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Lone Finch
Q: I have a single finch. Is it OK to just keep one?
A: NO! Emphatically. It is not fair to keep a finch without some
sort of company. Finches are flock creatures by nature. They derive much of their mental satisfaction from interacting
with at least one other finch. A lone finch is a LONELY finch. Get your finch a friend to keep him/her company.
If you do not want your birds to breed (a problem with Zebras & Societies primarily),
then try to get one that is of the same sex. That way there will not be any chicks.
Buying Suggestions for Nonbreeding Finch Pair
Q: I would like finches, but I don't want to breed. Do you have any suggestions?
A: Get a same sex pair. Usually I recommend to people to get two males,
as in many species, the males are more colorful. Males also do not lay eggs, which means you will not have the hassles
of removing eggs and needing to worry about providing calcium to prevent egg binding. Female biology is just more complicated
than that of a male's. So if you want color, song and no breeding with minimal hassles, get two males. They will
bond to one another and get along just fine in most cases. Hey, birds have personalities too - so it's possible they
won't get along - but usually two males will be buddies in no time flat.
Toys
Q: Do finches need toys?
A: Yes! The single best toy for a finch is ANOTHER FINCH!
A lone finch is a wretched creature indeed. Finches are flock animals and being alone for a finch is a high stress situation.
If you have one finch, to be a responsible pet owner, I honestly feel you need to go find your finch a friend and introduce
them to one another after proper quarantine.
Assuming your finch has at least a friend to keep him company, then the next toy to
get is a swing. I have one in all my flight cages. Swings provide hours of entertainment and enjoyment as well
as another perch and private area.
Aside from swings, other toys for finches include fibers and feathers. Finches
never tire of playing with these. Fibers should be about 4" in length. Any longer, and they can get the fiber
wrapped around their neck, to ugly end results.
A Zebra busy trick is to give a 4" length of shoe lace tied to the cage.
Male Zebbies will spend hours trying to pick that lace up and fly away with it. Be sure the ends of the lace are secure.
I did this and found one of my huge NG Zebras dangling upside down with a look on his face that said, GET ME DOWN! Fortunately,
other than a bruised ego, he was OK. The shoelace was nylon and unraveled. It wrapped around his foot. I
could see where he flew before finally he ran out of string and ended up dangling. So BE SURE the ends are secure (I
melt them with a match) or use cotton laces so this doesn't happen. Otherwise, this is a very safe toy that is appreciated
by most male Zebras.
Finches don't need mirrors or bells really. Having said that, I gave my
original Gouldian hens a coconut swing many years back. They loved that swing and would sit in there for hours, swinging
and ringing the bell. So some birds will play with bells. My Bronze Winged Manakins also played with bells on
a ladder.
Generally speaking, swings, fibers and feathers as well as old eaten off millet sprays
are wings down favorite toys.
Quarantine
Q: I recently read that you should quarantine newly acquired finches.
How long should I do this? Do I really need to treat with all those medications?
A: YES - you MUST quarantine. There is simply no way to know if the bird
that you just brought home who appears to be perfectly healthy, is in fact clean from contagious disease. The best way
to prevent your other birds from becoming infected and causing a lot of suffering for your birds and emotional trauma for
you, is to quarantine.
I quarantine for 30 days. Some quarantine for only 2 weeks. Others for
as long as 90 days. In a perfect world, ninety days is best, but that is not always possible. Usually a month
gives you time to observe the bird. The move and change in seed and water is usually sufficient stress to cause any
underlying health issues to surface.
I treat all new birds with AIL (Avian Insect Liquidator from Vetafarm) for feather
mites. I also treat with WormOut gel for all internal parasites. You can also treat with Ivermectin or Scatt if
that is easier. These will not kill tapeworm, and one time I got a bird which was infected with tapeworm - so now I'm
a bit more leery about that parasite. I do not normally treat with other antibiotics unless I feel there is a reason
for it. Sometimes, treating with antibiotics can cause as many new problems as they solved old problems. In general,
if the bird becomes unthrifty looking, I will treat for Trich using Ronidazole. Otherwise, antibiotic treatment for
my birds is on a case-by-case basis.
Taming Finches
Q: I want my finch to be tame. How can I do that?
Q: I want to pet my finch, but he's afraid of my hands? How can I get him to let me
hold him?
A: Taming finches is NOT easy. Finches are by nature sensitive and flighty
creatures. They are afriad of your hands, sticks and rolled up newspapers as well as unfamiliar noises, crumpling
of newspapers, sudden movement, small children if they are unaccustomed to pint-sized humans and even new inanimate
objects introduced into their environment such as window shades. Finches are pretty close to the bottom of the
food chain, and their natural fear keeps them from being a larger animal's lunch.
Most finchlovers understand this and enjoy their finches for the natural behaviors,
poetry in motion, color and song - not because they want to hold them and pet them. If you want a tame bird, get a parrot.
And get matching ear plugs.
Having said that, finches can be tamed, but it's not easy. To start with, most tame
finches are that way because they were fed as chicks by their keepers. Properly handfeeding a chick that starts out no
larger than the live portion of your pinky fingernail requires a lot of work and dedication. They need to be fed nearly
every hour on the hour for the first few days of life. From there, it's every 2 hours. And this goes on for four
to six weeks. Handfeeding a baby finch is not a cavalier undertaking, it's a temporary full-time job!
I never handfeed unless the chick has been abandoned by her parents, and I cannot
find willing fosters. For me, undertaking handfeeding is the last resort, the only thing left between a waif
chick and the garbage can.
Assuming your chick survives handfeeding and doesn't succumb to chilling, overheating,
yeast infection or aspiration - don't assume it will be tame. Just because a chick is handfed does not mean it will
be overly friendly unless you handle and interact with it a LOT.
