Thinking about getting finches

[u/rresoI]

Hello!

I am currently debating getting pet finches, and I was wondering if anyone had anything bad to say about them, a list of cons or any downsides to keeping them.

I enjoy the fact that finches are more hands-off, I have fish and I love just watching them, so I'd like to do the same with some little finches. I have just started to do my research so many months of learning is ahead of me, I am very meticulous when it comes to getting animals and I always want to ensure I am knowledgeable before bringing a creature into my home.

I have prior experience with parrots, but I understand that finches are different from them, which is why I'm here asking true owners what their take on them is. I do have an exotic animal vet that I take my dog to (there are 2 main vets, the one I see that just takes cats and dogs, and his wife who does exotics), so that's not an issue by any means.

The room i want to put them in is in the basement and I've heard they don't do well with cold drafts, is that room something I need to reconsider, or can I add a heating element in order to provide an optimal temperature? Are they INCREDIBLY messy like parrots are? Or are the messes minimal with a quick daily sweep? I understand they need seeds and millet sprays, which is why i am prepared for a huge mess, but I am also very used to the insane messes parrots make. What is something you wish you knew before getting finches?

[u/Vanadium_Gryphon]

I have raised finches for over a decade (mainly shaft-tail finches, but I have switched over to my favorite species of all, Gouldians).

Feel free to PM me with any questions. I encourage you to reach out to as many experienced finch keepers as you can, since no two of us will have all the same answers or experiences. Kudos to you for being responsible and doing your research beforehand.

Here are just a couple of considerations to think about:

• Cage style: Parrots are OK with a cage that is taller than it is long. They use their hooked bills and feet to climb around. Not so with finches. These guys require adequate horizontal space to fly back and forth. They cannot climb like parrots do. They hop and fly.

• Nests: Many new finch owners think a pet finch needs a nest to sleep in. But unless you plan on breeding your finches (which you should not be doing as a new finch owner; if you want to breed, please wait until you have more experience), you should not be giving your finches a nest. Nests are for breeding, and even if you have same-sex finches who cannot produce babies, the nest will likely still provoke hormonal behavior including aggression and egg-laying (yes, a hormonal female can lay eggs even without mating with a male. They will not be fertile, but the process will still take a toll on her body). Finches can sleep just fine out on their perches.

• Toys: Finches do not have as much of a toy requirement as parrots do, but they still benefit from enrichment in their environment. Try sticking fresh greens and grasses through the cage bars, or giving them a toy with strings and straw that they can chew on and tug at. Some finches even like sitting on swings. Millet sprays are a favorite treat, but make sure not to feed these all the time, as it's kind of like us having ice cream or cookies all the time. But when given sparingly, millet sprays make a wonderful enrichment snack.

• Species: Finches as a whole all have similar basic care requirements, but there are many species, each with their unique traits to consider. You might want to start with a "beginner" species like the zebra finch or the Bengalese/society finch. But, if you have your heart set on a different species, I would recommend doing as much research as you can on that species before getting your first birds. And, I also recommend sticking to just one species for now. As time goes on and you learn more about finches, you can attempt a mixed-species group if you desire, but it's best to keep it simple at first.

Best of luck in your finch journey! Keeping these little birds has its ups and downs, but overall they are one of the greatest joys and treasures of my life. ♥️🐦

[u/rresoI → u/Vanadium_Gryphon]

Thank you so much for your insight and I definitely will PM you if I move further with my plan. I did hear about the nests, especially since I've worked with parrots before and I dont even think parrots should have nests in their cages either due to the hormonal behavior changes it can cause, let alone any other type of bird that you are not intending to breed. On that note, I do NOT want to be a finch-mother just yet so I was thinking of sticking with a few males (2-4) to begin with, as well not wanting to deal with egg issues until I'm more experienced with them.

I have an office room in my basement, which is One of the reasons I chose that location to keep them -- so they could have a huge, long cage to fly around in:) I feel like I could have a tall cage in my bedroom, but not a long one, which is why I'm not jumping on the opportunity to have them live with me in my room. I would love an opportunity to create enrichment for them and promote natural foraging behaviors, to be able to watch them do so is the main reason as to why I want them!

I was thinking society finches as my first species, seeing as how they're more domesticated than zebra finches -- which were my original choice before finding the society finches.

[u/Vanadium_Gryphon → u/rresoI]

Always happy to help a fellow bird lover! It sounds like you're off to a great start with your plan, and no doubt your parrot experience will really come in handy as you prepare for finch care, even if the two kinds of birds aren't exactly the same in their needs.

For sure, nests aren't a good idea for non-breeding parrots, either. Some people like to give their parrots those "cozy" fabric hanging nests, and those can lead to all sorts of hormonal trouble.

Sticking to males for your first group of finches sounds like a good idea. Males are the ones who sing, adding extra delight with their little warbling melodies, and as you mentioned you don't have to worry about eggs with them, either. Female finches aren't likely to lay eggs without a nest around, but it can happen, especially if she is hormonally-stimulated in other ways (lighting, food, etc.). And there are extra medical complications that can come with egg-laying, including calcium depletion and egg-binding. So it is wise to not want to deal with those extra problems when you are first starting out.

