FINCHforum

Hi everyone!

I'm new to finch-keeping, have had my two cuties for about two months now - I have a Zebra and a Society, both females.

Peeks and Sherry have a decently sized cage, with a couple natural branch perches, a couple dowel perches (which I intend to replace with natural branches over time), two swings that they love, a cuttlebone, food, water, and treats.

I'm wondering about more enrichment for them. I know finches don't exactly play with toys like parrots do, but do they enjoy any types of toys? I would love to put some more fun things in there for them to do.

Thanks!

When we had finches decades ago, none of them really seemed to care for toys.

The parakeets were NUTS for them, but our finches could have cared less.

However another member suggested a swinging perch for my recent acquisitions (2 society finches) so I'm going to try one of these:

Cement swing for birds

I believe she said they only like the kind of swing that swings back and forth in a single plane. The ones that twist - apparently not that well liked by finches.

Thanks, Sojourner!

I do have two swings in there already, and they both love them.

They both swing on them, and Sherry, the Zebra, actually sits on the perch beside it and grabs it with her beak too, to make it swing without anyone on it, which is what inspired me to ask about other toys for them.

I put a small bell on a fine short chain and all of my gouldians play with it from time to time. Also the have two sand swings from JW pet. They love them. I altered them so they are attached by one hook at the top. They don't seem to mind the swinging in any direction.

My gouldians loved their swing when they were in the flight cage. The others had toys while in their quarantine but never touched a toy once.

I put small stones in a shallow reptile dish, then poured a little seed in it. They look for the seeds between the stones. There are also larger stones and lava stone around the dish to help trim their nails and beak, and some timothy hay in one corner of the cage. It helps keep them busy.

Oohhh LOVE the rocks with seeds idea! Great foraging activity for them! And the hay is a good idea too - thanks!

wildbird

That's a good idea, could you post a picture?

@Peeks-and-Sherry. My canaries like sisal rope toy and anything with hanging strings or fibers they can pull on. The toys usually labeled as preening toys for birds.

Sorry Atbird, can't post a picture. I just graduated from a single lense reflex camera to one of those irritating computerized cameras, and have no idea how to get a picture from the camera to a computer to post it. I also have dragonwood perches for them which I made to fit their 30 X 18 X 18 cage. One of them really enjoys a swing, the other is afraid of it. They are in there own separate cage. Birds seem to like things they would find naturally in the wild.

kyle - Be careful with the fine chain.
It needs to be fine enough so as to ensure their nails/toes don't get caught.

Most of my guys have never really taken to toys like a hookbill would. But they do appreciate swings and mirrors and foliage. They seem to enjoy more natural types of activities, like a foraging bin (a little tupperware with hay and small stones and some yummy goodies mixed in.)

Agreed. I put hay on the bottom of the cage when I'm feeling generous (they get more on the floor than anywhere!!!) but i put some seeds or a "fruit treat" down with the hay, so they can forage, they also like to pick up the stems and turn them in their mouth. The younger Zebras LOVE ladders, my older ones (their parents) HATE them so it is deffinitely personal preference. Also, I put a bell in (like the one that come son the bottom of the little round mirrors in pet stores) they like to ring the bell sometimes. I don't put mirrors in, because the one time i tried, they FLIPPED Out... the mail thought it was another finch tryna steal his woman.... so he did NOT like it. So I don't mess with mirrors anymore! Also, anything they can pick at... like "nesting material" and I'll stick it in a clip on the side of the cage, Not sure if females like to mess with that stuff as much as boys (they do most of the nest building) but cheap enough to be worth a try. But anything that they can pick at with their beak they seem to really enjoy, and i'd say their absolute favorite (my female zebra too) is when I put the hay down and they can go foraging through it.... I don't use timothy hay though I use another kind that's WAY softer, of course I can't remember the name, but there is a thread on here about it, and I'm sure someone can chime in w/ what I'm talking about... Also, in the Bunny section of pet stores they have this round ball with a bell on the bottom that you can stuff "treats" into, but I bought it and filled it with hay and hung it in the cage for the birds to pick at and mess with, they also like to swing on it when it empties so it's multi functional!!! Good luck!

wildbird
So I borrowed Wildbird's great idea for a dish with stones in it and seeds sprinkled around so the birds can forage
Attached is a video of them trying it out for the first time!

https://youtu.be/c3IIXF-wGuc

I used a round shallow stainless steel dish that I got in the Cat Supplies section of PetsMart, and the lava rock and other small stones I had around in my garden. I scrubbed and washed the stones and let them air dry outside in the sun before adding them to the dish with seed. I put the spray millet in there to help entice them since it's new to them

I think I can improve on the feeder by getting a dish that's a few inches wider (the current one is 5-6" diameter), that way there will be more space between the stones and the birds will be more inclined to hop around in the dish to forage.

Wildbird - about how big is the dish you use, and do you have your stones more spread out

lnlovesorange

Is this the one thing you were talking about? (I will attach pic below)
My finches love it too!
I don't keep in there all the time, just every now and then to mix things up for them

:

Leo519, I can't get a video on my computer, only pictures, but the dish I have is 7 X 5 or 6 inches and about half an inch deep. It is found in the fish and reptile area of the pet stores. I put in 12 to 14 pebbles and small stones. Then around the outside there are 4 or five bigger stones, sandstone, flat rock and lava rock. The lava rock is what Lowes or Home Depot sells in small bags for around plants and borders. Then in the corner of the cage, there is a handful of timothy hay & they have an herb dish with Twin Beaks Herb salad & Higgins herbs. I crumple up a small piece of newspaper and put that on the floor for them to play with.