Swee's

Carmen · Post by **Carmen** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 6:04 am

Hi,

I am having Swee Waxbills and I'm wondering if people here have them too and how their experiences with them are.
Hillary, I thought you had 8 from them, how are they doing?
I'm very curious, these birds are really my favourites!
Also, In th US, how is breeding with them?
In the Netherlands they are very rare...
I only know one person who had eggs with them, but that's all

Post by **Hilary** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 9:11 pm

Carmen -

I do still have those little guys, and like you I just adore them. Like in the Netherlands they're pretty hard to find here in the States. Up until a couple of weeks ago they were doing great. They've laid eggs like crazy, but so far all clear.

(Of course, part of the problem was figuring out the hen-cock pairings!!) I gave them dome-type wicker nests which they liked, and they seem to take to any kind of nesting material - jute, coconut fiber and/or feathers.

I need to get away from the wicker, though, because I did lose a hen when she got a nail caught. She was able to get into the nest with her leg caught outside and I probably found her in under 20 min, but I think it was just too stressful for her.

I have another that's having balancing issues. I've tried extra calcium (no luck), and now am giving her nystatin and Ronivet. No improvement with that, either so far. One male is looking really shabby (her mate), but I'm hoping it's just a molt.

What has worked for you? How are yours doing?

Hilary

Carmen · Post by **Carmen** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 10:09 am

Nice to hear your story Hilary.
I began with four, last winter. One died because of coccidiose (they must have had it when I bought them

)
This summer I went on holiday and one was dead when I came back, one nearly.
I went again on holiday and my sister took care of my birds. She was able to save the nearly dead one and now he's doing fine.
Last week I was able to buy two hens, they have cost me a fortune, but they're worth it.
My problem was with them that I had in spring 3 cocks. They built a beautiful nest, from coconut fiber and small white cotton threads. Also feathers. Jute they didn't used.
I had given them a whicker nest, too. I like that thing, but loosing a hen by it, that's a shame

I also gave them a half open nesting box, but they have never attempted to go in there.
The hens I bought are not in such good shape, one is totally shabby, and is missing feathers on her head...
But she will be alright.

What do you mean with balancing issues? Maybe I can help you?

I've noticed that they are very vulnerable for dirty cages. Therefore I have removed all things out of the cage, so that it's easy to clean.
I try to clean the cage every day.
Besides that they need lots of living food. If I hadn't been giving them living food when they were ill, I would have lost them all.
I give them tiny mealies.
Oh and I've noticed they eat more eggfood than seeds.

My cocks are all excited with their two hens, I've heard a cute twittering song I had never heard them singing before. Only the moulting hen is ignored, I hope she will be better soon.

This is a picture of the nest they built, not totally finished. Bad picture by the way...

Post by **Hilary** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 11:53 am

Carmen -

Thanks for the tips! The cage is usually pretty clean (tiny birds, tiny droppings), but I could be giving them more protein in their diet.

The balancing issue has been present for several weeks now. I first thought she was dying - she was on the bottom of the cage squeeking and fluttering around. Calcium and electrolytes with heat seemed to improve her, but then a couple of weeks later it happened again - lots of squeeking, and this time she was bouncing off the cage walls. Again, calcium and electrolytes improved her. She has problems sometimes hitting a perch square on, and when she's perching she leans hard to the left. She's also VERY easy to catch (good thing since I'm catching her twice a day to give her Nystatin orally). I put paper on the bottom of the cage after finding her with her head between the bottom bars (she got it out when she saw me), and she spent last night sitting on the bottom of the cage. Any ideas? Poor little thing....

Hilary

Carmen · Post by **Carmen** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 12:35 pm

Ow, that sounds horrible!
I'm still trying to find out what it could be, I'm thinking of an infection. There is an endoparasite called atoxoplasmose that can led to blindness and uncontrolled flying.
But I don't want to make you anxious, I'm also not sure if this are symptomes you recognise. English isn't my native language, so sometimes it's hard for me to understand certain things...

But what I know for sure, is that you have to put this bird apart from the others in a warmed cage. The bird is very weak and has already breaking down muscles (the bird can't reach perches, can only sit on the ground)
It's also important to seperate the bird from the others, so that the other birds can't be infected too.
Give the bird soaked seed, plenty eggfood and living food, everything on the ground.

You could perhaps ask Crystal, she knows a lot about diceases.

As I told you, my Swees have had coccidiose, also an endoparasite. In some ways it looks like the atoxoplasmose. When they had this, their coordination was very bad, they couldn't perch on the place they were planning and couldn't sit on them, just fell off.

This summer when I was on holiday, one bird was ill too, I don't know if it was coccidiose, but my sister found the bird on his bag! She put the bird in her hand, she thought that he was dead, but he wasn't.
Strangely enough the bird survived. Just by putting food and water on the ground!

To me it sounds not like just a weakened bird, but one with very serious illness symptomes. If I was you, I would let the poops from this bird researched.
Then you have certainty what it is and you can give them medicines for this particular dicease.

Oh and also, if this bird has atoxoplasmose, you would be able to see an enlarged liver. I've pictures from that in one of my books. I will see if I can scan this into my computer.

Post by **Hilary** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 2:23 pm

Carmen -

Anything you find out would be great. I know that she's not weak, and that this is serious. Every time I go to check on her I half expect to find her gone. I did leave water with Guardian Angel (product with electrolytes) on the floor of the cage this morning, and her food is also down low. Sometimes she's fine - she actually balanced in some hanging plastic plants to sleep the night before last. Then she gets bad again.

