| Hi Ron,
Green singing finches are a little smaller than canaries, so maybe two
could fit in that cage? They have a very nice little song. One canary
would probably be okay. Might be a little small for two. Only males
sing, so choose carefully. Watch the bird and be sure _you_ hear it
sing before you buy it, unless you personally know the individual who
claims the bird sings and you are willing to take the chance they are
wrong. Buyer beware. Young males start singing about the time they
are through their first molt (4-6 months of age?).
On the cage...so-called antique cages can be either beautiful places
for birds to live or death traps. You didn't say, but I'll assume
the cage is metal. Check for sharp edges, rust, left-over yuck that
hasn't been cleaned out (look in the corners and places where it
would be hard to clean...often these areas were hard to maintain so
have retained old food or droppings...not healthy for your new bird,
obviously). If the cage was painted with lead-based paint, I believe
you may have a problem. And you may not know what kind of paint it
is.... Brass finishes can also spell disaster if they are old and
flake off easily.
I think with the softbills (canaries), you are not in as much
danger as a small hookbill (cockatiel, parakeet, or lovebird), because
the former are less likely to gnaw on the bars and pick up the paint
in their systems than the hookbills, generally speaking (Weavers are
a type of softbill, and they would probably chip at the paint anyway,
for instance). If the cage is an antique bamboo cage, it can be a real
disaster because it is just about impossible to disinfect. If the cage
hasn't been disinfected (either a metal or a bamboo one), wash it with
very hot water that has at least 1/4 cup bleach to a gallon of water
plus dishwashing soap. Scrup it down real good and see if any paint
comes off. If it does, could be the bird can get the paint off too.
A non-bird alternative to a beautiful but possibly dangerous antique
cage is to put plants in the cage instead and hang it in a sunny window
(where you couldn't put the bird, by the way) or use it as a
decorative piece on a table top. This is not meant as a snotty remark.
It's just that sometimes the best intentions don't work out. If you
want a bird and the cage you just acquired seems a possible danger
after you check it out more, get a bird and a new cage!! ;') I almost
bought a used saddle once and was _then_ going to look for the right
horse to go with the saddle... believe it or not....so who am I to say?
Good luck, whatever you do!
Linda
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