Questions for you experts!

[cbert4444]

Hey all - my wife gave me the go ahead to buy some zebra finches! I had a pair a couple of years ago and ended up giving them to a caring family member. Moving, kids, etc. got in the way. Now that life has settled down I am able to put in the time and care they would need!

1. I am looking at buying the Pervue F030. Is there a better cage for under $300? Bigger is always better in my opinion.

2. The estimator on this forum says that the F030 could house 3-4 finches but I know the rule of either 2 or 6 (or more). I believe 6 would be too cramped for this cage?

3. If I were to get a pair that had babies, is there any possible situation where the babies can live with the parents long-term? It seems most people here talk about having to separate them. I don't think my wife would like if 1 cage turned into 2 into 3...

4. Would it work if I just had single sex finches in the cage? Do they still pair up and get along? would male or female be better? If they were the same sex would 4 of them work or is the rule 2 or 6 always?

Thank you so much for the help!

Cole

[rcharrod]

cbert4444

Hi Cole,

Welcome to the forum, always great to have some new finchers joining! I actually have that cage, and some other forum members do as well, and it's awesome. Lots of space, easy access and I like the white bars which show off the birds' color better than dark gray, IMO. I have four Gouldians in mine, and that's absolutely fine - whether you could do more birds in that space depends a little on the species. With Zebras, even numbers are always best, and I've heard that either one pair or 3 pair is best (for some reason they aren't as compatible with four birds). That's just what I've read on the forum here, I don't have any Zebras myself. My suggestion would be, unless you really love Zebras and know that's all you want, to start with one pair and see how it goes for a while. Then you can decide what you might want to add later - the hobby is kind of addictive, and you will find yourself wanting other species, especially the more time you spend reading this forum!

Single sex pairs (and in some cases, odd numbers) usually work fine. The males of most species sing, while the females tend not to, and the males tend to be more brightly colored, but both are great. And with regard to babies, you can control the urge to breed somewhat by whether or not you provide a nest in the cage. Finches don't really need a nest, they are absolutely fine sleeping on perches, although most people think it's cute to see them in a nest together. Especially with Zebras, who are prolific breeders, don't give them a nest unless you want babies!

[Sally]

I have several of the Prevue 030 and I love this cage. I do have 6 birds in one right now. A pair of Red-cheeked Cordon Bleus, a pair of Red-billed Fire finches, and a pair of Black-crowned Waxbills. All these species are fairly passive, though they do have the occasional squabble. Right now, the Fires are sitting on eggs and the CBs are building a nest, so there is a bit more squabbling going on--breeding always brings out territorial issues. Another cage that is nice, though more expensive, is the HQ or A&E double flight.

With Zebras, which tend to be pushy, you would have to be much more careful about how many you keep in a cage, even one this big. Zebras also tend to pluck each other if they feel overcrowded, so this is one species that I would recommend going on the conservative side with numbers.

If you have a pair that have babies, you have to be very careful, as caged birds don't hesitate to breed with family members. Close breeding like that is not desirable, especially with brother/sister.

Same sex groupings work very well, and that avoids all the problems that can come with breeding. You still can find the occasional bird that doesn't get along with the others, they all have their definite personalities, but taking sex/breeding out of the equation makes life a lot easier for you.

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

[cbert4444]

Thanks for the replies! It makes me wonder if I should look to another species of finch that is more passive. We don't have many pet stores around here and all I ever see at them are society or zebra finches. Are society finches as passive as zebras? I wonder if I could have some shipped, though that makes me very nervous for the animal.

[Sally]

Society finches are considered passive, while Zebras are in the pushy category. Societies are one of my favorites for beginner finches, because they rarely cause problems. They normally get along with everyone, you can have more of them in a cage than you can with other species. They have tons of personality. The biggest drawback with them is that it is impossible to sex them simply by looking at them. You have to watch for the males to sing, they will stand up tall, puff out their little chests, and sing a cute little song. Males sing, hens lay eggs.