The best pet comes from a singleton. A singleton bonds very strongly to you,
it's human parent, and will usually be exceptionally tame even as an adult. The degree of tameness is typically directly
related to how much interaction you have with it outside of feeding.
Having said all that - I WOULD NEVER ADVOCATE THAT ANYONE REMOVE FINCH CHICKS FROM
CAPABLE PARENTS AND HANDFEED THEM. I think this borders on morally criminal. My first handfed chick was found,
cold and starved, dumped on the bird room floor. The fact is that a finch needs its parents more than
it needs to be a pet. If a parent is not willing, capable or availabe, then the chick needs a foster. Only after
all more natural approaches don't work, do I feel handfeeding should be undertaken. As a breeder of thousands
of finches, if there is one thing I know, given enough time and in the mayhem of breeding season, there will be more than
ample opportunity for handfeeding than what I want to undertake. But I do it because I hate tossing dead chicks in the
garbage can.
Mature birds typically do not respond well to handling. I have seen and heard
where repeated handling of a Society does calm it down enough that he will sit in your hand or freeze from fear.
Ill birds which are handled a lot due to caring for them will also be tamer than usual.
BUT THE ABOVE ADULT BIRDS ARE THE EXCEPTIONS. Most parent-raised adult
birds do not want to be held, touched or petted by humans. It's just the way it is. Their beauty is something
to be admired, but always from a respectable distance. Their aloofness is actually one of their main attracting factors
to me. The last thing I want or need is a cloying clinging dependent head case bird that needs me for their every emotional
fulfillment. Again, if you want that, get a parrot. And make it a Cockatoo so that it's really noisy and a real head
case.
Finches will respond to you. They may duet with you or otherwise respond to
your imitation of their song, no matter how poor a rendition it may be. Finches are exquisitely sensitive to verbal
communication. Many of my birds have names, KNOW their names and respond to me calling them. For me, that's good
enough. I can get my Shafttails to acknowledge me by bobbing my head. This is because for this species, body language
is important. I just don't do it when I have company. :-)
The bottom line on holding and taming finches is that you will nearly always be on
the outside of their social network, like a puppy dog looking in the window. They are so beautiful and delicate that
the basic human desire is to want to hold them. However, when an adult finch allows you to pick it up, that means it's
horribly ill. And then you will find yourself wishing more than anything else that he would be well again, that
you'd prefer not to hold him while he's sick but rather watch him sing and play and fly about being his happy healthy finchy
self. From a DISTANCE.
Therein lies the paradox of keeping finches.
Covering Finches at Night
Q: Do my birds need to be covered at night?
Q: How do I cover my birds at night?
A: Birds do NOT need to be covered at night. This works nicely for parrots
which can squawk making a raucous noise at sunrise the following morning. For louder and more boisterous
birds such as Zebras, you may chose to cover them if they wake up singing at 5 am. The one advantage of covers is that
they hold in bird body heat and prevent drafts. The disadvantage is that they can collect mites so covers need to be
changed often and cleaned properly as well as sprayed with a mitacide (mite killing spray).
If you want to cover your birds, what time you choose to do so is pretty much up to
you. Birds need about ~10 hours of sleep a night. So be sure you are giving this amount of shut eye and not taking
the cover on and off ultimately disturbing their beauty sleep.
ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzz
(Sleep)
Q: Do my birds need a nest to sleep in at night?
A: No! They can sleep perfectly fine on the perch. Believe it or
not, finch feet are at REST when they are closed. It takes energy to open a finch's foot. Therefore, unlike you
or I who would be holding on for dear life all night long, finches are perfectly relaxed when perching. Their weight
locks their grip in.
Having said that, some species of bird do PREFER to sleep in a roosting
nest. These include Zebras and Societies. For many birds, it's a personal preference. But ALL birds
can sleep on a perch just fine.
Most finches need about 12 hours of light a day.
Q: I turn the lights out at night and my birds totally freak out. Why?
A: Finches prefer some sort of night light over complete darkness.
Give them a low wattage light and they will be fine. If you have several lights on during the day, set up the timers
so that each one goes off at a different time. This will be a cue to your finches that it's now time to go to sleep,
and there won't be as much chaos at light's out. And be sure that the night lights come on BEFORE the last daytime light
goes off.
Q: My birds are flying all over the place in the middle of the night, even flying into cage
bars in a panic. They seem really scared. What is causing this?
A: Night frights are a common problem with rodents. Finches are not
crazy about mice. The first thing I'd suspect is a rodent or some other type of vermin or perceived predator problem
(snakes, cats, rats or hawks in outside aviaries). If you have birds, you have mice. The mice are attracted
to the seed. Snakes are attracted to the mice. Snakes eat small birds like finches. Therefore, rodent
control is critical if you have birds. Mice carry a variety of diseases including Salmonella and parasites like ticks.
So it's best not to have mice in with your birds.
Also, be sure you have a night light on for your birds so they can see at night.
If I check on my birds in the middle of the night, it's not uncommon to see some eating, drinking or going about their business
swinging etc.
Housing
Q: What size cage do I need for a pair of finches?
A: The minimum size I'd recommend keeping a pair of birds in is 2' long by 16"
wide by 16" tall. Finches do not walk much. They get their exercise by flying. Therefore, they need to be
in a cage that is large enough for them to at least get some hangtime in order to exercise and stay healthy. I keep
most of my birds in 4' flight cages so they can fly a longer distance rather than around in tight little circles.
The cages that most pet shops sell are NOT fit for keeping finches for long periods.
They are basically carry cages, not living cages.
Some feel a bird needs horizontal room to fly. Others prefer vertical height
to force the wings to really pump, keeping the bird fit. Ideally, a cage should have both length and height (as well
as width since birds are 3D - LOL). It's best to purchase the largest size cage your have the money and footprint
for. Your birds will be happier and healthier for it.
Behavioral Issues:
Fighting Zebras
Q: I have two pairs of Zebras in a cage together, and they fight all the time. What
can I do about this?
