Missing feathers

zeebeez · Post by **zeebeez** » Fri Jan 12, 2018 1:38 am

Hi,

I own two zebra finches (1 male and 1 female). I used to own more, but I was having problems; some of the other females would attack the female bird I currently have because she had a mate (we didn’t have other males). So, I gave the females to other homes, and kept the couple. Since she went through that, the female has been missing some feathers on her back (a small patch right behind her neck, in the middle of her wings). It hasn’t been getting better.. every time it get better, I see that feathers are missing again. I’ve been giving her feather growing supplements, and over the last few months, it has not spread to any other areas, nor has it spread to the male. It’s just that small patch on her back that’s missing some feathers, and I don’t know what to do about it. I’m wondering if maybe she’s doing it to herself. I try to give her egg food, egg shells, and leafy greens. She’s kind of been out of the sun lately, but she usually gets a sun lamp in part of her certain times of the day, which helps her a bit. There’s no bird vet in my town (only cats and dogs) so I can’t even take her. I was wondering if anyone knew what might be the problem.. she’s been having this issue for a few months now.

Flight Feathers · Post by **Flight Feathers** » Fri Jan 12, 2018 2:09 am

Hi, welcome to the forum! I'm not sure about the feather problem you are having sorry, but hopefully someone on this forum will have advice for you! Yes females can get very jealous when another female in their cage has a mate and they don't. I have had this problem also even though there was an equal ratio of males and females!

wildbird · Post by **wildbird** » Sat Jan 13, 2018 12:19 am

The male is plucking her. Seems to be a common problem with Zebras.

zeebeez · Post by **zeebeez** » Sun Jan 14, 2018 3:10 am

What?? Males pluck the females?
How come??

Flight Feathers · Post by **Flight Feathers** » Sun Jan 14, 2018 4:09 am

I think males sometimes pluck their mates for nest material...

Fraza · Post by **Fraza** » Sun Jan 14, 2018 6:09 pm

Flight Feathers males can pluck females and females can pluck females or the same gnder can pluck it can be jealously, nesting material , wanting to breed, a threat or just being a bully.

Zebras can be like this my best way to stop it with mine is to put them in another cage by ther self where all the other birds are good with each other and then he will feel lonely then when you put him back in with his biut 2 days later he will be happy

I had a nasty zebra so I put her in with a pair of society’s and when she attacked the male society he pecked her back and when she stopped being aggressive bought a week later I let her back she was fine

Any finch will fight as they need a flock leader once you have one you can’t move them out of the cage mine is my society so if I took him out everyone would fight because they don’t have a flock leader

Flight Feathers · Post by **Flight Feathers** » Mon Jan 15, 2018 2:53 am

Fraza yeah that makes sense. I don't have a flock leader as I keep all my pairs seperate.

Fraza · Post by **Fraza** » Mon Jan 15, 2018 1:29 pm

Flight Feathers yeh atkeast yours is easier to manage though I’d rather your set up

Flight Feathers · Post by **Flight Feathers** » Mon Jan 15, 2018 5:13 pm

Fraza wrote: Flight Feathers yeh atkeast yours is easier to manage though I’d rather your set up

Lol I don't have very many finches tho. I've only got 2 breeding cages attached to the end of my finch aviairy and then I have 2 other cages in my aviairy too. So the top breeding cage has breeding canaries ( inundating eggs ) and the bottom cage has my best zebra finch breeding pair and they have four babies in a nest. And then in another cage in there I have my black face with a friends finch and I'm trying to breed them. ( I'm borrowing a zebra off her and she's borrowing one of me ) Then the next cage ( separation, bonding cage ) is empty. And then in the actual aviairy I have 2 young female zebra finches, one I'm keeping, one I'm giving to a friend, and then a flightless budgie, 2 Chinese quail ( currently with a nest of eggs ) and my goldfinch and they are all very happy- no fighting which is a nice change from what it use to be like a little while back.

Flight Feathers · Post by **Flight Feathers** » Mon Jan 15, 2018 5:14 pm

And then my second aviary is just the 2 budgies, 2 cockatiels and the Turk and they get on reasonably well. Sometimes they threaten each other but that's about as far as it goes.

wildbird · Post by **wildbird** » Mon Jan 15, 2018 11:29 pm

That's what Zebras do!

Fraza · Post by **Fraza** » Tue Jan 16, 2018 4:08 am

Flight Feathers yep that sounds good I didn’t even realize you had two aviarys

Flight Feathers · Post by **Flight Feathers** » Tue Jan 16, 2018 2:03 pm

Fraza wrote: Flight Feathers yep that sounds good I didn’t even realize you had two aviarys

Yep, it's on my signature!

Fraza · Post by **Fraza** » Tue Jan 16, 2018 3:59 pm

Flight Feathers oh yeh haha didn’t even realize

Flight Feathers · Post by **Flight Feathers** » Tue Jan 16, 2018 6:49 pm

Fraza wrote: Flight Feathers oh yeh haha didn’t even realize

Yep. How long you had birds for? I've been a bird owner about a year and a half.

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