FINCHforum

Hello,

I am new to the forum and hoping that someone could PLEASE help me with a problem I have.

I bought two new Gouldian finches a week ago and I noticed in the last few days that they seemed to be preening their feathers and scratching a lot. I then noticed that the Zebra finches were doing the same. Yesterday I took everything out of the aviary and scrubbed it all clean then sprayed them (and perches etc) with some mite and lice spray.

This morning the female Gouldian still seems to be scratching and is rubbing her beak across the perch a fair bit (male Gouldian does this also). What is this a symptom of? I have done a google search but can't find any information.

Could it be something other then mites???

Paige

Hello and welcome. Sorry you're having problems with your new Gouldians.

If it's fairly easy to catch up a Gouldian in your hand - do that and bring it close to your ear... Do you hear any clicking? Are they open-mouth breathing? Clicking is a classic sign of Air Sac Mites. If you hear clicking it can be remedied with Scatt, S76 or Ivermectin.

Are they otherwise active? Or are they fluffed and sleeping a lot on their perches? On the floor? Are they eating / drinking okay?

Paige
Welcome to the forum,if you fill in your profile then we will know where your from,makes it A lot easier answering questions.
Have you checked out the http://www.finchinfo.com/index.php
Here is A good link for sick finch's. like liz said to check on the air sack mites This link has a lot of info.
http://www.finchniche.com/f-mites-lice.mgi

Thanks so much for your fast replies. I don't currently have the internet at home so I wil check their breathing as soon as i get home but I have not noticed any of the symptoms of air sac mites. I didn't know if they were wiping their beaks because of the lice/mites irritating that area? The female has been puffed up a bit which is adding to my concern.

I think I would put a light above the cage to give them a little extra heat ,if there flufed it should make them feal a little better.
Hopfuly some others will get on and give some better advise been lucky haven't had any mites myself,good luck keep us up to date

B Camp has given good advice, to put some heat on them. Any time birds are stressed, like when moved, they need a little extra TLC. A heat lamp, or even just an incandescent light over one end of their cage will help. Warmth and quiet can do wonders for these birds. As far as the preening and scratching, even of the beak, much of this is very normal. Caged birds spend a lot of their time preening and grooming, and they will wipe their beaks on the perches a lot. I would just keep an eye on them for the next few days, plus give them some eggfood and maybe some spray millet--comfort foods.

I would get the s76 and go ahead and preventively treat them for the air sac mites. Also, if they bathe in it that would kill any mites on their feathers. If they don't bathe you could also give them a little spray with it.

It also kills worms.....