New with finches

[Uolym]

Hi everyone! I am new on the forum and I am sure you will be able to guide me through my first steps into the "finch caring world". Also I am a French Canadian, so I apology in advance for the mistakes I might make in this post. ;)

I have kept small parrots (cockatiels, budgies and barred parakeets) and canaries in the past, but finches would be a new interest. I currently only own one male canary, a orange variegated (I think that is the right name for its color in English, in french we say "Orange panaché"). I adopted it from an old friend who could not care for it anymore, but who did not know its age. It should be around 10-11 years old. I had it for the last 7 years. Except for an inversed toe which causes it some balance problems from time to time, he is in perfect health. I give you all these informations since I hope I can include it in my new plans.

I recently buy a big cage/small aviary (L : 31" ; W : 21" ; H : 54"). It has three different feeding stations, branches and twisted rope perches at different heights, but letting enough flight space for the birds. Small, non-toxic potted plants (Schefflera and Chamaedorea elegans) will be added soon (gardening is an other hobby of mine). I also own one infirmary cage and also two breeding cages. I added my canary to the cage and he is pretty happy in it. I would now like to add finches with my beloved bird. The buyer told me I could kept 8 birds in my cage, but I highly doubt it. I also know I have to choose with the idea I might want to try breeding the finches I will buy.

So anyway, here are my questions (thanks for those who have read that far ;) ) :
1) How many birds could I keep in the cage?

2) Is it a good idea to add finches with my canary in this cage or would it be better to keep the canary in its old cage and only finches in the new one?

3) What species would be a good idea, either with or without my canary? As a reference, here are some species that sparked an interest for me : Gouldian ; Javan ; Star ; Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu ; Society. I am open to other suggestions, but please no Zebra. I like them, but I do not feel like owning this species. I also realize I can't own all these species in my new cage. ;)

4) Depending on your suggestions, I am also open to have your opinion on what I should get for the species or tips about who to care for it/them.

A huge thank you in advance for reading and answering my (way too long) post.

[w.l.]

Welcome to the forum!

How many finches your cage (it's not an aviary) could house depends on the species selected, and on whether you want to breed them or not.
I'd say without breeding, 2-3 pairs could live in it happily. If you want to breed, I think any of your listed species other than the societies should have a cage of that size to themselves, I consider it too small to breed several pairs.

The canary could theoretically stay with any of those you've listed, though its size might make Javas and maybe Gouldians the best companions for it. I wouldn't mix cordons with such large species, though they could be OK with societies and stars - better with other waxbills like firefinches, orange-cheeks, Lavenders or Helenas though.

As for live plants, I suggest you place them outside and on top of the cage, inside they would be quickly ruined. If you do want greenery inside, use fake (silk) plants.

[lovezebs]

Uolym

Hello, and welcome to the Forum from Alberta.

To answer some of your questions...

I house my Canary boys with Gouldians, without any issues.
In the past, I have housed a lone Canary male with Societies without any problems either. Stars would be fine as well.

If all goes well, you could have your Canary, 2 Gouldians, 2 Societies, and 2 Stars in there. All 3 species, are gentle and laid back and usually don't start any trouble.

This of course all depends on the individual temperament of each individual bird, especially the Canary, who has been alone for many years and might not be too enthusiastic about sharing his territory with a bunch of newcomers.

If you want to breed, and keep the offspring, you would have to invest in more flight cages, to either separate the species, or have room for your weaned juveniles before you find homes for them.

If you do not wish to breed, then you could have an all male flight.

Good luck with whatever decision you make.

[Sheather]

Hello Oulym, I believe I have seen you on the internet before some years ago, do you like zoos by any chance?

Finches and canaries are compatible, though some canaries will behave aggressively over food sources, so provide several dishes.

I would keep max. seven birds in this cage counting the canary, but just two pairs of finches + the canary may be better and less crowded. But you could do your canary, and as Elana said, three other pairs, so long as none of the birds were breeding in there. All of the species you mention are peaceful, but I would not put waxbills in a cage with a canary or with Javas, as they will be intimidated by their size. I would personally do javas, societies, and Gouldians if adding 3 pairs. I have much experience with the first two species, and they are very happy. Unfortunately, I have limited experience with Gouldians, as the only ones I attempted to keep were not healthy to begin with, but as long as you find good stock, I hear they are not hard to care for.

I would skip the plants. They will be eaten and soiled in short order. Use silk flowers in cages, or disposable herbs and vegetable plants for enrichment (they will be destroyed within days or weeks.) Live plants, however, look very nice around the outside bird cage.

[Uolym]

Thank you for all your answers! Sheather, yes it is me, but with the "o" after the "u", nnoot the reverse. ;)

I am happily surprised on how many non-breeding individuals I could add in the cage. I wonder... If I have some species as male-female pairs, but without nests, would it cause a problem?

If it is ok, could I isolate one pair in an other cage later on if I want to go on with breeding them and then bring them back in the mixed-species cage after the chicks are fledged?

If it is not a good idea, would it be ok to have a male only cage and eventually buy females for the males (taking in consideration that they would have their own cage by then)?

Thank you in advance!

