Dry skin?

[Cowlover]

Hello, I would like some opions with my zebra finch. I am not a vet, so I'm not exactly sure what's going on. My male zebra finch Olive has been having some feather issues. At the tops of his wings he is missing feathers. This has happened a couple of times before but never this bad. I believe that it is probably dry skin because it is currently the dead of winter and my house is very dry. I have been giving him more frequent baths to see if it will help. Any suggestions would be very much appreciated on how to make my baby feel better. He is about six years old.

[lem2bert]

Cowlover

I am not familiar with Zebra finches or with dry skin issues, but I wanted to say Welcome from Massachusetts. There are many wonderful members that may be more able to help you. I am sure you will get a response soon. Your little Olive is adorable and I love the name !!

[Cowlover]

Thank you!

[Sally]

I'm not a vet either, but a little more information might help. Is this bird in with other birds, and if so, how many? How large is the cage?

Welcome to the forum! There's lots of good reading at www.finchinfo.com, where you will find many articles on finch care. If you put your general location in your profile, it makes it easier for members to help you.

[Cowlover]

Thank you for a reply. A picture of the cage is down below. He is housed with another male zebra however they are best friends. I have never seen them fight and they preen each other and sleep together. There isn't excessive preening so thats probably not causing issues. He has lived with Harmony for about three years. I have five parakeets and three zebra finches. The third one is housed alone. You might be wondering if it's mites however I have never had any issues with mites.

[lovezebs]

Cowlover

Welcome to the Forum.

Can you tell us a little more about the diet that Olive is eating?
Usually feather issues, come down to lacking something in the diet, or plucking.

If it is dietary, then it can be remedied easily enough.
If it's plucking (either by himself or another bird) then it's a different story.

[Cowlover]

Thank you for a reply. The finches diet includes Ecotrition finch seed mix, occasional millet, and occasional veggies. He also has access to a cuttlebone and unlimited water.

[lovezebs]

Cowlover

What do you offer for protein (which is very important for feather growth) ?

[Cowlover]

No, I don't... I never thought of that! Thank you. What can I give him for a source of protein?

[Icearstorm]

Cowlover
Boiled or scrambled egg works well; just be sure to remove it before it spoils. You can freeze most of the egg and serve it in smaller portions, if needed.

[lovezebs]

Cowlover

Hard boiled eggs, are a wonderful source of protein, among other wonderful nutrients.

Here's my recipe for my home made egg food.....

6 hard boiled eggs
Peeled and put through garlic press
1 extra large spray of millet (or 3 small ones)
Crumbled and mixed into eggs
1/2 cup Tropimix egg food mix
1cup (or more) of KAYTEE freeze dried meal worms pulverized into powder.

Add all ingredients and toss together gently.

All of my species love this mixture, and you can adjust the recipe according to your needs.

Also save the egg shells, dry them and crush them. These can be offered to all species as a wonderful source of calcium.

Greens, fruits and veggies, are also very important.

[Cowlover]

Thank you! Do you freeze what you don't serve right away? I will have to try it

[Cowlover]

I will have to try a combination of all these tips and see if he gets better. Thank you everyone for your recommendations. I will be giving him more protein and veggies and I will also be putting a humidifier in his room. And maybe I should try making his life even more exciting just in case it is feather plucking. Thank you!

[lovezebs]

Cowlover

You're very welcome.

No I don't freeze the egg food. I make it fresh, and they eat it right away .

[Cowlover]

Oh, okay. I will have to really lower the recipe. I only have eight birds. What measurements would you recommend for five parakeets and three finches? Thanks