Ill Green Singer Female

[Rispa]

Last part of my eventful morning was finding my female Green Singer on the floor of her cage puffed up. She lives with an Orange Weaver female and I do not own males of either species. She was fine yesterday and seemed fine last night. I'm going to disinfect a small cage and set her up with a heating pad. The bulb of my extra heat lamp went out, so hopefully the heating pad will be nice. I'm also going to move her into a different room. When I put my hand in the cage she did try to get away, but she was slower and couldn't fly well. Based on this do you guys have any idea about what's wrong? I'll post with more symptoms if I notice any.

[Sally]

I always suspect eggbinding first when it is a hen, though of course there are many other things that can be wrong. Even when there are no males present, some hens will still want to lay eggs. Do you have any liquid calcium? A drop directly in the beak along with heat, humidity, and quiet will usually help if it is eggbinding. Please keep us posted on her condition.

[finchmix22]

How old is she? Hens still lay eggs without males and can become eggbound is there is not enough calcium or it is a young hen. I'd make sure she is not trying to lay an egg. If she may be eggbound, use humidity, heat and calcium, one drop the the beak, and eggfood, cuttlebone etc. available. Keep us posted.

[L in Ontario]

I agree with both Sally and Deborah and would suspect eggbinding (even without any male present). A drop of liquid calcium in her beak asap, heatlamp, humidity (hot, wet (but not dripping) towel around the cage (not touching the heatlamp)), eggfood, milletspray on the floor of the cage and quiet should pull her through. Good luck!!

[Rispa]

While most of the time this means egg binding, I'm pretty sure that's not the case. When I went to take care of her she had her head tucked in her back and I saw an injury on the back of her neck. While the two birds got along well for a long time, I guess they stopped getting along. I'm trying to find a camera to take a picture to show you guys. What's the best course of action?

Edit: Oh and I have no clue about her age.

[Rispa]

It was her crop compacted with food and not getting enough blood. She died when I took her out and tried to get some or my hair that was tangled on her food off and the hair around her neck. I didn't realize it was around her neck though, I though it was around her wing only. I think trying to untangle her choked her to death. I'm getting my hair cut short today. I'm also taking the lint out of the canary area in case it has hair. I hate being half Indian for probably the first time. I wish I had thin easily breakable hair. What can I do now? How can I make sure no other bird has hair in it's cage that could possibly kill it?

[Sally]

So sorry that you lost her, but don't blame yourself. Accidents do and will happen, we can't prevent all of them. And don't cut off your hair just because of this! It was a freak accident, one of those that rarely happens. Coco fiber is one of those nesting materials that is used by lots of birds, yet I have had a case of a bird getting its leg tangled in the coco fiber, and I have had several babies that slipped through loose-woven fiber and were lost.

[L in Ontario]

I have to agree with Sally - finches do manage to find themselves in aukward positions and accidents do happen. Please do not cut your hair because of this one fluke happenstance. It will most likely never happen again! You could put your hair into a quick ponytail when you go to clean the birds cages. Quick and easy. But don't blame yourself. My daughter has very long hair and many cages/flights and birds. It was just a fluke for you today.

[lovemyfinch]

I agree with both Sally and Liz.
I am so sorry for your loss

[DanteD716]

Rispa, I am so sorry you lost her amnd that I could not help. Please do NOT cut your hair. There is another 1 out of 100 chance this will happen again, finches always get into wierd situations which rarely happen twice. Your hair is who you are! Oh God I hope she did not cut it.

[debbie276]

So very sorry for your loss

[Rispa]

My hair is not who I am. My love of animals is who I am. My entire life revolves around my love for animals. I only bother doing something special with my hair for rare occasions. Otherwise it's down if I'm cold and in a ponytail otherwise. I will hold off cutting it for now though. I'll wait until it's not an emotional decision. Thank you for the condolences. Maybe her death was to teach me to keep up with my hair better. I'm going to take it that way and in her memory try to brush my hair daily and wash it daily.