Auto Waterers Problems

29 May 2012, 20:57

This is the one I was using http://www.petco.com/product/110029/Cle ... terer.aspx

30 May 2012, 10:08

Recently I aquired 2 pair of Gouldians put each pair in a triple breeding cage.
The water was supplied via those plastic drinkers where only the little section for drinking is in the cage.
The following morning one pair was fine but the other were in poor shape.
I thought maybe they hadn't settled so I put some spark in a small bowl of water. The birds virtually were at the bowl before
it was placed into position,they drank and drank.They just didn't know that the water was in a drinker not a bowl they most likely had.
Obviously Gouldians may need watching ,infact all birds I guess should be watched when it comes to putting them in strange surroundings.
By the way they all now drink out of the wire hung drinkers now.

30 May 2012, 12:49

I had no warning that something was wrong until I found him dead. He was flirting with the girls, not fluffed or anything. I went to bed at 8pm he was fine, found him dead at 5am. If I had realised of course I would of put in a dish

31 May 2012, 10:14

Regretfully we all have at least one case of live and learn from our mistakes that we can confess to.

Sometimes it seems so obvious in hindsight, but wasn't at the time. As long as we never make the same mistake twice we have to learn to forgive ourselves and move on. While a post like this helps others to avoid the same mistake.
LML

31 May 2012, 13:01

Yes that's why I made the post, I wanted other's to learn from my mistake while also trying to find out if I am the only person this silly.

12 Jun 2012, 11:17

my new boy died 10mins ago, was fine this morning between 5a, and 8am I was in the room with the finches and he was eating, yesterday afternoon he was doing his dance. I got home at 10am and he was fluffed up on top of the nesting box the girl was tweeting to him and would hop down to him.
Complete mystery, second boy from the same breeder to die, thought the first was due to the type of waterer I had in the cage so changed to a open dish, he had recently been wormed and treated for air sac mites and had his coccivet treatment. Diet of egg and biscuit, finch seed mix, grit, cuttle fish. egg food with broccoli and carrot in it.
Girls are from a different breeder are 5yrs old and doing great. He was 1, I wonder if he was in poor health and that is why the girls weren't interested in him no matter how much he danced.
Girls are now in my small quarantine cage, and I am off to scrub the cage and perches etc and leave them in the sun for a few hours.
I haven't told Mr 7 yet (home sick from school) as I dread the tears.

So maybe it wasn't the waterer before, but a issue with his clutch and the stress of a new environment weakened him and his brother so they succumbed to it. Will never know I guess.

13 Jun 2012, 11:28

Sorry to hear this. But at least the girls are fine.
LML

13 Jun 2012, 18:21

Thats a shame, at least it means you shouldn't be feeling guilty.

18 Jun 2012, 00:57

I really don't believe your first bird died from lack of water. You said it did not access water for just over a day. Unless they are very stressed, finches will survive for at least a few days without any water. Not recommended, but it can happen. Finches definitely won't survive long without food.

24 Jul 2012, 07:28

Yes I no longer believe it was a lack of water. I think the breeder I got both boys from may have had a bacteria going through her aviary, it has a dirt floor and she has a mixed aviary set up with red faced parrot finches, gouldians and another breed I can't remember, she feeds them vetafarm egg and biscuit and meal worms, so diet wasn't great. She was very good with her worming and mite preventative treatments but lacking in other areas. I will not being getting birds from her again.
Someone on here has pm'ed me details of a gouldian breeder they trust that lives locally so I will be contacting them to buy some birds.