A: Two pairs of zebras seldom get along very well. They are territorial
and will fight over their perceived little feifdom. Even if they don't abuse each other, they will be constantly ripping
apart each other's nests and making a general nuisance of one other if you are trying to breed them. Odds are that two
pairs of zebs who are not kept in a large flight or aviary will run so much interference on one another that neither pair
will breed successfully. Alternatively, one pair may become dominant and breed while the other pair does nothing and
spends most of their time staying out of the way of the alpha pair. If you are planning on breeding Zebras, usually
they are bred best ONE PAIR TO A CAGE.
Feather Picking/Bald Spots
Q: I have one bird that is missing all/some/part of its feathers. The other bird(s)
seem to pick on it. What can I do?
Q: I have a finch with missing feathers (usually on the head). I never see him
being picked on by another finch. Why is he missing these feathers?
A: There may be a few things going on here. The number of birds in a cage
can be a problem. Birds can count - up to 8 it seems - which is the same number of toes they have - interesting....
They can keep track of one another, therefore if there are less than 8 individuals. For Zebras, even in same sex flights,
they will pair up and then you run into problems of personalities of pairs vs individuals. Three birds or pairs typically
get along fine, but there are no hard and fast rules. Birds, like people, are individuals.
Pinch style clothes pins/pegs placed every 6" along the perches MAY help to define
individual territories. The pegs act to wall off one finch's personal space from the next.
If this is a nonbreeding cage, flight or aviary, REMOVE all nests and nesting materials.
This may curb aggression, squabbles and overpreening. Zebras like to play their version of flag football, ripping each
other's flanking feathers and tossing clumps of them on the floor.
Sometimes, you get a bird that is a bit neurotic and is overpreening it's mate.
I've had this happen now with Societies, Shafftails and Blue Caps. Unless you want to break up that pair, there's not
a whole lot you can do. Some have recommended bitter apple spray on the bird that is being overpreened. I've never
tried it. You can provide plenty of busy toys, which for finches means swings, fibers and sanitized feathers as well
as the shoestring trick (short length of shoe string tied to the cage - this works GREAT for male Zebras). Millet spray
and other things that keep finch beaks busy might help.
Another consideration is whether the overpreened bird might have mites. I use
AIL feather spray to keep mites off my birds. You should at least spray the affected finch, mate and the cage with mitacide.
This way you can rule out one variable.
Finally, sometimes when birds are picking and plucking feathers, this means they are
not getting enough protein in their diet. Are you giving your birds eggfood or other high protein supplement?
If not, then you need to include egg food into their diet.
If toys, mite spray and diet are not the problem, the odds are the picked upon bird
will have to be removed. Many times, after the feathers regrow in 4-6 weeks, it can be reintroduced and everything is
fine. Birds, once they have a perceived weakness, will be mercilessly pecked on by the others. When reintroducing
the newly feathered bird, rearrange cage perches and fixtures around so that new territories need to be established.
This gives a more level playing ground. This is pretty important with Zebras. For birds like Societies, this is
a null point. Typically they all get in the same nest together, even piling up in layers atop one another, the more
the merrier.
Loose Finches
Q: My finch is loose and I cannot catch it. I don't have a net. It's like greased
lightening. Now what?
A: First off, if you have finches, you should also have a net to catch them
in when they get loose. I think I must have five of them at least (my finches are ALWAYS getting loose - I swear they
know I have slow reflexes and do it to torment me). If you don't have a net, that is going to make netting a bird a
bit challenging. You can try a few things:
1) If possible, herd the finch into a smaller room where you have a greater
chance of catching it. Ideally this is a bathroom. MAKE SURE THE TOILET LID IS DOWN!!!
2) Get a water bottle. Squirt the finch from afar. This may take
a few minutes to drench the bird sufficiently, but the fact is a bird with completely wet flight feathers doesn't fly very
well - slowing him down. Plus with all that water on his feathers, he weighs more and has to work that much harder to
fly.
3) Leave the cage door open. When he gets hungry/thirsty, he may
go back inside. Notice I said MAY. Of course, if you have more than one bird in the cage, the others may be out
in no time.
Be sure to pull the drapes or lower the blinds. Many times, birds do not see
glass. You don't want them to fly into the windows, giving themselves a concussion or worse.
Typically I net escapees, but sometimes, I have to squirt them down because they are
just too fast for me. Squirting them down works like a charm.
DO NOT EXCESSIVELY CHASES FINCHES WHEN ITS EXTREMELY HOT AND HUMID. They can
overheat.
If you squirt the bird down, be sure that you dry it as best you can (I use toilet
tissue - it's very absorbant) and if possible, put the finch next to a heat light until it's feathers are dried again.
Usually, even in hottest weather, birds do not completely drench their feathers when bathing. A soaked finch loses body
heat fast. Even at 80 F, they may start to shiver. You don't want a sick finch next, so if you do have to squirt
them, take the time to get them reasonably dried off again so they stay healthy.
Q: My silver gouldian got out. We cannot find him. We've looked
everywhere to no avail. Where can he be?
A: Finches can get into amazingly SMALL spaces. I spent HOURS one
day looking for Ganesh, one of my original BH Gouldian hens. She was free flying and then just disappeared. I
tore the room apart in a panic, frantic to find her - no luck. She didn't respond to my calls. Finally, hours
later I decided to move two boxes I had in the room. They were right next to one another - maybe a half inch gap between
them. GUESS WHOSE SHINING FACE I FOUND IN THAT TINY CREVASSE? Yup - Ganesh's.
Another time, Pippy - my tame Blue Capped Cordon Bleu - went onto my bookshelf and
managed to fall into a three ring binder. He fell right down the center of the rings - the space was perhaps 3/4"
wide. I won't tell you how long I had to look for him - because it wasn't that bad. He responded to my voice,
and I just homed in on those really far away beeps coming from the book shelf. After that, I removed all binders
from the book shelf. Who'd have thunk?
