Selecting a Finch Cage

Anyone who plans to keep Finches as pets, or for breeding purposes have to be mindful of the cages for finches that they select. Choosing the wrong cages for finches can be disastrous, as it can severely affect the bird’s health and well being. Choosing the wrong cages for finches may even affect the ability of the Finches to breed. Do remember that a Finch’s cage may appear to be like any other cage to you, but its purpose is to serve as the Finch’s home for the rest of it’s life. For this reason alone, you need to make sure that you make the right decision in choosing the right cages for finches that also serve as your pets!

Consider While Buying Cages for Finches

Certain considerations need to be made should you choose to invest in cages for finches. These considerations will make all the difference whether your pet will be happy and content in his enclosure. Remember that when your Finch is unhappy, it can affect his health, and even his ability to breed. Whether you are a Finch pet owner or a breeder, you do not want that to happen. To avoid that, take these tips when shopping for cages for finches

1. Look for a good sized cage that allows your Finches to fly- Though Finches start out being a mere 4 inches, this doesn’t mean that they will do well in small cages. Part of a Finch’s nature is to fly, and to be able to do that inside an enclosure, sufficient space is required. Finches can actually fly for hours without tiring, so make sure that the cages for finches you select has enough room for them to do so.

2. Take into account the species of your Finch before making the cage purchase- Different breeds of Finches behave in different ways. Some fly more horizontally, while some tend to fly more vertically. The cage that you select must take the breed into account. If you have a breed that tends to fly horizontally, then your Finch enclosure needs to be wider, instead of taller.
3. Don’t forget to check the bar space- The last thing you need are your Finches escaping and flying away. This is why you want to make sure that the spaces between the bars of the cage are not wide enough for your Finches to fit through.
4. Take into account courtship and breeding patterns- Finches will never be able to breed successfully in small cages. The courtship and mating rituals of this bird involve lots of spaces and places to fly. If you plan to breed Finches, consider this before making your cage purchase.

Prepare Good Cages for Finches

Assuming you’ve taken the tips we mentioned above, then you would’ve go on to purchase the right kind of cage. However, prepping cages for finches does not end there. There are still a few things you need to do to get your cages for finches in excellent shape.

1. Set up perches and swings inside the cage- Finches need areas to perch, and many have observed that they rather enjoy expending their energy by playing with the swings. Add these little elements into your cages for finches to keep your birds happy.
2. Make sure that food and water containers are set up well- You need to check whether the food and water containers are stable inside the cage. Another thing you need to make sure of is that these containers are away fro the perches, as well as from the flying path of the finches.
3. Line the bottom of the cage with newspaper- You need to do this so that something will catch the Finch’s fecal droppings. It will also be easier for you to clean the cages for finches when you do so.
4. Finally, make sure you place the cage in a place that gets a good amount of sunlight.- Finches love the sun, so make sure that they get plenty of that on a daily basis. However, one thing you need to be careful of is that the cage isn’t placed in an area that is too hot that could compromise their health.

Posted By MaddyFriday, February 08, 2013

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Basic Finch Maintenance

Finches are charming small birds that are a constant source of amusement to their owners because of their high energy and playful behavior. Finches prefer company and will do best when kept in pairs or small groups. They are not easily tamed to human touch and generally prefer the company of other finches rather than humans. Because finches are quieter than most pet birds they are a favorite among bird enthusiasts. They are generally easy to keep as pets.

In order to keep your finches happy and healthy, you must do the following:

• Provide fresh, drinkable water daily (do not add antibiotics, vitamins, or disinfectants to the water)
• Make sure that there is ample, fresh food (e.g. a dish may appear to be full of seed, but may in fact contain only empty seed hulls)
• Clean the cage as it becomes dirty (including: perches, dishes, cage bottom, and nest)
• Disinfect the cage once per month with a properly diluted bleach solution or other suitable disinfectant
• Provide only fresh moist foods, and be sure to remove them after a period of about 4 hours to prevent the birds from eating spoiled/rotten foods
• Monitor your birds' droppings for color, consistency, amount of feces/urine/urates (any significant change should be suspicious)
• Do not place the birds in an area with heavy traffic, loud noises, etc. to prevent stress (as stress can help precipitate many health-related problems)
• Do not place your finches' cage within reach of a hooked-bill bird (such as a parrot), because they tend to be noisy and are capable of injuring finches easily
• Be careful to keep any pets that might disturb or harm the birds (such as bird dogs, rodents, snakes, and cats) away from the bird cage at all times!
• Regularly provide your birds with the opportunity to bathe by placing a wide, shallow dish filled about ¼" deep with water in their cage; make sure to keep the water clean since they will often drink out of the bowl
• Check the cage for any signs of bleeding (drops of blood on the perches), or feather loss that is not related to molting
• Observe the birds daily to make sure bickering is kept to a minimum and no finch appears sick
• Make sure your birds are receiving adequate, proper lighting

After all of this, if a bird still does become sick, isolate it immediately in a hospital cage (with fresh food and water in shallow dishes at the bottom of the cage placed within easy reach of the bird--do not give the bird grit or fruits and vegetables, but rather spray millet and seed which has been soaked in water for 24 hours then well rinsed), and provide ample heating (~90° F or 32° C) by using a heat lamp placed well above the cage (to prevent burns) or a heating pad wrapped around it. This way, the finch can use its own energy fighting off the illness and not trying to keep itself warm. Do not handle the bird extensively, examine it, or try to force feed it (unless absolutely necessary); instead, call an avian veterinarian for further assistance. Because birds are naturally great at hiding illness, when they appear sick they are usually seriously ill and do need veterinary care.

