Face balding diagnosis

Is your finch sick or not well? Find out why.
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gumlu goulds
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Posts: 39
Joined: 07 Feb 2018, 17:23
Location: gumlu qld

Thank you for cornflakes recipe. Going to try that tomorrow morn. I have been giving sprouted seed every day and green seed i pick from creek grass and freeze. Then i give dry seed about 1pm. I find if i leave dry seed in all.time they dont eat other foods. Just dry seed.

I am little upset since i have indroduced 2 more pairs in avairy there seems to be no breeding action was hopeing new birds would be straiht into it. Anything i can do to intice breeding other than good food.

GG
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Rod_L
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Posts: 495
Joined: 05 Mar 2018, 15:30
Location: Mandurah WA

It's unusual that yours ignore greens & soaked seed if they have dry seed all the time. In my experience birds will take green feed, egg mix and green grasses & soaked/ sprouted seed whenever they are offered regardless of if there is dry seed available.

Give the birds time to settle in. The new birds have been chased around an aviary, caught and put into a box or transport cage, driven all over the place in a car, and then put into a new aviary with strange birds. They need time to settle in, meet the original inhabitants, learn about their new home & surroundings, and recover from the stress they just went through.

If your aviary does not have any plants in, try adding some tree branches or live plants. Most native trees and plants are fine but do not use anything that produces a white sap if you break leaves or branches. And avoid commonly known poisonous plants like oleanda and angels trumpet.

Wattles, eucalypts, banksia, bottlebrush, grevillia & sheoaks are all fine for birds.

Make sure there are lots of nests around the aviary. And have a few different types of nests as well as nesting materials. Keep nests under shelter and have them all the same height and well spaced out. If you bought the birds from a breeder, maybe email or phone them and find out what sort of nests they used for the birds.

Feed them well and monitor for any signs of disease, fluffed up, running nose, watery eyes, poop on feathers around their bum, wheezing or gasping after flying about or just sitting there.

If the birds are healthy and in good condition, and free of diseases and parasites, and they are not stressed out over the next month, they should start to show signs of nesting soon. But don't expect it immediately. Would you move house and then start a family on the day you just moved in? :)

I assume they have clean water, mineral grit and cuttlefish all the time. And make sure there are no cats or dogs hanging around the aviary.

You can grow your own green grass seeds in pots and feed them to the birds.
death to all cats & ants
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gumlu goulds
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Posts: 39
Joined: 07 Feb 2018, 17:23
Location: gumlu qld

Your right maby a bit impatient. They are free of diease exept for 1 hen with a bit of face balding but otherwise she is in good.nic. all others.look great very active and nice dark colours.and charcoal beaks. Breeder i got them from uses same nests as me. Just have to wait and see i suppose.
Will make dry seed aval all time from.now on as green seek sprout seed and egg flakes mix
Have cuttle bone and crushed shell grit all time
Thanks for info

GG
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dibakes
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Posts: 17
Joined: 30 Aug 2016, 09:11
Location: adelaide

My females (only) are doing the same thing, going bald o the head, Its now August, and I see Iodine is recommended? How do I get iodine, and how to feed it to them?
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Craig52
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Posts: 4979
Joined: 11 Nov 2011, 19:26
Location: victoria

Iodine is only one hopeful remedy as the condition is thought to be genetic and inherited. You really don't know until they moult out at the end of the year and see if it happens again after feeding an iodine substitute. The best way to supply it is to sprinkle kelp powder on there soft food or sprouted seed and see what happens after they moult out and during the breeding season next year.
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