Yet another time, Gumbie Gumbotz, a handfed and just starting to wander pearl Society
Finch escaped from his little penned in area and vanished. That day, I had a very excruciatingly painful spinal procedure
performed (discogram) and was barely able to walk. I came home to a missing Gumbie. I called for him, nothing.
I crawled around, dragging my completely useless leg behind me. Nothing. No sign of him, not a peep. I moved
everything I physically was able to. Pulled cage trays half a dozen times. Cleaned up every speck on the floor.
I was up half the night, doped up on pain pills, crying and trying to find him. NO LUCK!
Finally I fell into bed emotionally and physically exhausted about 3 am - in utter
agony. The next morning, I fed the other chicks, hoping that the sounds of them begging would pique Gumbie's curiousity.
NOTHING. IY! All I kept telling myself was that I had spent three weeks of handfeeding this finch and now he's
going to turn into a potato chip hidden someplace. At the next handfeeding, as all the birds were begging, there it
was - far away - a tiny Gumbie Gumbotz sound. Just one peep. I homed in on where the sound was coming from.
I tore that whole area apart yet again. He refused to respond to me a second time for quite some time. All
I had was that one sound to go by. Finally, he started beeping and moving. I found him mostly because
I saw a slight movement in a pile of shed feathers that had built up between the cage tray and the cage wire.
My cages were on the floor at the time. He had crawled into the space between
one of the cage trays and the cage. I had pulled those trays numerous times - and I never saw him. Luckily
I didn't squish him either. He had snuggled up in that small pile of shed feathers and went to sleep. I guess
when he finally got hungry enough, he let his location be known. I still have Gumbotz - he's a favorite of mine.
But I almost lost him. So you need to KEEP looking 12 or 24 hours later. Perhaps only then will the bird reveal
it's location to you.
When looking for a missing finch, thinks small. Places you'd not even
think a Gouldian can get into. If a mouse can get into it, basically, a Gouldian can too! Use a flashlight
to really search. If the room to the door was closed - great! If not - wow - big search job. Some birds
will make noise when they are out. Imitate their calls to see if they will respond. Some do. Others
will hide and not say a peep.
Sometimes the other birds will give them away and become excited. Many times,
I know a bird is out by how the other birds react long before I even know which bird is out or where it went.
Check high. Check low. Check behind. Check between. Recheck
everywhere you just checked. Think outside of the box. Again, use a flashlight. Remove any pets that might
hurt the bird so that you don't sadly find your Gouldian in the kitty's jaws two hours later. Close all toilet
lids or other areas that the bird may fly into and drown (pots in sinks etc).
LISTEN VERY CAREFULLY FOR EVEN THE SLIGHTEST SOUND AND FOLLOW IT. A rustle or
scritch or fluffle. This may be your bird.
Many times, I've had a bird out and looked in vain for hours, only to find the
bird up on top of one of the cages later. Other times, the bird crawled into an impossibly small spot from which
it could have never escaped. I recently lost a BB OB Zebra (basically all orange) because he went in between the two
cage trays in one of my four foot flights - a space of about 1.5 inches. Actually, it's kind of a tunnel. He followed
the space back 16" and around a ninety degree turn, before he got hopelessly stuck. He never made a peep. I looked
for him for HOURS AND HOURS, pulled my hair out. Lost sleep. To no avail. I found him sadly dead two days
later and then kicked myself for another two days for NOT pulling cage trays yet again and looking more closely. I had
pulled that tray but never saw him in there. They can get into the most unbelievably impossibly tiny places
if they want to. Obviously this guy wanted to. What a waste of a GORGEOUS cockbird.
Be sure to check all closets too if you had them open during the time period the bird
got out. Diamond Doves really like to go into closets.
Know your species. A Pintailed Nonpareil Parrotfinch is more likely to be found
on the floor. A Society Finch is most likely to be found clinging to the cage sides. A Zebra may be
on top or on the floor or hiding behind something. Gouldians can be the worst. They just say NOTHING and will
stay put and freeze in place for hours. Other times, they fly everywhere, and then it's only a matter of netting them.
Usually if a bird has flown out of the immediate vacinity of the other caged birds,
the songs of the other birds will lure it back. But not always. So if you had the room to the door open
or the birds are in a big space and there is no way to close a door while you are working with your birds, realize they could
be literally anywhere. And get busy looking.
If you cannot find the bird, put out water and seed. I put it out high and low
- that way hopefully it will find it. Get up the next day and start looking again. Or he may be sitting there
waiting for you. I've had that happen too.
Diet Related
Q: I've tried to get my birds to eat (egg food/vegetables/sprouts/fruits) and they just ignore
it. How do I get them to eat these other foods?
A: Some finches can have a reputation for being finicky eaters, but
there are a few tricks that can ease this process along. First off, most of any finch's diet SHOULD BE SEED. So
if they are eating seed, you are off to a good start. To get birds to eat vegetables such as leafy greens or egg food,
you need to present it to them in a manner that they recognize as food. I feed most items other than seed in a tray
which is placed on the bottom of their 4' flights. They have come to realize anything put in that tray should be edible
and will try new things I put in there.
Egg food can be served daily. Don't expect a bird that's never seen egg
food before to run over to it and gobble it down. They may ignore it for a week or two, but you must keep putting it
in there. Being consistent is key. You cannot put it for two days and then don't bother for three weeks and then
try again one day. I hear of so many people who are inconsistent in what they try to feed their birds, and then they
claim their birds are picky eaters. Usually, the keeper is inconsistent. You may find that when you first start
serving egg food orveggies that they may even be afraid of the tray at first. With time, they will screw up the courage
to go test it out. Since finches don't have hands, they use their beaks to investigate. It's only a matter of
time until they taste the food you've given. Hopefully they will like it.
