Important Information Everyone Should Know About Cages For Finches

Cages used for finches have to be very spacious for them to move around freely. It must not be made from brass, as birds are usually irritated by this material. You also need to clean the cage regularly to prevent them from getting sick. The longevity of finches, or any bird, is dictated in part by the quality of cage they are put in. The cage also needs to have a bathing, nesting and play place for the finches. All of these will contribute to their happiness, thus prolonging their life. Finches usually live from 5 to 7 years; however this can be extended if they are given proper care.

You can only place finches without partners when you do not want them to breed, otherwise it's best to keep two birds in one cage so they could keep each other company. Remember, birds are sociable animals. If you're interested in breeding, you'll need to be prepared for the extra work required. You need to give them extra attention and care need to secure their offspring. Their cage should be clean and maintained for it to be conducive for breeding. Female finches typically lay around 8 or more eggs.

Society finches are the easiest ones to take care of, since they require minimal maintenance. Check the bird's condition before deciding which finches to purchase from a breeder. Watch out for birds that sit listless on the floor of their cage and for finches with fluffed or messy looking feathers. What you should look for is an energetic bird, one that won't get sick just after a few days of your purchase. Examine the beak or feet for any abnormalities. Finches who bob their tail or have swollen and dull eyes are most likely to be sick.

The breeder should also maintain the cage for finches, if not, there's a high possibility that the finch you'll purchase isn't that healthy. Finches in crowded cages should not be bought as well. More importantly, check if there is access to enough food and water for each bird before your purchase.

Size Matters When Buying Cages for Finches

Cages for finches need to have enough space for the birds to have room for exercising and playing. Finches exercise daily by flying in the cage and not by climbing on it. This is the reason why cage for finches need to be wide and tall enough. You need to have over 30 inches for each pair of finches. Finches don't like complicated toys, so keep things simple. Just make sure that they have birth perches.

As for the perches, don't choose a dowel perch or any perch covered with sand paper. These types of perches may cause feet problems and injuries. Save yourself and your pet by getting the right perch.

Branches in Cages for Finches

Branches used for the cage should be non-toxic, as there's a possibility for the finches to ingest it. Pressed woodchips and redwood cedar should be avoided because it can be fatal when ingested. If you choose to use wood, remove it when it already has bird droppings. Hence, food and water dishes should be placed far enough from the perches to avoid contamination by fecal matter.

Newspapers are ideal for use in cages for finches. Stainless trays are your best bet as a food and water container because they are safer compared to plastic. Position the water container on one side and the food container on the other side to avoid splashes from the water container contaminate the bird seeds. As always, remember to clean the cage every now and then to maintain the finches' optimum health.

Portable Bird Air Purifiers - 5 Reasons It Can Help

The joy that a bird adds to your home is immeasurable. The increase is particles, dust, and dander can be overwhelming. Using a portable air cleaner is an effective solution to the problem. Here are 5 ways the right air purifier can help.

1. Removes Bird Related Particulates---Depending on the type of bird you have, the potential for particle accumulation can vary greatly. All birds shed dander (dead flakes of skin) and it is the protein in it that is such a potent allergen for those who suffer from allergies and asthma.

If you have a powder down bird such as an African Grey, Cockatoo, or Cockatiel you will be dealing with white wing dust in addition to the dander. The production of this dust is a healthy and ongoing process that will continue as long as you have your bird.

If the air that your bird breathes day in and day out is thick with these particles, they will eventually clogged their tiny air passages. Once these airways become clogged, it is often the beginning of disease and infection that is hard to reverse.

2. Removes Gases And Odors---Birds are so susceptible to gases and odors that many years ago, miners would take canaries into the mines as a monitor for air quality.

If the birds died, that was an indication to the miners that air quality was poor and they should leave. And even though birds are not taken into the mines any more, they are still extremely vulnerable to gases, odors and chemicals.

Choosing a cleaner that can remove odors is a huge benefit. Carbon-based filters are well known for their ability to remove gaseous chemicals.

A carbon cloth filter offers dual advantages. Because it is carbon based it can remove gaseous pollutants. And the fact that it is woven like a cloth allows it to eliminate additional airborne particles.

3. Removes Normal Indoor Pollutants---Even without a bird, every indoor space has particulates in the air. Things such as dust, dust mites, mold and mildew spores are present regardless of what kind of housekeeper you are.

An efficient filter for particles (high efficiency particle arresting or HEPA) doesn't care about the source of the particulates. So when it filter any airborne particles that are.3 microns or greater with 99.97% efficiency.

4. Keeps Air Quality Stable---When you have a filter associated with the central heating and air conditioning system, it is only cleaning the air each time it cycles on. Having a cleaner that can run all the time means that pollutants are being removed continually. That means that the air quality is more likely to be healthy all the time rather than just sometimes.

5. Can Fit In Easily---A portable air cleaner works by cleaning the air that is closest to it first. So if your main concern is the area where your bird spends most of its time, being able to move the unit close to the bird is a huge advantage.

