Colony cage for 10 society finches

Cage size is the single most important factor for bird welfare — the vast majority of commercially sold cages are too small for birds to extend their wings fully, which is a genuine welfare problem. Bar spacing matters equally: too wide and birds can trap their heads. For a colony of ten society finches you're thinking at a completely different scale to a typical pet cage, and internal divisions add another layer of complexity. To point you in the right direction: are all ten birds fully grown adults, do you want permanent fixed divisions or removable ones so you can reconfigure the groups, and how much floor space do you have available for the cage?

That's exactly the right way to manage a breeding colony — keep them communal most of the year, then partition off pairs during the breeding season to reduce competition for nest sites and avoid egg dumping. For ten society finches with that setup, you need a proper flight aviary rather than anything sold as a standard cage. What's the bar spacing on your current cage, if you have one? Society finches are small — you want no more than 12mm bar spacing, ideally 10mm, or they can get their heads through and panic.

Good — starting from scratch means you can do this properly. For ten society finches with removable divisions, I'd recommend the Rainforest Cages Rio 120 Flight Cage. It measures 120cm wide by 50cm deep by 150cm tall, which gives genuine flight space for a flock this size, and the bar spacing is 10mm — safe for society finches. Critically, it comes with a centre divider panel that slides out completely when you want the full colony together and drops back in to create two separate zones for breeding pairs. The large front doors on each section mean you can clean and manage each compartment independently. For ten birds with your breeding plan, this is the cage I'd go to first.

The divider on the Rio 120 is wire mesh, not solid — so separated pairs can still see, hear and maintain social contact with the rest of the flock. That's actually important for society finches because they're highly gregarious and full isolation can cause stress. The mesh divider keeps them connected socially while preventing physical access, which is exactly what you want during breeding. One thing worth adding: get several nest boxes per section rather than one each, so pairs have genuine choice and don't fixate on competing over a single site.

A few things worth having in place before they land. Perches at multiple heights — society finches use the full vertical range, so vary the diameter and position. A cuttlefish bone for calcium is essential year-round, not just during breeding. Fine-grade cage sand or a paper-based substrate on the tray rather than gravel, which can cause impaction if ingested. And position the cage away from direct draughts and windows that get strong afternoon sun — finches are sensitive to temperature swings. Get all of that sorted before the birds arrive and you'll have a settled flock within a few days.