Greens are a great way to get birds to try new foods. Birds have a natural affinity
to green and recognize it as food. So chop some romaine lettuce and add it to the egg food and see if that doesn't catch
their eye. As a side note, sprinkling spirulina on egg food can sometimes get finicky eaters to check it out.
They just love that green color - this worked well for me with Pintailed Nonpareil Parrotfinches.
Sprinkle seed on the egg food. They KNOW what seed is!
Try sprouts mixed in with egg food and see what happens. Most birds are as naturally
attracted to sprouts as they are to greens.
If the birds you are trying to train to egg food are insectivores, then put mealworms
on top of the egg food. They WILL get the picture pretty quickly. Most of my insectivores take egg food readily.
If all else fails, try to locate a teacher bird from someone. A teacher bird
is a bird that will eat basically anything and 'teaches' the other birds to eat what it does. Monkey see, monkey do.
If all the other birds see one bird relishing food, well then they will want some too. Some birds are just natural teacher
birds, Societies being the most reliable for this trait. They have been in captivity so long that they are no longer
fussy about what they eat. So if your Gouldians turn up their beaks at all your culinary efforts, consider adding a
Society Finch to the mix and see if the goulds don't copy the Society.
Q: Do my birds need pellets? My vet wants me to convert all my finches to pellets.
A: While in theory, pellets have all the nutrients birds need, odds are your
finches will not relish them. Seed has several advantages:
1) Finches are SEEDeaters. Nobody calls any finch a PELLETeater.
Therefore, seeds are what they eat.
2) Seeds provide busy work. Finches must shell the seed in order to eat
the grain inside. This gives them something to DO with their day. Pellets are like fast food - there's no net
input of energy or time to eat it.
3) A good, clean, safe seed mix should provide your finch with a sound nutritional
FOUNDATION. From there, you can build on additional foods to give your finches such as egg food, greens, insects and
other treats.
Realize that many vets are just out to sell Harrison's bird foods (or are misguided
in applying parrot nutritional philosophy to small seedeaters such as finches). These products are only sold by vets
and at exorbitant prices. While I have nothing against Harrison's feeds per se, I don't understand the push by vets
get to SEEDeaters to eat an unnatural food that the vets will make a nice hefty profit off themselves. If it ain't
broke, don't fix it. Seeds are what finches like and eat in the wild.
If you still feel that your finches need pellets, then either mix them in with the
seed or put them in a separate side dish and see what happens. Some finches will eat pellets. Most are not particularly
interested in them.
Health Related:
Sick Hen/Egg Binding
Q: What is wrong with my hen? She is fluffed up and isn't eating?
A: The first thing a sick hen needs to be checked for is whether she is egg
bound. Hens lay eggs. The shells are composed of calcium and if she is not getting enough in her diet, she will
become sick. An egg bound hen is an emergency situation. Please see this page for some more information on how
to treat your egg bound hen: http://mysite.verizon.net/vze8aart/id36.html .
Assuming your hen is not egg bound, there are a myriad of health problems that she
could be suffering from. It's very difficult to go through all of them here.
Sick Breeding Male
Q: My male finch was fine yesterday. He was feeding chicks or sitting on eggs and
now today he looks horrible. He is fluffed up and not eating. What happened?
A: Odds are that your male has trichomoniasis or other similar protozoal
disease. All birds carry this but only become ill from it when they are stressed. Breeding, starvation, feeding
chicks, cold and molting are all stressful situations. Breeding seems to be particularly rough on males. This
is because their major sex hormone, testosterone, actually suppresses their immune system making them vulnerable to a disease
they could have handled just fine if they did not have so much testerone in their bodies. The main treatment for Trich
is to use Ronidazole. Usually a day or two of medication will result in your male being his old vibrant self again.
Hens can also succumb to Trich when breeding. So if your birds are breeding, you need to be on the lookout for
this disease.
Broken Foot/Leg/Wing
Q: My finch seems to have broken his leg/foot. He is not able to use it. What
do I do for him?
Q: My finch got stuck in his cage. His foot is barely attached and is turning purple.
Now what?
Q: My finch broke it's wing. Actually I did it I think when I tried to net her.
I feel horrible and I want to fix it. Will she fly again?
A: If you keep finches, eventually you will have accidents with them that involve
broken bones. Finches seem to break their legs and feet pretty easily. Remember their bones are hollow and while
they are strong, they also can break easily if torqued too much.
For a broken leg (which in most cases is still really the foot), there isn't much
you can do to splint or wrap it to immobilize the limb. I've tried all sorts of splints, coffee straws, match
sticks etc. Nothing stays in place for as long as it takes you to put it there - AND the finch can just pick at it anyway
until he has it torn off. I truly feel all these measures are a complete waste of time and are additional stress on
an already miserable creature.
SUPERGLUE: I did stumble upon the SUPERGLUE idea thanks to a suggestion
from a friend, and let me tell you - it works FABULOUSLY! Just take the leg and glue it to the bird's underbelly.
WHAT???!!!! You are saying - She's nuts - totally lost it this time. Perhaps I have. I know - it sounds
insane but it really works. The superglue should hold for a few days, keeping the leg immobilized and giving the bones
a chance to heal. You may need to reglue it every few days. Try to keep it glued up for about a week. Finch
bones heal VERY fast, and a week is usually a long enough time for the bones to knit back together again. Usually, even
with the most twisted of broken legs, the finch is still quite able to use his foot and leg after it heals. It may not
be pretty - but it will be functional.
For feet which are nearly severed from the body (this happens when birds get their
feet caught in the corners of those cheapo imported cages from Asia - you should tie-wrap all the corners TIGHT with cable
ties to prevent this from happening), there really isn't much you can do for the foot. If the foot is purple and the
blood supply is compromised, the foot is going to wither. Bird feet really only have one artery down and one vein out.
