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Perches for your Gouldian Finches

Did you notice that the perches that came with your cage were all 1/2-inch dowels, and they’re extremely smooth?

Yeah. That’s not what we want.

See, your Gouldian’s feet get sores on them when they have to stand day in and day out on the exact same surface. So it’s best to give them varied types of perches –different lengths, widths, and different types of surfaces. You can find a lot: sand/cement covered, twisted wood, real wood branches fitted with screws to fasten them on. These are great because they get to exercise their feet.

You’ll need finch sized perches, by the way. Their feet should wrap about 3/4 of the way around it, if it is a dowel perch.

I’m not saying don’t use the dowel perches, but add some other ones in addition to.

Just stay away from those sandpaper covers you can put over a perch, they’ll hurt them. And avoid the plastic ones that come with the itty bitty pet store cages; just watch your birds and you’ll see how uncomfortable those are.

A few good types of finch perches:
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Before Buying your First Gouldian Finches…

Finches are often an impulse buy at the pet store. I don’t blame you if you bought some this way. What’s not to like? They’re bright, pretty, intelligent, and curious. We fall for them easily. But some people say Gouldians are not beginner birds….

What the Pet Store Probably Told You…

Gouldian finches are only 4 to 5 inches long, and the pet store may have told you they fit in one of those itty bitty cages. That’s not true. Well, strictly speaking it is true – they fit. They just don’t thrive in there. Gouldians need to be able to fly in their cage; it’s good exercise and it keeps them healthy. Hopping from perch to perch doesn’t cut it. So before you do anything else, please buy at least a 30X18X18 cage for your finch.

Some Cages we Like:

Like this one: 30x18 finch cage(click to enlarge)

Here it is on Amazon

Or, if you are willing to go a little taller right off (it’s even better for the birds) try a flight cage:

This one is available in both white and black: (click to enlarge) White Flight Cage for finches See on Amazon

I have several of these and really like them: larger flight cage for finches

click to see on Amazon
One reason I like those is that I can remove the side panels and fasten 2 or 3 together.

There’s a little more room inside that last one ^^ because there’s less storage underneath.So it’s up to you: More room for flight, or more storage?

Feeding Lady Gouldians

Now that the cage thing is out of the way…. Did you know that a seed-only diet is unhealthy for birds? Most people think “bird seed” is all they eat. That’s not the case, if you want to keep them in good health. They can eat lots of people food, like kale, lettuce, spinach carrots, and more. They can eat finch pellets, which are fortified with vitamins. And they love hard boiled egg, which you can give them fresh or, if your time is limited, supply dry egg food. Below are the seed, egg food, and pellets for feeding your finches.

Bird Seed
Egg Food
Harrison’s Pellets – be sure you get extra fine.
Those were the two main things for keeping Gouldian finches well even if you are a rank beginner. If you’d like to know more about keeping Gouldian finches, try one of these articles:

Gouldian Finch Diet
Compatible Species for Gouldian Finches
Gouldian Finch Tips
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