to hobby as I still have a lot to learn. Wanted to post this here for the really really newbies. I bought 2 finches a couple days ago. One spice and the other looks to be spice with white breast (I'm not good in determining mutations). I wanted to point out to the newbies to be careful with new birds. My new ones did not know how to feed from a seed cup, my tidy bird feeder or from a gravity watered. I put a cup of seed and my birdbath boat on bottom of cage for them as this is how they were fed at the store. They figured out the tidy seed feeder, but still working on gravity feeder. They also have no clue about the kale and cucumber I put in their cage on a small plate. I am making egg food to see if they will try it. Just make sure your new birds don't starve or dehydrate unknowingly to you.

[Sally]

Very good tip! Even when buying from a breeder, unless you know the breeder uses the same exact system you use, it is best to offer an open dish of seed and open bowl of water until you are sure they are using your feeders/waterers.

[Sheather]

Welcome! AFAIK there are no spice finch mutations so the other is likely a society finch, a close cousin. They should get along okay, but both would be happier with a companion of their own species IMO, since societies are a lot more social and like to cuddle while spices are less inclined to do so and a lot more nervous.

[CommaHolly]

great tip,,,,I am trying to switch my birds to water bottles instead of a cup of water,,,,,,,,,no go so far so the cup of water STAYS in the cage until they know for sure how to do it!

[JennyinFlorida]

Too awesome! Today my newbies drank from the water tube. They also ate all the egg,eggshell,cucumber and kale out of their egg food before eating their seed and pellets! Yeah

[MiaCarter]

JennyinFlorida -- That's wonderful news! I'm happy to hear they're doing well!
That's great that they're eating so well! Lots of my guys are so darn picky!
I just started giving cucumber to my guys and they LOVE it!

[JennyinFlorida]

I grated the cucumber. They wouldn't touch it whole the day before. I have a small grater about 2 inch by 2 inch that I bought at Bedbathandbeyond. I love it.

[linda2463]

very happy for you. I cant wait to get some birds

[lovezebs]

JennyinFlorida

Great news that they've taken to the veggies and eggs so readily. Usually it takes only one to try something, and then the others have to try it too.

Would love to see some pictures of your new kids.

Good luck, and enjoy.

Elana~

[Zebrafincher]

I have several containers of seed and water for each bird (Canary, Zebrafinch and star finch) and they each manage to poo in all of them! Yuck! They also poo on the side of the cage, somehow, and also flick seed everywhere....Thank Goodness for vacuum cleaners!

Good luck with yours

Zebrafincher

[lovezebs]

I just realized that this thread, is from June of last year. I'm not entirely certain why someone brought it back now.

~Elana~