finches in same cage

[Stephanie]

my parakeets dont really move in their cage they sit on their same perch and only move to switch perches or to eat or drink, they dont play with their toys or anything so i was wondering of i could put pair of society or zebra finches in their cage, the cage is about 3 feet tall and about 2 feet wide. or does any one have any suggestions on why they dont do anything, i dont think they are nervous, one person on another froum said that my cage was to big. anyway i thought that finches would make the cage more interesting for me to watch and that parakeets might also enjoy the movement and sound so they might want to move around too. thanks for any help
stephanie

[Crystal_Dawn]

hi :)

budgies and finchs can live in happy harmony, i have both budgies and finches myself! but it is best to have a second cage that is the finches that the budgies can't get at so that you can give them the grit that they need without the budgies being able to get at it (its bad for them) and so that if they want to get away they can.

as for your budgies not playing or anything... thats weird... (and theres no such thing as too big of a space for them by the way, the more the better :D) do they fluff up and sit all day long or do they chirp all the time instead of play? do you know their sex? cause I have found females to be the active player types and males to be the less active (not inactive mind you), more vocal ones. if they're doing neither and sitting fluffed up all day, then they could be sick :(

here's a pic of my huge set up which the finches fully take advantage of and they like being over with the budgies, but off to the side out of the picture is their own home where they have a nest and food and water and grit :) i'd say they divide there time about even between the two areas. oh and the trick is leaving all of the cage doors open at all times so that they can move freely to the different spaces. and don't worry they stay in their areas on their own if they have enough space and toys to enjoy themselves :) every now and again one of the budgies gets hyper and zooms across the room to the floor but then he/she runs back to the cage and climbs up the ladder to get home haha!

[Amy]

^^ She does very long and very useful posts.

[Crystal_Dawn]

oh and an other thing: what kind of toys do you have in there for them? maybe they just don't like those ones? they usually really like anything stringy and anything that they can distroy or knock down with a little bit of work haha. and they love to chew the crap out of fake plants :D they're smart enough to not eat, only chew but stay away form the ones with toxins like glitter or glue. Good luck !

[Bea]

It is general belief that budgies shouldn't be housed with other species unless you have a huge aviary where both species can have their space. Budgies can get bossy/aggressive and should not be housed with such small birds as finches, the finches could easily lose toes to a cranky budgie. :( As to why your budgies don't play, keep changing the types of toys and arrangment of the toys and perches in the cage and see if that helps.

[Crystal_Dawn]

as I said my budgies and fiches live very happily together :) and in fact the opposit (to what you said bea, about the budgies hurting the finches) seemed the case in the begining because the budgies were scared of the finches and would huddle down every time they flew over head hahaha. but now they are used to them and everyone is happy. but I guess the way my bird corner is set up its like an aviary but not closed in at all :) so having lots of room probably is what makes everyone happy. they can get away from eachother when ever they need to. locked up in a cage would be a different story, i'm sure your right bea.

[Stephanie]

my parakeets are both males and they do chirp a lot they dont sit all fluffed up and thanks for all the posts they were really helpful, but do you think that if i add the finches and give them another cage it will make my budgies more secure and willing to play?
here are a couple of shots of my bird cage and a shot of my birds

oh yah and i will add some fake plants to their cage

i hope the pictures work

[Bea]

I still wouldn't add the finches. It's not worth the risk. While multi-species in one cage can work more often it doesn't so it's would be wiser to keep them seperate.

[Crystal_Dawn]

I'm not just going by my experiences or somthing i read in a book or online. i know alot of different people other than myself who have multi species situations, be it budgies and finches, budgies and cockatiels, budgies and cockatiels and doves, rosey burkes, liniolated, even budgies and indian ring neacks and on and on etc...... oh and I once had a kakariki home with my birds for about a week and they LOVED playing together! even though the kakariki was double their size :) seriously it works as long as you have lots of space for everyone. budgies are friendly by nature, they do not try to hurt anyone unless you put them all in a cage locked up together where they can get on eachother nerves and feel pushed into eachothers space. and as long as the other bird isn't an agressive bird like a love bird or a quaker. I have met way too many people with these mixed situations that has worked for (not exaduarating, probably over 20 or so or maybe even more because of my pet store experiences i met a lot of bird people) and absolutley none where it hasn't, so I stand firm on this one. If you give the finches a little cage off to the side and leave all of them open or if you make an aviary they will get along happily :) maybe even snuggle together!

but I do not think that getting the finches will make them any more active, maybe getting more budgies could help :)

below is a pic of my kieco and finches all enjoying eachothers company. notice kieco has one foot tucked up, he is very comfortable with the little guys right beside him, no plans to exicute haha

[Mistyoriline]

Better to be safe....give plenty of room if you must I think toys more toys would solve your problem.

[ETAHoffman]

I think the bottom line is.....is it worth the risk? Budgies aren't always overly active. Just like people. :-) More budgies would probably be the answer...as long as you don't overcrowd them, as C.D. says.

[lindseym]

whatever misty said i say the same thing to!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol