FINCHforum

I got 2 female zebra finches yesterday, and I have a feeder, a drinker, a bowl of grit, a bath, some cuttlefish, a few toys, a bed-type thing, and a blanket to cover them at night Is there anything else they need or is this enough? Also, do they need a bath and grit? Because the man I bought them from said they don't but I had read that they do so I got them anyway.

This cage is very small - letting them out of it to fly often is a good idea. It's hard for me to imagine keeping my birds in a cage this size after seeing how they develop their personalities in a free-flight situation (I don't cage my birds very much). I wouldn't personally keep birds in a cage this size for any length of time.

You don't need to cover finches unless you keep them in bright lighting all day long. They won't play with the toys, the green millet holder and the blocks and the ladder serve no real use to finches in a cage and will only clutter the cage and get pooped on. The bed will serve as a nest, and if they have that in there, they will breed, lay eggs and possibly not know when to stop, harming themselves. Zebra hens are already known to be very eager egg layers, and doing it too often will deplete them of calcium. They normally sleep well on a perch and do not need a nest. Nests will equal eggs.

In this small cage, I'd recommend taking all the perches and extras out, getting two or three natural branches (literally sticks from the yard is ideal), and placing them so they run front to back or diagonal in the cage rather than side to side. This gives the finches a little more room to fly between them and keeps the center of the cage open - I'd hang a swing there. Then maybe some silk flowers or leaves along the roof and sides, to provide some cover.

A bath is very good, I offer my birds one three times a week or thereabouts. Put the bath in the cage for only a short time, a few hours at most, as after bathing they will soil it. Bathing every few days keeps their feathers clean and their sinuses clear. Finches don't require grit and I do not provide it specifically but sometimes see my birds gather bit of it from the soil of my container plants. It doesn't usually hurt.

Provide a small cup of crushed eggshell - finches love to crunch it up for the calcium. Not all know to use a cuttlebone.

soaring-yonder

Hello, and welcome to the Forum.

Congratulations on your two new little girls.

All you need for Zebra Finches in an egg-shell, lol.

-Good quality Finch seed

-Fresh clean drinking water daily

-A nice lukewarm bath every day or other day (they will love it)

-Some fresh greens either everyday or every other day, such as spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, cucumber slices, a bit of broccoli, red swiss chard, etc.

-Some mashed hard boiled egg twice a week (both white and yolk). This supplies much needed protein to their diet. The egg shells can be crushed and offered seperately.

- A couple of drops of birdie vitamins twice a week in their drinking water, will help make up for any dietary deficiencies. Make sure that the Vit. contain some vitamin D.

- A swing or two would be appreciated. Some Finches will like a mirror, others will not pay any attention to it. Some silk vines and flowers ($ store variety) will be enjoyed greatly.

- Spray millet is much loved by all birds.

- Regarding the cage....
* The minimum recommended cage size for two finches is : L 30 inches, W 18 inches, height 18 inches. The reason for the greater length, is that Finches exercise by flying from side to side, which is important for their health and well being. If they don't get a chance to fly, they tend to become obese and unhappy, with shorter life spans.

- A few hours of direct unfiltered sunlight daily (with the option of some shade) will be enjoyed and is very healthy.

Good luck, and enjoy your two little feather babies

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask away.

soaring-yonder You've gotten some great advice already, but I did want to welcome you to the forum! There's lots of good reading at www.finchinfo.com, where you will find many articles on housing and caring for your Zebra hens.

If you put your general location in your profile, it makes it easier for members to make recommendations on where to get supplies, etc.