FINCHforum

my juvenile sometimes sits by the heat, puffy and tucking his head. he eats and flies most of the time. they're no other obvious symptoms. should he be treated with anything?

rancho2

Sorry, your juvie what? How old?

If it's a very young bird, sometimes they just get tired, and need a nap in a nice warm place. I would say, keep an eye on him, and make sure he is eating and drinking the same as his siblings. Check his vent for any signs of problems, and if possible his droppings (too loose, funny colour). When he's on the move, is he moving freely, without any difficulties.

Make sure diet contains:
A good seed mix
Hard boiled eggs
A variety of greens, veg and some fruit
Cuttle bone, crushed egg shells, fortified grit
Multi vitamins

Also check for drafts around your flight, and make sure that the temperature in the room is warm enough.

Good luck

~Elana~

hi elana,

he's about 3 mos. old, he has everything he needs, everything you listed. today, when he sits still his wings are starting to droop a little. his siblings are very busy in the same cage, that's why i'm so concerned.

rancho2

I'd put him in a small hospital cage, with a warming light on him. Seeing as we don't know what's going o with him, I would seperate him from the others just in case. Hopefully it's nothing contagious, but one never knows. This way, you can keep a close eye on him. Also watch his dropping, to see if the look like the other siblings'.

~Elana~

elana,

i put him on tetratex, based on the obvious and his watery yellow droppings. this morning he seems slightly better, a little more perky, eating and less 'sad'. his cage is nice and warm so we'll see what happens. thx for helping me out with this

rancho2

Good luck. I really hope he gets better.

~Elana~

rancho2 - I'm sorry to hear about your little one.

I think the antibiotics are the right decision here.
These little ones have a much weaker immune system and they struggle with illnesses that an adult would easily fight off.

I'd continue with the antibiotics for 10 days.
After, I'd give him probiotics. The younger ones have a harder time normalizing after antibiotics.

After that period, I'd reassess. He should be normal or very close to it by the end of that 10 days. If not, it may be time to reassess.
I think it's unlikely it's a parasite issue, as you'd generally see issues in all of the juveniles.

What kind of bird are we dealing with?
If it's a gouldian who's molting into his adult plumage, that could also account for him being a bit "off" as that molting process sucks up a lot of resources.

miacarter,

probably molting has something to do with it too. he's definitely looking better than even this morning. 10 days and he should be raring to join his buddies