Questions about a new pair of society finches!

[NotDrWatson]

Hello everyone!

I just bought a pair of society finches about two weeks ago and have several questions that I had some trouble finding the answer to.

First (and I know this gets asked ad nauseam) is that i *thought* I had ended up with two female finches (both chirp like crickets and they haven't sang yet). HOWEVER In the last day or so, one of the has done the courtship dance with the bobbing and fluffed feather and although there is not a distinct song that comes out, she(?) clicks her beaks together like she were singing. Is she just doing a good impersonation? What do you think is going on here? They also make a very particular noise to each other when going in the nest...what does this noise mean?

Secondly, I know society finches like to sleep in nests. However, I'm worried about it stimulating them to lay eggs and maybe run into problems with egg binding. How do I deal with this? I recently put some hay in there for them to forage and use for their nest but I'm afraid that really triggered their breeding behavior. Is there a way to not encourage them to breed while still providing a safe place for them to sleep?

Lastly, does anyone have any recommendations for foraging toys they might enjoy? They spend a lot of time pecking around on the bottom of the cage and I would love to provide something constructive for them. I tried finding vine balls but they are all too large (2"+ in diameter).

Thanks so much for your help! They are such a joy!

[Icearstorm]

NotDrWatson

It sounds like the other one is a male; perhaps a young one, as it doesn't have a good song. The other noise is a nesting noise which they will use when they find a nest to breed in or settle down for the night.

They can sleep on a perch or a small platform. I'd be careful with the platform, because they will try to build a nest on it.

Put some spray millet in a hard-to-reach location, and they will have to figure out how to stay on. You can also put in a foraging box, but I don't know much about them, so I'll leave that to another member.

[lovezebs]

NotDrWatson

Hello and welcome to the Forum.

Society Finches are a joy indeed. Sweet, friendly , and peaceful little guys that get along together in pairs or in larger groups.

Regarding the male and female question.
If one is doing the dance, then more than likely you have a boy there. Some Socies have a loud song, and some a very soft song. Only time will tell.

As to the nesting question.
If there is a nest, and you have any females, eggs will be laid.
Societies love nests, and they love laying eggs and raising large families even more.

I would place a little corner platform or shelf for them to sleep on, or they can sleep on a perch, the same as most other birds do.

For foraging as was mentioned above, a foraging box is the best and a very simple thing to put together.

All you'll need, is a tupperware container ($ store variety is fine).

In it you can place, twigs, hay, alfalfa, rocks, mealworms, bits of wood, pine cones, spray millet crumbles, crushed egg shells, wild grass seed heads, crumpled paper balls, chick weed, oyster shell grit, etc.

[Celeris]

NotDrWatson

Free choice calcium! I recommend cuttlebone and/or free choice finely ground egg shell or oyster shell. (I don't personally like pre-mixing supplements with their seed or adding liquid supplements to the water.) Egg binding absolutely can be a problem, but providing your girls with plenty of calcium makes it an unlikely one.

And to back up what everyone else has said, a perch works just fine. My colony has only perches (which I surround with little silk plants, to make them feel safe and secure) and they sleep quite happily without the nests they used to have.

[Fraza]

I have a few society finches and sometimes the girls do the dance that they would do if they was breeding with a male but this is no sound just a tail flicker and a head up and down with there beak tapping together can u add a audio of there tweet and we can tell u the gender

[Fraza]

Society's are my favourite I prefer them more than zebs as I think there dance is better

[Barbara]

If you have a male and female society they will spend every min. of the day eating and trying to breed,I would take the nest out (unless you want more)I also would not give them a forging box with hay or grass or anything that will stimulate them to breed.I have 15 society and they all pile up on this swing to sleep it is adorable,but I have to watch closley they will bring millett,lettuce,brocolli,sprouts any thing they can to try to make a nest most of the time it just falls on the floor other times I empty it.They also will try to make a open dish a nest too.They are very hard little workers and they are one of my fav. finches they love everyone and have the sweetest personality.Enjoy your little birdies

[Fraza]

Barbara I agree with u they are the best finches and will do anything to breed haha

[Barbara]

Fraza. I had more control of them when they were in there flight cage now they are free flying in the bird room and have to watch them closer.In the two years I had them I breed twice,but took the breeding pair out of the flight cage and had them in a smaller cage alone to breed.Never found eggs anywhere in the flight cage,now I always find broken eggs,not sure who they belong too but babies are a no no in the flight room.they are very persistent

[Fraza]

Strange isn't it either way they are still nice birds Barbara@Barbara