Silverbill fledgings

dfcauley · Post by **dfcauley** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 9:26 am

Hi. I have two baby silverbills that are about ready to leave the nest.
This morning when I checked on them there seems to be a problem with them.
First I noticed that the vent area was yellowish and messy. I cleaned tem up with a wamr wet paper towels, changed all the nestling materials and cleaned up their nest box. Then I noticed that when they were put down their back tail feathers have not developed. There is no span, just shaft feathers.
Any hope for them?

jamezyboo21 · Post by **jamezyboo21** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 1:04 am

Aweee...thats terrible, i wonder as well what happened to cause this. i hope you get the answer your looking for soon. Good Luck! Sorry i wasnt any help i just wanted to know what went wrong to. It may be something genetic or inbreeding who knows.

dfcauley · Post by **dfcauley** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 7:48 am

Thanks for the replay. My husband and I were just talking about it last night. These are the only two that we actually bought from the pet store. Perhaps they are related and should not breed. I won't let them raise anymore for sure.
The rest of my birds were purchased from a bird fair and I was assured they are not related.

Post by **Sally** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 11:02 am

How are your Silverbill babies doing? I have been doing some reading on inbreeding and line breeding, and it seems that the first generation are usually OK. It is when the practice is continued that problems develop, as any faults are emphasized.

I don't think the wet vents would have anything to do with the parents perhaps being related. It sounds more like a bacterial kind of thing. There are antibiotics, but I've never used them on babies (actually, I haven't used them at all, I've been very lucky to not have this problem yet). I have Amtyl and Ronsivet, and the Amtyl doesn't say anything about not using it on young birds, and the Ronsivet specifically says it can be used on as young as hatchlings.

Since you are in the Atlanta area, there is a Gouldian breeder in Atlanta, Laraine at www.ladygouldianfinch.com. If you need any supplies, she would be able to get them to you very quickly. She has a local number listed on her website to call with any health problems.

dfcauley · Post by **dfcauley** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 12:18 pm

Thank you for your advice. I know Larraine very well and have even bought birds from her. I do have some of her antibiotics here at the house. I was just waiting to see. I took one of them out this morning. I am sure it will not make it. The other seems to have a problem with its foot.
If I can catch mom and dad I am going to put them in a cage. There will be no more babies for them.
I just hate to see them suffer. I wish there was a humane way of helping them.
I did not want to force the antibiotics on them if there wasn't much hope.
One of them keeps burying down into the nesting materials and I have to keep pulling him back out. He seems to be doing alot of mouth breathing.
They do not accept me trying to hand feed them at all.
The parents are still feeding them....somewhat but I don't think it is enough.

dfcauley · Post by **dfcauley** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 6:50 pm

Well one of the babies died yesterday and I was sure the other one would died today. It hasn't yet. Parents are still feeding it, but it has a problem with one of it's feet. It doesn't seems to have balance or be able to walk well, let alone fly.

I am sure that it is just a matter of time. This is the hard part of raising babies......

Post by **Sally** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 10:43 pm

I have a medicine called Ronsivet 10% for treatment of protozoa canker, guardia, and cochlosomosis. It says on the label that "these protozoan infections are very serious and a common cause of hatchling, young, and adult bird death. These parasites are present in most birds kept in captivity and become active and very destructive during the breedig season. These infections can only be controlled and not eradicated with drugs. The main signs are watery/runny droppings in the adult bird which is yellow/green in color and may contain undigested seed; dirty feathers around the vent; molting problems; and apathy. It's best to treat your birds prior to the breeding season and usually again during breeding season. This product may be used as often as needed and will not harm hatchlings or young birds."

I have not used this medicine, but now I wonder sometimes when I have had tossed hatchlings if the baby died from an infection and then was tossed by the parents, rather than the thinking I have had that the parents wanted to toss the baby. Maybe sometimes the parents are getting blamed, when it could be something else.

jamezyboo21 · Post by **jamezyboo21** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 10:49 pm

Aweee..so sorry for your loss. I was hoping and praying they would make it.

dfcauley · Post by **dfcauley** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 8:16 am

The second one is still live and looking around in the nest this morning.
I think some of the problem with the vent area being so messy is that it cannot fly so it is not able to move out of its own poop.

I am thinking of putting it in a cage with paper on the floor. I don't know what is the answer for this baby.