RCCBs...or mini vultures!

[Shannylee]

Here are a few of my new RCCBs. There were 5 of them and 2 more that are loose in the store. He will call me once he catches them and I will take them too.

Other than being mostly/all bald, they are very active and look healthy. They had been in his store for over 2 months with nothing to do but to pick at each other. For now, the 5 are in a 3ft long breeding cage with the dividers removed. 2 or 3 of them will be going to live with one of my local bird friends. Looks like I have 2 males and 3 females. I think the 2 that are loose are also female.

They are on Higgins Vita Finch seed, dry egg food for some added protein, and D3 in their water. Any other suggestions about what I can do to help get their feathers back in shape?

[GouldianGuy]

wow plucked clean!

[lovezebs]

Shannylee

Congrats on your brand new mini vultures, lol.

Fresh hard boiled eggs.
Do you have my egg food recipe?

Greens.

[Shannylee]

They're gorgeous, right??

@lovezebs, I have "A" egg food recipe but would love to have yours! I have a batch made (that I kinda made up as I mixed it up) and it has eggs, ground egg shell, spinach, Green Vibrance powder, carrot, corn meal, garlic, Roudybush nibbles, oregano, and at least 3 or 4 ingredients that I can't remember. LOL! My birds go nuts over the stuff. The Javas prefer the version that I make with applesauce so it took them a few days of scowling at this batch before they finally gave in and ate it.

They are totally vultures! LOL!! Poor babies. They are all huddled up under the heat lamp but look fine. They are not super flighty and seemed to settle in quickly.

[lovezebs]

Shannylee

I thought I had a thread about it somewhere, and finally found it....

http://www.finchforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=31995

[Shannylee]

lovezebs, awesome!! Thank you! I will definitely try this.

[lovezebs]

Shannylee

All of my guys love this stuff.

[Babs _Owner]

Shannylee

I used this in the water when Merlin went bald. In addition to the boiled egg. His was related to a hard molt, so Im not sure how well it works for a bird thats been plucked.

http://glamgouldians.com/product-calciboost.php

Gives them the calcium and vitamin d all at once for indoor birds.

[w.l.]

They don't look as bad as I had expected based on your description.

I was also going to suggest giving them liquid calcium, vitamin solutions and lots of protein. Not sure if they will want eggfood, in which case try livefood.

It so happens that I also have two "vultures" now - 2 out of 3 weavers bought intact went bald while in quarantine. Never saw plucking actually take place. I have now released them in my main birdroom where I hope they will recover.

Balding can be caused by things other than plucking, too.

[Shannylee]

w.l., there is only one that is plucked pretty bad and she has horrible feather condition. She is the one on the right in the bottom picture. She's a mess. The others really don't look that bad.

I will offer them mini-mealworms today. I have them on liquid calcium and vitamins and will let them enjoy some sunshine today.

I am only keeping a pair and the rest will go to my friend's house tomorrow. My pair will be in quarantine but they will have their own flight cage. The plan is for them to be in the flight cage for the Winter and then I can move them to the aviary in the Spring when it warms up enough for them. Yes? No? Aviary has canaries, gouldians, bronze winged mannikins, and spice finches.

[w.l.]

They should thrive in the outside aviary once night temperatures also stay over 20 C or so. They are peaceful towards unrelated species, though the presence of bigger species (canaries) or pushier ones (your mannikins) may inhibit them from breeding.
Keep at least two females!

[Shannylee]

w.l., they were able to enjoy sunshine for probably the first time this afternoon. So sweet to watch them sun themselves and to see the peace in their eyes. Then...the boys started to squabble. End of peaceful moment. LOL! I didn't have them in the sun for long because I didn't want their little bald heads to sunburn.