FINCHforum

My red throat parrot finches raised 3 clutches in the last year. They just finished raising the last clutch about 1 1/2 months ago. I noticed they are like little butter balls. In fact they are so fat they are having trouble flying. What do I do to slim them down. They are in a community aviary and I have not changed anything in their diet. Also All I see them do is go into eating frenzies all day long.

How big of an aviary? They needs loads of room and lots of exercise to prevent this. That is one of the problem with them. They tend to get fat when they don't get enough exercise.

dfcauley wrote:How big of an aviary? They needs loads of room and lots of exercise to prevent this. That is one of the problem with them. They tend to get fat when they don't get enough exercise.

8'x16'.

A couple of pair of my parrot finches are breeding late and are putting most of the calories into the chicks but the one that is not breeding any more is in the aviary with 2 of his recent offspring. I have continued to put out egg food for the chicks but Dad consumes a lot and is getting very fat even though they have 16' x 18' area with water fountain. I will either move him to a flight cage and do seed and greens or give him another female soon

That's when mine starting getting fat, after the last clutch. They were nice and slim before. Little gluttons they are!

I have never seen a fat finch...
I bet that they have just gotten so used to eating all the time (to feed hungry babies) that they have not yet realized that they can ease off the food a bit. lol

If they arent breeding, give them a leaner diet. The only reason for a rich diet is for them to get themselves into breeding conditions.

Switch back to a mainly seed diet and your finch will thin down since it wont be intaking a high protein and fatty diet that is unneeded.

Yes, I still am supplying the high protien diet to the chicks but with Dad in the aviary he also he has full access to all he wants...... Since he has only raised 1 clutch of 2 (lost the hen) I may decide to set him up with a different female.... she ought to whip him into shape So I may remove the youngsters.... Until I decide he can hang out at the all you can eat buffet for a little longer
Fat Dadio w/ chicks

I removed my male and set up a cage for him. I will keep him just on a finch seed mix diet until he slims down. The female is not as fat but if I notice that she has trouble flying up I will also remove her.