Advice needed - sick Zebra - URGENT!!

readingfc · Post by **readingfc** » Thu May 10, 2007 1:52 pm

I transferred my family of Zebra's into my aviary yesterday, early evening. I already had 2 Diamond Doves, 2 male society finches and another pair of Zebra's in there so not crowded. There was a bit of fussing as the Zebra's already in there had a nest which I removed because it only had one egg in and they weren't really sitting on it! Everyone seemed to calm down after a while and were all eating etc etc. This morning I went to check on the aviary and I couldn't see the mum that I had put in there last night. I left for work, instructing my husband to find her as I could see dad flying about and called for her.
He phoned me at work and said he'd found her on the floor under where the quails go and initially thought she was laid on an egg. When he went to go near her she didn't move and he said she looked all wobbly and leaning over to one side. He immediately took her out and put her back in the breeding cage which is where she remains, she is sitting with her wings slightly down, her eyes shut and breathing quite laboured. I thought she might have flown into something as it was her first night in the aviary and unfamiliar to her. Can anyone suggest anything else. If she is egg bound what do I do. My husband thought she had a broken wing but will this mend on its own and should we put dad back in there with her for company or not?

tammieb · Post by **tammieb** » Thu May 10, 2007 2:08 pm

It's always best to move birds into an unfamiliar aviary first thing in the morning so they can become accustomed to their surroundings before nightfall.

I would guess your hen became startled during the night and thrashed around the aviary. She could very well have a broken wing. Does it droop? Or she might just be severely stressed. I would keep her in a small hospital cage with heat and rest. Do not add her mate as that will slow her recovery.

I recently had a canary hen with either a broken or badly bruised wing. After staying in a hospital cage for two months she fully recovered.

Good luck!

readingfc · Post by **readingfc** » Thu May 10, 2007 4:58 pm

thanks Tammie

I realise now that we should have waited till the weekend then this may not have happened

I wish I had seen her to describe properly how she was - my hubby says he thought she wasn't carrying her wing properly - sort of drooping to one side. She seems quite comfortable in the rest cage - she has even hopped into a nest which will keep her nice and warm. I really hope she gets better - I've got quite attached to her

readingfc · Post by **readingfc** » Fri May 11, 2007 5:41 pm

Well, today my hubby bought a hospital cage with a heat lamp and she is sat in there looking ok. She has come out of the nest which we put in there and I saw her eating some seed and she even managed to get on the perch!

As they say time is a great healer and I will leave her in there, obviously watching her to make sure she improves.

If she has broken a wing is it likely she will fly again? Do they usually make good recoveries?

C A · Post by **C A** » Sat May 12, 2007 9:24 pm

In cases of birds with injured wings I have read that putting perches closer together so the bird can get around easier by hopping from perch to perch can help. Kind of like a "birdie stairway"

Also something you would want to do early in the day in case of any more night time scares.

kenny · Post by **kenny** » Sun May 13, 2007 5:58 am

hi reading
how is your bird doing today! i love your new avatar picture! are you keeping australian finches also

ken

FLAMEonfire · Post by **FLAMEonfire** » Fri May 18, 2007 9:53 am

I just read about your bird and I hope he's doing better. I have a zebra that got out and went for a fly around the house. He got hurt flying into a wall and I thought for sure that he was to hurt to save. He couldn't stand on his feet at all. I cried ! He is one of my pretties that I got went I first started raising birds. I found him at a show, they sold him too young. So young I couldn't tell what he was yet. ALthough like I said , I was new to the birdie experience. Well I padded a hospital cage and put up the heat, took out all the perches and hoped for the best. I fed him on the bottom of the cage and put water down in little jar tops. It took 2 months but he now flies well. He still can't use his one leg too well, but he has a girlfriend and can balance himself on the perches. I wouldn't put him back in the big cage with all the other birds, but he and his partner are now nest sitting and seem happy. I related this story only to help you if your's doesn't ever fly well again. He can still have a happy life even if he has to be kept away from the larger cages.! Good luck !

readingfc · Post by **readingfc** » Sun May 20, 2007 2:02 pm

Thanks for all the replies! No Kenny we're not keeping Aussie finches - I just liked the picture

Well, we've been away all last week - went bird watching in Norfolk and had to leave the injured mum to hopefully get better while we were away. (My daughter was looking after them all while we were gone). When we came back there was such an improvement in the mum zeb that this morning we put her into the aviary. I was watching her so carefully but before long she was chasing the other females (we bought 2 for the male when she was injured) and is showing them who's boss

All in all a fantatic result - it only took a week's rest in the hospital cage

She keeps following her man around everywhere - bless her

tammieb · Post by **tammieb** » Sun May 20, 2007 3:53 pm

I'm happy to hear your hen has healed enough to return to the aviary.

FLAMEonfire · Post by **FLAMEonfire** » Mon May 21, 2007 4:49 am

That's Sooooo cool. I'm so happy for both you and her. And I hope "her man" appreciates all the female attention he will be getting from now on , lol. Better get some more men in that boat.

readingfc · Post by **readingfc** » Sun May 27, 2007 2:14 pm

She's back in the hospital cage

I went out for an evening and when I got back my daughter checked in on the aviary and saw that "mum" was on the bottom of the aviary, unable to fly again! She tried to fly and managed to get to about 2 feet high, then fell and rolled around on the floor. We picked her up and set up the hospital cage straight away. The thing is she's been in there since Wednesday evening and she's flying around in the hospital cage and everything! She's "peeping" like made as if to say to us "I'm ok now, put me back!". It's almost like she was exhausted but needed a bit of cage rest or she just like being indoors with us

Anyone have any ideas? She looks absolutely fine, although she tends to favour her left leg a teeny bit more when she stands! She's eating and drinking fine also

tammieb · Post by **tammieb** » Sun May 27, 2007 3:59 pm

Perhaps this hen has some age on her and living in the aviary takes up to much of her energy. It's odd that she recovers quickly in the cage, but after a week or so in the aviary she is poorly again.

I don't know what suggestion to make, other than keeping her in the cage. Which I'm sure you'd prefer not to do.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

kenny · Post by **kenny** » Sun May 27, 2007 7:27 pm

the great problem is with these birds is if they have been kept in small cages for a while thier wing muscles fade and they cannot fly as high as they would like when they are first put in a large flight and thier survival instincs tell them to get up as high as they can to get out og danger so they quickly become exhausted...all my young are put in a 4 ft flight before they are released out in the aviary so that they can build up the stamina and muscle in the wings before they go out..it just may be the case that it needs to be in a slightly larger cage but smaller that the one you are trying to put it in after the hospital cage ..after all if you habve had the flu you dont jump out of bed and run round the block....try and put it in a slightly bigger cage with wide apart perches so it can stretch its wings

ken

readingfc · Post by **readingfc** » Mon May 28, 2007 5:10 am

thanks for the advice - both replies make sense - I don't know how old she is as we bought her from a pet shop and yes its true - you don't feel like running about just after you've been ill. I will put her in one of the breeding cages for a while then see how she goes from there.

thanks again

FINCHforum

Advice needed - sick Zebra - URGENT!!

Advice needed - sick Zebra - URGENT!!

zebra

finch

Bad Wing

injured