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Thread: Bird Q's

  1. #1
    Yekhefah
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    Bird Q's

    I know we've got a lot of bird people here... K and I have never owned a bird, but we like them. I want to get a bird soon, once we finish fixing up our apartment. We have a large window that's mostly shaded but has a nice view of the tree outside, and we were thinking of hanging a birdcage from the ceiling in that spot.

    I did some research and it looks like a canary or finches would be best for us. K doesn't want any kind of parrot (no budgies, even) because they squawk too much. I was thinking lovebirds, but they seem to need a lot of attention. We both work really long hours when we work; we have long periods where we're home a lot, and then just as long periods when we're gone 16 hours a day or more. So we don't want a bird that needs tons of cuddle-time or other high maintenance.

    We also have a cat, so we don't want a bird that's going to have to fly all over the house all the time. Every once in awhile we can lock the cat in the bedroom if the bird needs some exercise, but I'd be happy with the kind of bird that's happy in a large cage nearly all the time.

    So it sounds like a canary, or a pair of finches. I'm interested in the canary, since the stuff I've read indicates that they prefer to live alone and are happiest spending most of the time in their cage.

    So if anyone has tips or things I need to know, especially about canaries, please let me know. Do we sound like good candidates for canary ownership? If we go out of town, can we bring the canary or should we have someone pet-sit? What kind of toys do canaries like? Is a mostly-shaded window a good place to keep a canary cage hanging from the ceiling? Is it okay to buy a canary from a pet store or should I be looking elsewhere? About how much would one cost?

    And if you know anything about finches, I'd love to hear that too!

    Thanks!

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Bird Q's

    I have budgies and a cockatiel, so I can't give you canary centered information. I can tell you, though, that our birds are always happiest when we sit them by the window. On nice days I'll open it so they can catch the breeze, and they'll spend the whole afternoon chirping at the birds outside.

    Good idea on not getting anything parrot related. I love Bird (cockatiel), but he can be totally obnoxious at times!

  3. #3
    Yekhefah
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    Default Re: Bird Q's

    Thanks, Deni, and thanks cameron for your PM. I appreciate the info!

    I really would've liked budgies, but yeah, they would drive K and the cat crazy. K doesn't mind a canary singing (which they do a lot), but he doesn't like the way parrots chatter and squawk. I was thinking if I get a canary, I could name him Billy Idol since he's blonde and likes to sing!

    Then I'll just have to teach him the tune to "Rebel Yell," LOL!

    Anyway, if anyone else has canary tips, feel free to share! I'm hoping to be able to buy my new canary by the end of May or so. I'm all ears in the meantime!

  4. #4
    Yekhefah
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    Default Re: Bird Q's

    Morrigan, I was rather hoping you'd chime in on this thread too!

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    Default Re: Bird Q's

    About finches... unless you like hearing Beep beep beep beep beep all day long, you might want to opt for the canaries. At least their singing is pretty.

    Bought a pair of finches for my Nana a few years back and they outlived her. I thought my mother was going to "send me off with Nana" because she was stuck with them.

  6. #6
    Yekhefah
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    Default Re: Bird Q's

    LOL... good to know! A canary it will be then!

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    Default Re: Bird Q's

    Quote Originally Posted by DylanAngel View Post
    About finches... unless you like hearing Beep beep beep beep beep all day long, you might want to opt for the canaries. At least their singing is pretty.

    Bought a pair of finches for my Nana a few years back and they outlived her. I thought my mother was going to "send me off with Nana" because she was stuck with them.
    Aww...I love that little finch "beep." I always stir them up when we go to the pet store just to hear them all do it at once!

  8. #8
    Kaylinn
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    Default Re: Bird Q's

    Not to threadjack but....

    My mom bought my gramma a canary, to keep her company in her old age. Well, gram's died before the canary, so he came to live with us.
    The first thing my mom does when she gets the bird home? Puts the cage down on the floor to show the dogs, who were curious to see what was going on.

    The canary took one look at thoes big ass dogs, puffed up and fell over dead.

    We were NOT good bird owners.

    ANyway.....I don't know to much about canary's, but I do know it was a good pet for an old woman to enjoy. Not a lot of attention required. Someoen just had to go over there and clean the cage out regularly, and my gram was able to feed him every day, and she enjoyed his singing a lot, and enjoyed the company

  9. #9
    Yekhefah
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    Default Re: Bird Q's

    Oh shit, I hope my cat doesn't stress the canary out that much!

