Taking in special needs finch as a budgie owner?

[jhaylo]

Answers ASAP would be appreciated, but I know you can't rush these things.

Hi all, I'm a budgie owner and was out getting toys for my boys when I saw a Zebra finch for 'adoption' (chain pet store, so I found this odd) for no money. We asked why and they said he couldn't fly, and they had taken him to a vet and they didn't know if his flight was going to come back.

I have one special needs budgie, Benji, who can fly but is blind - he lives inside a 30x18x18 cage for his own good, and him and Bailey sociazlize on the occasion. Bailey is a bit of a bully, part of the bigger reasons they don't live together.

I know very little about finchs, so I'm curious if taking that little guy in is a good idea.

Would he be okay alone? (Same room, but obviously different cages to my budgies.) And, I at least for the time would only have him alone - I don't know how he'd get along with others, I guess it depends on how his wing and flight would develop?

Are there big difference between caring for a finch vs. a budgie?

Pellets + Veggies still okay for a diet? It seems a lot of people feed their finchs seed? And are things like cage setup (in terms of toys, perchs, etc.) similar?

Appreciate ANY and ALL advice, thank you so much. I don't want to rush into getting a bird but I'd hate for that boy to fall into bad care because he's free.

 

[birdbuster]

Finches from what I've heard are pretty difficult to tame. I think it's doable as you seem very passionate about the well-being of your two current birds.
Keep in mind that the care and diet are different for finches. As long as you do your research I would not advise against it as you seem like a great home for this little guy to go to.

 

[jhaylo]

Finches from what I've heard are pretty difficult to tame. I think it's doable as you seem very passionate about the well-being of your two current birds.
Keep in mind that the care and diet are different for finches. As long as you do your research I would not advise against it as you seem like a great home for this little guy to go to.

Thank you, I appreciate it. I'm finding the diet does seem different, more seed-based interestingly enough? And care wise they seem more a look-not-touch pet compared to budgies. I would absolutley try and interact with him to give him that connection - but carefully, they're so small and we're so big I know it's no garauntee. I'm gonna try and hold off to really think it through, but like I said I don't want him going to someone who couldn't care for him like I think he deserves. And him being free? Makes me nervous, is all. Appreciate it again. I'm trying to research as effectivley as possible in a short time span haha

 

[Finchbreed]

As a long term breeder of Zebra finches in their country of origin - they are definately seed eaters. But love their greens.
I feed mine (75/100 across 4 avairies) on a mix of milletts and canary seeds. We have the advantage of our seed being mostly grown in our state, so it is viable (fresh enough to grow) I feed wild greens (native seeding grasses, weeds that seed in my garden and birdseed that I grow)
Finches are very active birds by choice and need more space for their size than bigger birds. They also prefer a solid cage with a wire front, to feel safe.
Zebs can sometimes come good from non flying - if it is just feather damage that can grow out with the moult - but it could be a permanent defect.
I have come across both over the years - they are fine if not able to fly but climbing perches are supplied. However they really are flock birds, so a friend or 2 is good. If you do not want to breed - and if he has funky feathers it is not a good idea - same gender buddies are good.

 

[jhaylo]

As a long term breeder of Zebra finches in their country of origin - they are definately seed eaters. But love their greens.
I feed mine (75/100 across 4 avairies) on a mix of milletts and canary seeds. We have the advantage of our seed being mostly grown in our state, so it is viable (fresh enough to grow) I feed wild greens (native seeding grasses, weeds that seed in my garden and birdseed that I grow)
Finches are very active birds by choice and need more space for their size than bigger birds. They also prefer a solid cage with a wire front, to feel safe.
Zebs can sometimes come good from non flying - if it is just feather damage that can grow out with the moult - but it could be a permanent defect.
I have come across both over the years - they are fine if not able to fly but climbing perches are supplied. However they really are flock birds, so a friend or 2 is good. If you do not want to breed - and if he has funky feathers it is not a good idea - same gender buddies are good.

thanks for the reply! It's funny it worked out like this, since just the morning before I got him I cancelled my seed subscriptions since my budgies are moving to pellets at last -- is there a brand you'd reccomend for zebra finches seed-wise or have you always grown your own? (That's super cool by the way haha) And do they take to greens easily?
Right now I'm giving him something probably big for him, Sunseed Vita Prima for parakeets - the only thing I had around - he's eaten some but not much of it. I added some millet today in the hopes he'd have some of that.