Hilary

cooltom28 · Post by **cooltom28** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 2:57 pm

these birds are actually yellow bellied waxbills not true swee i will try to get a picture for you

Post by **Hilary** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 9:32 pm

According to Hancock House Encyclopedia of Estrildid Finches the little guys I have (and probably Carmen) belong to one of the subspecies of the Dufresne's waxbill. Both swee and yellow bellied waxbill seem to be common names for the entire species. I'd love to see your pics - it'd be interesting to see which subspecies is more common in the UK (same one?).

Hilary

Carmen · Post by **Carmen** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 10:40 am

This is a photo of two males (the one at the left is there still a young bird) of mine.

There is a little bit confusion about the scientific name. At some pages, the Yellow bellied waxbill is called as Estrilda quartinia quartinia, as if it is subscribed as a different species than the Dufresne. At other pages the Yellow Belly is subscribes as a sub-species from the Dufresne, Estrilda melanotis quartinia.

The dutch society for African Waxbills doesn't give the name 'Swee' at all!
See for their page: http://www.scapnl.com/
They have a complete list from all the african Waxbills (unfortunately it's in dutch).

This saturday I will meet some very expert and knowledgeable people.
I will ask what they think from the name confusion, if I get the chance.

Hilary, I will also ask them what they think of the behaviour of your bird, more minds know more.
And if you are able, please put the bird apart from the others. The bird will have less stress and more rest.
I was also wondering, you are giving him some medicin, where is that for?
It seems to me that the bird will have so much stress by catching him twice a day, I doubt that it will improve his health. Unless you know for sure it's working for his dicease of course...

Post by **Hilary** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 11:17 am

Please ask - any help would be appreciated. Unfortunately my avian vet just quit, so I'm kind of hanging out here on my own. Waxbill owners gave my three possible causes - low calcium (tried Calciboost, plus regular eggshell), fungal infection (using the Nystatin), or protozoal (using the Ronivet). I also have a cup of water with electrolytes down low in the cage in cage she needs it, though she's been getting up to the top cups of water and has been eating. Problem also is that I'm leaving town on Saturday and will be gone a week, and am not sure just how much my petsitter can do for her while I'm gone.....

Hilary

cooltom28 · Post by **cooltom28** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 11:37 am

the subspecies you have are also most common in the UK as most of our stock come sin from europe (cheaper).

Carmen · Post by **Carmen** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 4:28 pm

How is the bird doing now?
And the others, how are they, any succes with breeding?
I asked some people about your bird, but they don't dare to make a conclusion. The bird is maybe blind, that was the only thing they said.
They are right to make no conclusion, you are the owner and are knowing best. Maybe I was too quick to make a conclusion.

My two new hens aren't in good shape, a couple of weeks ago one was making a clicking noise. I ve given her ivomec twice (airsackmite). The clicking became less, but it's not over yet.

Do you have your pairs in all seperated cages?

Post by **Hilary** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 4:56 pm

Thanks for asking, Carmen! She died about a month after first showing symptoms.

I never did figure out what happened, though a friend wonders if she didn't have a stroke? She certainly acted like it, poor little thing. No luck with the others yet - I just get infertile eggs. I have one pair I finally put in a cage full of gouldians to encourage them to quit laying and take a break (even when I took their nest away I kept finding eggs all over the floor of the cage), one pair is with a pair of strawberries (I'm also giving them a break), and the two widowers are keeping house with a pair of rosy rumps. When I'm trying to breed, though, they get a cage to themselves.

Sorry to hear about your hens - hopefully the medication will take care of the problem!

Hilary

Carmen · Post by **Carmen** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 5:24 pm

Sorry to hear that.
My hen died today. The medication didn't help. I tried antibiotics... The bird couldn't swallow normally or something like that. She acted so strange after I gave her the medication... She sat there making strange movements with her head and opening and closing her beak...
This morning I said goodbye to her, I could take her in my hands.
Birdkeeping is sometimes very unpleasant I have to say,but the bird is now at least free from suffering.

The other hen is very bald on the head, but doesn't have a serious infection like the other.

Strange that the birds are laying everywhere eggs, I diddn't know they are that easy with that, almost like Australian finches. I've experienced it with the Owls. I'v had to seperate them.
One tip if you hadn't already done it: give them nothing natural. One small branch with leaves or anything like that can be seen as a nest by them. My Owls laid eggs on a pine leaf. all the eggs were broken on the ground...

Do you see the pairs mate?
Another declaration for unfertile eggs can be the airhumidity. How high is it, do you know?

Post by **Hilary** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 7:16 am

Carmen, how are your swees doing now? I just got three new ones (we think 2 males and 1 female). That puts me at 6 males and 3 females now.

Question. The other day one of the perfectly healthy males could not balance. He fell off of several perches, hit the bottom of the cage, fluttered around for a couple of seconds, then stiffened and arched his neck and back. I was sure I was watching him go. Then he relaxed, breathed heavily for a couple of minutes, and flew back up to his mate. He's been acting normally ever since. Have any of your swees ever behaved that way? Another when stressed (I moved him to a new cage) did the same arching thing. Seems neurological. Anybody else seen this in any of their birds?