Signs that your finch may be sick are:

• Half closed eyes (acting "sleepy")
• Holding feathers away from the body ("fluffing up") for extended periods of time
• Sitting on the bottom of the cage
• Allowing you to handle them (lethargy)
• Swollen vent
• Feces or staining around the vent (due to diarrhea)
• Discolored/bloody feces, or other change in dropping appearance not due to dietary change
• Scaly feet
• Labored breathing (open mouth breathing, tail bobbing)
• Poor appetite
• Drooped wings
• Shivering
• Sudden weight loss
• Discharge from eyes, nares ("nostrils"), vent
• Abnormal growth of beak/nails
• Inability to fly
• Weakness

Posted By MaddyFriday, February 08, 2013

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Distinguishing Males from Females Finches

It is moderately easy to tell male and female finches apart, since their markings are usually gender distinct. Like many birds, the male finch is more brightly colored than the female, since the males must compete for the female's attention. A simple visual inspection is usually correct in determining gender, despite the fact that there are many varieties of finches. Male finches are more outgoing, brighter and boisterous than the female finches in every species.

Sexually Dimorphic Species

Some finches are sexually dimorphic, meaning that the males can be distinguished from the females visually. Typically, with these species, the male is the more vibrantly colored or more elaborately marked of the two sexes.Examples of dimorphic species are the Lady Gouldian Finch and the Cordon Bleu Waxbill, both pictured above. Notice how the cocks have more vibrant and/or more extensive coloring than the paler, less well-marked hens.

Mutations of Sexually Dimorphic Species

Sometimes species which are ordinarily sexually dimorphic may appear sexually monomorphic due to a certain coloration or mutation. One example of this phenomenon is the white Zebra Finch. Typically, Zebra Finches are very easy to sex because the male usually has at least one of the following features that the female typically lacks: cheek patches, a breast bar, or spotted side flanking. The white mutation, however, complicates things because in all-white birds, neither sex has any markings to help distinguish the males from the females. In some cases, the male's beak is a darker red than the hen's orange beak, but some variation is possible making the two genders appear nearly identical. To the inexperienced Zebra Finch keeper, mutations such as these can be very confusing and make sexing the birds a challenge.

Seasonal Changes in Plumage

Also complicating matters is that fact that some of the sexually dimorphic species only show differences in markings and/or body coloration during the breeding season. Unfortunately, in these birds the "eclipse" (non breeding) plumage of the cocks looks nearly identical to that of the hens, who do not change colors seasonally. Examples of these types of species are the Strawberry Finch (Red Avadavat) and the Orange Weaver. To the left is a photo of two strawberry finch cocks in differing amounts of "nuptial" (breeding) plumage. When Strawberry (or Orange Weaver) cocks are sporting their eclipse plumage, they are (basically) visually indistinguishable from the hens.

Sexually Monomorphic Species

To confuse things further, many finches are not sexually dimorphic at all. These sexually monomorphic species do not have any obvious or subtle morphological differences between the genders, making visual sexing impractical, even during the breeding season. Examples of these types of finches are Society (Bengalese) Finches, Owl Finches, and Spice Finches, to name a few. Because cocks and hens are so similar in appearance, other factors must be looked at to determine the sex of these birds. Differences in singing, courtship, and nesting behavior may all provide clues as to the gender of the birds.

Of the two sexes, in nearly all of the species, only the cocks will sing. (The exceptions to this are: violet-eared waxbill hens, purple grenadier hens, melba finch hens, and some firefinch hens which may sing, especially when separated from their mate. In these cases, the song of the hen is shorter, less elaborate, and often softer sounding than the cock's.)Both cocks and hens may make simplistic chirps and calling noises, but typically only the cocks have the more lengthy and elaborate song. Often the cock's song is accompanied by a "dance." During courtship, cocks of some species may sing while hopping and/or holding a feather or a strand of grass, for instance. In a few cases, hens may try to mimic this dance (such as the occasional Lady Gouldian hen which hops up and down while vocalizing), but they chirp instead of sing. If possible, place a group of monomorphic birds of the same species in a community aviary or flight and observe them. Catch the birds which sing and/or display male courtship behaviors and band them to make their identification easier. Males sometimes court other males, so the birds being courted are not necessarily hens. If your bird lays eggs, it is a hen; hens can lay eggs even in the absence of a male.

Posted By MaddyThursday, December 20, 2012

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