A few suggestions for people new to pet birds

[Nipper06]

Just a few suggestions, if you are new to having pet birds:

1) Have 2 sets (or an extra set, if you have multiple cages) of food and water dishes (you can rotate the dirty ones out for cleaning)

2) Have 2 sets of perches (same reason as above)

3) Have 2 sources of drinking water in every cage. I use regular clip-on water bowls AND gravity "waterers" for all my birds. This helps ensure there is always a clean source of water, in case one runs out or gets dirty.

4) make sure your perches are of different widths and shapes - it's good for bird's feet not to have only one size perch.

Just common sense stuff... but maybe useful to consider, when buying supplies.

[sv452]

Thank you! This is immensely helpful!

A couple of weeks ago got two java sparrows.

both the perches is the same so I will look for another one that is different size.

My cage has a water bowl and a bird bath.

[lovezebs]

A few more suggestions for people considering becoming bird parents, or those who have recently become bird parents.

Please do your homework.

Read everything you can lay your hands on in regards to the Species you are considering. Please ask questions; there are no stupid questions !

Compatibility: Who can be kept with whom.

-Housing: Cage, or Flight, and size appropriate to allow flight from side to side, and up and down, plus proper bar spacing. Please consider, that In most cases, this Is your bird (s) whole world, and offer the biggest home you possibly can. Perches (type, spacing, number of, material, proper width). What to use on cage/flight floor: grid, no grid. newspapers, gravel, other products. Nests, needed or not? Lighting, proper temperatures. Decorating, how, with what?

Diet: Seeds, what kind, which mixtures. Pellets (yes/no). Home made recipes. Fruits/vegetables/greens/herbs. Egg food, hardboiled eggs/store bought eggfood. Egg shells. Bird gravel. Vitamins, mineral block, cuttle bone, bird clay, bird charcoal. Treats, what's healthy, what isn't. Live foods/ freeze dried. Water.

Toys: Needed, not needed. Species appropriate. Swings, mirrors, bells.

Breeding: Should I breed or not? What will I do with the chicks? How often, appropriate breeding age, breeding diets, nests/nesting boxes, nesting materials, nest checks, eggs, incubation, chicks, fledging, weaning. Problems /handfeeding, what to do, how to do?

Health and health issues: Avian Vets/regular Vets. What symptoms, behaviours should make me worry? What to look for, where to get answers. Offering heat for minor complaints. Nail and beak trimming .

Cleaning: Cage cleaning, perch cleaning, dish cleaning, how? with what? how often?

Safety: Other pets, cleaners, sprays, non stick dishes, candles, scents, too hot, too cold, drafts. Open doors and windows. Free flight. Catching birds.

These are just basics folks, and things that one needs to learn about if one wishes to be a good Finch parent.

Before getting that pretty little bird, please consider how much time you're willing to put toward giving this tiny creature the best life that you can.

Just my opinion

Good luck and best wishes.

[Zebrafincher]

I have extra water and seed in all my cages - my birds still poo in all the water! Joy, o, Joy!

Kind Regards

Zebrafincher

[Zebrafincher]

Also remember your birds will come to own you, and will provide many happy years of expectations and being catered to....

Kind Regards

Zebrafincher

[lovezebs]

Zebrafincher

Have you tried water tubes, higger up in the flight cage ?

[sv452]

Zebrafincher

Have you tried water tubes, higger up in the flight cage ?

these water tubes you mentioned, are they the same as what you get for hamsters/mice/rats ect?

[lovezebs]

sv452

No, they are not the same.
Here is a picture of the ones that I'm talking about.

[SocietyBird]

Safety: Other pets, cleaners, sprays, non stick dishes, candles, scents, too hot, too cold, drafts. Open doors and windows. Free flight. Catching birds.

Really good point about the other pets . . . was talking to a lady today who owns two conures - one with just a single leg. I asked her what happened and she told me that the birds were out one day and landed on her rat's cage... the rat jumped up and bit the leg of the one bird. Infection set in and the bird had to have the leg removed. Incredible story as I've not heard of a bird having to be anesthetized before... but a good reminder of how careful we have to be if we have different pets around the house. The bird is doing amazingly well and has learned how to get around like a pro!

[sv452]

sv452

No, they are not the same.
Here is a picture of the ones that I'm talking about.

will keep a look out for them. they seem almost nicer than the normal water feeders.

[Nipper06]

Here is the gravity "waterer" I was talking about. Not really made for birds but they do use it - however, my birds always have these "waterers" PLUS regular open water bowls. I consider these waterers as "back up" water sources.



Here is the packaging it comes in.

[Zebrafincher]

I provide multiple containers, and glass bowls of water as my finches like washing themselves! I don;t mind cleaning all the poop!

It amuses me (how much they produce!). Finches are nature's little pooping machines!

Zebrafincher

[Nipper06]

Yes - finches (and all birds) are POOPERS !!! I find it especially exasperating the way they tend to poop in their water sources when bathing! Like, can't you HOLD IT until you are done bathing???

Even the wild birds do it. I clean the bird bath and then Robins use it... and after that, I have to dump and re-fill it again. When I watch them bathe, I sometimes actually see them "go" and I'm like, "You didn't just do that, did you?!?!" Robins are definitely the worst offenders, amongst the outside birds.

For inside birds, they all do it but my doves are the worst!