Finches: food and taming?

[HawkEagle]

I have been wanting to get a budgie for quite a long time now, but now I decided to consider finches. I have two questions:

1. Can finches be fed budgie food? I got a pack for free and wondered whether I could feed that to them for a little bit, then buy finch food? ,

and 2. I heard finches cannot usually be tamed- but can they at least be taught to perch on a finger? Can a canary be tamed?

Thank you!

 

[expressmailtome]

Bump.

 

[learnincurve]

finch food is slightly different to budgie food but they can eat the millet in it short term. Get bengalese and not zebra, the sound zebra finches make can drive you mad, it's a flat toned "meep meep meep meep". Canary are also LOUD IM A CANARY TWEEET TWIT TWIT TWEEETY TWOOO TWOOO TWOOTLY TWOOTLY. Seriously how such a loud sound comes out of such a small bird is amazing, although I suppose you can get some airhorns which are quite small as well.

 

[HawkEagle]

Oh, dear Helen! Not a canary then!!!
I actually like the sound of zebra finches for a few minutes (we have a local aviary nearby) but I agree that they get on your nerves after some time...

 

[Hankmacaw]

@mythic55 - Mythics is our AA Finch expert. She has two Finches that are not only tame, but are velcro birds.

 

[SweetAmber]

A finch can not be kept signally. I agree, societies finches are the better choice but for different reasons. Two zebras are not annoying. Ten zebras are annoying! A male canary is the only one that sings, if you want a quieter bird get a female.
I prefer society finches myself. They are domesticated, easy to please, and make the cutest cricket chirps. The males song is very quiet.

 

[HawkEagle]

Society finches sound nice- thanks.
I will check out the page, thank you Mary.

 

[AzaleaMist]

Zebras are annoying? I think they are adorable.

 

[HawkEagle]

All birds are, in a certain way, adorable

 

[Odin]

Following, I may have some finches coming my way this spring as fosters

 

[AzaleaMist]

Really? They are such a joy. Every morning when I turn on the lights they all peep one after another as if to say good morning! Once they get accustomed to you they will fluff up when you talk to them. I can handle mine but they are not tame. I only handle when I need to check them over etc

 

[Odin]

I had a finch when I was a young, I loved the meep meep! I think they will be a welcome addition to the flock.

 

[Featheredfuffs]

Society finches sound nice- thanks.
I will check out the page, thank you Mary.

Society finches are amazing!!! They are such sweet, endearing, dapper, and lovely little birds.
I'd get a pair of girls if you don't want noise, they just cheep with no singing.
The boys sing a lovely little song, but it's not crazy loud and they don't do it all day. I find it quite nice.

I'd really suggest finch food, I'm not certain on the difference between budgie and finch food though.

On hand taming:

I've been breeding society's for a while now, and the only real way to hand tame is to handle the babies as very young chicks (10 days), and any responsible breeder wouldn't let people come into their aviary and handle babies. So the only real way is to get a male/female pair, and expect 1-9 more finches... and then you have the headache of keeping them from breeding again.

I haven't had much luck in the hand-tameness of my finches either... they step up, and are not afraid of me, but much prefer the company of their own kind. However, I have a large flock (13 birds at any given time), so maybe you would have more luck with only a few birds.

Seriously consider societies!!!! I love them so much and they are wonderful birds, hand tamed or not