FINCHforum

i'm looking for some advice concerning a new society finch that i got today.

i bought a group of 7 societies from a hobbiest breeder. in the group there are 3 siblings...he said they are 3 months old but i think they are younger. i am concerned for the smallest in the group. it looks like a runt and has been severely plucked on its rump and wings. the breeder said it was being picked on.

i separated it from the group (about 4 hours ago when i got home) and put it into a small cage with a 50 watt heat lamp, water with NV powder, egg food, seed, lettuce and millet. now i am concerned as it doesn't seem to be eating much. it has picked at the millet a bit its so small, i am worried that it can't eat on its own. honestly, its like a tiny little fluff ball.

i haven't seen any begging behaviour...but would this baby beg without anyone else present in the cage? is it safer for the baby to be back in the cage with the siblings, or have i done the right thing by separating it? (btw...the parents of the baby are not in the group that i bought...but there is an older male who the breeder said is over one year old). is it possible that its just scared from the move and that's why it isn't eating much?

i have attached photos of the baby. sorry they are so red, its from the heat lamp.

Can you turn off the heat lamp and take another pic? It is very hard to see the finch. I just posted a pic of a new Society fledgling, who looks much like your picture. They are not weaned until one month after fledging, which puts their age for weaning (eating and drinking on their own) at three months old. That finch does look small and much like my Society's when they first fledge. Here is the pic. I would put the older male with the chick, if it is not the one plucking. What them and see if that older one will feed the younger one. Or, call the breeder and ask if this one should go back with the parents for a while.

As you can see in the pic, the beak is pink and the edges/corners of the beak are white, which is to signal the parents to feed the baby. That goes away once they're older and eating on their own. Does yours have the white in the corner of the beak?

Watch out for the NV powder. It is a sugar based solution and will spoil in a few hours, especially w a heat lamp. It is like leaving juice out.

Keep an eye on it. It could just be stressed from the move.

ok i will put the older male in with the baby. i agree with you deborah that it looks like it just fledged. i needed a second opinion!

here are some more photos. hopefully they are better.

2 more photos.

Let us know how it does with just the older Society. The pics make it look about 3 months old, but it still has that young look and may need more help than older ones. Just keep the eggfood, millet and water dishes with the seed for learning and the older finch. The younger one should eat eggfood and millet on it's own. The main criterion before they can be on their own is if you observe them drinking water on their own.

ok thanks i put the older male it with the baby.

and i did see it drink on its own! now i'm not so worried

thanks again for your help deborah!

the baby still has gape markings so he is probably not yet fully weaned. As long ass he drinks and ests a little bit he should be fine. hopefully the male will feed him if he begs

the baby is doing well today. he/she is all happy and flying around

thanks again for all of the help!