FINCHforum

My hen is looking hagard after her second clutch and I was wondering if that's the reason or can it be something else. Her feathers look like they are missing on her back and on her face it appears she has scars. I don't know how else to describe it. It does't look like pin needles when they molt. Otherwise, she seems normal. She eats, drinks and sleeps. She is still sitting on her second clutch. I provide egg food, shell, cuttlebone, food, and millet seed. I also provide a small cup of fruit Zupreem. There is no fighting going on so she isn't being plucked. Could she be starting a molt?Please advise.

Not a great pic but it was with my phone. sorry.

My female Gould after her 2nd clutch looked terrible too, including bald patches on her neck. I too kept feeding her all the good stuff including granual kelp. It's been weeks, but I do think she is starting to look better. I would say keep up the good food & definitely do not let her breed in that condition.

Angie, This could be hormonal. sometimes the estogen will cause balding. After theis clutch remove the nest and when she molts her feathers will come back. Balding can also be caused from an iodine deficiency. I like to use a kelp suppliment or you can get an iodine suppliment to add to the water... careful with overdosing of iodine. read these links... happy learning
http://ladygouldian.com/content/why-my-gouldian-bald

http://www.ladygouldianfinch.com/features_balding.php

http://www.ladygouldianfinch.com/featur ... uldian.php

http://ladygouldian.com/content/rich-ba ... mino-acids

http://www.ladygouldianfinch.com/product_ioford.php

http://finchforum.com/posting.php?mode= ... =4&t=19000

After reading one of the articles it appears that her facial loss is probably due to feeding the babies and the tail ones are probably hormonal. I will let her rest after this clutch so she can recover. She isn't bald or loosing the feathers at a fast rate either. I believe she'll be ok. I will continue to read to see if I need to medicate with supplements to help her out. Thanks all for your help.

I am sure she will be fine... I have a couple of hens doing the same thing... They were here at the store and were seperated from the males... with the males courting from the other cages it just drove them into overdrive... as you know. I never bred them and they started to loose their feathers... I figured it was hormonal and stress from not being allowed to lay a clutch. Some of the hens started dropping fertile eggs on the cage floor...I had a sale and sold many pairs so they could go make beautiful babies for others The ones that didn't sell I either took home and put them in segragated flights or I set them up to breed ... well I have gouldians galore...some more