I Want A Bird

[lljdma06]

Do you want a bird to pet, or simply enjoy? Many of the smaller finch species are undemanding and make good pets. I currently keep a pair of zebra finches, a canary, and an Indian spice finch. They don't require the larger spaces needed by members of the parrot family, and the noise is less intense. In fact, the male spice finch's song is almost inaudible, though I can hear it quite well. In addition, rather than screech, many of these species actually have a defined song, the canary's song being particularly lovely. Canaries are actually quite easy to care for, since they are a larger bird, and with a little practice, you can learn to handle them. Mine behaves quite well when I need to give him his monthly pedicure. Finches do not usually need the beak trim needed by members of the parrot family, especially if they are properaly cared for (providing a cuttle bone, providing grit, giving the right type of seed, etc).

I really suggest doing a lot of research to determine which bird is right for you. My spice finch, Chip, is in a hanging next to my bedroom window. I live in FL, so temperatures are mild all year round and he enjoys the view and interacts with the sparrows and finches that are outside. He is a great little bird and a joy to have. He keeps great company.

There are many wonderful websites that list the care requirements of most of the species kept in captivity.

Good luck to you and I hope you make the decision that is best for you. Birds require care like any other pet, but once that care is provided, they are among the easiest pets to care for. Yes, they are messy and pose other inconviences, all pets do. You need to decide whether or not the joy of having a lovely bird is worth it. I find that it is.

Warmest,

llj

 

[atmmachine816]

If you mean whether I want a bird as a pet and not to just enjoy yes, like keeping fish and giving it lots of attention like my fish. I have to figure out what bird/s that will stay small and live in a smaller cage(I'll take it out everyday for excercise), not very loud, and won't cost a fortune to setup and maintain, and be friendly. I need to do the research and will ask questions here later but I have about a week to do the research so i can ask my parents for it for x-mass before they buy me something else. I'll look up the Indian spice finch since it seems it might fill those requirements.

Thanks

Austin

http/animal-world.com/encyclo/birds/finches/SpiceFinch.php is this a credible site?

 

[lljdma06]

If you mean whether I want a bird as a pet and not to just enjoy yes, like keeping fish and giving it lots of attention like my fish. I have to figure out what bird/s that will stay small and live in a smaller cage(I'll take it out everyday for excercise), not very loud, and won't cost a fortune to setup and maintain, and be friendly. I need to do the research and will ask questions here later but I have about a week to do the research so i can ask my parents for it for x-mass before they buy me something else. I'll look up the Indian spice finch since it seems it might fill those requirements.

Thanks

Austin

http/animal-world.com/encyclo/birds/finches/SpiceFinch.php is this a credible site?

What I meant was whether you wanted to have a bird that you could take out and play with or if you just content with interaction without holding it. Finches and canaries should be kept in their cages and not allowed to fly unless in a large aviary.

I wouldn't let an Indian spice finch out of it's cage, nor would I handle it extensively. They are not as heavy bodied as a parakeets or lovebirds, and they could get hurt. They are also darn good flyers and pretty hard to catch. I speak from experience. Chip once flew out of his cage while I was cleaning it and proceeded to take an hour-long tour of my house. You are not going to get the interaction you would get from a parrot-like bird. Finches are just not wired the same way. Their antics, however, can be extremely amusing. My breeding zebra finch pair are constantly eating, pruning, resting, and doing "other things" together. Very cute to watch. There is interaction, but not in the same way. I still think based on your other criteria (cage size, maintenance, budget, noise, mess factor) that a finch is still your best bet.

The minimum cage size for a finch would be one where the finch would have to actually flap it's wings to get across, not just hop. When you see the smallest cages at the LPS, don't buy those, get one 2x the size and that should be adaquate. In which case you may have room for a pair, though they will probably not breed. They are social, if you get a larger cage, a small group can be kept and their antics should entertain. Avoid tall cages, opt for a long one instead. Finches like flight room. Food and water should be changed everyday, and there should be a constant supply of grit.

That is a good website. Very direct with it's information. That is what helped me choose the spice finch over zebra and society finches.

Hope this helps a little bit. Having kept both parrot-like birds and finches, right now, the finches fit better into my life style and I enjoy keeping them.

llj

 

[atmmachine816]

Ok so it looks lilke my best bet would be a finch since the cage is smaller. Do you have to take it to the vet?

 

[MegTheFish]

As with any pet, yes, you should take it to the vet if needed. However do not take it to a normal "cat and dog"vet, you need to find an avian vet or exotics vet.

BTW, lljdma06, grit isn't really needed for finches. Its needed for birds that don't de-hull their seeds (I think doves was one of them). Its said that it can actually cause damage to them actually.

