Why or why shouldn't I get one? Benefits, downsides? They seem like a fairly low maintenance species of birds with fairly quiet calls that would be a nice background noise to have in my living room.
I volunteered at an elder care residence years ago and they had a single cage with 4 zebra finches. >prosReal cute. Quiet birds even if you have manyLow maintenance birds that don't need human interactionTheir food is fairly cheapSmart, and their antics in the cage with toys will entertain you. Each bird will have a different personality to amuse youEven with feathers moulting all the time, were easy to clean up after>consDon't like being handled. Only 1 of the birds would let me hand feed it. Better in a flock cause they're social, so a bird by itself may be stressed outBe warned that if you get males and females, they will breedTheir pops are small but smelly, I cleaned their cage at least 2 times a weekLifespan is fairly shortDo better in flight cages which are more expensiveSensitive to smells, be very careful with cooking, candles, air fresheners, etcAre a gateway drug to bird ownership rivalled only by budgies. After taking care of these cuties I now exclusively own birds.
>>5147326Do you have any opionions on more natural breeds versus English show breeds? Personally I've hoped I could find a local breeder with some chestnut flanked white zebras with a more natural breed.All of those pros and cons seem to line up with what research I did do which makes me happy. I didn't know about their sensitivity to smells, however. Any tips for air flow and minimizing scents in and around areas where their flight cage would be?
>>5147360Always better to find a reputable breeder. I like the natural breeds and you can even get interesting color mutants. >Any tips for air flow and minimizing scents in and around areas where their flight cage would be?All birds are sensitive to smells, so I have my birds in a room with an air purifier, open the window when there's a nice breeze and only when air quality is good. You cannot use air fresheners or scent diffusers near birds. I make sure to clean the cage 2 times a week or as needed to control smell with simple dish soap, not bleach or other disinfectants. Their poops are sour smelling, and it's only real bad when you neglect cleaning the cage.I also find, depending on what kind of cage lining you use, you can control how fast the cage starts to smell. I personally don't like using newsprint because it begins to smell fast from absorbing the poops and water when they drink or take baths, also the smell of wet paper mixes with everything else. I like using corn cob or wood-pellet nesting because it really doesn't smell at all. Stores also have fluffy paper "litter" but this flies out the cage when they flap their wings.Here's something I hope can be usefulhttps://www.merckvetmanual.com/bird-owners/routine-care-and-safety-of-birds/household-hazards-for-pet-birdsOne thing this doesn't list that is important is to not use teflon or non-stick cookware near your birds. It can kill them. Just don't put your bird cage in the kitchen lelHope this info is helping, and you enjoy these cuties.