If that supply is cut, the foot is history. Some people take a pair of nail nippers and cut the dead part of the foot
off. More power to them - I simply cannot do this and have never tried. I just let the foot dry up itself and
fall off. It takes about 2-3 weeks. I do use a topical antibiotic on the wound to prevent infection. Alternatively,
you can use a wide spectrum systemic antibiotic if you are very concerned about infection.
Finches with only one foot do perfectly fine. They can still be used as breeders
and are very capable of mating. Many times, finches with foot problems make EXCELLENT parents or fosters because they
are a bit less mobile and like to dote on their chicks that much more.
Finally, the broken wing. Whether your hen will fly again depends upon how badly
the wing is damaged. If it is totally shattered, she may not fly again. If however, it's a simply break, she should
heal fine. When I have a finch with a broken wing, I superglue the wing onto her side in as best to a natural position
as possible. Otherwise, if the wing is allowed to heal drooping, the bird may always have a droopy wing. Given a choice,
I'd rather see the wing up. Replace the superglue as needed to keep the wing immobile for at least a week. Keep
your hen in a small cage during this week - one where she won't even want to fly much because there is no space.
This will reduce the temptation to fly and the probability of pulling the wing off the side of her body and re-injuring the
break before it's completely set. Remove perches.
As with broken legs & feet, the wing may not be perfect, but it should still be
functional. Usually after a traumatic accident, that is all you can expect.
I've taken birds with broken wings and feet to vets. I didn't get a whole lot
of great advice and paid $65 for the visit. Basically, unless the leg or wing is gangrenous and needs to be amputated
where you are getting into serious arteries, there no point in taking your bird to the vet. They don't handle many finches
to begin with and even fewer with traumatic injuries.
Oh don't worry about removing the superglue once the bones are knit and the finch
is more active again. It will wear off or the bird will pick it off. If it's really bothering the bird or you,
after the injury is healed, you may be able to pull out some of the glued feathers. They will grow back in about 4 weeks.
DO NOT PULL OUT WING PRIMARIES - particularly from a wing that is still healing. It ain't worth the risk!!!
Bald Gouldians
Q: My gouldians have gone bald. Help!
A: This is a perennial problem with gouldians. Nobody is really exactly
sure why gouldians go bald. Some say it's a thyroid problem and supplement with Iodine in the water to support the thyroid
hormone. I don't know that this is quite true, as I've had a few balding Goulds over the years, and I didn't
notice any real big change with iodine treatments which lasted for over a month or more.
It's possible that your birds may have mites. A topical spray such as AIL (avian
insect liquidator by Vetafarm) or 8 in 1 spray should take care of the mites. Alternatively and additionally, you can
try a systemic like Ivermectin or Scatt to be sure that you rid your birds of most parasites (save tapeworm).
Another thing I've noticed is that females tend to lose head feathers in relation
to breeding condition. I had a bald hen, a regular vulturina, who would get all her feathers back upon molting.
Within a month or so, she would go spotty. The feathers were definitely falling out intact. I put them under a
scope and could see that they were whole feathers. There was no apparent mite damage. As she was going bald, she
would also want to breed, and her beak was turning black. I often wondered if baldness wasn't somehow tied to hormone
cycles? But breeding also brings up stress, which raises parasite issues. So you can just chase your tail around
in circles on this one.
Some feel it's purely a nutritional problem. That the birds are missing some
vital micro or trace elements from their diet or have too low of protein consumption. There may also be an underlying
health problem that can result in poor uptake of nutrients from the intestines. Therefore a proper worming protocol
to rid your bald bird of any parasite load, followed by excellent nutrition and PATIENCE as you wait for the next molt (as
well as peristence to continue with the good diet) should result in a bird with a full head of feathers again.
HOPEFULLY.
I also feel their is a genetic component to this problem. I can have ten Goulds
in a flight cage and nine are fine. One is balding. They eat the same foods. Have the same light regime.
Yet one is balding. Why? Hmmm......
One other thing to be on the lookout for is beak fencing. Males particularly
will duel over little territories and sometimes you will notice bald patches show up.
Many times, parents who are feeding chicks will loose the feathers around the immediate
beak area. This is due to the beaks of the chicks physically rubbing the feathers off. These feathers will be
replaced with the next molt. I see this on Zebras and Goulds primarily.
The bottom line is that there is NO EASY ANSWER to this one. :-(
Whole/Undigested Seed in Droppings
Q: I have an adult Gouldian that is going light. It's droppings are full of whole undigested
seed. What do I treat him with?
A: See the Dead & Sick Chicks section. It's either Cochlosoma,
Giardia, Campylobacter or Megabacteria (Avian Gastric Yeast) more than likely. All can be treated with the appropriate
medication and care. Bacteria can also cause whole undigested seeds in the droppings.
Please note that if you have a particularly sick adult, you may need to supplement
feed it with formula via a crop needle for a few days until it's digestive tract is working better.
Clicking or Gasping
Q: My Gouldian is clicking at night. Why?
Q: My Blue Caps always have their beaks open. It almost looks like they are gasping
for breath. What is wrong with them?
A: Clicking Gouldians (primarily but also in other birds) and gasping (usually
in Blue Capped Cordon Bleus) are both signs of Air Sac Mites. Both of these species seem to be particularly vulnerable
to this parasite. Air Sac Mites get into the lungs (which are technically called air sacs) and clog them. This
can produce a clicking sound and make a bird gasp as the mites multiply and use more of the birds precious oxygen absorbing
air sac surface area to live on. Air Sac Mites can be transmitted from infected parent to chick and also
spread via the water supply.
I must point out that other respiratory infections can cause both clicking and gasping,
but as a good first measure, one should treat for mites. The following mite treatments are NORMALLY VERY SAFE.
