FINCHforum

I have a little problem right now Today i found 2 tail feathers outside my society finches cage! I was a little shocked, since i first thought that two of the males might have been fighting and pulling feathers from each other.

One of the males - Anubis, has a a bit of a raggedy looking tail right now, while it was previously looking perfect!

The feathers i found on the floor weren't crooked or broken in any way, so i wonder if he is just molting ? Do they lose some of their tailfeathers when molting ?

Here in sweden its still winter, but turning into spring. When is it typical for the molting period to start ?

Halp plz

Sounds like a moult, its around the end of winter to start of spring for most finches. Societies dont seem to moult the same as alot of finches they only seem to lose a few feathers at a time.

I dont know about society finches,
but zebras molt almost all the time,
They molt their tail, head, chest... ect.

Oh i see! Must be a molt then do you think there is anything to think about when the birds are molting ? Like giving vitamins or some other additives to their diet ?


I love your avatar btw Vargur ^_^ that red bird is fascinating!!

Thank you

you could give them maybe eggfood or hardboiled eggs
as an extra in their daily food portion.

Not really necessary during moulting with zebs or societies when giving a good varied diet, but if your a little bit concerned extra vitamins added in water won't hurt every once and a while. The key is a good diet seed fruit and vegetables along with the occasional egg/softfood fresh water. Now would be a good starting time to add some extra calcium for your hens calcium mineral powders grit cuttlebone are all great starts.

Thank you for the good advice! I already give seed, fresh water, mineral grit and vegetables/fruit! I gave the birds eggfood with crushed eggshells quite often earlier on, but somehow i thought that it made my society hen fat and stopped i'll give them eggfood once in a while then