finch death

tessluckysniffer · Post by **tessluckysniffer** » Sat Dec 01, 2007 10:34 pm

I got my husband 2 society finches last x-mas. The breeder said they were 9 months old. I found one dead 2 months later. I waited 2 weeks like the breeder said to make sure remaining bird was healthy then got a new bird from a pet store. The new bird laid 5 eggs, one of which hatched and survived. About 4 months later I found the other original bird dead, which left mom and offspring. Today I came home to find the offspring dead. None of these birds have appeared ill& none have had a mark on them. I am just sick about this. I don't know what could be happening. The cage is clean, they are fed and watered daily, they have a large cage. Has anyone else ever encountered this???

Post by **Hilary** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 12:01 am

Wow - I'm so sorry! Societies are very hardy, so obviously something's going on. One thought would be environmental - cooking with teflon, or using sprays or cleaning chemicals around them. Did any show any sign of being sick (fluffed, lethargic) or did they just drop?

tessluckysniffer · Post by **tessluckysniffer** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 7:23 am

I have been very careful about all of the things you asked about--that's why this is so upsetting. Is it ok to now have only one finch, or should I try again and buy another? I am really nervous about this whole deal. I feel awful.

Post by **Sally** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 11:57 am

I agree with Hilary, Societies are just about the hardiest of finches, so something must be going on. It's also a little odd that the one female laid 5 eggs, but only hatched one--not impossible, of course, but a little unusual. If you could detail what you feed, perhaps someone on this forum could spot a potential problem. It's always best to have more than one finch, as they want companionship, but in this case, I would wait to see if you can figure out a reason for the deaths before you add another finch. I'm very sorry for your losses and understand how you feel.