Does open mouth gesture always indicate problem?

Raellen · Post by **Raellen** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 5:40 pm

When I got my two finches, they were both treated for Air Sac Mites because one was fluffy and seemed to have trouble breathing (I think it was Ivermectine (sp?) and it was two application). Anyway, they are both healthy now but I continue to observe open mouth gesture occasionally. Does open mouth (it looks like the bird is yawning) always indicate mites?

tammieb · Post by **tammieb** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 7:42 pm

I have seen birds do this when stressed. Are your birds flighty? Some are more calm than others, if yours are displaying this behavior while flitting about the cage then I wouldn't worry about it.

TammyS · Post by **TammyS** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 9:15 pm

I agree with TammieB - when birds are stressed they breathe with their mouths (beaks) open. Mine do that after I am in the cage trying to catch one of them.

They also do it when they are hot. I see them in the nest during the summer time "panting".

tina · Post by **tina** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 8:36 am

I agree with both Tammie's. I have some birds that do this when they are stressed by me, or just hot in the summer. Some of my zebra's are more high strung mentally then others LOL. The best thing you can do for a scared bird is not to stress it out any more then you have to.

kenny · Post by **kenny** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 9:04 am

beacause birds dont sweat they gape!this is when they sit with thier beaks open with the bottom of the mandible clearly moving up and down at a rapid rate its the only way they can cool down ..

ken

Raellen · Post by **Raellen** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 12:45 pm

That makes a lot of sense. Apart from cleaning cages, I only observed this in Ginger when he is placed with the other zebra in one cage (because he gets picked on by Peppermint, the other zeb). Then I observe it in the other zebra when he's alone in his own cage (because he wants to play with Ginger)

I'm really facing a dillema! I'm hoping to reintroduce them in a couple of weeks and hope that they'll get used to each other. If not, I may consider trading one for a hen so they can both be happy.

kenny · Post by **kenny** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 1:13 pm

if you seperate both birds for awhile and then put them both back in the same cage they should not fight...providing there is nothing to fight over e.g. a female or a nest even though there is not a female in the cage they will fight over a nest its just the pecking order coming in to play

ken

tammieb · Post by **tammieb** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 2:52 pm

Do you have their cages right next to eachother? If not, you might try it and see if the birds are satisfied with that arrangement.

Raellen · Post by **Raellen** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 6:32 pm

Yes, their cages are next to each other. I removed the nest from both cages after the first sign of aggression. The more bossy one (Peppermint) is in a smaller breeder cage and Ginger is in the 30 inch cage. Ginger's completely happy alone but Peppermint is stressed (sitting more on cage floor, losing interest in egg food, and spending all day trying to get to the other cage instead of flying around and getting his exercise). He returns to his energetic self the last time I put them together in the same cage after a 10 day separation. I separated them again because Ginger hasn't regrow all of the feathers and I observed Pepperming plucking at the less feathery spots. I'm going to separate them for 2 weeks so all Ginger's feathers can grow back. If they don't get along, I will try a 1 month separation before going into the last resort of finding one of them a new home.

FINCHforum

Does open mouth gesture always indicate problem?

Does open mouth gesture always indicate problem?

Thank you!!

Thanks for the advice