Puzzling behavior in Pied Zebra Finch

[SandyinLargoFL]

Yesterday, we pulled all the nests out of the cage since the societies had been sitting on eggs for almost 3 weeks and nothing hatched. We left the nests out overnight, thinking every one would be okay. Today my pied male, Carl, is sitting on the bottom or a perch, fluffed out and still. We're in Florida, so I doubt that it got too cold last night.

Now, I have to admit that Thursday we went with a friend to a feed store up above Hudson and brought back a darling little gray female (Clarise) to mate with our gray male (Chip). She's in the hospital cage here in the house. Yesterday, we took her out on the porch with us, thinking that she would appreciate seeing the other finches. So now, is Carl sick, lovesick, wanting his nest box back, what?? If you need a photo or two, let me know and I'll snap some.

[cindy]

Hard to say if he is ill, if he is on the bottom fluffed up, is he tucking his head, is he eating, drinking, acting normal today?

[SandyinLargoFL]

Okay, We've seen him taking a drink from the bathing bowl. When I put the hard-boiled egg in the cage, he did get some. The thing is, he is normally the one who is first to the egg. He's not doing anything with his normal enthusiasm. I did see him get a little bit of seed. He's just sitting low, fluffed out, he's not got his beak tucked under a wing all the time, just the occasional time. Were we wrong to take all the nests out of the cage?? I've hosed them off, and popped them in a 225 deg oven for 55 min. Should I give them the nests back?

[cindy]

It has been really warm here, you can wash the nests down and set them in the sun to dry. I would put him in a hospital cage with a heat lamp, monitor his droppings. I would not offer any veggies at this time.

[SandyinLargoFL]

We finally put the nests back in the cage late this afternoon. Unfortunately my only hospital cage is in use at the moment. I'll let y'all know how he's doing in the morning.

[ac12]

The problem is if he is ill and goes into the nest, you cannot observe him, so he could be getting worse, and you would not know it.

I would keep the nest out.
Put a heat lamp next to the cage, so he can get warmth if he wants it, and run it 24x7.

[MiaCarter]

Agreed with the other comments.

Except I might give the nest back if he's the type who stays on the cage bottom when ill. (Most of guys don't go into the nests when they're unwell, so there are no monitoring issues.)

I wonder if perhaps the change stressed him and that stress was just enough to open the door to an opportunistic illness.

[SandyinLargoFL]

My DH's description was that he was throwing a temper tantrum! The next morning he was back stuffing his face as if nothing ad ever been wrong. Since then, he acts like nothing was ever wrong wit him.

[MiaCarter]

SandyinLargoFL -- Huh. It sounds like temper tantrum is an apt description!

At least he's back to normal! That's all that matters!!

[SandyinLargoFL]

You got that right