It all started when my husband grandma's finishes had 4 babies. I've had cockatiels for 20 years and was down to try a new species.

We named them Pip, Poof, Piff, and Puff. While waiting for them to get old enough I came here for advice. I set up my cage was was super excited.

Well grandma got attached and only let me take Pip, and Poof. That was fine. I already had plans to have a flock of 6 . So I was gonna look into rescues soon anyway.

They were fine for a week but sadly poof got sick. I woke up and she just seemed off, I didnt want to jump to the worst possiblity do to the fact I barely know these birds, so I just watched. Then she took a turn after about a hour. Twitching, loss of balance, didn't want pip to be close. Me and my husband left for the vet asap after that.

Sadly even though the vet was only a 30 minute drive she passed. I was driving so I didn't notice. When I got to the vet I grabbed the cage and ran in. Left my husband in the car lol. I must have looked crazy. Hair a mess, tears all down my face, handing a cage with a clearly dead bird to the lady begging to help her. I grabbed our vacation fund and threw it in my bag fully ready to go broke for Poof.

The vet was wonderful, they gave me a clay print, paper print, and a tiny jar of feathers. Didn't charge me a thing.

Now to Pip, we believed the cause was twirling (a genetic ressesive gene) I was told to keep Pip in quarantine for 2 weeks to be sure he was fine. Poor Pip was lonely, me and my husband talked to him every time we walked by and would just sit next to him every day.

Finally his quarantine was up. I wanted to get him a friend right away, I looked up rescue finches but sadly the closest one was 400 miles away. I didn't want Pip to go longer with out a flock so even though I hate pet stores, off we went. I wanted to grab 3 but they only had one lone zebra finch. Of course I grabbed him. He is now Piff. Gonna keep a eye out for rescue finches but I may grab 2 more from the store if they restock before I find some. (They said 3 weeks)

I hope I've been making the right choices. Pip and Piff seem to be making great friends. Pip is all up in his business lol. Won't leave him alone.

That sums up my first 3 weeks of being a finch mama.