Having a unit with sturdy wheels makes a change in the position of the unit as easy as a push of the finger.

And a unit that is able to pull air from all sides means that it can operate at maximum efficiency as long as there is about 6 inches of clearance from every side. The benefit to you is that it can work in a corner out of sight and without creating a draft on your bird.

This news article is brought to you by FISH OIL FOR BLOOD PRESSURE? - where latest news are our top priority.

Why Are They So Amazing? Facts About Parrots

When you think about birds, most people think of the ones that they see flying around or on the ground searching for worms. There has always been a fascination with birds since the beginning of time. They have the ability to take off and fly to anywhere they want to, which is definitely a talent that many of us wish that we had. As the fascination grew, we turned our attention to the exotic birds and brought them in to our homes.

Today when you walk into most pet stores you will find a whole section devoted to these beautiful feathered friends that we all adore so much. It is great to watch the little children enjoy these amazing birds as they stare at them in awe. Much can be said about us adults too. I still to this day cannot walk into a pet store and not immediately head to the bird room.

With about 350 different species of parrot that we are aware of, you can only imagine how many different sizes and colors that these striking birds display. They mostly comes Central America and South America. Some common parrots that most of us have seen or heard of are Macaws, Lovebirds, Parakeets (budgies), Cockatiels, African Grey and Amazons to name a few. All parrots have four toes and curved beaks. The beaks of the parrots are also described as hook bills. This aids in eating because they eat nuts which need to be cracked and this beak is designed to do just that.

Next to the sheer beauty of these birds, the main attraction that we all have to them is their incredible abilities. These birds are extremely intelligent and that just simply amazes us enthusiasts. The one thing that draws us to them mostly besides their sheer beauty is their ability to talk or mimic sounds and human speech. Not all parrots can talk, but most of them will whistle and learn to mimic sounds such as the telephone ring or the beep of the microwave oven when your food is done heating and so on. Some of the parrots that have some ability to mimic human words are the Amazon Parrots, Cockatoos, Senegals and the African Greys. The African Grey is probably the best at speaking to us. Not only do they mimic us clearly but they are the best at actually mimicking in the same voice as the person they are copying. That just amazes me when I hear my African Grey sounding just like me. I think that parrots will always find a new way to amaze and entertain us.

Minimizing Your Cockatoo's Dust - 5 Things You Can Do To Reduce It

Cockatoos are some of the most beautiful parrots available as pets. However, the white wing dust that they produce can be daunting to manage. Nothing will get rid of all the dust, but here are 5 things you can do that will drastically reduce the amount to which you and bird are exposed.

This powder is healthy for the bird, but for you it means your air has the potential for a ton more particles than the normal bird would produce. Here are 5 manageable ways to keep your air clear and fresh for you and your bird.

Bird Baths---This can be accomplished in several ways. You can mist your pet with fine spray from a spray bottle. Or you can leave a bowl of clean water out separate from drinking water and allow your bird to take care of its own bath.

Another thing that might be fun for you and your bird is to install a shower perch. These are fairly inexpensive and can be found in many stores that have bird supplies.

If you decide to do this make sure the water is misting rather than a hard stream. Put the perch away from the water source so that you pet gets to choose when it approaches the water, and can use the perch as a place of retreat.

Clean Frequently---In order to keep dust and dander down with this type of bird, there is no way around frequent cleaning. And even with daily cleaning there is no way to remove all of it, but you can lessen the number of particles that are available to go airborne and be inhaled by you and your Cockatoo.

Reduce Particulates With Water---Use water to clean whether you are mopping the floor or dusting. Cleaning slowly and gently with a wet mop or cloth makes the particles too heavy to go back into the air.

So rather than stirring the particles up again, you can really trap them and wash them out of your environment. Reducing the number of particles is the ultimate goal.

Know How Much You Can Do---Providing the best environment for a bird is truly a gift. If your space allows you to do that for one bird, recognize that and provide an absolutely fabulous life for that one.

Even though it may seem like you're being generous when adopting numerous birds, that's only true if their environment (and yours) doesn't suffer because you're not able to keep conditions healthy.

Filter The Air---The best way to effectively remove airborne particulates and gases from the air is to continually filter the air. Since the makeup of particles differs from gases, the filters in an air purifier need to be able to eliminate both types.

For particles the most effective type of filter is a high efficiency particles arresting (or HEPA) filter. It can eliminate airborne particulates that are.3 microns or greater in size.

The benefit to you is that out of every 10,000 airborne particles it will eliminate 99,997 of them with 99.97% efficiency. Even though nothing will take out all of the particles, this comes pretty close.

For gaseous pollutants the best type of filter is carbon. Well known for its ability to remove gaseous pollutants it is highly effective at removing the odors, gases, and noxious chemicals that can have such grave health effects on birds.

A carbon cloth filter in a unit is the best of both worlds because it can remove gaseous irritants because it is carbon based and particulates because it is woven like a cloth.

Taking these 5 steps will keep you happier with the way your bird room and home look and healthier because there is less in the air that can cause potential health problems for you and your bird.