New finch owner - goldfinch questions

[alexa_price]

Recently I adopted two finches, a Gouldian and a European goldfinch, from an aviary. I don't know how old either is, but I am particularly curious about Arya, my goldfinch. She was the only goldfinch in the aviary, and I am her third owner in a short time.
She looks like she is having some trouble with the feathers on her head. I am pretty sure she is going through a moult, as I have found some downy gray feathers at the bottom of the cage. Other than her missing feathers, she seems like a happy, lively bird - she eats, drinks, sings, flies about, hangs upside down from the cage bars, sleeps normally, etc.
I am wondering if her missing feathers on her face are just a result of the moult, or if maybe one of the male canaries in her previous aviary got a bit rough with her (I know that sometimes those two species mate). Or, is she actually a young finch changing into a more mature plumage? Her dark head feathers are mottled with gray, which is why I'm curious. From what I've read mottled feathers seem to mean "young finch," "crossbreed," or just "female."

I also know that goldfinches need a varied diet so I have been feeding her vegetables and eggfood with shells in addition to her seed mix (which includes grass seed, oats, rapeseed, millet, niger seed, fruits, veggies, and herbs). I have also mixed Harrison's Sunshine Factor with the seeds.

[Sally]

I don't know anything about Goldfinches, so I can't help you there, but I did want to welcome you to the forum! There's lots of good reading at www.finchinfo.com, where you will find many articles on finch care and various species.

[delray]

Welcome to the forum!! Your finches are very cute. Enjoy everything this forum has to offer!

[MiaCarter]

Oh, am I ever jealous! I love European goldfinches! I'm dying for another pair myself!

Very lovely.

My guess would be that it's a molt.
Plucking usually looks a bit more concentrated in one spot, more widespread and in other areas, like the back of the head, back and tail.

(It doesn't necessarily need to be a male plucker, by the way. Females can do it too, either to themselves or another female.)
It's also rather unusual to see plucking around the eyes or front of the face as they usually maneuver in a way that protects that area from an aggressor. So I think it's more likely it's a molt.

If it's been like this for a while, she could be stuck in molt. That can happen when a bird is stressed. The upset basically interrupts the molt, pausing it for a period of time. The body will resume molt once the stressor is eliminated. Molt takes up a lot of physical resources, leaving them vulnerable. So if a stressor arises, the body pauses the molt and diverts resources to deal with the stressor.
But you said you were seeing lots of small feathers, so it's likely just fine. Goldfinches don't typically do a hard molt like gouldians; it's much more gradual.

He looks really well colored out, so I think it's unlikely to be a juvenile molt. Possible, of course. If that was the case, he'd be at the very tail end of the juvenile molt.

I'd just offer a diet rich in protein (the egg food is good; perhaps add some bugs like mealworms??) along with Feather Fast. That supplement has lots of good nutrients to help with molting. That, combined with a calm atmosphere, should do the trick!

Give it a few weeks --- even a couple months --- and she should be looking great. If you don't see any improvement or if it gets worse with time, you might consider another issue like mites. But right now, I wouldn't worry about any of that; it's likely just a molt.

Congrats on your new friend!

[Elsidewe]

i tend to agree with MiaCarter,
except that i guess the feather loss is due to some stress because you have mentioned that your Goldfinch has changed 3 owners in a short period of time.
i guess giving her a good place to fly, some protein based food would help her release the stress and get back her full feather coat.

[finchmix22]

I agree with the others; however, I'll mention that finches do pluck others around the head, especially bye the ears. I see some of that on her in the picture. So, the combination of the stress and many an aviary mate being pushy or aggressive, also triggered a molt. Plus, when you feed eggfood and there's a change in the environment, that can trigger a molt. The Feather Fast helps the molt finish a little faster, so that could be an option. Otherwise, give her time to adjust and watch for any other signs she might have a problem. Hopefully, she just needs a stable home.

[jonvill]

This is the time of year that goldfinches normally moult.

[Nipper06]

European Goldfinches like a slightly different seed mix than "regular" finches. They need fattier oil-type seeds in their diet. So try some hemp and black sunflower in your mix. A source for hemp seed: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hemp-Seeds-hemp ... 20d3bf154c

Another seed they love is thistle or niger seed, that they sell for wild goldfinches. I could get my goldfinches to perch on my arm to get niger seed in the palm of my hand - they liked it that much!

You can buy some sort of "sock" in wild bird stores for niger/thistle seed (for wild goldfinches). It might be neat to try one of these in your cage and have your goldfinch climb on it.



http://shop.wbu.com/p/wbu-finch-sock?pp=12

I think Goldfinches also need lots of green food - both for their nutrition and to maintain their colors. Don't use iceberg lettuce - it's not that nutritious - better to get a salad mix with dark greens or plants like kale, radish greens, romaine lettuce, clean dandelions (not pee'd on by a dog!), etc.

[Harley2013]

I have had my gold finches for maybe 3 weeks? They are not yet eating egg nor greens. :/ what's up with this? I am guessing they are picky and take awhile to adjust and eat new foods like lady Gouldins are?

[alexa_price]

Hmmm... mine (goldfinch and Gouldian) really like broccoli, so that might be worth a shot. They also nibble a bit on corn, or shredded carrots.
They are picky, but you might be able to entice them by putting thistle/niger seed all over everything! My goldfinch goes nuts over that stuff.

[Harley2013]

Okay, thank you, I will try that and see what happens.

[bonalou]

Hi, I am also a new member. I bought a pair of european goldfinches 3 weeks ago.They are in a large aviary by themselves.My question is this Will they mate at this time of the year? I see the male doing his dance.They were shipped from a breeder in Michigan.I live in northeast Pa.They have only natural daylight at my home but the breeder stated that they were at 9 hours of daylight in his aviary.

[jonvill]

Goldfinches go to nest in late summer when the daylight hours are 13 or more.

[bonalou]

Thank you