The role of grit is still highly debated. It is now quite widely accepted that parrots do not need grit, but the need for grit for finches and canaries is less clearly understood. Many avian vets now recommend no grit even for finches, as they do hull their seeds (grit is essential for doves and pigeons, for example, because they swallow seeds whole and need the grit to help hull the seeds). There seems to be a definite risk to overeating grit leading to impactions however, so this is something you should discyss with your avian veterinarian. If you do feed grit, only offer a few granules at a time and at infrequent intervals, especially mineralized grit.

-http/exoticpets.about.com/cs/finches/a/zebrafinches_3.htm

I'm not saying you shouldn't use it ATM, its up to you and what you think is right. I personally have never offered grit to my birds, but I do know of people that do use it.

 

[atmmachine816]

Ok well does anybody know of a approx. cost that it would cost to start up either a finch, or parakeet setup for in the US maybe? What's the minimum cage size for a parakeet then, would it be smaller since you take it out more for excercise than a finch's? Thank you MegtheFish I don't know if I will use grit, as in taking it to the vet do you only have to take it to the vet if it gets sick?

Thanks for answering all my quesitons, you'v all been a lot of help.

Austin

 

[MegTheFish]

Ok well does anybody know of a approx. cost that it would cost to start up either a finch, or parakeet setup for in the US maybe? What's the minimum cage size for a parakeet then, would it be smaller since you take it out more for excercise than a finch's? Thank you MegtheFish I don't know if I will use grit, as in taking it to the vet do you only have to take it to the vet if it gets sick?

Thanks for answering all my quesitons, you'v all been a lot of help.

Austin

Well it cost me close to $100 (CDN) to start out with my two budgies (parakeets). This included the birds, cage, food, toys etc. However the cage was a little on the small side and really should of only held 1 budgie. If your going with finches then get a larger cage since they will be spending their whole lives in it, they will need lots of room to fly. So really when you think about it finches may need a bigger cage then a budgie as with budgies you can give them lots of out-of-cage time, so they don't need a huge cage. If that made any sense lol.
And regarding taking the bird(s) to the vet, you may want to take them shortly after you get them so they can have a check-up to make sure everything thing is ok, as well as taking them if they become ill.
Also, are you planning on getting the bird(s) from a breeder, rescue or petstop?

 

[lljdma06]

I use a calcium-based grit as a supplement for my female finches as they do need the extra calcium when they are laying or breeding. I have found that it is easier to for them to get at than your standard cuttle bone, which I also use. I have never lost a bird to impaction, but as you can see, I don't use enough for them to overeat. Thanks for the info, however, you may have saved me the $1.79. Now, I'll take a stab at Automachine's questions.

I agree that a good avian vet should be located. I like having one. What you do, however, is really up to you. I can see both sides of the coin. Many people don't consider it cost effective to take a $10 bird to the vet. Others do it without question. It is a question of priorities and where they rank other forms of life. An object of debate, to be sure. They don't perceive it as cruel at all, and the bird is not considered a true pet, but somehow less. It doesn't have the same emotion value to them as a dog or cat. I can't judge those that think this way, it's not my place. An inexpensive bird often falls in this middle ground. Fish can be treated for the most part at home. Dogs and cats are more often taken to the vet. It is pointless to get into a long debate with this issue, but I just wanted to tell you how it is. Whatever you decide, it's you who has to be comfortable with that decision.

I will say this, if food is changed everyday, if fresh water is provided daily, if the substrate and cage are regularly cleaned, if the bird is treated extremely well, they are not prone to illness. They are rather tough little animals and an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I will also say this, when a bird is actually showing symptoms, it is already very ill and needs medical attention almost immediately. They hide illness very well. You need to be very aware of how your bird normally behaves. Any variation can be a sign of disease. Birds are extremely predictable. Learning their daily behavior is easy to do. I can almost set my watch by what Chip does. In addition, always have a look at the poop. If the poop is runny, all white, all black, tinged with red, purple with yellow polka-dots (just checking), if the bird is straining, or if his vent isn't clean, then medical attention should be considered, if that is your decision.

I'll give you the cost breakdown, Automachine, of setting up Chip's habitat.

Cage: $19.99-$24.99 depending on the size, usually food and water holders are included. Anything less expensive will be too small IMO even for one bird.
Good food: about $5.00, this will last quite a while for one bird, even if food is changed daily, which I recommend. Grit is of course, optional. The debate continues. I also use a cuttle bone, but that's just me.
Treats: $1-$2 weekly or biweekly. Chip loves millet sprays and the occasional washed sprig of organic lettuce.
Perches: About $10. If you can find the one with a sandy coating all the better for trimming the claws, at least in my experience.
Substrate: About $10 a month or more. I use KayKob. I like to change the substrate often and watch him forage, which he loves to do.
Bird: $8.99 at PetSupermarket. Can be as high as $20 depending on where you go, but chip is a healthy and strong little bird. Never go on stock day, look for one that has been in the store at least 3-4 weeks. Don't buy from a place where fluffed birds huddled in the corner are seen. Look for bright, clear eyes, no missing feathers, smooth clean legs, all digits present, good color, clean vent (anus, no poop stains), strong bill, and general good activity (eating, flying, etc). Good rule of thumb, if it's nearly impossible to catch, then you've made a good choice. Finches are extremely light, there is absolutely no reason for it not to fly. Chip took nearly 20 minutes and the associate was extremely annoyed with me as there were about 4 other finches in with him and he caught two others before he caught Chip.

