Aussie Finch Forum

just found my ruddy cock from E Orix dead headless on the cage floor.
I can't think how, as the cage is covered on 3 sides and the front has a top-to-bottom strip of plastic pegged down (due to cold weather yesterday and last night.)
also no disturbances last night (I sleep in the room next to the cages, so can easily hear anything that happens.)

What else is in the cage? This is a strange one.
LML

just a male painted... no sign of head of ruddy. painted is a bit shocked I think, hopping up and down the branches, looking in the nestbox and peeping rather pathetically.

Could it be a rat???

don't think so, no other birds harmed and a ruddy's head would have made a lot less of a meal than a nice painted's body .
also there were no loose feathers, just a little body with no head.

very sorry to hear that jay.

bodies that have been attacked after death can often be from vermin that sneak through at night to feed on seed... if there's a chance of that (which unfortunately, no matter how much mouse proofing you do, there is always a small chance) i'd suggest buying a "crab pot" style mouse trap (http://www.lentradirect.com.au/contents/en-us/d15.html) or similar and putting a mix of some peanut butter, oats, honey and seed at the bottom (off to one side of the entrance) and seeing if anything turns up. can take a view nights, but leave it close to the seed and any mouse should try and check it out.
best thing about this style is it's 100% safe to birds, and doesnt kill the animal straight away in case you get something native that you can relocate instead. only problem is disposing of the mouse once caught... my cat helps me out in that area...

Thanks Spanna
actually, that could be right, just remembered that the ruddy always used to sleep in the food dish...

Any mouse or rat poo in the aviary Jayburd.........sounds to me like you have an unwanted guest......check in & around the seed dish especially.

A word of warning with those otherwise wonderful "craypot" traps. I had an inquisitive star hen go head first in to see what she could see. And get jammed and die. Best Put just outside the avairy/cage. For disposal of mice a Jack Russel dog or cat is useful.
LML