FINCHforum

This is a picture of my fires! Not sure how this works but the male is bright red the other is female. Not sure if both pictures uploaded.

He looks like he's cock of the walk! Standing proud

Beautiful birds!

OAvila1986

Hi Orlando,

Your boy is gorgeous!
Your girl however, looks a little too fluffed for my liking.
Do you have a warm light on them?

lovezebs so glad u replied lol remember talking about them and u wanted to see pictures?
There u have it. I known is cold in southern California for some reson....
I don't have a light but I take them indoors b4 6pm

OAvila1986

Thanks for the pictures btw.

If I were you, I would place a warm light at one corner, close to a favorite perch. That birdling is cold , all fluffed up like that. All you need, is a clip on lamp, with a 60w bulb in it.

lovezebs yes I'll hope she is not sick and she is just cold. I tried catching her and to see under he belly but she was moving so much in my hand I didn't want to hurt her and she was dark in skin color plus her dark feather down there just made it hard to see any thing.
I didn't want to exhausted her either.

OAvila1986

Well, good luck.

OAvila1986 - I would also be concerned about her being so very puffed up. Do you know anything about her? If she was just recently imported or if the seller had kept her indoors at all times. Did she look puffy in the seller's cage? Or did she look okay because she was stressed by all these people looking at her and her trying to get away, constantly moving around in the cage? Did the seller have several females to pick from?
I personally would not put the cage outside even if it is only during the daytime. The last few days the wind has been quite chilly. I would leave the cage inside with the light on at all times until she gets better.
Iso

If that female is so puffed up most of the time, chances are she is not just cold but sick. In any case, a bird kept cold is on the way to being sick.
Freshly imported African waxbills are sensitive and should be kept warm (not under 24C or so) during the acclimatization period.
They may also carry infections picked up at the traders.
I would not only keep that bird indoors with a warm lamp, but probably also give her antibiotics (I know other members are against this).
Usually when a finch already looks sick, it is quite ill and there's not much time left to waste. It is particularly suspicious that she stayed so fluffed up when being photographed, most birds would fly around nervously.

w.l. - Perfect advice!
Hope she'll be okay!
Iso

isobea really don't know much from the seller or her. I do know when I asked for one I asked for a female. And the guy getting one from the cage got her and I did notice she was puffed up like that at the birdmart.
Once u put your hand in they mix around and fly around I did see that.
I do put her in the light at night when they come in.
I just feel that when I had societys indoors they seem unhappy because every time I would take them out for cleaning they started signing and chirping like they were glad to come out, I could be wrong.

isobea she was with other fires both males and females.

w.l.
I do notice
Each time for feeding time
She gets scared and Flys around like it's the
End of the world for her.
It's her first week with me and I noticed she likes her roommate the male. They sit next to each other. I see their poop and I belive it looks normal. It's all mixed with each other's poo and it all looks alike. Same color same size....

Really don't know anything about her from the seller. I went and asked for a female. She was the one that was puffed up like that but one you go in to get one they mixed and end up with her. What antibiotics should I get?

OAvila1986 - Did you by any chance get the seller's business card? Or is his name/phone number/address on the receipt he gave you? You might want to contact him. Since you noticed she was puffed up like that in the cage, he should not have sold you that bird. Does she have a colored band on one of her legs? If so, it would have been easy for him to identify her, meaning he should have taken her out and quarantined her in a different cage.
Iso