    I've no doubt our cat will be very interested in the canary, but we'll make sure they never get too well-acquainted. That's most of the reason why we're getting a canary and not something that likes to hang out with us, like a cockatiel. I just want a pretty, low-maintenance bird so I can watch him flutter around and hear him sing.

    I found RED canaries online today! So pretty, I didn't even know they existed!

  10. #10
    God/dess Lysondra's Avatar
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    Default Re: Bird Q's

    I call finches 'beep beeps'.. I love 'em so! I'm getting what I call 'Christmas beep beeps' next after I get my kakariki that I also want (starting a collectioooon!)....

    Canaries make a lot more whistles and noises than beep beeps. The beeping is actually really fucking cute. But canaries can copy whistles on occasion.

    If you want to hear pretty noises, opt for a male. If you want a quieter bird, opt for a female. The male is more likely to mimic though.

    Budgies, IMO, make less noise than both but will need a bigger cage than something you can 'hang'. Hanging cages are actually pretty bad for parrots... and probably too small for Mr. Canary... but should be fine for a beep beep or two.

    Lovebirds ONLY need a lot of attention if you have 1. If you have two and they are BONDED (key word, some don't bond) then they will probably even shy from your attention. Make sure, if you do get lovebirds, that they are hand-tamed, even if they're bonded... so it makes clipping their wings easier.

    Make sure you start your birds on a healthy diet as SOON as you can. DO NOT FEED YOUR BIRD GRIT NO MATTER WHAT THEY SAY AT THE STORE! It's a filler and it can kill your bird. Try feeding them carrots and corn at first. Not too many leafy greens, as it's bad for them. No avocado... at all.

    Do NOT cook with non-stick pans around the birds if they're in the same area... the fumes, once over 200F, kill the birds instantly.

    I would save $200 for a canary and all the fixin's... $300 for a good solid pair of bonded hand-raised lovebirds (which are parrots, btw, so they would mimic!)... get a sturdy cage with a good lock.. if you can't.. use a clip, 'cause the buggers are smart and can get out if they see you lifting a tiny bar once in awhile.

    You can bring the canary with you on trips as long as they're very short... otherwise it could harm the canary's personality and make it shy and upset. Birds are VERY fricken emotional... they start eating their own feathers when something in a room changes sometimes!!

    It's up to you what bird you get, but remember the basics.


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  11. #11
    God/dess Lysondra's Avatar
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    Default Re: Bird Q's

    Main thing to remember: a cage can never be too big but it sure as hell can be too small!!

    The SMALLEST cage (and even this is a bit cruel) should at least offer the bird room to completely spread out all feathers and tail and turn around without bumping anything from the middle of the cage.

    For a canary or beep beep I'd recommend a rectangular cage, as canaries fly around, not up.. which means the hanging cage is probably a bad idea all around.

    IMHO... I really don't like hanging cages... even if they're big enough, they're never quality enough.


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    Featured Member Hello_Kitty27's Avatar
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    Default Re: Bird Q's

    Quote Originally Posted by lilithmorrigan View Post
    Do NOT cook with non-stick pans around the birds if they're in the same area... the fumes, once over 200F, kill the birds instantly.
    Yes this is so true!!! My friend accidentally killed her 2 birds. They knew about the nonstick pans, but they had a fondue party, and the next day, both her birds were dead. It turns out the fondue pot was made with teflon, and the fumes killed the birds. And to stress it's importance, let me also tell you... it was nice summer night and they had the windows open all night. And it still killed the birds.






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  13. #13
    God/dess Lysondra's Avatar
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    Default Re: Bird Q's

    Oh, and all birds love different toys... I recommend that sturdy plastic (not that cheap plastic) for a canary and no wood toys, as it might damage their beak. The cheap ones break easily plus the nicer plastic looks prettier shining in a window.


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    Default Re: Bird Q's

    And I know I'm posting a lot, but I'm the 'bird lady' here I suppose and...

    If you're gone 16 hours a day PLEASE get two birds... (which yes, means a bigger cage, again)... so they can keep each other company. Birds get bored.. and when they're bored, they cheep a LOT more, get cranky, get upset... die of loneliness, even.


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  15. #15
    Yekhefah
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    Default Re: Bird Q's

    I was going to get a 24" long, 10" high cage for the canary. That seems to be plenty big from what I read. Should I be clipping his wings? That always seemed cruel to me, like declawing a cat. I figured I should at least let him fly around in his cage.