I was planning to get another 30x18x18 cage for him like I use for my blind budgie, but it's wire on all four sides. Do you mean something like plastic on three and wire only on the front? Should I go bigger than that?
I'm not sure how bad of an injury it is - but right now I'm not so sure it'll come back. My best guess is it was a bad clip by an irresponsible breeder, considering one wing looks normal but the other looks pretty choppy. Iffy on it coming back fully, but I think he'll gain more flight - he already gets some decent height right now, to be honest. (picture of beaker & his wing)

I don't intend to breed, but once I've got him a good cage, setup, and feel for his personality (ideally within the next year) I would hope to get him a friend since I understand they really need it. A year was as long as I went with my first budgie, and it seemed to go okay but I understand he needs a friend. I heard some people find two males fight, but would getting another boy be smartest then to avoid breeding?

Lastly, and I'm sorry for all the questions haha! Do I need a nest in a cage setup if i DONT want them to breed? So many people seem to include them and I wasn't sure. So far my checklist is mostly a few good toys, perches for jumping, perhaps a ladder or two, and swings for them.

Appreciate the response! Sorry for the copious amount of questions but I would love any advice you could offer - I want to do him right!

 

[AussieBird]

Your budgies should really still be eating seed as well. They're natural seed eaters and do best with a portion of seed remaining in their diet.
I would think finch and budgie diet could be quite similar, the pellets I feed to my budgies is actually also a finch pellet. So a diet of seed, pellets, and veggies would likely work well for a finch provided it's a suitable pellet.


@fashionfobie

 

[jhaylo]

Your budgies should really still be eating seed as well. They're natural seed eaters and do best with a portion of seed remaining in their diet.
I would think finch and budgie diet could be quite similar, the pellets I feed to my budgies is actually also a finch pellet. So a diet of seed, pellets, and veggies would likely work well for a finch provided it's a suitable pellet.


@fashionfobie

Yeah I don't plan on taking it out entirely, but they ONLY were eating that hence the issue. The pellet one of my birds eats is a finch pellet so I think that'll be good, just wasn't sure what seed to use since he seems to have little interest in my current one and I'm not sure why. Thanks

 

[Finchbreed]

I'm a finchbreeder and my mother is a budgie breeder.
Mostly we feed the same mix heavy on the milletts - with type appropriate addatives.
BUT - this seed was designed by budgie breeders getting in contact with the suppliers and saying "hey guys we are your 3 biggest customers so"
All small Australian birds do best on a natural seed based diet - with the right additives. That means greens mostly - most small Aussie birds have a vege preference and don't really go for fruit much. Canary seed is also needed to a degree, though I find some of my Zebs reluctant to eat it.
His wings look like either a genetic thing or a damage thing, not a clip. Have seen birds come back from such if it is damage, but if genetic, obviously not.
I have had birds damage their wings in nests, don;t really know what they do, as others in the same types of nests do not do it. Maybe it's a difference in building techniques?
The enclosed cage thing is something they cant see through, even a towel over a wire cage is better than open. It makes them feel safe, rather than having something big and threatening hovering over them.
Your young man is a gray normal male. Other than the wing a nice looking bird.
I obviously have my birds in breeding groups, but male only groups have been employed at times, and while they will initially squabble some while they work out the hierarchy, they then become best bros, or flatmates.
Birds kept indoors do not need a nest, the purposes of nests are breeding and getting in out of the weather.

 

[jhaylo]

That is a really cool family to be in lol.
That kind of makes more sense though, I think I understand now - right now I'm mostly just following my vet as my boys won't eat many veggies, so we're trying for pellets to at least get them eating less seed. I'm going to keep trying with veggies and from there I understand some seed is important regardless, I appreciate the insights.

That's interesting though! I'm not sure entirely what the case is with him unfortunatley, but I'll definitley have to see what comes of it. Pet store seemed to think it was damage, so possiblity it's that from fighting/nests as you suggest. Or they just missed it & it is genetic.

Thanks for the tip on cages and such, if I get him a friend I will probably aim for a male then. And I'll keep a nest out.

Appreciate all of your answers & help!

 

[fashionfobie]

I am late to the convo. I was curious are you still planning on keeping one zebra? I strongly recommend getting a least another. 2 or 6+ for a flock.