However, if you've let your birds get overly infested with mites out of ignorance or uncaring, then the treatment may
actually kill them. As the mites die, they can actually plug delicate lung tissues, and the bird will drown in millions
of mite carcasses. HOWEVER, if the bird has air sac mites and is left untreated, it will die anyway. So it's kind
of a catch-22. As a keeper, the best thing to do is every few weeks, walk though your aviary, birdroom, past the cages
etc at night when your birds are resting and listen for clicking sounds. If you hear them, treat immediately.
Also always be on the look out for open beaked breathing. It's your observation capabilities that make a difference
in the health of your birds.
Now, to treat your finch, you can use one of three products: Ivermectin,
Scatt (Moxidectin) or S-76.
If one bird has air sac mites, you are best to assume that ALL the birds have them
and treat accordingly.
I use the 0.08% Sheep Drench Ivermectin and Scatt as manufactured by Vetafarm.
Be careful about what concentration and type of ivermectin you use. You want the kind that is glycol or oil
- not water based and at about 0.1 concentration - NOT HIGHER. Apply ONE DROP to the skin. Don't
use more than one drop on a tiny finch. Make sure the drop goes on the skin - not the feathers. If you accidentally
put more than one drop on the bird, wipe all excess off immediately! The best way to get ONE DROP is to take a toothpick
and dip it in the medication. Apply the tip of the toothpick to the bare skin. This avoids accidents. The
applicator that comes with Scatt is so sloppy as to be useless!
Old time vets will tell you to apply the drop to the jugular vein. This is not
really necessary as Ivermectin and Scatt are systemics and will be absorbed through the skin and distributed throughout
the body. Therefore, I pick the easiest spot to apply it. The jugular vein on the neck, because of dense feathers,
is rarely the easiest place to apply it. Some put it on the back of the head, same problem as the jugular vein - too
many feathers. I prefer to gently spread the wing and place it underneath. Birds have natural bare spots under
the wings, and there is also a major vein right there since birds needs lots of blood to their wings in order to fly.
DO THIS GENTLY - DO NOT FORCE THE WING. If the bird pulls the wing back, just let go - don't fight him. After
a few times, he will relax and let you treat him.
S-76 is a newer product. It too is ivermectin based but designed to dissolve
in water. The advantage is that you can easily treat a huge flock of aviary kept birds without handling them.
Use according to the label instructions.
DO NOT USE STANDARD IVERMECTIN NOR SCATT IN THE WATER. They may be oil
based and nonmiscible (they float on top). If the birds sip a huge blob of ivermectin floating on top of the water,
it can be a high enough dose to kill them. Or so I've been told. Best just not to do it unless you are positive
the type of ivermectin you have is water soluble (such as S-76).
Crust on Face or Feet
Q: My bird has yellow crusty stuff on his feet. What's that?
Q: I noticed tonight that my red headed Gouldian has bumps on either side of his beak.
He also has some pits in his beak. He is sleeping more than usual. What is wrong with him and how can I help him?
A: Your bird is infested with Scaly Mites. This is a common aviary problem.
All birds carry mites and typically you only see signs of infestation when the bird is stressed or otherwise ill and their
immune system in down. Scaly Mites has a longer name - Scaly Face and Foot Mites - which pretty much describes where
you'll find it - on their face and feet!
Infested feet will be red and swollen. They will tend to have yellowish or white
crusty buildup. They may have spots which are bleeding and usually they will be favoring the foot if it just on one
side. If it's on both sides, you may find them up in their nests or on the aviary/flight bottom so they can rest their
sore feet.
Early signs of infested faces look like someone who has just recently had their tonsils
or widom teeth removed or a bad case of the mumps. There will be huge swollen areas where the mites have tunneled
in under their skin. The face will look unsymmetrical and lumpy. This is particularly evident on Gouldians because
they have such fine velvety head feathers. You may see them scratching a LOT. More advanced cases have yellow
crusty patches on their faces. If it's on the beak, the first sign is a pit or lesion in the beak or some yellow
discoloration.
If left untreated, bird can lose toes, toenails, feet, and in the case of their beak,
I've seen cases SO BAD the bird can hardly eat. After the mite infestation is cured, they may be horribly and permanently
scared for the rest of their life. So why wait until it's to the point of disfigurement and the bird is in peril of
dying? Treat them when you first see signs of infestation.
Treatment is simple enough. It's the same for Air Sac Mites - Ivermectin, Scatt
or S-76. Please read the Q&A directly above for how to treat with these medications properly. You can also
apply AIL as a backup. If one bird has scaly mites, you are best to assume that
ALL the birds have them and treat accordingly.
On infested feet, you can use Vaseline to SMOTHER the mites. This involves
no chemicals and is effective so long as you consistently apply the Vaseline daily for about a week. This treatment
will take a week or so to cure the bird and so many don't want to be bothered. One advantage of this treatment
is that the Vaseline softens the crusty tissues causing them to fall off sooner, allowing your bird to heal and feel better
more quickly. The disadvantage is that if you use too much Vaseline, really glop in on, their feathers will become soiled
with oil and lose their insulating properties. You only need a little bit of Vaseline, and you should rub it in really
well - work it for about five minutes. You will see as you rub it in that little bits of dead scale and tissues will
start to come off on your fingers. If you apply to much Vaseline and/or it gets on their breast/belly/vent feathers,
a dusting with Diatomaceous Earth (human food grade) or other fine powder such as UNSCENTED Talcum Powder will pull the excess
oil back out of the feathers. DO NOT BOTHER WASHING IT. It's oil so it won't rinse away, and you don't really
want to use detergents on birds as it will remove their own beneficial oils along with the Vaseline.
I use a combination of both Ivermectin or Scatt as well as Vaseline if the problem
is on the feet. I also use a Q-tip dipped in AIL and rub it about the face of birds with Scaly Face Mites. This
is an off label use, but it works well and I've NEVER had any problems using it like this. I like to get that little
pocket under the beak really well, as well as the ear holes. The mites seem to hang out in these two spots. Tony
Geis, vet for Vetafarm, bathed Zebras in AIL for several days. Drenched them daily. They lived to tell the tale
with zero adverse affects. I don't think this stuff is all that toxic for birds, but it's always best to use judiciously
not willy nilly.
