How to Raise Zebra Finches
Make sure your home is suitable for a finch., Obtain a finch cage., Put some perches in the cage., Line the bottom of the cage with newspaper., Try a swing or another bird toy., Don’t include any strings in the cage.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Make sure your home is suitable for a finch.
Before raising finches, think very carefully about every aspect of what this involves.
Having a pet is a big responsibility.
For instance, when you go away from home, you need to arrange care of the birds in your absence.
Do you know of someone who is capable of caring for the birds whilst you are away? If you travel as part of your job and are regularly away, ask yourself if it's fair to leave such sociable birds alone and without your company for long periods of time.
Ensure you have a safe environment for your bird.
You need to consider practical matters, such as whether you are a smoker.
Also consider if you like to burn scented candles in the house.
Finches are very sensitive to atmospheric pollutants.
Cigarette smoke in particular is an absolute no-no when you keep birds.
The odors from scented candles gets onto the birds’ feathers, which they can find distressing.
This results in frantic grooming activity to get rid of the smell.
Consider if you or your family have any health issues.
People with suppressed immune systems are at risk for picking up infections easily.
These include the very young or old, people on chemotherapy or those with health conditions which suppress the immune system.
Some birds carry diseases such as salmonella or chlamydia.
Although the birds themselves are not ill, they could pose a possible risk to vulnerable people. -
Step 2: Obtain a finch cage.
A finch cage is specially made for small birds.
It has very small holes between the bars so that the birds can't escape.
The bars must be less than 12 mm apart in order to stop the birds escaping.
Canary cages or other larger holed cages are unsuitable for keeping finches.
Visit your local pet store to find the proper cage.
Aim for a cage that is long rather than tall (like a parrot cage), since zebra finches prefer to fly horizontally. , Perches placed at different heights in the cage will allow the birds to hop from one perch to another.
Have perches of different diameters.
The finch will need to use different leg muscles to stand on a smaller perch than on a larger perch.
Don’t have too many perches in the cage.
You don’t want your finch to hop so much from perch to perch that it never flies in the cage.Some types of perches include: branches, rope, plastic perches, natural plants, artificial plants, and clothesline perches. , Use newspaper or used printer paper to line the bottom of the cage.
This will catch droppings, spilled food and dropped water.
Special cage lining paper is available but not necessary.
It is typically expensive.
Sandpaper should not feature in a bird's cage as it damages the bird's feet.
Don’t use corn cobs, walnut shells, kitty litter or cedar shavings.
These can be dangerous if the bird ingests them., Experiment with bird toys and decorations to keep your bird occupied.
Swings, bells and ladders are good choices.
If you have one finch, try a mirror so the bird thinks it has company.
But if you already have 2 or more birds, a male bird might think it’s looking at another male and be threatened., Strings in cages can tangle around a bird, resulting in serious, or even fatal harm.
This is the case with all birds, not just zebra finches. -
Step 3: Put some perches in the cage.
-
Step 4: Line the bottom of the cage with newspaper.
-
Step 5: Try a swing or another bird toy.
-
Step 6: Don’t include any strings in the cage.
Detailed Guide
Before raising finches, think very carefully about every aspect of what this involves.
Having a pet is a big responsibility.
For instance, when you go away from home, you need to arrange care of the birds in your absence.
Do you know of someone who is capable of caring for the birds whilst you are away? If you travel as part of your job and are regularly away, ask yourself if it's fair to leave such sociable birds alone and without your company for long periods of time.
Ensure you have a safe environment for your bird.
You need to consider practical matters, such as whether you are a smoker.
Also consider if you like to burn scented candles in the house.
Finches are very sensitive to atmospheric pollutants.
Cigarette smoke in particular is an absolute no-no when you keep birds.
The odors from scented candles gets onto the birds’ feathers, which they can find distressing.
This results in frantic grooming activity to get rid of the smell.
Consider if you or your family have any health issues.
People with suppressed immune systems are at risk for picking up infections easily.
These include the very young or old, people on chemotherapy or those with health conditions which suppress the immune system.
Some birds carry diseases such as salmonella or chlamydia.
Although the birds themselves are not ill, they could pose a possible risk to vulnerable people.
A finch cage is specially made for small birds.
It has very small holes between the bars so that the birds can't escape.
The bars must be less than 12 mm apart in order to stop the birds escaping.
Canary cages or other larger holed cages are unsuitable for keeping finches.
Visit your local pet store to find the proper cage.
Aim for a cage that is long rather than tall (like a parrot cage), since zebra finches prefer to fly horizontally. , Perches placed at different heights in the cage will allow the birds to hop from one perch to another.
Have perches of different diameters.
The finch will need to use different leg muscles to stand on a smaller perch than on a larger perch.
Don’t have too many perches in the cage.
You don’t want your finch to hop so much from perch to perch that it never flies in the cage.Some types of perches include: branches, rope, plastic perches, natural plants, artificial plants, and clothesline perches. , Use newspaper or used printer paper to line the bottom of the cage.
This will catch droppings, spilled food and dropped water.
Special cage lining paper is available but not necessary.
It is typically expensive.
Sandpaper should not feature in a bird's cage as it damages the bird's feet.
Don’t use corn cobs, walnut shells, kitty litter or cedar shavings.
These can be dangerous if the bird ingests them., Experiment with bird toys and decorations to keep your bird occupied.
Swings, bells and ladders are good choices.
If you have one finch, try a mirror so the bird thinks it has company.
But if you already have 2 or more birds, a male bird might think it’s looking at another male and be threatened., Strings in cages can tangle around a bird, resulting in serious, or even fatal harm.
This is the case with all birds, not just zebra finches.
About the Author
Beverly Freeman
Committed to making cooking accessible and understandable for everyone.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: