FINCHforum

One of my eldest finches - she was 1 of 2 when I only had 2 finches and first started - is acting strangely tonight. She was sitting on the floor with her eyes shut. I immediately gave her a heat lamp and a fresh bowl of egg shells. When I caught her to apply liquid calcium to her beak, I noticed her whole body feels hard. Also, when I was catching her, she would put her wings up to fly and they would stay in place (in an upward position)... not to sound gruesome but almost like a rigor mortis on a live bird.

As she is my eldest, it may just be her time, sadly to say but I am concerned about the rigidity of her body. Has anyone ever heard of this?

Edit to add: She is a zebra finch

Is it possible she could be egg bound?

Was she able to fly?

That was my thought as well, which is why I gave her liquid calcium to the beak and also a fresh dish of eggshells. While she was at one time, quite the fertile mother bird, she hasn't had an egg in quite some time (probably due to her age).

She is able to fly but you can tell she really doesn't want to. She was only doing it to avoid being caught. She did run part of the time instead of flying.

Just wanted to post an update - Peanut is alive and well and doing just fine this morning. No more puffiness, no more lethargy, she's bouncing around good as new

Whatever was ailing her must have passed.

Good to hear