In Need Of Advice!

[pmflanigen]

I live in western new york and just this week I purchased a pair of Gouldian Finches (Male and Female) that are 6 months old. They appear to be in excellent health with strong vibrant colors even in the female. The cage is an adequate size and the food (i was told) is sufficient. I am giving them vitamins every other day. I do have a concern about parasites. I removed the plastic stock perches and replaced them with one synthetic store-bought perch and three sticks of varying tree species and size. I cleaned them with an alcohol based sanitizer and put them in with some long grass i had found. Concerned about mites and such, I removed the grass and sprayed the birds and the enclosure with a store bought mite spray. I am still slightly worried and am not sure if the foreign objects were a good idea in the cage. It has been two days and they still look and act fine however.

I am looking for any advice to keep these two in good health. Any information is very welcome!

Thank you!!

[Sally]

Welcome to the forum! There's lots of good reading at www.finchinfo.com, where you will find many articles about housing and general finch care. If you put your general location in your profile, it makes it easier to answer locale-specific questions later on.

As long as you cleaned the tree branches well, you shouldn't have to worry too much. Some clean them with a 10% bleach solution, then rinse well and let them dry out in the sun. I'm glad you replaced those plastic perches, natural are so much better for their feet.

[wildbird]

The perches should be rinsed well with clean water after using a sanitizer and then let dry in the sun if possible. Be careful when collecting grasses from outside unless you are sure there is no pesticide on it. You can grow your own or you can purchase greens at a pet store. I use Twin Beaks Herb Salad which can be bought at ladygouldianfinch.com. Check out the topic on diets and go through some of the old postings. You will find how to grow some millet and greens that your birds will enjoy. There's lots of information on finch care in this forum to help you care for your birds. Best of luck with your Gouldians.

[delray]

pmflanigen Welcome to the forum from a fellow New Yorker!! I hope you enjoy what this forum has to offer!

[lovezebs]

pmflanigen

Welcome to the Forum, and congratulations on your new feathered babies.

A cage/flight for two Gouldians, should be at least 30 length/ 18 height/ 18 width. Bigger is always better, because finches need to be able to fly to remain happy and healthy.

A good diet consists of a good quality finch seed mix, with spray millet as a much loved treat.

Vegetables and greens, are very important, with some fruit as well. Some birds don't take to this readily (if they haven't been raised with these) but don't give up. Try different items in small amounts, until you discover the things they like the best. If you need a list, just ask.

Hard boiled eggs, are an amazing source of protein, and should be offered regularly (either grated, or put through a garlic press). The shells can be dried and crushed and offered to the birds. It's a wonderful source of Calcium, and the birds love them.

Cuttle bone, and fortified bird grit should be offered as well.

Natural sticks are great as perches, and birds enjoy them a lot more than plastic. I use them all the time, along with some different sizes of dowels.

Good luck and hoping to see some pictures of your birds soon.

[DanteD716]

Welcome to the forum! Whereabouts in wny are you? I'm in South Buffalo... Can I ask who you purchased your goulds from?

[debbie276]

Welcome to the forum!
A couple pages that are helpful on the Finch Information Center are:
Nutrients & Their Sources
http://www.finchinfo.com/diet/nutrients_and_sources.php
Safe, Toxic, & Unsafe Foods
http://www.finchinfo.com/diet/safe_toxi ... _foods.php

We would love to see pictures when you can

[erine]

Welcome! I'm a newbie too and have learned so much from older posts and threads. One of the best tips I read was to mix a bit of millet/seed into their egg food/greens/fruits etc to entice reluctant eaters to try new things. This has worked well for getting my birds to try new things. You'll have to post pics!

Erin