JustAnswer > Pet
Ask A Question|Register|Login|Help
JustAnswer

Pet

Ask a Pet Question, Get an Answer ASAP!

Have your own Pet question?

2 Vets and Pet Experts are Online Now
characters left:
Not a Pet Question?
Bookmark and Share

Question

these bird are molting??? I have 4 and 2 have lost all feather around thier necks, appear that the other 2 are picking at them...is this normal or should I do something about it?

Submitted: 1150 days and 19 hours ago.
Category: Pet
Value: $8
Status: AWAITING CUSTOMER ACTION
+
Read More

Optional Information

Optional Information:
Age: 1; Breed: finch

Already Tried:
nothing

Posted by Patricia 1150 days and 19 hours ago.

Info Request

Hello. I understand you have 4 Finches total? Do they all share the same cage? If so, what are the dimensions of the cage? Do you have any nests in the cage and if so, how many? Do you know the gender of all the birds? Are they all 1 year old, or close to that? Please tell me everything that is in their dailey diet? How long have you had these birds? I am assuming their cage is inside your house and they never have exposure to the outside? This extra information will help me give you my best advice. Thanks. Patricia

1150 days and 19 hours ago.

Reply

Reply to Patricia's Post: Yes they share a cage, no nest in the cage...the cage itself is about 2'x4' they get a regular diet of finch food...have grit in the bottom of cage..and clean water daily. Have only had bird about 1 1/2 months...came from overfly in an aviary in a nursing home..so not sure of age...

Answer

Okay, thanks for that information. Unfortunately, I'm not going to be able to give you as many specific answers as I'd like because there are still a couple of unknowns. 1. Exactly which type of Finch you have and, 2. The gender. Some Finches can be sexed visually, others cannot. Hopefully, you have all the same type at least. Ideally, a cage of Finches should have the same number of males as females. If you have an unbalanced group, male to female, that can be part of the problem. Also, your cage is a bit on the small side for that many. Because they are not what we call hands on birds, yet they are very active, they must have enough room to fly back and forth across the cage without perches and other accessories in the way. They need the exercise and it's not like you can turn them loose in your house, let them exercise, then expect them to step up on your finger when you are ready to return them to the cage. If they are not getting enough exercise, there's another possible cause. Ideally, a finch cage will have one of the little finch nests, for each two birds. Here is a link that will show you examples of suitable nests for them. You do not want, nor need the wooden next box shown but any of the other examples on that page are fine. Click here: Text Search: finch nests : Birds If each "pair" has their own nest, that eliminates one more reason they may have for squabbling. As for diet, they need equal parts; white millet, Japanese millet, panicum millet and plain canary seed. However, an all seed diet is not sufficient to maintain good health. They also enjoy grated fresh foods such as sprouts, carrots, broccoli and an occasional piece of apple. Be careful with the wet foods and don't leave in the cage more than a couple hours. It can quickly grow bacteria which will be harmful for them. If they are not getting, and have never had proper diet, yet another underlying reason for the problem. All this said, it would be a very good idea to take them in to see a well qualified avain vet for a check up because plucking and excessive loss of feathers can be indicators of illness. You are going to need someone with experience to see them, in person, to help you determine which type and gender you have anyway so the vet check up can accomplish several things, all at once, for the price of one visit. I'm going to give you some links that can assist you in locating a good vet in case you don't know of one. I'm also going to give you a link to some more basic information about Finches. I hope this is helpful to you but if you have further questions, don't hesitate to ask. Patricia

Click here: The Finch Niche - Finch Information & Articles by Myra - The Perfect Society

Click here: Find your local Avian Veterinarian

Click here: Avian Veterinarians Recommended by Bird Breeders and Owners http://www.birdsnways.com/articles/abvpvets.htm

Click here: Avian Vet List http://www.parrotparrot.com/avianvets/

Click here: BirdsnWays - Avian Veterinarians - Vets - Vet Services for Pet Parrots & Exotic Birds

Click here: Birds and Exotics Animal Care

 



Edited by Skydanzer on 9/28/2006 at 3:38 PM

Picture
Expert: Patricia
Pos. Feedback: 99.9 %
Accepts: 
Answered: 9/28/2006

Parrot C&onsultant

Published author, free lance bird behaviorist, adviser to the parrots at Sarasota Jungle Gardens.

+
Read More

Related Pet Questions

  • can u find any pictures of a chiuaua half miniture belgium ....
  • i want to know what is the most popular name for a ...
  • WHY IS MY CAY TRYING TO SUCK ON MY CLOTHS AT IN BED
  • My Golden Retreiver seems like he has something in his ...
  • is it ok to give them fresh grass out of the yard?
  • is ivomec plus injectable (with clorsulon) safe to ...
  • how do i know if i have a red nosed pitbull ...
  • I have a 14 year old Sharpei that will eat paper.Homework .....



Disclaimer: Information in questions, answers, and other posts on this site ("Posts") comes from individual users, not JustAnswer; JustAnswer is not responsible for Posts. Posts are for general information, are not intended to substitute for informed professional advice (medical, legal, veterinary, financial, etc.), or to establish a professional-client relationship. The site and services are provided "as is" with no warranty or representations by JustAnswer regarding the qualifications of Experts. To see what credentials have been verified by a third-party service, please click on the "Verified" symbol in some Experts' profiles. JustAnswer is not intended or designed for EMERGENCY questions which should be directed immediately by telephone or in-person to qualified professionals.
Question List | Become an Expert | Terms of Service | Security & Privacy | About Us
© 2003-2009 JustAnswer Corp.