hey. if any of you people know alot about getting pet birds for the first time, do you think you could throw me some info and etc. i was thinking about getting 2 small finches i think their called, small, brown and white, look like chickadees. what size cage and set up should i have to make them happy?
finches are cool, but all they do is sit around and cheep. i suggest a budgie/parakeet. they're just as amusingly chirpy plus you can teach them tricks, hand-train them, etc. if you get multiple birds they will bond with each other and might be aloof with people. so maybe start with one parakeet, train it to step up, sit on your hand, and become used to people, and then get a second one after. you should get a cage that's at least 20 inches by 20 inches for a single bird. have a food dish, a water dish, some toys (birds love bells and mirrors!) and maybe a spray of millet or a cuttlebone. some birds like taking baths, so a little dish they can play in is fun. you'll need to clean the cage often and a lot of birds will also make messes around their cage so keep that in mind. and some people are going to say this is mean, but... if you get a bird (other than a tiny finch, which probably won't be leaving its cage), you should clip its wings. just the flight feathers, not too high up on its wings. you can have a vet do it if you're unsure. but i had a bird fly out an open window and i was devastated. his name was melon and he most likely died because he was domesticated. birds can also hurt themselves if they fly into a wall, a closed window, or onto a hot stove. i have a quaker parrot now and since they're considered agricultural pests in my state (if they escape), i'm required by law to keep his wings clipped. oh, and whatever kind of bird(s) you get, be really really careful of chemicals!!!! birds are very delicate creatures and will possibly die if exposed to cleaners, bug spray, air fresheners, and the fumes of teflon-coated pans. and temp changes aren't good for them either. um, that's it for me. i've had birds all my life, so if you have any other questions, i'd be pleased to help!
