Tricoloured Parrot Finch having fits!!!

[thill2]

Hi
I had a Tricoloured hen throwing fits - I THINK. When I walked in the aviary she would drop from the perch flipping all over the ground. After a minute she would fly back up to the perch stunned. She could do this a number of times if I stayed in the aviary. This went on for 3 months hopping she might get better as she aged. She was 3 months old when she started. I ended up putting her down as I felt it was cruel for her. Now a cock bird from the same cage has started this. They were both from the same clutch. He looks healthy, flys around normally except when I go into the cage.
Any idea of whats going on.
Thanks.

[vettepilot_6]

Stress....could be a bit of inbreeding going on too...

[matcho]

Stargazing maybe?

When you watch them for some time did they have their head tilted back and looking at the roof/twirling their heads? Sounds like a classic to me, on the ground flipping around then back up on the perch after being startled, but gradually gets worse and the result is fatal. Had a couple in the past, do not know whether it is hereditary or not, or a vitamin thing. Stepped in and culled all, sounds cruel but had to be done in my view.

Ken.

[Craig52]

Agree with VP and Ken, i believe it's a viral brain disease and stress aggravates it.The bird/s need to be culled and not sold on to some other breeder who will experience the same thing with them so be cruel to be kind and buy another strain. Craig.

[thill2]

Thanks for replies.
Still can't understand it. Unrelated parents from two different sources. The parents breed strong for twelve months breeding some 18 young. These fitting birds were part of the last nest of 3 young. Other Tricolours I have from the same sources have had no problems with young and all the previous young of this breeding pair have had no issues. My only thought is they may have been worn out by the last nest they had.
Cheers

[matcho]

Thill,

I think maybe that the "breeding for 12 months " might be the problem. The last clutch has probably scored none of the strong points. I would suggest resting the breeding pair, let them have a break to recoup, get healthy/fat and maybe start again next season.

I would keep the pair together and not split them to other because it may cause some grief down the track if they carry that gene.

If, and when they throw another clutch with the same symptoms I would be inclined to dispose, the only trouble I have is it takes so long for the chicks to display the symptoms normally, but have had new chicks with the same. Pretty simple decision.

Ken.

[finchbreeder]

Two possibilities. One is a lack of something due, as others have said, to being late chicks after a heavy breading season. Or an unfortunate piece of bad luck in that you inadvertantly purchased and paired 2 birds with a recessive defective gene. I would be more inclined to the first, but cannot completely rule out the second. Follow the rest and recover suggestion and hope that it proves to be the first. Good luck.
LML