CARING FOR YOUR PET FINCHES
ENVIRONMENTAL
Finches were kept as pets for centuries entertaining their owners with their gently trilling sounds and songs, quickly darting about in endless choreographed movements. While some vocalize with a “peep-peep” (perfect for apartment dwellers) others have soft, beautiful songs! These small, lively and sociable birds are easy to care for and many are easy to breed! Finches are native to areas, such as Africa, Asia, Australia, India and the Indonesian Islands. While many species inhabit grasslands, some make their homes in forests. The optimum room temperature for most finch species is 65°F – 70°F (18°C – 21°C). Finches will fit the lifestyle of just about anyone!
Your Finches New Home – When purchasing a cage for your finches, keep the following in mind. Unlike hookbills that can climb around their cages, finches get their exercise by flying from perch-toperch. Therefore, they will require a home that is wider than it is tall. Get the largest cage that you can! A roomy home with lots of area for flying, perching and sleeping is ideal. Your finch cage will need bars that are set at 1 cm (0.4 inches) intervals. You may want to hang their cage or place it on a cage stand, but either way, make sure the room is draft free, away from heat or air-conditioning vents and is not in direct sunlight. A cage cover will allow your finches to get the rest they need. Remember, that birds wake at sunrise and sleep at sunset.
One Finch, Two or More? Finches must never be kept alone. They are extremely sociable birds and need partners of their own species. If deprived of companions (whether their own species or not) they will suffer loneliness and possibly sickness. Finches will be healthier and happier with a “flock” to belong to. Compatibility This will vary from species to species. Usually a male and a female of the same species is the best match to make. Neither males nor females should predominate in your cage/aviary. Unattached birds will cause problems, since they will always be looking for an opportunity to find a mate. Perch or Nest sleepers? Finches are divided into two groups according to their sleeping habits. Perch sleepers will sleep huddled together or by themselves on a perch. Nest sleepers will build nests for sleeping; even outside of their mating season. The nest builders need to have access to nesting material and also to readymade nests, otherwise they may catch cold or become panicked at night. To provide a happy, healthy atmosphere for your finches, Petland recommends the following necessary and fun accessories. We have listed them as your new finch’s four basic needs: Environmental, Nutritional, Maintenance and Behavioural. When these needs are met, along with a loving environment provided by you, your finches can live a long and happy life. Typically, a healthy finch may live between six and eight years.
Perches – Your finches must have a variety of perch sizes to allow their feet proper exercise. They will need not only the perching that comes with your cage, but also branches which will provide them with an uneven surface. These may be purchased in plastic, manzanita wood or you may collect the following branches from outdoors, provided they have not been sprayed: fruit trees, willow, poplar, elderberry and maple. If you do use natural branches, they will need to be replaced frequently. Situate two of the perches at the same height as the seed and water dishes, not directly over them, where fecal matter could spoil the food.
they are to live long and happy lives! Fresh finch seed mix should always be available. Check their seed twice daily, and don’t be fooled by the empty husks they will leave in the dish! Blow them off into the garbage, stir and top up as needed. All finches need some animal protein to supplement their diet. Peeled, cooled, boiled egg that is rubbed through a sieve (must be neither mushy nor chunky) may be offered in a small egg cup daily. Mealworms may also be offered a few times a week. The worms should be chopped (not whole) and offered in a small dish. Also, a healthy mix of fruits and vegetables, shredded into pick-up-and-fly pieces should be offered daily. Feed all perishable foods in a separate dish, and remove it after one or two hours. Vitamin/Mineral/Amino Acid Supplement – In the wild, birds are free to fill all of their nutritional requirements, but in a cage/aviary environment, they are not. To make sure your finches are getting the vitamins their bodies require, we recommend the addition of a high-quality powdered vitamin. This may be administered on top of their daily salad or sprinkled on their millet. A liquid vitamin may be used instead of the powdered if your finches snub the vitaminized foods you are offering. The liquid vitamin is added to fresh water daily. Watch your finches to make sure they are accepting the vitaminized water since you do not want your birds to go without drinking for any length of time.
Lighting – Your finches require exposure to ultraviolet light on a daily basis. Since it is not possible in our climate to have them outside on a daily basis, and placing them in front of a window only allows filtered light inside, which is ineffective; the use of a full-spectrum light is vital. UVA and UVB is necessary to prevent calcium and vitamin D3 deficiencies which can cause a tremendous amount of health problems. As well, depriving your finches of UV light will make them colour blind. It has also been suggested that UVA light is beneficial in reducing or eliminating abnormal behaviour, such as feather damaging disorders, phobias and aggression among just a few. An avian floor lamp and UVA/UVB bulb will be a necessary part of your finches basic environmental needs.
Cuttlebone – Cuttlebone is a convenient way to supply your finches with calcium, phosphorus and other minerals necessary to keep them in optimum health. Hang it in their cage, out of the way from droppings, which could soil it. Change it every two months.
NUTRITIONAL
MAINTENANCE
Food – It is unreasonable to expect any living thing to remain healthy when fed only one or two types of food. You must give your finches a balanced diet if
Plumage Conditioner and Bird Bath – In the wild certain finches have different needs for bathing. While Zebra finches and Munias may take two or
Treats – Packaged seed treats, egg biscuits and spray millet. Treats will keep your finches busy picking and gnawing, while giving them a tasty alternative to staple foods and salads. Spray millet is something finches would eat in the wild, and is accepted with gusto! All finches should be fed millet sprays, as part of their weekly diet. A millet holder is handy to use and will keep the millet from becoming soiled at the bottom of the cage.