mites or not.

[Namath]

Hi ,

I'm new to this forum & new to taking care of birds.

I have a zebra finch couple <male and female>.The male is loosing feathers from his tail.they clean themselves and each others alot. As if there is something pinching them because they jump from their place sometimes.& the female get puffed sometimes when she's cleaning herself.

I'm not sure if it's normal Zebra finch behavior or I shall worry.

I was given at the pet shop "Aerosol spray for cage birds safe and easy"...A red bottle to spray them every 15 days.I'm very hesitant to use because they are happy and active....

What do you recommend.


Thank you very much,Glad to find this forum that cares about finches.

[Sally]

Welcome to the forum! Lots of good reading at the Finch Information Center, linked at left, and the members are always ready with advice. If you put your location in your profile, it helps to answer locale-specific questions later on.

It is difficult to say from your description, but this could be just normal Zebra behavior. Finches love to preen themselves and each other, and Zebras can get carried away with it to the point of plucking (they also may do this wanting feathers for a nest). And it is normal for them to fluff themselves up in the process, similar to a dog shaking itself after getting wet. Zebras are also very active little birds, so I would not worry about them going from perch to perch.

Personally, I would not use any pesticide-type product on my birds that often. I only use this type product if I see a need, not on a routine basis. I am not familiar with the spray you can buy at pet shops, but I love Avian Insect Liquidator. It is perfectly safe to use even around baby birds and very effective if you do have a problem with insects or external mites. It is not usually available locally, you have to order it online.

[Namath]

Thank you Sally for your reply.

I've received the male Zebra finch a month ago.Got him a female instantly. I've noticed she has a wound on her left wing and feathers missing on behind her head.

Toto<male> was very excited to see her...He scanned her from head to toe few times and started doing happy dance for her ....However in few days I noticed he was plucking her feathers exactly in the area she's already missing feather in....and he would carry the feather and jump around in the cage....

His previous owner was keeping him on one type of seed diet.So I thought maybe he's missing some nutrients and developed this habit.

Separated them for few days...The moment I put them together...he instantly attacked her and started plucking her feathers again....Separated them for 10 days Again.

One day,I opened both cages and let them fly in my room.They were calling each others all the time and then he led her into his cage

Since then,they are doing good.I open the cage door for them sometimes,they have no interest to leave it...They keep preening each other...He's busy building the nest most of the time.Provided him with coconut fibers,cotton,natural feathers....He still plucks few feathers from his female every now and then and puts it in the nest...<makes my blood boils > But her feathers are in good shape with no gaps.

Provided them with a bathing tub lately...wow they surprised me how much they love playing in water and taking a bath each day.

I feel they both look in great shape compared to how I received them & they look healthy and happy.However The way they jump suddenly from their place and start cleaning themselves as if they are upset or something pinched them makes me concerned.I want them to be happy.

I'll check Avian Insect Liquidator online.& get myself familiar with the forum structure.

Thanx Again

[Namath]

Don't know what's happening to my male Zebra finch.He suddenly became inactive just sitting on the perch...not even standing up straight.

[lyzzyjayne]

Hello did your male Zebra get better?

[Namath]

Hello

Thank you for asking.

He's very good... once I put him in my room where it's warm.

I read that zebra finch can tolerate 16 degrees Celsius and the pet shop assured me I can keep them at the balcony as long as i close the curtains...But my little one doesn't seem to tolerate temperature any less than 18 to 20 degrees ...

few more questions please,I'm totally new to birds and so far all the advices given by the pet shop turn out to be wrong.

1- Now that I'm keeping the zebra finch couple in my room.I had to look for a suitable light.the best I could find is TCL 55 watt (Daylight- warm white)..it's written on it 3 band phosphor...I have no idea what that means ..it looks good though ...Is it a good choice?

2- my zebra finches like to bath in the bath tub...but I make sure the room is warm because after that the male is always puffed up.They know what's good for them or shall I totally remove the bath tub in winter like the pet shop advised?I'm confused because they seem to be very happy bathing and drinking from the tub every day

3-They like eggs very much,I'm giving them half a boiled egg twice a week with the shell...What's the best amount of eggs to give them per week?

Thank you.

[lyzzyjayne]

Great News! The best light is a broad spectrum UVA UVB which you can get a bulb in the reptile section of your pet store. I would leave the bath in at all times, just change it out daily. You can provide a heated perch or get a warming lamp which can be found in the reptile section also. They have blue bulbs which can be left on all the time,even at nite and ceramic bulbs that you can leave on all the time and they just put out heat,not light. As for the eggs, I'd say about 3 x a week! Sounds like all is well. So happy For You!