Zebra parents plucking their babies, help!

[summert85]

One of my zebra pair have two babies, theyre now 10 days old. i've seen pin feathers but today they're both have bold spots and i noticed the mom is picking on herself...plucking her feathers...she too also has bold spots...I've tried to take the mom out and leave the babies in with dad. but didn't seem like he was feeding them much...so i put mom back in with them...she feeds the babies and everything. but why is she plucking them? and herself? dad is as handsome as he can be...no problem with him.

[cindy]

Summer often they pluck either due to nurtional need or the urge to nest again. Sometimes the chicks are pluced after fledging or right before due to the parents wanting them to fledge or stay away from the nest.

What are they getting as far as foods go?

This happens with one of my pairs, my BC CFW and as soon as the young fledge it stops.

Sometimes I see this more in lightly colored chicks than darker chicks, out of curiousity what color are the chicks and parents?

[summert85]

Cindy, dad is black breast..mom is split black cheek and split orange breast. they get egg food, regular finch seeds, veggies daily. I'm worried the babies won't be able to tolerate the plucking...

[finchmix22]

Sounds like it may be a nutritional issue. What type of veggies do you give? Maybe add a supplement sprinkled over the food or in the water.

[summert85]

they like carrots and lettuces...they also get the liquid supplement in the water. i not sure what esl I'm missing

[finchmix22]

What supplement and green lettuce do you give? I give my finches a combination of Romaine lettuce, shredded broccoli, carrots, and the occasional yellow/orange/red pepper sliced. I put Calcium Plus in the water at the beginning and eggfood during the hatchling phase to weaning. They eat a combination of seed/pellet, which has the vitamins.

[summert85]

Romaine lettuce and shredded carrots with egg food and bread crumbs. i added calcium plus to their water as well. along with finch seeds , sprout seeds, and pellets, which they love.

[ac12]

10 days old, so still about another 11 days before they fledge.

Are you sure mom is plucking herself, she may be pruning herself, and that may look like plucking herself.

So, is mom plucking herself or is dad doing the plucking?
Sometimes the plucker can be very hard to identify, as you rarely catch them in the act of plucking.

You could remove dad and see if the plucking stops.

[finchmix22]

Sounds like they have the right food. Gary may be correct about dad being the plucker. It's worth a try to see if the plucking stops and mom can continue to feed.

[summert85]

Thanks Gary, i might try that and see what happens. ive never witness dad plucking mom or the babies. but you maybe right. let me remove dad out for a day or two.

[summert85]

Is it a risky thing to do if i leave mom in with the two chicks? will she be okay to raise by herself til fledge and wean them?

[cindy]

Summer, where on the mother is she plucked?

I use this site for information from time to time, it talks about plucking and what to do.

http://www.zebrafinchsociety.co.uk/inde ... &Itemid=68

the section on plucked tails is very interesting and how it centered around the dish size...

[ac12]

2 chicks will be easy for mom to handle.
If it were 4...then that would be tough but still doable for her.

[cindy]

Summer, try this....perhaps the fated wants to nest again and is plucking the mom and chicks. I've done this...cut up nesting material and leave it down for the dad to play with, see if that stops the plucking, do this for a few days.

The article I posted is very good. You are feeding them well, it sounds like either the male wants to build and breed again or mom....depending on the bald spot location on her....is plucking to line the nest.

My shaft tails if given enough nesting material will continue to build the nest out to cover up so you can't see in even after egg are laid and chicks hatch. Some of my male zebras will rearrange nesting material with eggs and chicks in the nest....I think it is because the are instinctively trying to close the nest in to protect the hen and chicks.

[cindy]

I try alternative things if possible before removing the mate. Try to watch to see who is doing this, where they are doing it and possibly why.

I had 3 males, brothers ion one cage, there was a dominant boy that always plucked at the one smaller brother when he was in the food dish, chased him off.I set a bigger dish down and also hung a cup containing food.....plucking and chasing stopped.

You could try giving the male if he is the guilty one some down feather, cut up coco finer, tiny cut strips of paper towel....if he takes them to the nest and further lines the nest it may make him happy.

My BC male continues to build as my female sits, she ala moves nesting material as she incubates.