So between $50-$70 depending on where you go. With a monthly maintenance of about $10-$15 depending on what you need. It is extremely important to change the water and food daily. Spice finch like to bathe often. Chip never misses his morning bath.

As you can see it isn't too expensive and the upkeep is very reasonable. I had a lovely pair of canaries in college living in a cramped apartment on a student's budget and they were very healthy happy birds.

I hope you're able to convince your parents.

llj

 

[atmmachine816]

Meg- So if I keep two budgies I would need a smaller cage, if that's the case I might have to get them because my dad won't want a large cage and I could take them out to play and get exercise everyday. Currently I think a petshop as I first have to locate a breeder if I planned on buying one from a breeder.

Lljd- I understand what you are saying, I guess I shall spend some time looking for one but hopefully I won't have to take it much as my parents probably won't understand taking him/her to a vet. Thanks for the cost rundown, though is it going to be about the same with a parakeet(sorry if you don't call them that, tell me what you call them, that's just what they are sold as around here)? Do you really need to change the substrate every month with parakeets because my dad may not like me spending that much a month plus stuff with fish?

Ok so this weekend if I can I might go the petstore to get some price estimates, I need to look for:
Cage
Food
Substrate
bird
perches/other things for them
anything else?

Thanks for the help so far and yes I hope I can convince my parents.

I hope you guys figure out the grit problem

Austin

 

[atmmachine816]

Any chance of is that stuff right and what about the questions possibly. I'm going to the lfs today to pick up a betta and I'm going to look at prices and types of birds.

 

[atmmachine816]

My mom said no, sorry for wasting your time

Austin

 

[coloradogirl]

I remember during my childhood and, later on, how my family and I owned Cockatiels. We had this male who was mean towards everyone and then we gave him away to someone who could care for him better. Then we got a mating pair of cockatiels, which the male was mean and nasty, while the female was as sweet as could be. A friend who worked in a pet store told me that that was very weird that one of the mating pair would be sweet. She said that usually both of them are mean. Anyways, I would like to get a parakeet, because they're smaller birds. I hope they don't make as much of a mess as the cockatiels did.

 

[lljdma06]

My mom said no, sorry for wasting your time

Austin

Austin, it wasn't a waste of my time. I enjoy giving advice. Sometimes that's the way the ball bounces. Sorry to hear, but perhaps circumstances are not ideal. Parents are not mean, they just have other things to deal with (bills, running a house, jobs, other kids, etc.). It sucks and may seem like they're mean, but they're usually not. Parents see the greatest maturity in a child when the child agrees with them and doesn't put up a fuss. They'll be pleasantly surprised and then you never know what will happen. Take care of your betta and don't push the issue anymore. Do extra chores around the house. Help with the cooking. Do your homework. Displays of responsibility and selflessness are what parents like to see, and can lead to them granting requests. I have been able to pretty much do what I want, but it involved stepping up and contributing. I cook, I clean, I garden, I help out. I'm much older than you, but I've enjoyed this freedom pretty much since my teens. It really makes a huge difference. When I stopped seeing my parents as "parents" and started to see them as "people" with real problems, real dreams, and real feelings, our relationships changed for the better. Ask them how their day went. Ask them how finances work. Come to work with them, and live in their shoes for a day. It's not easy.

Just a little advice, Austin, you can take it or leave it.

Have a great day.

llj

 

[atmmachine816]

I understand where they are coming from, they just don't like animals as much as I do. We have a dog, and I have my two fish tanks and they think that's more than enough. My mom had said maybe a bird before but now she's changed her mind and her mind about no more tanks too. They just tell me wait till your older when you have your own house. Other reason is they see it as I'm going to leave in a few years to college and don't think I can bring anything to college with me and don't want to have to take care of my animals. I start to understand them more as I'm getting older though sometimes I get frustrated because it always seems what I like is what they hate or don't like so I don't have much support in doing it from them or I can't do it because they have to drive me their and they won't like paintball. Sometimes I wish I liked football like most guys so I could actually do and watch it but I don't. It's just hard having to wait what seems like so long but I guess really isn't to be able to do what you really enjoy.

Thanks for the advice I'll use it

Austin