A pink booger, a black spot

[lovezebs]

MisterGribs

Your flight (if I recall right), is more than big enough for a couple of wee Socies .

[Ricardo Ronsini]

Male zebras can be little jerks.

I had some males who would tear and toss the chicks, sometimes even before they were able to fully break the eggshell.

One was particularly agressive, he would eat the chicks' eyes and brain.

[MisterGribs]

lovezebs cages never seem big enough to me somehow, lol

[MisterGribs]

Ricardo Ronsini my older male is as sweet as cherry pie, but Hiro's a twollop.

[MisterGribs]

Good news, little Jyvä is looking bedraggled, but is OK! I'd like to see more of a weight gain on her, but she's improving.

[Babs _Owner]

MisterGribs

I'm so sorry that situation ended up badly. I know how hard you worked on that little one.


I am glad you have a second chance with this new hatchling. You've got your hand feeding skills working for you. ;) Now just a wait and see on the injuries. I would handle the chick as little as possible (because of the bruising) and feed only inside the warmth of the brooder.

Take extra care to make sure the formula is fed at proper temperature. Until the injuries heal the chick may be more susceptible to yeast.

Keep us posted.

[MisterGribs]

Babs about that- I keep a small cup of formula, mixed hot, inside a larger cup of hotter water. Still, in thhe time it takes to move the food from the cup to her beak, it has drastically cooled.

Also, compared to her sibling, she doesn't seem to be gaining enough weight, although she eats the same amount. Should I give her egg yolk, or mealworm insides?

[lovezebs]

MisterGribs

No, stick with the baby formula.

In the past when I have tried different foods, the chicks always died on me.

[MisterGribs]

lovezebs Ooohhh thanks, will do. I might try to switch back to syringe feeding then, I can't get her to eat any more

[lovezebs]

MisterGribs

How old is she today?

[MisterGribs]

lovezebs She is two days old now and doing well. The edges of the bruise have started to fade.

I'm trying to get some pictures up of her anyhow, something seems odd about her ventriculus/gizzard/bottom half of the stomach. I'm worried she might be impacted, it seems to pop out sometimes like a bubble wrap.

Also, the food particles visible in the duodenal loop seem to flow both directions, and I can't find anything on the internet about whether or not this is normal.. Lol, I wish people paid more attention to this sort of thing so there's be a demand for that kind of info.

[MisterGribs]

So here's a photograph of her ventral view with the bits I'm concerned about highlighted in red and blue.

Should her gizzard be that color? Should it pop out during digestive contractions?? When palpated, the gizzard seems very firm, like a recently cooked macaroni noodle.

And during these contractions, I can see the food particles passing through the duodenal loop clockwise, as they are supposed to.. But toward the end of the contraction they go back the other way!

She is eating once and pooping about twice every hour. Her waste looks a nice golden brown color, there's no green. She begs like a maniac, and don't worry- her crop is only empty for the picture. She was filled to the brim with warm delights immediately after this photo was taken.

[lovezebs]

MisterGribs

I don't know what that lump on her lower back is. You are right, that something just looks odd. Not certain about the food flowing back, have never really paid much attention to that to be perfectly honest.

Here is a picture of two infants at around the same age (give or take). If you look at their backs, they don't have that strange lump.

[MisterGribs]

lovezebs It's a picture of her tummy! She's lying on her back, lol

[MisterGribs]

I believe that the ventriculus could possibly have been impacted after all, or just very full! As for the strange color, I still can't find any pictures of tiny baby finch tummies.

Itu's intestines were the same color, so possibly it's normal.
Possibly, the firmness of it is normal too, as it's a very strong muscle used to crush food.

I simply can't find any basis to make any sort of a comparison.