New Gouldian all of a sudden died.

Is your finch sick or not well? Find out why.
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chad27579
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Ok so im new to finches and i just bought my first couple 2 days ago bought a black headed female Gouldian and a red headed male Gouldian from a breeder in a finch society.
Both have been in a cage for the last 2 days flying around.
This evening the female was flying around then within 15 mins of last seeing it, She was standing on the ground not moving. breathing fast and claws grasped on the bottom.
Allowed me to pick her up and everything. i held her in my hand then she took a big breath and died.
What could be possible causes.
For the last 2 days she has been fine until this evening.
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cranberry
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Enough to make you give them up for good isn't it? I have gone through this same scenario in the last 12 months on a number of occasions. I've already lost 3 suddenly in the last month. Luckily the parents of my 1 and only clutch are still in good health. Touch wood!

I don't have the answer to your dilemma. I have been told to keep them away from draughts which I have done but they still drop dead on me. I dread going to the aviary each morning as I fear I will see one dead on the floor. I think there is still a lot of dodgy genes going around with Gouldians. Soft genes that make them prone to dropping off the perch with any slight change in their environment. You would think with all the breeding going on that someone would develop a "super strain" of Gouldian that can withstand harsher environments. i.e. breed outdoors only and only breed from birds that were bred and successfully raised outdoors without any heating. Maybe breed for better/thicker feather just like show budgies. It's about time we toughened this bird up a bit. It seems we are only interested in colour these days, not form or type. I have a beautiful black head cockbird that is bigger than any cockbird I have seen. Suffice to say he is the father of my one and only clutch. He is definitely going to form the basis of my future stock, that is if I can keep him alive.

They are beautiful birds but in my opinion very soft.
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chad27579
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Well she wasnt exposed to any weather as they have been inside.
i rang the breeder up and he said that they are very sensitive birds. they can get spooked by the slightest movement and even the possiblity of being in exposed to too long of light. eg. daytime then a simple lamp in the lounge room.
God i hope the male RH WB doesnt go next. LET US PRAY. lol
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gouldian4
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jeez mate sorry to hear about your loss. when i first started out with the gouldians i lost a few but i found that you learn from this and the ones that do survive are a stronger bird. i know how it feels to get a brand new pair and have the excitement that perhaps they will breed for you. do you know if you may have rightened her causing her to go into a bit of a flight frenzy causing her to knock her head. had a hen die of this once. when its getting dark dont go out and see your birds the slightest thing can set them into panicked frenzies
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chad27579
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Gday Gouldian,
Im not entirely sure what has happened. i was on my way home from work when my partner told me this stuff over the phone.She told me it was flying quite happily one moment then not. The parts i do know is when i held it in my hand and it took one big breath and............... croke. Possible that it did get a fright from something or someone moving.

Went to a market today and spoke to a guy selling finches there.
He seemed very Anti Gouldin. Calling them the "heart break finch" and the "wallet breaking finch" Told me at this time of the year its a bad time to purchase them.
So i got a few zebra pairs instead.
Will see how these ones go and how the RH WB Gouldie male goes.
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jusdeb
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sounds like you did all the right things , they aren't necessarily a delicate bird for crying out loud they live in some tough terrain in the wild however they don't like draughts .
One would wonder why it took 15 minutes to go from healthy to dead though. Ive lost birds for no good reason at all they just drop dead and unless your into dissecting the bird after death then who would know why they die , they do have a different heart than us I think from memory its a flow through heart and if they get a shock the outtie valve stops working and blood builds up in the heart causing death and this is why I believe we lose a lot of birds when first getting them home ...they just cant cope with the stress of moving...
anyhoo dont lose faith these things happen sadly ....
Accept that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue.
David Brent
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jusdeb
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just a quick add on if you replace the dead bird do so with one that has the same colored head as the surviving bird ....head colour in goulds is a big factor in breeding successfully. :?: please start another thread if you want more details on why coz frankly the whole genetics thing gives my brain a pain but it is fascinating and important if you want to breed the little primadonnas :D
Accept that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue.
David Brent
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finchbreeder
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It happens, sorry to hear though. If inside in daylight, apart from a draught or a fright I can't offer any other suggestions.
Yes Gouldians can be heart breaking, so can most other finches. Have I lost birds and money, yes. Has it put me off, no. You love them and won't give up or you don;t. Learning with the cheaper birds and working your way up is a good idea.
LML
LML
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BENSONSAN
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May be wrong but sounds like a broken neck by hitting itself or getting head stuckin cage side and shaking out. Have had it happento a double bar in a quarintine cage before. Weird tho goulds are much bigger bird.

Anyway just a hunch. Did u worm them? Seen birds die after worming also due to compacted stomach. weird tho it would be so fast.

Ben
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BENSONSAN
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Also quarintine and use moxidectin and baycox or other proper medications up on purchase i believe this saves u many weird hassles. Not hearing much about quarintine or precautionary basics here. I believe its kept my deaths to a huge minimum.

take the the time to order some from auspigeonco or dr rob marshall llike the other guys here that have shown me the light and i believe it makes life easier. Also less stress..i no i sleep better knowing ive taken action.

ben

Ben
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