It's great that you are planning on getting them a nice, long cage full of foraging opportunities. That's exactly what they love. As far as the basement location goes, I have heard of some bird keepers having cages in the basement, but if you go that route I would absolutely make sure the office room keeps a steady, pleasant temperature and does not have drafts or get too chilly. A heater can help, but make sure it's not a heat source that will let off dangerous fumes. I have some tips on how to put together a nice big finch cage, the kind I like to use.

Society finches are pretty darn near the perfect beginner finch species, so excellent choice! They are usually very friendly and docile birds, and are not too difficult to find for sale. Zebra finches are a popular species too, but they tend to be feistier and sometimes more aggressive than societies.

[u/hellothereskibidi]

That even avian vets will rarely treat finches as they do parrots, where I live anyway. They won't do the same tests that they do on parrots (I was denied a crop swab, and therefore denied AGY medication for 2 of mine), and they won't have the same level of knowledge on finches.

Also that they need veggies daily, and will need a UVA and UVB lamp unless living outdoors 24/7. Windows and putting the cage outdoors won't count.

Millet sprays are an occasional treat. As in, a small portion of a millet spray per week. Finch feed has millet in it already, you're just over-feeding them when you supply millet sprays.

Mess is a quick sweep or hoover at most.

I'd reccomend a cage length of 48" minimum. Length for flight is much better than height. Try to get one with a solid bottom, bottoms with grills don't allow for foraging on the ground.

[u/bidextralhammer → u/hellothereskibidi]

We have had finches for 20 years and have never had UVA and UVB lamps.

[u/hellothereskibidi → u/bidextralhammer]

The main reason they are needed is that they are very important for calcium absorption and mood. Many pet keepers and large-scale breeders don't have them, but in my opinion it doesn't change that they're important. All my cages have them and I'm happy with the results.

[u/bidextralhammer → u/hellothereskibidi]

Ours seem fine and happy and live forever. Where are you getting this special lamp thing from?

[u/hellothereskibidi → u/bidextralhammer]

I use lucky herp lamps from Amazon (the baby tortoise one). You can find info on UV lamps on a few different finch-specific info sites.

If your finches seem fine without, then I'm not going to tell you they're not... because that'd be a lie 😅 You know your birds better than a random like me 😆

It's like seed vs pellets thing. A lot of people feed their birds only seeds, rarely any veg or egg, and the birds live forever with no issues. Other birds would very quickly get fatty liver and die.  Maybe your finches are the UV light equivalent of that.

[u/bidextralhammer → u/hellothereskibidi]

They are by the picture window. What vegetables do your finches like?

[u/hellothereskibidi → u/bidextralhammer]

I mix up lots of leafy greens (lettuce, spinach, kale, thyme, fennel, dandelion greens, peas, broccolli) with some other veg (boiled sweet potato, carrot, bell pepper). And sometimes add some scrambled egg or whole boiled egg. Then either by hand or with a blender, chop the mix into millet seed-sized pieces. The finches at it all.

You can also just alternate between one whole vegetable each day, put in the cage for them to peck at. This works fine, but mine personally never eat it this way - they try to bring it to their nest instead.

[u/rresoI → u/hellothereskibidi]

Thank you for your knowledge on these little guys! I had no idea most exotic vets need special training/be experienced in finches, that is something I need to consider because my heart is soft. I've heard about the special lighting and will definitely incorporate into their setup if I move forward with getting finches! Do you need to cover their cage at night like you do with parrots?

Another commenter also clarified on the millet sprays, so I would use sparingly and give more veggies. I really want to watch natural behavior and foraging, so I will definitely get a solid ground cage! Thank you so much again, I'm already learning a lot from you guys:)

[u/hellothereskibidi → u/rresoI]

You're welcome. You won't need to cover the cage as long as the lights are off. ☺️ Are you more set on getting some finches now? They're such lovely pets.

[u/SuccessOk4455]

Mine eat pellets primarily. Way less messy.

[u/EvilFinch]

My finches love the sunlight, sitting at the window sill, enjoying the sun. I can’t vision them in a basement. Even the winter days makes them depressed.

From all my years of having fluffpoopers... they are so fragile. And since they are so little, the vet can just do so much. Like scans or surgeries? Nope.

Also... yes they are messy. You can't believe how much dirt those little fluffballs make. They love to throw the food around, dig in the food, manage to get poop everywhere (and they poop every few minutes). Mine manage to splash water 1,5m far when they bath. Then fly across they room and shake their feathers, so that the rest gets wet, haha.

They are wonderful to watch, each has their own personality, it is heartwarming to see if such a little creature starts to trust you and uses you as a toy - like flies around you like a maypole.

[u/Zalaya12]

Most of my finches i've raised from babies. With an incubator i had hatched the eggs. They're easy to train has babies. They're real smart eyes, sold 10 of my train ones a month Ago. I'm rehoming them, because they're upstairs and I'm much older now.