As far as shipping, it is usually quite safe, especially when you are dealing with a reputable broker or breeder. You want to watch out for bad weather in winter, which can delay shipments, but otherwise, they do surprisingly well.

[Jason in TX]

The only issue that I have with the 030 is the slope top. It is a solid, nice cage, but I prefer to use aquarium fixtures since they direct light down and do not flood the room with light. That requires a flat top to set them on. Just my $0.02!

[Sheather]

You can use giant zip ties around a fixture to attach it to the front of the sloped roof.

[Sally]

The only issue that I have with the 030 is the slope top. It is a solid, nice cage, but I prefer to use aquarium fixtures since they direct light down and do not flood the room with light. That requires a flat top to set them on. Just my $0.02!

I use 2' shop lights (Walmart used to carry them, but they are getting hard to find, aquarium lights will probably be the way to go in future). As Sheather has said, I fasten several zip ties together to secure a shop light on the front slope of the roof. This shines the light down into the cage but not into my eyes, as it would if I fastened it on the back slope of the roof.

When setting up my most recent Prevue 030, I found that there is actually a horizontal bar halfway down on the slope. The shop light rests against that bar and stays perfectly in place. This would probably not work if move the cage often, but so far it is working for me.

[wilkifam]

Personally, if you just want 1 cage, I would try a more passive species than Zebras. Societies, waxbills, gouldians and/or stick to just same sex birds.

[Jason in TX]

Wilkifam has a good point. I have a soft spot for zebras as I had them for a long time before getting into Gouldians. Some are nice, some can be complete jerks to their cage mates. It's a crapshoot. If you have males and females you WILL have a population explosion, so be prepared.

[cindy]

Zebras of the same sex can still be aggressive towards each other. Dominant males will target more submissive males and bully. Hens also. If you want multiple birds go for a more passive bird.

[Spreckles]

Oregon is very close to The Finch Farm you probably have bird fairs there too. Start at the Finch info page and read up on the different breeds and look at what you think is pretty. Also I would LISTEN to their songs and noises first too. I had a pair of zebras that I gave to a friend because their honking drove me a little bats....sorry zebra lovers. I love the cordon blues and the societies have adorable personalities. The other factor in the mix is if you will let your birds free fly at all. Safety is the big issue there but it frees up the quantity. Then you'll want an aviary or a bird room and a really huge budget, multiple species etc....check out the "All I want for Christmas" thread. Welcome to the forum!

Karen

[cbert4444]

Thank you everyone for the replies. I have taken the last week to read a lot on finchinfo and this forum. I have decided against zebras and am going to start with a pair of society finches. I bought the F030 and it will be here on Wednesday. I will post pictures after I get everything set up! Thanks again.

Cole

[Babs _Owner]

cbert4444

Societies!! You will LOVE them! So easy to care for and so placid and gentle. Be prepared for insta-breeding once they hit that big flight cage. (Can you tell they are my favorite?).

I cannot imagine my bird room without societies. Even with my colorful gouldians, the earthtone societies take up most of my attention.

Just a tip. They are fearful of bright colors. Use earthtone cubbies and swings (wood & bamboo). Throw in some tommy hay and you will have a blast watching them hang upside down, do acrobatics and snuggle togther at night. Brilliant choice!

You cant put more societies in a cage than other species. They preen and cuddle a lot. ENJOY!!

PS give them a clown car to sleep in. Contrary to what some think about making them perch sleep......my societies will almost die of exhaustion sleeping on perches (they stay up all night trying to keep their balance on perches) oftentimes they fall off perches in their sleep. They are flat-foot in nest sleepers and it seems with my guys, thats the only way they will sleep deeply.

At the very least give them a shelf to cuddle up and sleep up. Cant wait to see the new family!

[rcharrod]

cbert4444

Congrats, Cole. I think Societies are a good choice, one of my favorites as well. Very sweet nature. And that's a great cage - lots of room for just two birds! It's a slippery slope...