Aussie Finch Forum

My O/B female was not looking well today. Her mate is still dithering around with 4 nests in various stages of completion, but I've seen her in one of them a bit over the last few days and staying in sometimes for a while so thought things were looking a bit more promising as far as babies go. Today however she was a bit fluffed up and breathing faster than normal but she then went into the nest. As it was warm hoped she might sort herself out in a warm nest rather than stressing her out by catching her. Had to go out and when I got home this afternoon she was out of the nest, quite active, preening, even flying, but her respirations were so fast her whole chest wall was quivering, also her tail. Was too late to catch her as they were all about to roost so have had to leave her and hope that at least she goes into the nest. Any ideas anyone? Have seen lots of native birds with pneumonia with rapid resps, and know that pain can do the same thing (eg being eggbound) but this was totally different. Normally you'd expect to see her gasping also and she wasn't. Not sure what do do or what the problem is.

PS The trouble with living in WA is by the time we get to go on the computer to ask for advice the rest of Australia has gone to bed.

id just have a look at her tomorrow and see how shes going. watch her for a while, maybe an hour or so if you can, and assess where to go from there. if shes still really active then i wouldnt be too worried, but if shes sitting im one spot the whole time with her head under a wing then bring her inside into a warm box for some TLC.
hope this helps somewhat, more of a "what id do in your situation" than anything else...

Thanks Spanna will only have time to watch her for 10 mins. before work. But one of the strange things was she was only a bit fluffed up and while not that active wasn't just sitting still with that really sick bird look and still had the energy to preen. Will just have to wait till the morning now.

I remember some years back I had an OB hen that did this. She was egg bound and managed to finally pass the egg but her rapid breathing continued until she finally passed. I would catch her up and put her in a warm box with some polyaid or spark to give her a chance to recover. It coud be egg bound issues a persistent male exhausting her since he has numerous nests! When she seems to have recovered the male will be all the happier to see her again when she goes back to the aviary. Hope she recovers!

Took your advice Spanner and Kimberly Breeder and caught her up and put her in a hospital box. She's eaten her weight in food since I put her in and has got some Spark as well. Had a listen when I caught her and she's got very audible clicks at the most amazing rate. Are they prone to airsac mites? Otherwise think I'd have to be looking at pneumonia with a possibility of eggbound as well, although still not fluffed up. What do you all think?

How is your hen going???

Thanks kimberly breeder. Still have her in the hot box, she looks good this afternoon... sleek, active,alert, eating really well, but still with the incredibly rapid respirations. Think I can rule out eggbound and/or pneumonia, what do you think?

Certainly may be something respiratory....I would try an air sac mite treatment. Hope she recovers. Is her mate singing out for her?

We have two of our new gouldians with similar symptoms. put them in the hospital cage, have been there two days now. They are less fluffe ed up and a little more active but still rapid breathing and one of them has that clicking sound. We think it may be air sac mites so waiting to get medicine on thurs. as it turns out one of the two also popped an egg out this morning! I guess the hospital cage helped! They are only juveniles so was surprised by that.