My Baby Fitch cant fly..

[lillie33]

My baby finch, was on the floor of the cage today when I got home from work. I'm not sure if he fell out of the nest, or came out, he is about 3 or more weeks old. He has all his feathers, and looks fine. But could'nt fly, He would flap his wings, but couldnt fly. I put him on the perch and he would sit for awhile but would eventually fall back to the floor. Is this normal? Or does it take a while for them to learn to fly?

[Hilary]

If it's only 3 weeks it's just now learning (fledging). I'd put it back in the nest with the parents if you haven't already.

Good luck!

Hilary

[lillie33]

That makes me feel better. Yeah I put him back in the nest, so he is fledging I will keep an eye on him. This is my finches first chick, and it is solid white except a little brown on his head. Both the parents are just the standard grey and brown fitches..is this unusual for them to have a white chick?

[Hilary]

I'm not sure. What kind of finches are they? Zebras? If so, somebody else here would have to answer - I understand their genetics can get kind of complicated, but it's obviously it's possible!

And just to make sure, everything else about the chick is fine? He's eating well, behaving normally, etc?

Hilary

[kenny]

let us know what type of finches you have then ,we will be able to help with the colour

ken

[lillie33]

Thanks, they are standard zebra's. Female grey and white underneath, the male is the gray, speckled brown on sides orange cheeks. The baby is snow white with a tad of gray on her head. The chick is eating well today, they have been feeding her okay, the baby got out of the nest again, flapping her wings, and I put her back in her nest. She is really pretty.

[kenny]

hi lillie
i am afraid its something you have to put up with breeding zebras,as you dont know the parentage of your adults sometimes you get these mutations thrown up from time to time depending on what the granparents were they could have been part white or pied or any colour so your chicks when they are old enough to breed could throw up even more white ones,obviously if it is all white with an orange beak it will be white but if it has teardrops it may be a chestnut flanked white....again if it turns out to be allwhite it will be harder to sex as they get no markings at all .......but then again if it is a c f w it will show colours if it is a male but teardrop marks only if it is a hen bird......hope this helps


ken

[Crystal]

If it's a CFW it can't be a male chick. It sounds like the chick is a CFW hen which would make your cock a carrier of the CFW gene (which is sex linked recessive). It is also possible that it is pied, but the grey on the head makes it sound most like a CFW chick to me. My prediction is that it will be white with black or grey tear drops, and a hen.

[kenny]

hi cyrystal
if it is a male c f w it will not show its colours for a while yet as i beleive that they hav not fledged yet


ken

[Sally H]

WB Crystal!

Kenny, I think what she is pointing out is that sex linked recessive traits that show up in offspring of birds not showing that trait would be females because of how the zz yz thing works.

[kenny]

hi sally
sorry i stand corrected!you of course are right
ken

[lillie33]

I really feel dumb. The Baby chick is doing great, he/she is getting around all over the cage. She comes and goes in her nest when she pleases. I was really worried about her when I first wrote to you guys. But thanks for the comments and putting my worries at ease.

[Hilary]

Hey, it's always worrying when you see a bird on the bottom of the cage! We all log in to learn from each other. Glad the chick is doing well.

Hilary