The Society Finch A Bounty for Beginners

You're in a pet store and find yourself staring, fascinated by the activity created by a group of brown and white little birds in a little wire cage. The longer you watch, the more you convince yourself these would be great little birds to add to your domestic dwelling. Well, may I say- good choice! And w ith a little care, these small birds will bring you hours of avian enjoyment. The Society (or Bengalese) Finch has a long history behind it. Believed to have been bred first in China, then introduced to Japan, this totally domesticated bird has been cared for for over 250 years. It is a small bird, about 10 em (4 inches) in size. Color varieties include very dark browns (chocolates), cinnamon (fawns) and white. Solid colors are called selfs. Birds with a mix of white and various shades of brown are called pied; chocolate-pied and fawn-pied. No two patterns are alike and may help to distinguish individuals. Males and females appear identical and cannot be visually sexed. Bengalese Finches are sexed by their behaviors. Gaining maturity at about nine months, males will sing, hop about with body feathers fluffed and neck stretched, head lowered and bouncing, or displaying with grass or nesting material in their bills. Females do none of these behaviors. The only sound they make is a slight buzzing or humming sound. Upon discovering these, try to make note of the color patterns of each bird to form your pairs. ·society Finches are year-around breeders, but it is recommended that you allow only three clutches per year with a one-and-one-half months rest between clutches to prevent overtaxing the birds' reproductive system. Ideally, breeders should be kept in single pairs, in individual cages; but in larger aviaries pairs may be successfully housed with other small finch  species such as Zebras, Cut-throats or Gouldians with no ill effect. Single pair cages should measure 35.5 X 35.5 X 60 em (15 X 15 X 24) with 3/8 to 1/2 wire mesh spacing. Any larger mesh and the birds could possibly escape. The cage should be longer rather than taller, to provide adequate flying as they fly horizontally rather than vertically. Provide various sized diameter perching to keep feet in good condition. Small clean tree or shrub branches may be used. Keep perching clean of fecal build-up. In an aviary, you might consider adding potted bushes or trees along with the perching for privacy. Artificial nests provided can be the finch wicker woven baskets found in most pet stores or a simple cardboard or wooden covered 4-1/2 square box  with upper front open for access. Place nests in upper corners or mid height in cages. In aviaries, hang several at different heights. When adding  nests, don't forget to provide nesting  material or the b irds may try to use  their food for material, causing the nests to foul quickly. Materials utilized are hay, washed and dried grass, horsehair nest material (sold in stores), burlap pulled apart and cut, or even dryer lint- it's been already sterilized! Interest in the material may take place as soon as it's added, with males being the nest builders. Within a short time after a completed nest, a mature, bonded pair will start egg production. A completed clutch is usually four to eight eggs with the average being five small white eggs. Incubation is shared between the male and the female and lasts 12 to 14 days. Society Finches are very devoted parents so your inspection of the chicks will not disrupt their parental care. The chicks fledge in about three to four weeks, but chicks will continue to beg for one to two weeks after fledging. Basic diet for Society Finches is simple - millet, vitamins, minerals, greens and water. Seeds that are eaten include canary, rape, poppy, flax , niger, hulled oats or commercial finch mix. You should check to confirm seeds are fresh by sprouting a small sample . Soak the seed and, in two to three clays, sprouts should appear. The sprouted sample may then be fed to the finches. A 75% sprouting indicates seeds are fresh. Afterward, sprouts may be fed to birds, but allow no mold to form. Finches do not eat the whole grain of a seed, but crack anct dist~n·d the outer husk, leaving the chaff, so it is always wise to blow on a dish filled with seed to remove uneaten parts.