GS male plucking himself

[metinemre]

New problem

A week after we moved the baby to a separate cage male started plucking is neck. It didn`t look that serious for a few days almost looked like preening. Last night nothing, today in the morning probably few hrs after they woke up my wife noticed a big portion of feathers gone.

We had few toys that he could pick on but it ended up, him trying to build nest in water cup so we took out the toys. Then i guess he continued trying to build a nest with his feathers or plucked himself of stress?

We put all the toys back. Also we put nest and a lot of nesting material today in the afternoon. It took him few hrs to remake a nest and looks they will try breeding again.

Do birds always need two clutches and if you don`t let them this stress and plucking happens?

What do you suggest for helping him getting his neck feathers back?

Do green singers stop after 2nd clutch?

We don`t want them to have more babies for sure. Should i put some white fake eggs/stones in the nest to fool the female? I need a game plan.

Thanks for replies.

[Sally]

Sometimes it is hard to get them stopped. In the wild, birds will lay more than one clutch, because so few of their babies make it to adulthood and babies of their own, so their instincts tell them to raise more babies. Some breeders use fake eggs to slow them down, others just pull all the nests and nesting material, cut the rich food like eggfood, shorten the time the lights are on--all in an effort to break that breeding cycle. Your male is plucking hmself to get nesting material most likely.

Eggfood helps them grow new feathers, but you don't want to give him a lot of eggfood right now, because the increased protein also triggers the breeding instinct.

[metinemre]

Update: Found most of the feathers on the ground on carpet. Few in water cup.

I guess we`ll let them lay a clutch and get rid of the eggs once it`s laid. I know it sounds horrible and brutal maybe but there is no way we can house more babies

[debbie276]

There is nothing wrong with throwing eggs out if you don't want more chicks. Sometimes it's just better to let the natural cycle continue for the health of the birds rather then try and stop it.
good luck

[metinemre]

Can male be molting or illness?

We have everything in the cage now. Toys, nest 3 different type of nesting material. He doesn`t look unhappy but he lost more feathers this morning from his sides where wings connected to sides.

[finchmix22]

He may have been stressed as GS have a strong desire to be with a mate and breed. They don't do as well without breeding for some reason. Other finches can be fine without breeding, but GS seem to need to find a mate and breed. I'd give him some time to destress and settle back into the routine. If you continue to see feather loss, you could add a supplement like Feather Fast or Thrive for the stress.

[metinemre]

He may have been stressed as GS have a strong desire to be with a mate and breed. They don't do as well without breeding for some reason. Other finches can be fine without breeding, but GS seem to need to find a mate and breed. I'd give him some time to destress and settle back into the routine. If you continue to see feather loss, you could add a supplement like Feather Fast or Thrive for the stress.

Ok.

They made the nest ready. I put 4 white marble stones inside that look like eggs. Would that be enough to fool the female or she would still lay eggs?

[metinemre]

finchmix22@debbie276@Sally

Ladies I need help again.

Female started laying eggs two days ago and sadly i`ve been shooing her gently off the nest and replacing eggs wth marble rocks. Probably she`ll lay last egg tomorrow. What happens next? Will i let them sit on fake eggs for a while and then take the nest out after a week or two? Does this effect them aswell? Male stopped plucking himself and looks he started growing feathers again. Would he or she start plucking itself again after we take the nest and material out?
How many times mating is normal for green singers during breeding season?

[Sally]

I haven't had this problem very often, I'm usually trying to get them to breed, but if I had this situation, I would continue to replace the eggs with fake ones till she is finished laying. Then, I'd let her incubate the fakes for as long as she will stay with it. As long as she thinks she's incubating, she won't start another clutch, and this buys you some time. Once she abandons the fakes, you'll have to decide how to continue. Sometimes, you have to separate a pair to stop them breeding.

And it is not brutal or cruel to take eggs away and replace them with fakes. It is more cruel to let birds breed and then not be able to care for them nor find homes for them.

[debbie276]

I totally agree with all Sally said

[Ginene]

I agree with Sally and Debbie too...I hope your pair settles down for a while. Hopefully they will incubate the marbles for long time. Good luck...hope baby is doing well too!!!

[metinemre]

Baby is so cute and thank god he is healthy. I guess it`s a male because i caught him trying to sing like daddy

How often adult gs molt? I guess our gs are almost 2 years old.

[metinemre]

Gs male plucking himself again, neck is bald back and around the legs and back getting bald. It stopped and got healed after the first time as soon as we put a nest and nesting material in the cage and let them mate.

This is the 2nd time and did the same, put nest and nesting material again. This time they are building the nest but he didn`t stop plucking himself.

[finchmix22]

Is there a nest in the cage? Take out the nest and offer millet and cuttle bone, etc. He may want something to fiddle with, so coco fiber strands may help. I'd only put a small amount stuck through a treat ball that hangs, but without a nest in the cage. Then, he may get his fix of arranging something besides his own feathers. Good Luck.

[metinemre]

We tried it without a nest Actually he restarted plucking right after we took the nest out. He has some toys that he can pick when we take the nest and nesting material out, he tries to build a nest inside the water cup while there is water in it with pieces of his toys and his feathers