Hygiene is critical for getting Mites (be they Feather, Scaly or Air Sac) under control.
Any covers should be washed and treated for mites. The entire cage should be cleaned including the tray and perches.
Spray the birds and the cage with AIL to further kill any leftover mites. Scaley Mites can be especially persistent
and annoying.
Try to identify the stress. Are your birds overcrowded? Is that infested bird
the omega bird in that flight and being picked on by other birds? Do they have enough nutrition? Correct whatever
you can immediately.
Also be on the lookout. I've never once had Scaly Face mites in Zebras - though
I have seen it in other's birds. I've never had Scaly Foot Mites on Gouldians - they always seem to get it on their
face or beak. I've never had Scaly Mites in any other species though I know you can get it in other birds. Know
your birds and your flock.
Bumblefoot
Finally, mite damage on feet can lift scales exposing vulnerable skin.
Bacteria such as Staph can get into fissures and cracks between foot scales and this condition can turn into BUMBLEFOOT.
Bumblefoot is much harder to get rid of than Scaly Mites.
Hygiene is critical for controlling both Bumblefoot and Scaly Mites. All perches
MUST be scrubbed and bleached. If you have natural perches, it's best to just toss the existing perches, go cut
new ones, bleach them and place them into the cage/aviary. Natural perches are very hard to get clean unless soaked
in bleach for 24 hours - with detergent.
Bumblefoot treatment is either Triple Antibiotic Ointment or similar antibacterial
ointment. This must be applied at least 1x per day and rubbed into the affected feet thoroughly. For particularly
recalcitrant cases, Bactroban works best. You will need a prescription for this medication and it's not
cheap but it works FABULOUSLY. You can also try systemic antibiotics which treat staph infections. However,
my experience with this approach is once you stop with the systemics, the infection reappears. Ointments seem to work
the best.
In order to AVOID bumblefoot, birds must have the right-sized perches and variable-sized
perches to prevent foot fatigue and sores, which can become the breeding ground for Staph bacteria. Scaly Foot
Mite also needs to be treated AS SOON as it's noticed - don't procrastinate to avoid it turning into Bumblefoot. If
left untreated, Bumblefoot can lead to lost toes, feet, legs due to bone infection. Bumblefoot can also result
in dead birds if the infection goes systemic and gets into their blood stream.
Feather Mites
Q: My bird's wings look like swiss cheese. They have tiny holes in them. Some
feathers are snapped off. I assume she has feather mites, but I don't know what to treat her with?
Q: My cordons used to have such vibrant blue color. I've noticed in the past week or
so that now they are getting dark gray spots on them. What is wrong with their feathers?
Q: My male Gouldian just came out of his nest box for an extended period of time yesterday.
They are on their second clutch of chicks. His tail is trashed and all the bright blue on the back of his neck is gone.
Where did his tail go? What is happening to all his beautiful color?
A: All these scenarios are classic for Feather Mites. These mites eat
the barbules off of feathers (the very tips which is how blue feathers achieve their color) and also tunnel into the midveins
weakening the feather structure. This is particularly problematic with wing primaries. Eventually, the feather
will lose it's structural integrity and snap off.
The treatment is AIL (Avian Insect Liquidator as sold by Vetafarm) or 8 in 1
Spray or other topical treatment. Systemics like Scatt or Ivermectin are not as helpful because the mites are feeding
on dead tissue (feathers) and the blood supply cannot get the medication to them. Spray birds as per the directions
on the bottle. Repeat when necessary.
The good news is that of the three cases, the Gouldians will molt after you break
them up from breeding - so the male will look fab again in a few months. For the other birds, you must wait until their
molt until they look better. In the case of the bird with affected wing feathers, place perches so that he can more
easily get up to the higher perches. His flying may become more severely impaired if more and more feathers snap off.
You can pull wing feathers, but they are actually embedded in the wing bones. Pulling them can be painful and you need
to know what you are doing and support the wing correctly - otherwise you can break their wing or permanently destroy their
feather follicle if performed wrong. If you don't know what you are doing, it's best to wait it out if possible.
As is the case for all mites, the entire cage needs to be treated and cleaned, particularly
perches/cracks/crevices to reduce the mite burden in the cage. Treat nestboxes as well.
Another thing to note is that if wing feathers are snapped but there are no other
signs of mite damage, your birds may not be getting enough quality protein. This results in weakened feathers, and since
wings take a lot of abuse, you'll see the lack of quality protein reflected in the wing feathers.
Also, birds kept in too small of cages can have snapped wing tips from their constantly
brushing up on cage wires. The cure for this is to get them a larger space to live in.
If one bird has feather mites, you are best to assume that ALL the birds have them
and treat accordingly.
Suddenly Sick
Q: My bird was FINE yesterday. Today he's all puffed up and listless. He looks
terrible. What is wrong with him?
A: Birds are masters of disguise. In a flock situation, the ill bird is
commonly picked on by other members of the flock. Therefore, a sick bird will act perfectly healthy until it is absolutely
IMPOSSIBLE for him to pretend any longer. That is why birds become SUDDENLY ill. They have probably been slowly
getting worse and doing their best to hide it.
As their keeper, you need to be on the lookout for signs of illness. These can
include: gasping or open beaked breathing, limping or favoring a leg, being in the seed cup more than usual, cuddling
up next to a heat source such a lamp, reduced activity level, singing cessation, eating MORE than usual, eating
LESS than usual, dropping changes in either consistency (more moist or whole seed) or color (sudden change to green for example),
sleeping excessively, sleeping in the early morning hours (birds should be their liveliest in the morning but be aware all
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