    Do the female canaries sing? I like the canary song, but K would probably like a quieter bird, and the hens seem to be much cheaper since there's less demand for them. I'd get a hen if she would sing once in awhile.

    Duly noted on the hanging cage... damn. I figured if we got a 24" cage (or 18" at the smallest) and hung it from two chains, it would be fine. If that's no good though, then we'll find somewhere else for it. That just seemed like the best spot.

    And yeah, I read about the avocado... weird. I hate avocado anyway. I figured I would feed it canary pellets and some seeds and whatever veggies I'm having. I eat a lot of corn, greens, carrots, fruit, etc. too, so I figured I'd just cut some up for the canary every day before I cook it.

    Oh, and we do have some non-stick pans but we always have the window open in the kitchen and the canary won't be in the kitchen. The kitchen is small and there's a window, and then you leave the kitchen and cross all the way to the other side of the apartment to where the birdcage will be, which is in front of another window that's almost always open unless it gets really cold. Is that okay?

  16. #16
    Yekhefah
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    Default Re: Bird Q's

    Quote Originally Posted by lilithmorrigan
    If you're gone 16 hours a day PLEASE get two birds... (which yes, means a bigger cage, again)... so they can keep each other company. Birds get bored.. and when they're bored, they cheep a LOT more, get cranky, get upset... die of loneliness, even.
    I was going to, but I read that canaries are territorial and prefer to be alone, regardless of gender, and if I keep two in the same cage then one will eventually die. Either one bird kills the other, or the dominant bird will constantly stress and harass the other one until s/he dies of stress. So I was just going to get one canary since they seem to be a solitary kind of bird.

  17. #17
    God/dess Lysondra's Avatar
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    Default Re: Bird Q's

    1. He won't need his wings to fly around his cage but wing clipping DOES make a bird less self-confident and they are more prone to depression. Edit: I actually don't believe in wing clipping, though both of my babies were clipped at weening. Koala is flighted now and he is so much happier. Mei Mei tries so hard to fly and actually CRIES when she can't get to Koala. If the birds are tame, they shouldn't need to be clipped anyway, as they should be well-behaved. I might recommend it for a wilder bird.

    2. They do sing, but just not as much.

    3. Of if you're hanging it yourself, it's different.. those specially made hanging cages are crap.. especially if they're circular.

    4. Brilliant!

    5. If it's across the entire apartment and the window is open, it should be more than fine.


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  18. #18
    Yekhefah
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    Default Re: Bird Q's

    Oh yeah, silly question - do canaries like tofu? I read that they need occasional protein so you should give them a little bit of boiled egg, but I don't really eat eggs and it seems like a waste to buy them just so the bird can have a nibble now and then. Could I give him a bit of tofu sometimes instead?

  19. #19
    God/dess Lysondra's Avatar
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    Yes, you can. Birds even like chicken and lamb! My friends think it's so wrong when I feed the birds chicken... but they loooove it!

    Edit: Oh yeah, and a 24" cage sounds pretty ideal for a canary. I'm the girl who's known for getting really big cages for her birds... so yeah, I can be a little anal about cages.

    Mei Mei has this cage... and as you can tell by the bird on top of it, it was meant for MUCH bigger. Ooooops.



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  20. #20
    Yekhefah
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    Default Re: Bird Q's

    How would something like be? It's 18" wide instead of 24", but I like it. And that's still enough room for a canary, right?

  21. #21
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    I'm not too fond of it, really.. the diameter and size seems decent, but there's a lot of wasted space... the bird doesn't need a cute little roof that it can't use, y'know? Also, it doesn't have good latches..

    The size seems alright, but a more optimum use of space and better latches (and maybe better bars?) would probably be more ideal.

    When I say the little buggers are smart enough to open a cage, I ain't kiddin'!


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  22. #22
    Yekhefah
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    Default Re: Bird Q's

    I see. So how's , then? With a binder clip on the door, hanging from two chains?

  23. #23
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    *nod nod* I like it better.

    Also, I should mention that you should get a few extra perches of different sizes/textures, or the bird, with the same perch, could get arthritis.


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  24. #24
    Yekhefah
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    I read that some people take a utility knife and cut random strips out of the perches, to make them all irregular like tree branches. I was going to do that. If I do, will he need more perches or will those two be all right?

  25. #25
    Banned i.breathe.in's Avatar
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    Default Re: Bird Q's

    go for a pair of cockateils. they are sooo sweet.

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