Any bird owners out there?

[Harambe]

I have put in my order for my birthday next month. I have asked for two finches. I don't know all that much about them, other than they need to be in pairs, and they do not need to come out of their cage at all. Which is good because we have a cat.

Anyone own finches? If so, is there anything bad about this idea? I will be putting them in a room that we use for reading/visiting. I use this room constantly, so the birds will have a lot of company - but no TV, Playstation, etc.

This may sound stupid, but do you have to bring birds to a vet? Can't quite picture this!!!

Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[Harambe]

Bumping - no one owns birds? Please guys - share!

 

[Margie J]

I've never owned finches but did have a flock of parakeets (13 in all). Most were born at home to two pairs of birds. BTW, I never intended to start breeding birds, nature just took over.

My birds loved to be in the center of it all. The more noise from the TV and company, the louder they would chirp. Their cages were in the LR/DR area, away from any drafts. Drafts and temperature are critical for birds. They can catch colds and respiratory infections quickly if left in the wrong location.

We also had a cat. When the cat was young he did jump on the cages a few times but soon learned that he would get punished if he did. It got to the point where we could actually let the birds fly around and land near the cat without him attempting to take a swat at them. Still, I wouldn't recommend taking a chance in your house. You may consider putting the cage in a high location where the cat could never get to the birds.

As for vets, I brought one bird in for an operation. Yes, an operation! He had a lump on one wing and the vet removed that part of the wing. The bird lived a few years after that. In most cases you can self medicate. Have a few antibiotics and other meds on hand (available in the pet shop). The key is to catch illnesses quickly. Watch the droppings and for any discharge from the nostrils. The meds are added to the drinking water as needed. I found there were few vets in my area that took care of birds, especially small ones.

Check to see if there is a finch breeding or show society in your area. Those groups are helpful with care issues also.

 

[Harambe]

Thanks Margie - it doesn't seem too difficult to care for birds. I guess I better request same sex birds - do NOT want to start breeding birds! LOL!

 

[preshi]

We get lots of house finches at the hospital... they are great little birds with great temperments. How fun!! They can get out of their cage pretty easy though if you give them even one second! But they usually fly to the highest point in the room