Parsons finch - can't tell if she's ill, conflicting signals

[Parsons]

This is my first post on the forum. I acquired a pair of Parsons finch from a Bird Mart last month. The one I suspect is a female is showing some odd behavior.

Yesterday afternoon she was on the cage floor and behaving as if she was ill or egg-bound -- fluffed up and not moving when my hand went in the cage. I removed her to a quarantine cage, put a little olive oil around the vent, covered the cage and placed it in a warm room. I checked on her before bed and she was sitting nestled in the food bowl. This morning, we opened the door to the room and she and the male were frantically calling to each other across the rooms. She was hopping and flitting about the cage and seemed perfectly fine so I put her back in with her mate.

But now for pertinent background. All my birds were at a pet sitters for 2 weeks before this. The pet sitter informed me that the female finch had twice settled on the cage floor acting as if she were laying an egg. This happened a few days apart toward the end of the 2 weeks. I have had them back at home now for five days and yesterday was the first time I saw this happen.

I assume she wouldn't be back to normal if she was indeed egg-bound. I am new to Parsons finches, have only had society and zebras years ago.

Any ideas on what may be going on?

Any insight would be appreciated. Thank you if you read this long post!

[wildbird]

How old is your finch? She may be too young to lay eggs, but I would keep cuttlebone and oyster shell available to her. You might want to have some calcium supplement available, in case this happens again. I use Avitech Cal-D-Solve calcium/magnesium supplement powder which is added to the drinking water. I only put it in the water while the bird is showing symptoms of egg laying or is laying eggs. Not for more than three days at a time. www.avitech.com

[Fraza]

If it is egg bound I would get some warm water not too hot just warm and trap her inside a bird bath and leave her in there for about ten minutes so it can steam up, make sure there’s holes for air tho but I’ve done this with egg bound birds and usually a little while after they plop one out

Goodluck

[Parsons]

@ wildbird, thank you for your reply. I am unsure of age. Those selling them at the bird mart just said they were "young." I've had them just a month. Perhaps she is just too young.

I have grit that I've just added in a separate dish. I'll pick up some calcium supplement to have on hand and a cuttlebone.

Since she seems fine now, do you think it was something like a phantom pregnancy? (Pet rabbits can have phantom pregnancies where they nest and get moody but are not pregnant.)

@ Fraza, thanks for replying. I am inexperienced in this, but I can't imagine she was actually egg-bound if she's acting normal now yet hasn't laid an egg. Wouldn't she still be miserable?

I'll keep your advice in mind if needed in the future.

[wildbird]

Try to get some crushed oyster shell for finches, as mineral grit usually doesn't have it, although some do. I provide both. She just might be young and I think will be fine.

[Parsons]

The one grit I have just says it is for "small birds." The first 3 ingredients listed are:
Granite grit
Oyster shell
Calcium carbonate

The other grit I have is much smaller grain but doesn't even list what is in it, so I'm suspect of that one.

Is there other grit that is just oyster shell? Or is what I have ok along with a cuttlebone?

I also will dry and crush egg shells for my other birds. I could offer that as well.

Appreciate your suggestions. I've seen conflicting info on what grit to use.

She still seems to be acting her normal self!

[CathyCraftz]

Did you see an egg on the hospital cage floor? If so, she was egg bound. Supply her with plenty of calcium before she gets egg bound again. You're lucky she survived at the pet sitter's and been egg bound several times.

[Parsons]

no. There was not an egg on the hospital cage floor. She has never laid an egg- not at the pet sitter's nor at home. That is why I wonder what it could have been.

[Fraza]

Parsons yes actually I didn’t realise she was being normal now sometimes they need a boost of vitamins u can buy a liquid from most pet shops called VITAMIN with a blow circle around the name and this works well

[Fraza]

U just add it to there drinking water only twice a week and empty water after 24 hours

[Parsons]

I have some Avian Plus vitamins I started giving. I'll look for a calcium supplement too at Amazon. The pet store didn't have any today.

It would make sense that maybe she was/is missing some nutrients. Who knows what care she was getting before I got her.

Thanks all for your input!

[Fraza]

Parsons Yh also some birds are bred from weak bloodlines and need to go to a good home like ourselves to eventually get healthy

My favourite finch came to me so weak he couldn’t even fly or anything now he’s living in the aviary raised about 20 clutches and does well with the lady’s lol !!