'Vulture' lookalike (Featherless gouldian)

30 Dec 2009, 14:51

REcently I bought some gouldian finches (hen, cock and five babies-nearly coloured). On the phone the man said that the 'mother' didnt look too good because she was molting. I expected some ruffled feathers. I was quite shocked when I picked them up and she was nearly compeltely bald.

That was about three weeks ago and apart from that (and a recent scare with air sac mites- hopefully on the mend) she seems fine.

Any suggestions as to why this would have happened (Stress from raising five chicks is my only guess?) and how to treat her? anything extra in diet etc.

Ta

30 Dec 2009, 15:35

I had the same problem with one of my hens after she had two clutches, she ended up with only two feathers on the top of her head and completely bare on her neck too.

As you said "vulture like"
After some weeks rest and relaxation on her own

I moved the other hens in with her as they had finished their breeding cycle. Then I started an austerity diet to start off the moult and shortly after that I noticed her feathers started coming back again.

She had access to iodine in a solid bell form and in powder form but I cant say I ever saw her take any.

It has taken a few months to feather up completely, I know she was bald in July as I separated her a week after her second clutch fledged. So about 4 months to re-feather.

31 Dec 2009, 07:11

According to mike fidler this is stress induced with the moult however it is also genetic. The same reason some men go bald.

31 Dec 2009, 08:47

Lukec wrote:According to mike fidler this is stress induced with the moult however it is also genetic. The same reason some men go bald.

Just trying to float a discussion/ideas here ;)

I cant see why it would be stress induced with a moult, she wasnt due for the moult, my hen started losing her head feathers while she was in full breeding condition, full black beak and incubating eggs. The only stress would have been earlier when the Zebras (sorry to those who have and love them ;) )were hogging the aviary. Would an upcoming moult have affected her this early? Also, when she was put on the austerity diet and started a true moult she fully regained her head feathers. Any thoughts on diet induced feather loss?

Yes Im concerned about it being genetic. She was one of two RH head hens I had along with a RH male but she chose a BH male to pair with, the other RH hen chose a YH. In thinking back it may have been that the male RH was a bit young. I wasnt aware of the head colour debate then, I know better now.
I would like to pair her with that RH male but with this genetic thing Im wondering if I should just not bother.

31 Dec 2009, 09:39

i have only had some hens lose some head feathers, more so patches at the back of the head. and they seemed to be hens that were in breeding mode, could it possibly be hormones that causes the feather loss???

any one else think this could be the case??

Jarryd

31 Dec 2009, 13:29

I have had a number is discussions about this problem with Mike Fidler and he does think it is from the breeding line or some other thing lost to my memory.
My own opinion is it turns up in the breeding season to a couple of my hens.The feather loss starts at the nape of the kneck and proceeds to have a loss of head feathers. Similar to the problem of Green Strawberries but theirs is on both sexes where mine is hens only.The theory on Green Strawberries was over preening by it's mate or others.
Without actual data I feel it is the better breeding hens that this happens to. With constant head movement in the nest box I think that it could be caused by simple ware and tear from the nesting material nesting box lid or bit of each. All my Gouldian hens have full heads of feathers so I will watch with interest.
That is provided they come into breeding condition as they are very very late this season.
I normally put the boxes in 1st or 2nd week of January. At this stage not one hens beak is turning black so they are still not ready as far as I am concerned.So they may be a week or so later.
Has anyone else found this with their Gouldians.

31 Dec 2009, 20:24

I too have one of these vulturistic gouldian hens ....the male and female both started moult at the same time , he has finished and looks great but she is fugly as sin but apart from losing her good looks shes still acting the same .
She has been in the nest a lot even in the heat wave we had earlier in the year this may have caused stress however these are birds from the hottest part of the country so it seems to me that she should be able to cope , Ive thought about a tonic of some sort but wouldnt know what would help.

01 Jan 2010, 08:01

jusdeb wrote:Ive thought about a tonic of some sort but wouldnt know what would help.

Well with my hen......
R and R on her own for two weeks didnt do anything
Iodine in powder and solid bell form didnt do anything
Only after the austerity diet did things change for the better

01 Jan 2010, 10:11

i claim full ignorance but what is the austerity diet?

01 Jan 2010, 10:59

My austerity diet was white millet and panorama millet, no other "richer seeds". It is supposed to calm down the hormones in the birds and give their system a rest.
These links will explain this far better than I can.

http://www.fabulousfinch.com/breeding-g ... inches.htm

http://www.savethegouldian.org/articles ... ticle.html