FINCHforum

I have a neighbor who is giving me 2 Zebra Finches...male...she says that both are about 6-7 years old...one has a "balding" head...don't know what they look like. I know I need to quarantine them, not a problem. My question is - until I know these birds, if I put them in a divided breeder cage with the divider in - do you think that they will be ok? I want to see if one is picking on the other...but I don't necessarily want them to be separated if they have been together for a long time.

I don't know what the accomodations that they have had (cage size) so I'm hoping that once I get them, I can make sure that they have it a little better than they did. I have a feeling that they are ignored for the most part.

Sounds like the birds are lucky to be getting you. If they are that old it could be bald due to age or diet and not feather plucking.
I think it would be okay to keep them together and watch them closely for feather plucking.
Lucky birds to have you now.

Glad to hear you will be quarantining those new Zebs from your other birds. Donna is right it could be due to age, etc. You'll know soon enough if one is plucking the other.

Didn't think about the diet...was thinking that since one was balding and the other not, it *had* to be plucking...and I'm sure that they are coming from a smoking environment -

Thanks for the comments!

From what you have said it sounds like they have not come from a very good enviroment so I would imagine they haven't gone to alot of trouble in their diet needs either. I am sure once you get them on a varied diet that the feathers will grow out. If the feathers are missing only on the head I would suspect it to be a lack of something in their diet instead of feather plucking. Time will tell.

Just got the birds tonight...wow.

Outdated food..to small of a cage..

Just put them in a bigger cage - they don't know what to do with the room! Drop of scatt on them for preventative measure...I DON'T like the looks of the bald headed dude...he's bald and then down the middle of his back he's featherless...I am very sure that he is being plucked by his cage mate...but I've got my eye on them. I'm anxious to see how they do tomorrow when they can "see" where they are and start to get used to the new digs...

A larger cage and a much improved diet (including eggfood) will do wonders for them!

there is one sure fire way to get them to leave each other alone, guaranteed to stop any feather plucking and fighting
..................
just add two females and a couple of nests

Just want to get thru my canaries breeding before I even THINK about letting some Zeb's breed...



Mike