Finches are beautiful birds with a soft and melodious voice but before you finalize your decision in buying this bird, it is important to learn a few basic facts about finches. Recently, I had an opportunity to gain a first hand experience with a pair of Zebra finch and I would like to share some tips.
Few weeks ago I decided to buy a pet for my kids so I head out to a nearest pet store, expecting to find a living creature that would fit our needs and vice versa. And there in a cage with a reasonable price tag were tiny and least noisy as compared to their screeching neighboring parakeets, were finches. They were chirping in a very sweet sound as they flew happily from one branch to another seemed like a perfect choice. Little that I knew how unprepared I was with the level of maintenance they would require.
Finches are no doubt bright colorful birds and pleasing to look at. They are usually available in a wide variety the popular ones being Zebra, Gouldian and Society finches but they require a proper set up. I'll go through the list of things to consider and save you a lot of headache in future.
Cage size
First and foremost thing to keep in mind before buying finch is the size of the cage. I would suggest buying a cage that is longest in size, not too fancy just plain rectangular, from a discount store or online. Otherwise making a last minute choice in selecting from a pet store can be quite costly. The reason for buying larger cage is that due to the tiny size and hyperactive nature of finches, they constantly fly and prefer long range distances. Minimum cage size for a pair of finch should be 24x24x24.
Small sized cage or a confined space can easily stress out finches causing an adverse effect on their health. Also make sure that cage is designed for an easier cleaning.
Diet
Finches are quite active and need constant supply of food and water. Their food basically comprises of a colorful seed mix labeled for finches and available at any pet store. In addition you can fortify their diet by providing a variety of fruits and vegetables. Fruits that may interest finches are sliced apple, grapes, banana, strawberry and vegetable includes carrots, boiled potatoes, peas, lettuce leaves and servings should be small and replaced before they rot.
An occasional mealworms and small insects will guarantee the protein intake of the finches thus increasing their life expectancy.
With food served properly they require a cuttle bone for conditioning their beaks, also available at any pet store, and it can be attached at any location preferably near their perches or on the cage floor where they can easily access it.
Cage accessories
Use wide open containers for food and water, since sometime finches can utilize their drinking water for bathing too. Allow a number of perches of several sizes and varying widths to keep their feet healthy. Place perches at different heights but keep them clutter free. Obstructions in the path of their flights can cause injuries to the birds.
Nest is also an integral part for a cage set up, since finches are prone to feel insecure in open environment so they like to cuddle up in a soft nest. Some popular types of nests are grass, bamboo, and stick. Additionally you can scatter some clean, soft grass and sticks on the floor of the cage and they will get busy in their own nest building.
Maintenance and precautions
Finches are quite messy by nature and this is something you may not be warned against. They spill food with every feed and definitely won't clean up after themselves and yes with constant feeding the wastes generated will be massive too. I found it quite mind boggling to discover that the extent of their waste are not confined to the cage floor but traces can be found in the vicinity of cage. So the cage placement is also important for everyone's welfare. Since they are wild in nature so placing them next to a window with scenic view of trees, sky can be entertaining but also make sure that the windows are tightly closed strong wind currents can be disturbing for them. During the daytime if the weather is nice and warm not hot, you can place their cage outside for a fresh breeze.
Place layers of paper towel or newspapers on cage floor and try to clean it everyday. Also make sure the surface surrounding the cage is a hard surface that can be easily wiped and cleaned.
Cleaning a cage can be quite a challenge since a finch becomes extremely stressed out with any kind of interferences. It will start flying desperately in erratic directions causing quite a trauma on both parts. So you may have to perform this job in a quick efficient way and here the suitable selection of your cage will pay off in the long run.
Another stress inducing factor for finches is hand handling, and it should be avoided at any cost unless absolutely required. This can be prevented by making an arrangement that will minimize future transfer of the bird. Also too much activity around the cage, such as running, screaming children, mechanical objects such as vacuum cleaners, dishwashers should be taken into account.
With utmost care and proper set up you are off to a good start and you should be able to fully thrive the benefits of keeping a healthy finch. Just in case remember to keep in handy the number of the pet store in case your finch acts unusal. Proper and timely attention can prevent your finch from getting sick or dying.