FINCHforum

Hi all! My pair f RCCB fiches started breeding about a month ago. They are on their second nest, so we'll see how they do. I'm noticing however, that my hen is losing some of her feathers, which I remember my zebra finch doing after laying several eggs also. In their flight, I'm offering cuttle bones, egg shells mixed into their feed, egg food, greens, regular finch seed, live meal worms (which they still aren't eating) millet and store bough egg food. I thought I was offering enough in calcium to avoid the loss of feathers.

Is there anything else I can do? Is the feather loss related to a need for more calcium?

Thank you!

Vivian

Welcome to the forum!
Many waxbills, like the rccbs, like to have feathers added for nesting material. So, if you add some feathers, that should help stop the plucking to get feathers. As far as the meal worms, are you giving them the mini sized meal worms? Sometimes, the regular size is too big for waxbills.

Deborah mentioned exactly what I was thinking -- offer other nesting material just in case.

If they don't take to the mini mealies, you could try freeze dried.
My guys don't eat live, but they love, love, love the freeze dried, as long as I crush them up. They ignore them if left whole.

Otherwise, I think their diet sounds good so it shouldn't be a result of malnutrition or anything along those lines. The added protein from mealworms would help too.