Strawberry hen ragged looking and losing feathers

[FinchsRUS]

These finches are so flighty I can't get a good look at them when they're sitting still to beable to tell if the hen is fluffed up when sitting still.

I have noticed her scratching a lot and I'm finding tiny feathers on the ground under their cage.

They get a good quality seed mix, roudy bush crumble, egg food, clean water...

What else should I be giving them?

[debbie276]

Are they possibly molting? Maybe spray with a mite spray just to be sure it's not mites.
good luck

[FinchsRUS]

thanks.. I'll order some.

[FinchsRUS]

It looks like she may have some white 'stuff' on her feet. Again... I can't get close enough to see.

[Nerien]

Can you take pictures? If you can zoom in while standing farther away, you can sometimes get a good look by having pictures to analyze.

and a trick to getting pictures is NOT to focus on the bird and try and snap it before she moves, but to watch where she keeps flying back and forth to, then focus on that spot on the perch and just snap as soon as she lands there.

[FinchsRUS]

My camera charger is charging now.

I do need to keep some parasite meds on hand so which one(s) should I order just to have available? http://glamgouldians.com/shop-parasitics.php

once I get the pics, I'll upload and if different from above you can tell me which to get for this issue. (if any)

[debbie276]

For mites and lice Avian Insect Liquidator

[FinchsRUS]

[Sally]

Is this a domestic hen or one of the new imports? It is hard to tell from the photo, but her nails look like they need trimming. The perch is also too large for a small bird, she'd be much better off with a branch from outdoors (just make sure it has not been sprayed with pesticide or other chemical). I can't tell what the feet look like from the photo, but Berries have been known to have problems with scaley leg mites. The best way to treat that is listed at ladygoudian.com. Her feathers are definitely not in good condition, make sure she has daily baths along with lots of protein. Berries will lose a lot of tiny feathers constantly it seems, the floor under my cages can become littered with all these little feathers. This is in addition to the big molt the males will have twice a year when going into and out of nuptial plumage. And check her beak, it looks like it may need some trimming.

[FinchsRUS]

This is one of the imports so I haven't had them long.

The cage and everything in it is new so I have to think this came with the bird. I've completely avoided cross contamination. These are in a totally different section of the house and have their own bowls, food bin from my two other finches who are fine, and have never been touched by me. They were released from the box into the cage.

They have a water dish on the floor of the cage but I've never seen or had evidence it's being used. They have egg food and have been offered live food sprouted seeds but they don't eat it. They stick to the roudybush and seed mix. They also have free choice kelp, herb salad, minerals, cuttlebone (which they do use), available 24/7.

Their preferred perch is a small natural one. This is the only one in this diameter but I'll change it.

She's scratching and shaking her feathers now so something is bothering her. The spray is on the way.

Is there anything else I'm missing? What's the best way to catch these guys in a large cage?

[Sally]

If you ordered Avian Insect Liquidator, you can spray the birds directly without removing them from the cage, it will not hurt them. It is excellent for using against external mites. Are they drinking from a tube now? My imports used a bowl of water on the floor of the cage at first, but fairly quickly adjusted to the tube waterers. But they are not using my seed hoppers yet.

[FinchsRUS]

Yes, they are drinking from the tube waterer. If you're talking about a seed hopper like this: http://www.glamgouldians.com/product-plasticfeeder.php Yes, they are eating from this. I put their food in a small dish on the bottom of the cage with a thin layer of food and then put the hopper right next to the dish. Once they were done with the seed in the dish they moved over to the hopper. I only use the hopper now and they're fine with it.