[zeebeez]

Bonjour,

Je crois bien que tu pourra mettre d'autres oiseaux avec ton canary. Je crois que le "society finch" serai un bon choix. Ils sont aussi grand qu'un canary et j'ai aussi lu qu'ils sont super gentils avec les autres espèces de oiseaux. Apparement qu'ils prennent souvent soins des bébés des autres. Ils sont aussi faciles à obtenir et ils ne sont pas coûteux; tu peux les trouver à PetSmart pour environ 20$ chaque. J'ai aussi un ami qui as 3 oiseaux, deux étant de la même espèce, par countre c'est deux oiseaux de différentes espèces qui sont devenus proches. C'est alors que la personalité va dépendre plus que l'espèce, selon moi. J'en connais pas trop, mais je trouve qu'ils ont tous des perosnalités. On m'a dit que mais oiseaux devaient être toujours avec un "ami", alors en paire, mais plusieurs ne s'adonnait pas. Ils vivent bien ensembles mais ils aiment dormir seul, etc. C'est mieux qu'ils ont assez d'espace pour prévenir des conflits, mais le nombre de oiseaux dépend de toi. Tu peux essayer avec quelques-uns et ensuite voir si tu en veux plus... par contre, si tu en a beaucoup, c'est beaucoup plus de nettoyage J'en ai six zebra et il y a toujours des plumes partout!

[zeebeez]

Bonjour,

Je crois bien que tu pourras mettre d'autres oiseaux avec ton canary. Je crois que le "society finch" serai un bon choix. Ils sont aussi grand qu'un canary et j'ai aussi lu qu'ils sont super gentils avec les autres espèces de oiseaux. Apparement qu'ils prennent souvent soins des bébés des autres. Ils sont aussi faciles à obtenir et ils ne sont pas coûteux; tu peux les trouver à PetSmart pour environ 20$ chaque. J'ai aussi un ami qui as 3 oiseaux, deux étant de la même espèce, par contre c'est deux oiseaux de différentes espèces qui sont devenus proches. C'est alors que la personalité va dépendre plus que l'espèce, selon moi. J'en connais pas trop, mais je trouve qu'ils ont tous des perosnalités. On m'a dit que mais oiseaux devaient être toujours avec un "ami", alors en paire, mais plusieurs ne s'adonnaient pas. Ils vivent bien ensembles mais ils aiment dormir seul, etc. C'est mieux qu'ils ont assez d'espace pour prévenir des conflits, mais le nombre de oiseaux dépend de toi. Tu peux essayer avec quelques-uns et ensuite voir si tu en veux plus... par contre, si tu en a beaucoup, c'est beaucoup plus de nettoyage J'en ai six zebra et il y a toujours des plumes partout!

[Uolym]

Merci pour le conseil!

Just for the sake of being read by more people, I will go on with English. I am still not sure about what species to select, but it just gives me a little more time to plan their arrival.

I decided not to add plants on a permanent basis, but I will use a small hanging pot to add non-toxic live plants from my garden from time to time (Petunia, Rosemary, Coleus, etc.). Thanks for the tip Sheather and w.l.

I also plan to add artificial lightning, but I am a bit lost at what to get for canaries and finches. The cage is close to a window, but it only gets the morning sun. It seems a little bit too dark for a permanent setting, especially during a Canadian winter. ;) What would I need to buy to provide this? Could I buy special bulbs for Desk lamps I already have or is a full lighting system essential? What kind of bulb?

Thank you again!

[Icearstorm]

Uolym
I use mercury tube lights that are 5000 Kelvin to 6500 Kelvin; they require a hood. Here's the light I am currently using; it's a bit dull in a 4.75' high cage, but it seems to be working pretty well: Light

If you provide D3 supplements, full-spectrum lighting is not required.

[Uolym]

Icearstorm

Thank you very much! My whole setting is ready, only the birds are missing. I got two smaller cages settled for the quarantine period. I was planing to get 1.1 birds at first since my wallet was allowing me that, but I came into a little more money for my birthday. I read conflicting reports on how it is better to introduce birds, pair by pair gradually or all at once. What do you think?

I settled on 1.1 Star Finch and 1.1 Gouldian or 1.1 Javan, + my old male canari.

Thanks! I will show pictures once its completed.

[Icearstorm]

Uolym
If you decide on the Java finches, you may want to introduce them gradually, as their large size can freak out other birds. I introduced two gouldians and four societies at the same time with no issue, but when I added a pair of Javas a few months later, everyone panicked. I ended up having to remove the Java finches and introduce just one bird per day. Once the first Java finch calmed down, the second one didn't seem nearly as upset when I put him in. Canaries are also fairly large, so perhaps introduce him on a different day than the Java finches if you get them.
Bear in mind that if you add nests or nesting material, Java finches could become a threat to your other birds, as they may get aggressive or take over a nest from another species.

[MariusStegmann]

Uolym Yes, Javas as a rule needs to be kept with other large finches like cutthroats and other large manikins. They could just be too aggressive for a mixed collection. I would not even add them to a mixed collection in large aviary.

[Uolym]

Thank you to you both! That definitely removes the Javan from my list for this flight cage. My canari already lives in the cage, so I will closely check his behavior after I introduce the finches to be sure he bullies no one. I guess this might be a "pro" for introducing all finches at once, bit more stressing for my canary but less for the finches since there will be more birds of their size and the canary might be too overwhelmed to target one bird between the four.