Gouldians with "ratty tail"

[ac12]

It was asked as part of another thread, but rather than loose the topic I figured I would post this in its own thread.

I have a few gouldians with RATTY looking tails.
Today while watching them I realized how the tail was being abraded and became ratty looking.

They would walk on the cage floor and while doing so would drag their tail on the wire grate. So their nice tail would be abraded against the wire grate and any poop stuck to the grate. But also when they turned or backed up, the tail feathers would be shoved against the wire grate, further damaging the feathers.

This tells me that I need to consider raising the water tubes off the cage floor, so they don't drag their tails on the cage floor when they go to drink.

Interestingly this only happens with 3 of my YBs, the 2 GB and BB seem to have been able to not damage their tail feathers. Maybe they don't spend as much time walking about on the cage floor and stay up on the perches.

[debbie276]

That's strange, I have all my food and water dishes on the aviary floor and I don't have any tails getting ratty because of it.

[ac12]

hmmm
I don't know
But in watching the birds, that is the only thing I could think of that was causing the ratty tail. They don't have perches too close to the side of the cage for that to be a cause. It is being abraded on something.

[debbie276]

In a picture of your cages I saw a while ago I think you use the 1/2 inch or 1/4 inch hardware cloth? If they are grabbing the side of the cage their tails could very easily get frayed. I have a solid bottom and no grate so maybe that's the difference?

[ac12]

The cage the male gouldians are in is a standard 30x18x18 breeder cage.