Finches live communally and need room to exercise and socialize.
Most finch species also need privacy when nesting.
Therefore, you'll need to also have a separate "nesting cage" on-hand during breeding season which can also serve as a year-round bathing cage.
Brass cages should never be used because brass is toxic to birds in general.
The first step in maintaining happy and healthy finches is to ensure that their living quarters meet the minimum requirements for their physical and psychological needs.
Place cages in low traffic areas of home or office.
Swings are a fun accessory for the habitat.
The Basics You should know that most bird cages are taller than wider.
Finches need the exact opposite! One pair of finches houses together need a horizontal free flight path of at least 20" (some finch keepers say 30' minimum).
In fact, the larger the cage, the better.
Of course, expense is always a consideration.
If you're going to splurge on any aspect of your finch set-up, go for the largest cage your budget will allow.
Most cages have bars with spaces no greater than 1/2 inch.
But make sure the cage you buy conforms to this requirement.
After all you don't want finch escapes.
Or worse yet, having one of your beloved pets wedge herself in-between bars while you are away at work! Go light on placing finch toys in the cage.
Believe it or not, finches aren't crazy about most store-bought toys such as mirrors and bells.
Experiment with toy placement.
And put one toy at a time into their pets' living quarters until you've come up with 3 to 6 or so that are pleasing to your birds.
Then rotate toy placement, keeping only 1 to 2 toys inside the cage at any given time.
Also, make sure toys are not positioned to impede the horizontal flight path! You'll want to place bird litter at the bottom of the cage.
Litter materials can be newspaper or wood chips.
Steer clear though of cedar, redwood, pressed wood chips.
These chips are toxic to all birds.
Keep in mind that any accessories made of wood cannot be sterilized.
Replace cage litter as needed to minimize the chance of illness.
Finches do appreciate swings but just like toys, position perches and swings away from the flight path.
And avoid hanging these items above food and water dishes for obvious reasons.
Provide bird feeders for water and seed food.
Place extra dishes of treat food such as chopped egg and greens.
All food dishes should be made of stainless steel or a variety of non-toxic plastic.
Although finches require relatively little time and effort to maintain, remember the basics.
(1) a clean cage (2) daily fresh food and water (3) adequate warmth (4) sunlight (5) a calm environment Tips Finches thrive when they have access to sunlight.
Weather permitting, position the cage near a sunlit window.
But be careful not to "cook" the birds with excessive exposure to sun warmth.
Partially cover a sunlit cage to create a shady area.
If you can't provide your birds with natural sunlight, install a light with timer to create artificial day and night cycles.
Conclusion Cages come in many different shapes and sizes.
Pick the largest cage you can afford for your pet finches.
Wooden or metal cages are fine-just don't house your pets in a brass cage.
Remember, finch habitats must be roomy enough to meet your pet's minimum housing needs.
20 to 30 inch horizontal cage size is a good benchmark to use when shopping for the initial set-up.
Finches are small and active birds.
As such, they are escape artists! Measure the spacing of cage bars before purchasing a cage.
Spacing of no more than 1/2 inch will prevent unfortunate injury or escape attempts.
Many finch owners actually have two finch cages.
One is used to place the birds in while they are cleaning the primary cage.
Use this placement as an opportunity to allow your finches to bathe.