Gouldian Finch loosing color ????

[hootowl]

Hello all

I am fairly new to the finch world, and I need some help. I have a Gouldian finch that seems to be getting dull looking and its feathers are starting to look crappy. I would think the feathers are due to molting since I have notice allot of loose feathers around the cage and in the cage.
Also its getting white spots on its head. I have attached some pictures of it and need some feed back. I called the Bird store I always go to and said I needed to add some special food to bring back the color. Should I be feeding greens? I know I read that it can plug them up and some say its good. ~~ HELP~~~

Any help or suggestions would be great !!

[L in Ontario]

I am pretty sure I can see pin feathers coming in on his head- he is simply moulting. Provide him with some high protein food - egg food and he will be in stunning full colour again soom.

[hootowl]

Ok Thank you, I am pretty sure that is what the guy at the bird store I shop at said to get. I will go today and get some. Is this white spotting on its head feather loss or due to the fact the lack of the egg food I am not feeding???

My other birds in the same cage who are Zebra finches are looking fine and no molting yet from them. Is it common for Gouldian finches to loose there color with the lack of this protein in there diet ? and is this food something I should feed year round.

[debbie276]

He's molting. By the time you see pins on their heads they are just about done with the molt. Add high protein foods to their diet like hard boiled eggs.
He looks beautiful! Best of luck

[debbie276]

Ok Thank you, I am pretty sure that is what the guy at the bird store I shop at said to get. I will go today and get some. Is this white spotting on its head feather loss or due to the fact the lack of the egg food I am not feeding???

My other birds in the same cage who are Zebra finches are looking fine and no molting yet from them. Is it common for Gouldian finches to loose there color with the lack of this protein in there diet ? and is this food something I should feed year round.

What you are seeing are pin feathers which are basically the new feather surrounded by a shaft. As the feather grows out the shaft splits and falls off exposing the new feather. It's perfectly normal and not because of lack of protein foods.

[L in Ontario]

High protein foods will help him grow his new feathers a little quicker. Its a good thing.

You don't need to give it year round but some of us breeders do for the egg production, feeding babies and moulting.

[lovemyfinch]

In that second picture he is so cute, looking at you as though to say, What's the matter Jack, you don't think I'm pretty no more

All is well, he is just molting. If you are looking for the simplest ways to help him out, I owuld go with egg food (feathers are made of protien), and if you are able to acquire it Feather Fast.

[hootowl]

Thank you so much, This morning when I went to clean the cage I noticed this and I thought he was dying !!! His luster of color is horrible and then the white on the head threw me for a loop !!

I will start to add some Egg and this other food from the Bird shop.

I never really noticed with my other guys that they ever molted. Maybe because of the color on him I really noticed.

I have 2 Zebra Finches, A Owl finch , And a Black and white Mannikin finch and none of these guys ever made me stop like this and notice the molting.

Lovemyfinch.. LOL I still think he's pretty just needs a little color adjustment

[Vertdemer]

Yes, just molting...some picture who maybe will give you confidence about future of your bird...


Last summer...my "Opaline" male when heavily molting...

My Opaline when heavily molting...

two weeks later...

At the end of the molt..

than just now...

Right now...

Just after molting, feather seem duller or with "dust aspect"... the brightness will appear with time...

[hootowl]

WOW !!! Thanks for showing me the photos. Molting is a very ugly stage.

So will they do this every year? Or is this a age thing and a part of maturity. I dont know how old my gouldian is, I never did ask when I got him from the bird shop.

Gouldian's are such a beautiful bird but if someone were to see it in molting stage would beg to differ I am sure

[Vertdemer]

Yes! Every year you will "swim" in loose feathers!!!

[hootowl]

This is good to know, especially with my gouldian. Now I wont have a heart attack feeling when I see him looking like this.

Its strange how some Finches molt very bad and some you cant even tell when or if they are molting.

[kheather]

He is cute, and will be very pretty soon!!! Please post us a pic when he is done, you can hard boil an egg and mash it or grate it, and feed it that way...or I add some commercial premade eggfood to hardboiled egg. I then add extras brocolli florets cut of stem, peas squeezed out of shell (frozen,thawed) chopped kale and mustard greens. I add greens about 3-4 times a week.Into that mixture I can add powdered vitamins or feather fast when molting, they love their eggfood and its a great way to know I am getting their supplements in them. When not breeding or molting I feed it 2-3 times a week, otherwise everymorning...first thing I do, turn on lights pass out b'fast!! LOL

[ac12]

Not all birds MOLT like the gouldians.
Zebras molt all the time, but just a few feathers at a time, so you don't see the missing feathers and pin feathers like you do with a gouldian in molt.
Don't know about the molting of your other birds.

I give them chopped up hardboiled egg.
If you don't want to or cannot make fresh egg, there are commercial egg food mixes that you can buy. But on many of them the first ingredient is NOT egg, so you are not getting as much egg as you may think you are getting.

During molt, I give them egg food every morning.
When not molting, I cut back the egg to 2 or 3x a week.

[hootowl]

Maybe that is why this is all new to me, This is my very first Gouldian. I have never seen this before

When you say add a hard boiled egg , would it be the whole egg or half a egg? In my cage with my Gouldian I have two Zebras, I would think it would be ok for them to have the egg also or am I wrong ???
Also do you all give the egg food straight up or mix it in your other seed. Sorry for all the novice questions about this , This is my first bird that molted like this on me

kheather ~ I will post photos after he is done his molt. I went today and picked up eggfood. Once I know how much egg to add I will get on that also.