Possible illness

[Raleighwheels]

Thanks everyone! I am glad to hear that you guys don't think she looks stressed out. I have been doing my best to avoid things that might irritate her, so I haven't vacuumed in like a week.

[L in Ontario]

Thanks everyone! I am glad to hear that you guys don't think she looks stressed out. I have been doing my best to avoid things that might irritate her, so I haven't vacuumed in like a week.

I'm telling on you!!!

Seriously - if you're going to breed finches - get used to having a messy area. Privacy is the priority for successful breeding.

[Raleighwheels]

Thanks everyone! I am glad to hear that you guys don't think she looks stressed out. I have been doing my best to avoid things that might irritate her, so I haven't vacuumed in like a week.

I'm telling on you!!!

Seriously - if you're going to breed finches - get used to having a messy area. Privacy is the priority for successful breeding.

haha I know, I know... I am hoping to get an apartment with wooden floors sometime soon, so I can sweep quietly, instead of using a vacuum. As for the mess right now, it doesn't help that I tripped over the cord for the heat lamp and spilled dishes full of seed hulls all over the floor.

[L in Ontario]

Thanks everyone! I am glad to hear that you guys don't think she looks stressed out. I have been doing my best to avoid things that might irritate her, so I haven't vacuumed in like a week.

I'm telling on you!!!

Seriously - if you're going to breed finches - get used to having a messy area. Privacy is the priority for successful breeding.

I know, I know... I am hoping to get an apartment with wooden floors sometime soon, so I can sweep quietly, instead of using a vacuum. As for the mess right now, it doesn't help that I tripped over the cord for the heat lamp and spilled dishes full of seed hulls all over the floor.

I get very upset with myself when I spill whole dishes of fresh eggfood or drop water dishes cause I am carrying too much! Somedays I'm like a bull in a china shop when I'm in the birdroom!

[burquechick]

Yeah, she looks very healthy and beautiful to me too. Not sick looking at all.

[Raleighwheels]

Bit of an update on Penelope. She is still acting the same, normal behavior, but still has an inflamed looking vent. Her feathers around the vent are kind of missing, which I think is from frustration, like someone mentioned above. She is still acting jumpy from time to time, and her tail is bobbing a little more than usual.

If she is healing from a cut on the vent, how long could it take for it to heal up?

I am still providing a nice source of calcium for her and I do provide a warm bath, but she is getting tired of it and mostly ignores it now.

[elkins82]

Hey burquechick--fellow Burqueno finch person here !

[cindy]

Reading through this I was thinking the same as Kenny, when you said her vet was sticking out. This means the hen was straining to get the egg out, it broke as it came out or it broke inside and she was able to pass it. The problem is when it breaks inside the bird can get an infection internally, peritonitis. I would observe her closely and if she seems sick or is at the bottom fluffed it may be wise to help her along with an antibiotic. Often hens can also develop adhesions that make it difficult to pass the egg or prevent it from passing.

Heat, calcium are all good thisng. Hope she continues to do well for you.

[terrig]

Watch your little hen closely. There is a protozoa, cryptosporidium that likes to settle into the proventicular area of finches. The droppings will be watery and sometimes dark green in color. Ronivet or ronex may help her and is pretty safe even with sitting hens and new babies. If she pumps her butt after droppings that is often the culprit:) I've attached a photo of a case that is of course much worse but maybe it will help?

[Diamond Sparrow]

Try rubbing a little olive oil on her vent.Do not add to much liquid calcium to the birds water as they can overdose as they have no control how much calcium they take in.
Give her plenty of grit and cuttlebone.Fresh vegies cucumber ,corn,and peas.Sprinkle some multivitamin powder over a small peice of cucumber.

[debbie276]

The problem is when it breaks inside the bird can get an infection internally, peritonitis. I would observe her closely and if she seems sick or is at the bottom fluffed it may be wise to help her along with an antibiotic.

I sure hope she still isn't sick, this was posted back in March of 2011.

[cindy]

Debbie...it is an old post...did not notice the date until you posted it!!

[Raleighwheels]

Thanks guys. I thought I posted somewhere about her a long time ago. She passed away in May from whatever was going on. At one point the vet did an x-ray and there was a very pronounced egg there. I treated her for weeks and nothing happened. It got to the point where she couldn't perch and was flopping on the ground. The vet gave her a shot of fluids and gave us some things to hand feed her with. The vet did another x-ray, but said the egg was totally gone. After the shot, she went back to being active but having the same pure liquid droppings. One day she fell from her perch and just couldn't stay on her feet. I tried hand feeding but she died in my hand. Ultimately I believe she lasted a couple months with whatever was wrong.

[cindy]

So sorry for your loss. It sounds like you gave her a good life and tried all you could to help her.

[tinysparrow]

hi Raleighwheels,
i'm so sorry that your hen died a while back. i have had birds die in my hands too and its so sad even though its really hard, i always feel privileged to be able to hold them in their last moments so they are not alone. you did an amazing job of looking after her while she was with you.