sick finches

15 Mar 2009, 16:27

hi. i'm new to aussie finch forum. i was wondering if anyone can help me out. my finches have started dying. it started with my red faced parrot finches and i've just lost a gouldian and my european gold finches look like they could be next. they seem to fluff up and sleep all the time and are very lethargic. i'm sort of just starting out with my birds. they are my hobby. not into breeding or anything so i don't know a lot about them. if anyone can please help me. i love my birds and it's heart breaking to watch them die

15 Mar 2009, 16:53

Hi Birdlove and welcome to AFF. Sorry to hear of your losses and it is hard to determind there problem as tere are many things that could be wrong. Need to know where there housed and type, what there diet is and they need fresh water every day, do they get a draft on them.

15 Mar 2009, 18:42

if you can help us by answering the things Greg mentioned then I am sure someone will be able to give you some advice.
has anything been sprayed near the birds cage/aviary recently.
one of the first things to do for sick finches is to provide them with a heat source such as a heat lamp and to make sure that they can get away from any draft that could enter their home

15 Mar 2009, 18:54

page0044 wrote:Hi Birdlove and welcome to AFF. Sorry to hear of your losses and it is hard to determind there problem as tere are many things that could be wrong. Need to know where there housed and type, what there diet is and they need fresh water every day, do they get a draft on them.

Gday Birdlove.

Also how long have you had them?Where do you live?where did you get them from?Has there been a sudden change in weather?Have they been treated for worms and coccidia?

If you can answer these questions we have asked we may be able to help more.Will be watching for your response.

15 Mar 2009, 21:34

could be megabacteria.unfortunatly most things go through finches rather quick, all it takes is one sick bird and its every where.this is not a cure but try 10ml of apple cider viniger in 1litre of water and give to the birds when you buy them for a day or two, or once a fortnight when in the aviery. it raises the ph in there gut and the bugs dont survive. but after all that have you wormed your birds lately or baited mice recently...pete

17 Mar 2009, 12:40

Hi. Thanks to everyone for their answers. I live in North Queensland and it is still pretty warm here. I have a mixed aviary as i like many (all) birds. My birds are given fresh feed and water daily as well as fresh fruit and veg and i make my own egg and biscuit mix. Thankfully no more birds have died and the ones that were looking unwell are now looking a little better. Again, thank you to everyone that answered

17 Mar 2009, 12:54

I am glad to here that they are on the mend, it is hard to tell what is wrong with them sometime.

18 Mar 2009, 07:35

Glad to hear your finches have settled - if you have had a lot of wet weather / high humidity you could consider dosing for coccidiosis. I use Coccivet from Vetafarm and have had good results with it - it also appears not to bother the fit looking birds in the aviary at the same time.
I also sometimes use a product called KD powder ( a water cleanser ) from a vet in Sydney ( mailorder ) at the first signs of illness - it is meant to help protect the rest of the flock.

18 Mar 2009, 07:51

Suerus wrote:Glad to hear your finches have settled - if you have had a lot of wet weather / high humidity you could consider dosing for coccidiosis. I use Coccivet from Vetafarm and have had good results with it - it also appears not to bother the fit looking birds in the aviary at the same time.
I also sometimes use a product called KD powder ( a water cleanser ) from a vet in Sydney ( mailorder ) at the first signs of illness - it is meant to help protect the rest of the flock.

Suerus
Have you got anymore info on KD powder?

19 Mar 2009, 11:09

Gomer - I get it from a vet in Carlingford - Dr Rob Marshall - through mailorder. He has a website : www.birdhealth.com.au
I used a lot of his products when I had more Gouldians but not so much now that I have more of an assortment and only one Gouldian pair. I had a quick look in the products section and cant see KD powder anymore - it is possibly in the clients only section. It is a simple procedure to become a registered client however and this allows you to purchase other medications etc as required. There is also quite a bit of useful info on the site.
Sue