I have seven zebra finches, and one society finch.
Finches should not be housed with canaries. You can house zebras with societies, but that is about it.
I have heard of the rare case of an orphaned finch raised alone by human becoming imprinted, and therefore tame. However, 99.99% of the time, finches cannot be tamed. They do not like to be handled, and are rather nervous birds.
My cage is 48" long, 36" high and 24" deep, with eight birds. However, it is too crowded. I only wanted four birds in there, but four more neglected birds were given to me. Finches can be territorial, especially if you have males and females in the same cage. They will chase and fight with other pairs. Honestly, the best bet is just one pair of finches per cage, or two pairs in a very large cage.
Finches also breed constantly, making nests, mating, laying eggs, etc. This is truly NOT what you want. It is a hassle and a headache. Zebras aren't necessarily the best parents in the finch world, and often throw their just-hatched babies out of the nest or kill them later. Societies are often used to incubate and raise zebra babies. You can manage a male/female pair without babies, if you are diligent about removing any eggs daily, and not giving them ANYwhere to nest. But it's really easier to just buy two males or two females. They will be just as happy, and much healthier.
Finches do best in a cage that is longer than it is high, as they are horizontal fliers. They do not climb up the bars or onto toys like a budgie or cockatiel does. Their only exercise is flying and hopping.
They need fresh vegtables and fruit daily. They eat seed, but also need pellets and millet. They love cuttlebone, mineral blocks and love to take baths in a shallow dish of water.
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"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken, The crownless again shall be king." - J.R.R. Tolkien
My cage is 39x21x32 inches. How many birds could fit into it? Is it possible to have a canary and pair of zebra finches in the same cage? How "tame" do they get? I've heard that they don't get tame, however, it seems like eventually they must get somewhat used to humans. Is that so? I don't have any more actual questions (at the moment) but would appreciate it if someone could simply explain what its like to have zebra finches as pets...
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