FINCHforum

I believe I have everything for the new Societies (hopefully I'll be picking them up this weekend) but I wanted to list what I do have and see if any of you can think of something I left out.

30"x18"x18" cage
3 Natural wood perches, including one manzanita branch
Extra food/water dishes
1 bamboo finch nest
Bird bath
Extra dishes for their egg food/veggies
"Poop Off" cleaner
Cuttlebone/holder
Swing
Couple of hanging toys
Net
"Vita Sol" liquid vitamins
Finch food
2 dowels that came with the cage

I am thinking I need to buy another nest if I were to have 4 Societies instead of 2...is that right? And millet spray? As for medicine/first aid, what do I need in that area? Would you buy the commercial egg food or just boil eggs and give them that with the shells crushed up? I'd like to place an order online today of what I need and would love to hear suggestions. Thanks!

I wouldn't use the dowels. They're not good for finches unless you have several different perches than that's fine. The toys are not needed, they won't play with them. As for medicines and commercial egg good, this is mostly used by breeders who have many birds. If you're only keeping a couple as pets I'd stick to fresh eggs and the vitamin on the water. You should get cuttlebone for sure. You can try a second nest but societies like sleeping all in one so one big one is better because they'll all squeeze into one anyway. I offer Millet spray as a treat, maybe once or twice a week, days that i don't make fresh eggfood.

That's sounds like you have everything you could possibly need!

As for the nest, I would just stick with one. If you are going to get 4 males, they will most likely snuggle up together. (It's really nice to watch) good luck. I am excited for you!

So, finally your hubby is convinced about getting Society finches. Great!

The commercial eggfood is fabulous for helping to dry out the homemade stuff. I usually mix it 50/50 or so.

You might put some artificial plants in the cage for the to fiddle with. You could tuck the nest into a bunch of ivy or something similar.

Spray millet is fun for foraging, but I wouldn't give them more than a spray every few days.

Regarding the nests, I'd put one in each corner. It gives them a choice and they can have fun fiddling and building with them.

4Ellen...I highly recommend a Pedi-Perch for your finches. This perch will keep your birds nails at a healthy and safe length. Put a water tube or a supplement dish near this perch, so your birds are forced to use it. You might also want to purchase a nail scissor just in case you need to do some trimming down the line. As for meds...Avian Insect Liquidator is a safe and effective way to treat new birds for mites and lice (precautionary but necessary). Its also safe to treat their cages/perches too. Worm Away is great for worming new birds as well. Liquid calcium is a life saver for egg-bound hens, but not necessary if you are only purchasing males (hard to know for sure with society finches). 4 in 1 powder is a great full spectrum antibiotic to have on hand, and was recommended to me by a fantastic breeder. I also keep Colloidal Silver on hand. It is an all natural "antibiotic" and can be used to treat injuries. Sometimes new birds could use a "pick me up" when they are first coming into a new home...electrolytes are valuable at this time. I use NV Powder in such situations, but you can also add some plain Pedialyte to your finches water. I hope this helps

my aunt Ginene is so knowledgable!!

Lol, delray!!! I have the forum to thank for all of my knowledge. I dont know where I would be (or where my flock would be) without this place! Sadly, many of the people who were with me through the best and worst times with my birds are gone now...but thankfully, many others still remain. I am happy to pass on what I have learned from them and from my own experiences. Of coarse If you ever need any meds, I will bring them right over to your house .

Ginene , this forum really is awesome!! I also have learned so much here.

I am glad you can just bring them over. I'm very lucky

And you don't have to start out with every med they sell. I have ten pairs of finches, plus their babies, and I have needed all I have gotten, but I got them little by little. I know you can get starter kits from Morning Bird that include just about anything you'll need, if you want to go that route, maybe save some money in the long run. I didn't do that, because I didn't have an immediate need for all of those items. Usually I can order from them and get it within a couple days. I am also lucky that there are a couple of shops in town which stock these items. I have been told that whichever brand you go with, get all your stuff from the one company for consistency, because their line of products are generally meant to be used together in some cases. I have gotten all mine from Morning Bird, because I simply prefer dealing with them, but there are others just as effective, reliable and have the quality, I'm sure.

Wow, thanks all! I think I'll lay off on buying too many meds. I'll deal with it as it happens.

4Ellen...I hope I didn't overwhelm you with my post. If you want to just order the 4 in 1 as a broad spectrum antibiotic, its a good idea to have on hand. You can buy mite/lice spray @ the pet shop...spray your guys when you get them home, just in case they have anything. Those 2 things will set you up for now. Best of luck to you

Oh no Ginene, you didn't. No worries! Thank you for your help. I appreciate it!

Hi 4Ellen
Sounds like you have everything ready. How exciting. I would only keep two birds (same sex) in a cage that size. If you are interested in breeding, you will most likely need another cage soon.
My two birds (Thelma & Louise) like playing with a little bird mirror and they play with a small plastic link chain with a bell hanging from the top of the cage near a perch. They also like playing with the silk flowers and leaves attached to the side of the cage. I took out their nest as I don't want to encourage egg laying.
I mix-in a small packet of fruit & vege treat with their finch seed to add more variety. Have fun!

With the toys, make sure there's nothing that can pose a risk to their feet in terms of getting caught up.

Most toys are designed for hookbills, which have far more dexterity and control over their feet and toes. Plus, hookbills tend to climb more than they fly.
Most finches could get their foot uncaught if they had the peace of mind to not panic and maneuver the foot properly. But they just don't do this. They get a bit dumb when their caught up. They panic and try to fly away and that only serves to make it worse, causing more injury or leaving them dangling.

You want to look out for any loops or other little spaces where a foot could get caught.
Here's an example of a toy that caught up one of my finches.
I thought the silver rings would be too big to pose a danger. Wrong!

So just look out for any rings or little spaces where a foot could get caught. If you want to post pics or links to the toys you've bought, we could peek and let you know of any potential issues.