I have one female Gouldian who is severely balded, in a flock of healthy, well-feathered and well-fed birds. What might this be about?
She is a split blue I purchased last year. I often find that I have some kind of low grade problem with these - reduced vitality in one way or another. I am still puzzled, though, why just one bird ends up looking such a mess. She has also had a sore eye for a couple of days - a bit swollen and itchy. I don't know whether she got pecked near the eye, or what else is going on. The flock doesn't have mites and is treated preventatively for such things.
She also did not breed this year, and it's not obvious whether she has a partner. I assume she must have one in order to have all those feathers plucked out, but I have never seen him interacting with her. She's a quiet bird who sits around on her own most of the time.
What do you make of it?
Ta
