Why Nesting Birds Drop Dead

[GregH]

I've had a few birds drop dead while incubating and I'm wondering if anyone nows why. Last night I lost an incubating female double bar. In four cases this year they were hens and one was a cock star. A cut-throat and Gouldian died on the nest and the double-bar and zeb were just dead on the ground when they should have been on the nest. The star had almost fledged young which the hen continued to feed. We did have a thunderstorm last night but I can't believe that it would cause the bird to hop off the nest and drop dead. I'll take it to the university for a necroscopy now but I doubt they'll find anything - they never do. Any thoughts?

[Page0044]

Hi Greg, sorry to hear the bad news, i have had the same happen to me and don't have any answers to help you with, i wouldn't think the storm would have any think to do with it. If you get any answers from the uni lets us know.

[gomer]

The only thing I can think off could be stress.Posibly from disease or bacteria infection.If the weather has been fine and they are in good condition without worms.
Will be interesting to find out how you go.Hope things improve for you first the snake know this.

Gomer

[GregH]

I took the bird to the Uni today but their avian vet is away until monday soit's gone into the freezer until then. Unfortunately I'm in India all next week so I hope nothing else happens until then if it hasn't alread (I came home in the dark).

The only other thing I can think of is that it's damned hot at the moment and the birds are are on this Austerity diet until Monday. I wormed the birds about a month ago and so I doub't that's the problem but maybe I should rotate my wormer to be sure I haven't bred resitance. I still can't believe my bad luck when I write down all the deaths (not counting snakes).

[gomer]

Unfortunantly thats finch breeding.You can go months without loosing a bird.Then have a bad run and loose a few.The more you have the more you can loose.