FINCHforum

Hi everyone, thanks for letting me join your forum, I need some help..I think..
I purchased a pair of Gouldians (male & female) 24 hours ago from a private owner. beatiful birds, I took them, cage and all home (about a 20 minute drive, cage covered) home.

I have them in a pretty secluded room, against the wall, away from any draft. There is a window which I can open the blinds so the birds can get some light.

Now, it seems the birds are not eating their seed (I asked the owner to give me some of what they are accustomed to) and they are not drinking any water!!! They do not appear lethargic, but they don't make a sound. They perch in the same place for hours, about the center of the cage next to eachother. I can tell they are nervous. What can I do to acclimate and remove their stress?

I have bought a ceramic heat lamp with a 60 watt bulb which I placed on on side of the cage, they seem to like it, they sit right under it. The room itself is kept at 74 degrees F. I bought some pedialyte but have not put any in the cage yet, as I have read conflicting views on using it to help the birds.

Any suggestions to make the birds more comfortable? Should I leave the heat lamp on all night? Shuld i cover or not cover the cage since they are in complete darkness?

Your advice is appreciated,

Nick

I really believe in the benefits of heat, as long as the birds can move away from it if they get too warm. Sounds like they are just stressed by the move. I would not cover the cage, and I would provide a night light of some sort. In complete darkness, something could startle them during the night, and they can hurt themselves in a night fright. They should start eating tomorrow--if you have any spray millet, that is usually liked by all finches. Keep an eye on them to make sure they settle in OK.

I wouldn't be too worried. Moves are SUPER stressful on birds. Throw some millet on the floor or hang it from the top of the cage. They will get hungry and it will overcome their stress and they will eat and drink.

If they havent eaten by mid day tomorrow, then it would be time to get a little concerned. I suspect first thing in the AM they will eat.

thanks for the replies...how long should I leave the heat lamp with them? I don't want them to be too dependent on a temporary thing?

I would leave the heat lamp for a day or two, till they start acting normally. They will move away from it if they don't need it anymore.

Congratulation on your new birds. I agree with everyone above. Hope to see some pics soon.

Have they eaten yet?

Ok, so they seem to have eaten a very small some of their seeds from what I see, and they have pooped a bit. Maybe I am overly scared, but I am still a bit concerned...any signs that will indicate they are ok?

Give them peace and quiet for a couple of days...they should come round.And give them at least 15 hours of light to feed in for a while.

PS...fill out your profile so we know where you're from.

For the water, do they have a dish or a tube?
What I'm getting at is if they were raised with water dishes, they probably do not know that the water tube has water and how to use it.
If you have a water tube, put in a dish of water, so it is easy for them to find and drink from it.

ac12 wrote:For the water, do they have a dish or a tube?
What I'm getting at is if they were raised with water dishes, they probably do not know that the water tube has water and how to use it.
If you have a water tube, put in a dish of water, so it is easy for them to find and drink from it.

Well, to clarify, I bought them with their cage, and nothing has been changed, water bowls, treat baskets, seed bowl, and nest are all in the same exact place, so I hoped that would make them a bit more comfortable sooner. Here are 2 pictures of Charlie and Agnes (I didnt use flash and don't have that great a camera)...





Aren't they beautiful?

One last dumb question, I emailed another person on a so called 'finch website' and she/he told me to take the birds by the hand and put their head into the water bowl until they start drinking????????????????? That sounds like the worst thing to do????

That should be only to put their beak into the water, so they know where the water is, not to make them drink. And this would be done where the cage layout is different than they are used to and they can't seem to find the water. But since you bought their existing setup, this should not be necessary as their cage environment has not changed, only the environment outside the cage changed.

I would open the blinds so they can get sunlight.
Mine perk up when the sunlight from the window hits their cage.

One more question, please???

ok, now they are tweeting and preening themselves...is there such a thing as too much preening?

yes, there is a thing as too much preening but its a result of some prior condition. For example, lice/mites will make them preen more. Lack of certain vitamins will make them preen moore. Etc.

Birds preen quite a bit. Dont be concerned unless you see lots of feathers... and even then, it could be a molt.

Thanks FinchFry, you all have been great, don't mean to innundate the board with such novice questions