Male Zebra Finch Missing Feathers

[Cased]

I just noticed something startling today. I have two zebra finches that are raising a clutch currently. I've had them about a month. Today I noticed the male is missing a lot of feather from around his legs and backside. He doesn't seem to be suffering otherwise and is actively participating in raising the chicks. No other birds seem to be suffering any feather loss. One thing that is confusing is I don't know where the feathers are that he lost. I do all the care and no feathers are in or around the cage. I would greatly appreciate help and I'm hoping there is a simple cure because I can't really afford vet care.

[Raleighwheels]

Check the inside of the nest if you can. When I bred my zebras earlier, I noticed the male plucking a bit. I saw that he was trying to replace some of the soiled nesting material. Perhaps you could try giving him some fresh material? Just don't put in too much.

[Cased]

I can't check the nest because there are too many chicks in it, but I put some pieces of torn tissue in the cage just in case and left. When I came back, all the tissue was stuffed in the nest. I hope that is all it was, but how much nesting material should I put in the cage each day to satisfy the parents needs to repair the nest yet keep them from burying the chicks alive?

[ac12]

I don't add any nesting material to the cage after, for just that reason, I don't want them burying the chicks, or triggering them to mate and start another clutch.

Worse case was when I had to remove one of birds, as the male would pluck the hen for feathers.
- First time I removed the hen, because her back was plucked naked and her rump was partially plucked bare. He took care of the nestlings and fledged them, but he started to pluck the chicks soon after they fledged. So I had to swap the birds and bring mom back to take care of her chicks.
- Second time, with a different hen, I removed HIM soon after the chicks fledged. I caught him plucking the hen and did not want him to pluck her naked as he did his prior mate.

In his case, I do not know if my giving him feathers for his nest might have given him the idea to get more feathers by plucking his mate.

In your case it could be the hen that is plucking the male for feathers for the nest.

[Cased]

What are the health implications of plucked feathers? Feathers grow back right? So what if I just let things go until the chicks are reared, then take out the nest and keep the parents from breeding again until the feathers grow back?

Also I'm curious, why would they be plucking from the rear side instead of a seemingly more accessable spot like the back? The rump feathers are softer?

[ac12]

I think 2 problems
#1, feathers help with body temperature regulation.
If it is cold, there is nothing to hold in the heat.

#2, if the bird is repeatedly plucked in the same place, the feather folicles will die. Just like if your hair is repeatedly pulled out, the hair folicle will die. I have such a bird, the feathers on the back of his neck have not regrown in over a year.
#2 makes #1 worse

I have no idea why they pluck feathers where they pluck it.
I have had birds plucked;
- back of head (this was one of the fosters trying to get the nestling to fledge, then the fledgling to stay out of the nest)
- back of neck
- back
- rump (in the case of one of my hens, the male started plucking the rump because he had plucked ALL the feathers off her back )
- flank (below the wing)

[rsrj317]

I now have 5 pair of zebras. One of the white males has noticible missing feathers from the back of neck. I got him and another male just the other day, maybe 5 days ago, to make up the 4th and 5th pair. Feathers were slightly missing then now worse. All but one of the nests have eggs. I don't know if he and the remaiming female are interested in one another. He just kind stays by himself or is chased away from others. Don't know what to do either.

I have pics but for some reason they won't post