Badly Plucked Owl Finch

[ac12]

When BADLY plucked I keep the heat lamp on 24x7. You do not want him getting cold at night when the temp drops the most. If you want, you can switch to a RED bulb that you run 24x7 and a white bulb for daytime. Then the bird sees a day/night light cycle based on the white lamp.

You should also line/shield the cage so the heat from the lamp is not blown away. The shield will also give it privacy and help to calm him down.

I've had plucked birds take a few weeks to a few months to recover. Some just regrow their feathers faster than others, no way to tell. The bad part is if the bird has been constantly plucked, the feather folicles could have been damaged, then that folicle will not regrow a feather. The egg food will help the feathers grow. I would give it egg food 2x a day (morning and afternoon/evening).

Add some veggies (like chopped lettuce, but not spinach) to the egg food. Check the food section of the Finch Info Center on the left for specifics on good/bad veggies.

[henrietta]

When BADLY plucked I keep the heat lamp on 24x7. You do not want him getting cold at night when the temp drops the most. If you want, you can switch to a RED bulb that you run 24x7 and a white bulb for daytime. Then the bird sees a day/night light cycle based on the white lamp.

That's a good idea. I left his lamp on all night, but I was worried it would annoy him to have the bright light constantly. I'll get a red bulb tomorrow.

You should also line/shield the cage so the heat from the lamp is not blown away. The shield will also give it privacy and help to calm him down.

Could I just use a towel?

I've had plucked birds take a few weeks to a few months to recover. Some just regrow their feathers faster than others, no way to tell. The bad part is if the bird has been constantly plucked, the feather folicles could have been damaged, then that folicle will not regrow a feather.

Thanks for the info. I have no way of knowing how long it's been going on, so I'll just have to wait and see.

And I'll continue with the egg, looks like he really likes it. :]

[Zebrafincher]

Don't feel bad for rescuing the bird! Its natural to want to help a bird thats in distress, especially one like this - he/she looks like a sweetie! I adopted my first Star finch, Fruit, because he had been left in a cage by himself in a pet shop for literally months, and I didn't know anything about finches at that stage! Merlin I picked because he was being picked on. There were plenty of other Star Finches which were boldly colored, and loud, but he's turned out to be very gentle and sweet. Birds like this are often diamonds in the rough.!

[30 Seconds to Bob]

Kudos to you for rescuing that bird! Shame on Petsupermarket though fo not offering that bird to you at least at their cost when they saw what kind of shape it was in. Did they not even comment on it as they caught it for you? Good news is that with good care it should look like nothing was ever wrong in a few weeks. Good luck! Bob

[henrietta]

thanks for all your support, guys :]

I have no experience with owl finches, but I'm pretty sure he was singing today so I think he's a boy.

And yeah, I asked about him, I said, "What's his story? I think the OC waxbills are pecking him." And the girl said, "Yeah, they probably did that to him." You can't really blame that girl though, it's not like she decided to put them all in that cage. And they don't seem to care if their employees are trained and it was about an hour before closing and I didn't see a manager. The first finches I ever bought were from there and I thought I was buying society finches (I didn't know anything about finches) and the girl sold me zebra finches. lol I guess she didn't know anything about finches either.

Like I said, I was just really worried about him and wanted to leave, so I didn't say anything else.

I put a towel around his cage, leaving one side open for ventilation and the lamp to shine in. He seems fine, but still very nervous. Good night everyone!

[ac12]

The lamp should be put at one end of a perch, pointing along the perch.
That way he can get close to the lamp for more heat, or back off from the lamp for less heat.

gud luk

[henrietta]

This is the sore on his back, I finally got a picture. There is also a bump. I have never seen a finch's bare bottom before, so I was assuming this is just what birds look like under their feathers, but if I'm wrong and that bump means bad news, let me know! :] thanks!

[Zebrafincher]

The 'bump' you are actually looking at is the bird's preening gland. Its normally covered in feathers. One of my birds has constantly impacted preening gland I've had operated on twice. Poor little thing looks quite bald! Let us know how 'he' goes.

[henrietta]

The 'bump' you are actually looking at is the bird's preening gland. Its normally covered in feathers. One of my birds has constantly impacted preening gland I've had operated on twice. Poor little thing looks quite bald! Let us know how 'he' goes.

Thanks for clearing that up! I figured it was probably normal, but I didn't actually know what it was, so thanks! :]

And your poor bird :[ I'm glad he has an owner like you that will pay for an operation!

[Zebrafincher]

Fruit is a 'unique' bird (odd personality) and I wouldn't trade him for anything! The vet said he was one of the smallest finches they'd operated on - 9.5 grams - and yes, I do feel like I keep my vets in business! That's why I only have 3 birds! LOL

[henrietta]

Lol he sounds adorable, have you posted any pictures of him on the forum that I can look at?

[Zebrafincher]

Not yet, he's not very photogenic, but I'll try!

[monotwine]

Because we love them, we do do things like this. You never know. This act of kindness may still reward you 10 fold! Good on you though for taking it in.

Heat, good nutrition and a quiet place to recover on its own is all it will need. If the open sores are bloody but not too deep, then a light wash with a salty solution and Q-tip should do the trick and healing follows soon. In some cases (like with quail fighting and deep sores) I've found a slightly oily antibiotic cream works wonders at keeping the skin supple and allows the wounds to heal faster by preventing the dry skin cracking over and over again. New feathers arrive fairly quickly.

Best wishes and good on you for helping this little one out!

[Zebrafincher]

Hows your little one doing??? We're all following, hoping he/she is OK.

[Diana]

Sweet little baby! I had tears in my eyes reading his story and seeing his pic. He is such a lucky little thing! With a good diet and love and rest I am sure he will be fine and grow his feathers back- it will take a while though (took my Bonnie 2 months to have her face feathers back). The most important thing is that he is loved and cared for and rescued from that nightmare!