Molting or Sick? Lina looking not so good.

[Nanajennie]

Today Lina is looking a bit ill. I was watching them and I noticed a dark spot on her breast/neck area. I got closer and sure enough she has a patch. I moved down and held very still in order to allow her to act natural. I noted her picking at this spot. I also noted her squatting and acting ill.

At first I thought there was blood on the patch.

I prepared the hospital cage and caught her. Upon closer inspection, the patch isn't blood, but it is definitely a plucked or bare spot. I ended up giving her a drop of calcium (don't really know why, but it was the only thing I could think of) putting her back in the flight cage as I suspect she could be molting. But I haven't had a lot of experiences with molting. I have heard it can be hard on them and I have also heard people never see ill effects like this.

In the event she is sick, What should I be prepared to administer? What are the medicines I should order and keep on hand?

Sorry the pics are out of order of sequence, the first one is the last one and visa versa

[Nanajennie]

More pics of her looking icky. How does this happen so fast?

[Ginene]

Nanajennie
Hey Jennie...you cant catch a break!!! Does it look like a bald spot or a sore? Its hard to tell from the pic. Is it possible that Lina plucked herself? It looks like the spot has some pin feathers coming in, so maybe that spot is getting better. Does she have any other symptoms besides the spot and being puffy? Lucy looks great, btw! I'm glad to see she's giving you a break.
The soaps arrived today!!! I'm giving joe 1 at a time, or he may never leave the sink . Thanks so much again!!! You are so sweet and too generous!!!

[Nanajennie]

Ginene I feel the same way, for someone with so few birds who are treated like royalty, I seem to have a lot is issues. I can't catch a flippen break


Lina was totally fine last night. This morning around 9 ish I saw the bare spot. she is preening the bare spot, as if it is itchy.

I wonder if it is possible she has mites... but how? nothing new has been introduced to my house. (the new cage isn't here yet and it will get totally disinfected prior to coming in the house.)

I wondered if maybe she got something through the screen, which as you can see is behind the cages. Maybe some wild bird lice?? I am going to wait to hear what I need to order. Or go and but at petco.... another long drive in my future.


I don't know. I am a bit discouraged.

[Diana]

Like Ginene said it looks like she has some pin feathers so whatever it is is getting better. Is it sore?

[Nanajennie]

Today was the first time I saw this. I watch them everyday, and I cannot understand why I didn't see it earlier, and I don't know if they are pin feathers or plucked... she keeps picking at the spot she is not quite normal, I felt it was way to easy to catch her. Like she is tired.

Whatever it is I can't do anything other then what I know.

[Ginene]

Nanajennie
You can buy mite/lice spray @ the pet shop. I think they can develop mites @ any time. You can spray all of your guys just in case, but remove food, water, cuttlebones, etc. Its good to spray the wood perches too. Try to look at the spot. See if its bald or a sore. It looks like pin feathers are coming in. Thats a good sign that its healing. Some females pluck their bellies to make a brooding patch to better incubate eggs. It looks a bit high to be that, but you never know. She may be doing it to herself. Good luck, my friend. Lil Joe and I will be praying for you both 2nite.

[Nanajennie]

Ginene

I don't think it is mites/lice, as Lucy is fine (thanks btw for mentioning how good she's looking)

I am starting to suspect Lucy is bullying her while I am at work. Or maybe you are right, maybe she is doing it herself. Whatever it is, it doesn't appear to be raw or sore, so I will have to monitor for now,


RANDOM THOUGHTS:
I have most of next week off from work, and I will be working on getting that new cage set up. I am thinking of putting everyone in together, except the OCWBs, at least not for now,

I really need a girl finch for Lina, but I really don't want to buy one from Petco/Petsmart. Also no one is getting a nest til I have a mate for Lucy and Charlie, and then I will have to separate them so they don't inbreed..... ugghhhh... so complicated. ~Did I just catch myself considering three more birds?~ I don't want to risk having an odd number of zebs, I would hate it if one got left out and bullied on

Any thoughts?

[Ginene]

Nanajennie
An odd number of zebras is fine if they are all the same sex. I received an extra hen when I first got my finches and the other 2 pairs picked on her terribly, until the following day when I added a male for her. I got him @ petland. They stopped right away, although there is still a pecking order evening with pairs.
I think its fine to get new zebbies from the pet store. I have purchased a few finches and my canary, and have had no problems. Just be sure to quarantine them before putting them with your existing birds. Mite and lice spray are a MUST when buying from a pet shop. A wormer is a good idea too. I do Ivermectin because I have Gouldians and a canary. I quarantine for 3 weeks. Many do longer and some do less too.
Keep a close eye on your guys when you put everyone together. Zebras are nasty and will want to establish the pecking order quickly. They turn on one another quickly.

[Nanajennie]

Ginene Maybe all three girls in the large flight and the two males in a petco flight cage? (It would break my heart to see Shabby and Chic seperated)

It is really starting to stress me out. I wish there was someone in Vermont who could swap some birds with me.

[Ginene]

Nanajennie
Yes...that will work. You can fit the OCWB's in there too. Then you can put your 3rd male in quarantine in the extra petco flight. It will be temporary so don't worry or feel guilty. I had my boys and girls separate for a while and they were fine. The other option is rehoming Lina. The more zebras you have the bigger the housing issues become. Sorry, Jennie...

[Nanajennie]

It's official. Lina is plucking her own feathers I was laying low spying on them, they were acting totally normal and she flew over to the opposite side of the cage and picked at her breast and two feathers fell to the ground. I collected the feathers and caught her for a quick look, and sure enough, the bald spot next to the new pin feathers is getting bigger. I couldn't see any lice or mites or blood. She didn't flinch when I touched it

This really upsets me as I don't know why she is doing this, she isn't under any stress or being under fed, nor is there lack of proper lighting. Plenty of calcium, fresh veggies etc... ~sigh

Maybe she has an issue caused by her parents being siblings. Please God give me a break

[Nanajennie]

It's official. Lina is plucking her own feathers I was laying low spying on them, they were acting totally normal and she flew over to the opposite side of the cage and picked at her breast and two feathers fell to the ground. I collected the feathers and caught her for a quick look, and sure enough, the bald spot next to the new pin feathers is getting bigger. I couldn't see any lice or mites or blood. She didn't flinch when I touched it

This really upsets me as I don't know why she is doing this, she isn't under any stress or being under fed, nor is there lack of proper lighting. Plenty of calcium, fresh veggies etc... ~sigh

Maybe she has an issue caused by her parents being siblings. Please God give me a break

[Ginene]

Nanajennie
hmmm...does she have a nest with fake eggs in it? Maybe she's making a brooding patch??? Or more nesting to fill it further??? There are things you can do for plucking...we just have to figure out why she is doing it. Do a search on the forum. I had asked Cindy for her help when my Petey had a bald spot, and she sent me a link to read. I will look it up and PM it to you. Don't worry Jennie, we will get to the bottom of this and help Lina. xoxo

[Ginene]

Nanajennie
http://zebrafinchsociety.co.uk/index.ph ... &Itemid=68
This is the article Cindy referred me to. Check it out. It helped me discover that Petey was being aggressively over-groomed by Coal and Marty. I wound up putting him in the society flight as he is very sweet.