FINCHforum

I woke up and found that one of my finches has lost its balance, it can only just perch but flaps around as though its about to fall off every now and then. She is closing her eyes and does not look well. There has been no change in the environment. Any ideas, suggestions? She has young in the nest?

What kind of a finch is she? Is there a mate in the cage also feeding the babies? How does she seem now?

She is a plumhead. She has been continually nesting and laying eggs. She has a messy vent and turns around to peck it out and loses balance and falls off. Its as though she has wobbly legs. She also looks like she is trying to poo and can't. Could she be egg bound? I have put her in a hospital cage with humidity and water and food etc. She's still perching and has not been sitting on the ground etc. It's as though she's dizzy almost??

I hope someone with Plumhead experience can comment or suggest something.

If she has been continually breeding / laying eggs - it sounds like she could be exhausted. Please try to give her a heatlamp on the hosp cage as well as eggfood.

Anyone else?

She just passed an egg!!!!! She must have been egg bound.
I put some pure olive oil on her vent and removed the poo and had her in a humid hospital cage with a wet towel over it in the sun. She seems fine now.

What should I do with the egg? Is she OK to be placed back with her partner and nest???

SO EXCITED SHE'S OK!

I really don't think she should go back right away - give her a day alone to recooperate.

I am so glad it is okay.

Maybe you should provide some extra calcium for this bird.

Yeah its weird cos she eats alot of the cuttle bone and she's always in the shell grit. We had a really swift change in temperature from sunny and hot to really cold and windy (over the last two days) . I was reading that cold temperature changes and dry winds can create egg binding problems.

I also took away the sunflower seeds, which they eat alot of so that could have added to the problem with less oily food intake.

Thanks guys!

Good on ya,Hope she stays well.After she is rested up.try some breeding aid and cod liver oil in her seed.the breeding aid has D3 in it which will convert the calcium,And the cod liver oil will loosen everything a bit.
A cold snap can defiantly cause egg binding.i have not heard of finches eating sunflower seeds before.Might be something I try.

Yeah they love sunflower kernels, I don't get the seeds cos I think they would struggle opening them. But they love the kernels....