FINCHforum

Has anyone every heard of their Gouldian twitching when they sleep?
I've had this female Silver Gouldian for over a year. (Banded 2009) She is in perfect health. She is a bit smaller then all my other Goulds, but I hear that mutations, especially the blues and silver, can be a bit smaller.

Sometimes I just stare at the cage for long hours, some people call me nuts. But when she sleeps, she will twitch (her whole body) every few seconds. Is this a nerve disorder?

I've never bred her because I'm to scared to? or should I?

WAYNE! Great to see you posting on here now! Just want to stop in and say Hi and Welcome! It's about time.

Your birds look great and I'm kinda partial to the blue boy in your pic - looking pretty darn good!

I have no idea re the twitching but I'm sure others will offer possible ideas.

Getting better at the forum.

I wonder, could it be that she is in rem sleep, and that our birds dream just like every other species

That is a happy thought to try to expain it, and I like that answer. If nothing explains it better. I'll accept that.
But none of my other birds twitch when sleeping. I can't explain the twitch, it's like she has a sleeping terrets?

It seems I had a gouldian female that did this too but I can't recall for sure. Wish I could remember to help you out.

My husband has a sleep disorder and jerks all night. It has been said to be likely nuerological, but not harmful and they told me it was a problem more for me than my husband.
Maybe your bird just has one such problem. Unless you see any such behavior when the bird is awake, I would say don't worry about it.

I like that answer Meagan

Check out the link, I had the same question about one of my females and found this.

http://pets.dir.groups.yahoo.com/group/ ... message/98

Wayne, your birds are very pretty, I love the male. I do not have an explanation for the twitching besides dreaming.. but I did have a society with a head twitch problem. It may just be like ticks or turrets, nothing genetical I could think of so I am sure she would have normal chicks. And yes, silver and blues tend to be smaller when both parents are blue or silver and not splits, but sh eis still pretty!

Wayne, one of my Gouldians twitches too, and I never thought twice about it

I'm a sleep twitcher myself, and Dr's said it's nothing to worry about I applied the same to my birds.

Where my Gouldian is concerned however...they sleep all clustered together on one branch (even though there are sooooo many to choose from) and there are very frequent incidents of "night frights" in the cage even though I've tried everything possible lighting wise to prevent that. So I suspect the Gouldian that twitches in his sleep startles the one next to him and it's like a chain reaction!

But asides from that...I say twitching is nothing to worry about.
Beautiful birds btw!

What lovely birds!

Good informational thread but note the first post was made back in 2010 and I believe Wayne no longer has any finches.

L in Ontario wrote:Good informational thread but note the first post was made back in 2010 and I believe Wayne no longer has any finches.

Thanks for pointing out Liz...I didn't look at the dates, but will from now on!