Well... my baby has one eye and a crossed beak.

[dcompt]

A soft food you might try offering is Miracle Meal. My societies love it. I just feed it in a treat cup. You can get from the specialty finch shops. Here's one link:
http://www.glamgouldians.com/product-miraclemeal.php

[fhgwgads]

My baby came out of the nest yesterday! He flew around in front of the nest and went right back in. But he flew! So I know his wings are ok, and I can tell so far his feet are ok. I am assuming he is just testing.. and he obviously doesn't see as well so I am expecting a delay in his departure. I have a feeling the parents are keeping him there because he keeps their egg(s) warm? They're so lazy! Maybe that's why he is the way he is... poor baby. I can't take the eggs out until he is out though... but so far he seems ok! And he is louder than ever!

[Nanajennie]

YAY great news, thanks for the update.

[dfcauley]

Aww... you will be very attached to this sweet baby. I am sure it will be fine. Anyone wil finches sooner or later deal with a handicapped bird. I have a society with splayed legs so bad that it spends most of the time on its tummy. But it is a happy little bird and all over my aviary. I even saw it trying to breed. Fortunately it can't!

[fhgwgads]

Woke up this morning and baby was out! He* was doing a pretty good job going from perch to perch too. I am concerned about him being able to eat because on both sides his beak doesn't line up and the top tip is curled down at an angle to the side. But the baby is sweet as ever! And can fly amazingly! I was able to get him and hold him in my hand for a bit, at first he was a little scared but i wrapped my hand in a towel with him inside and he curled up and closed his eyes for a bit and let me pet him. When I went to put him back in the cage he didn't wanna leave me hand! He is so warm and fuzzy!

It looks like he has hourglass white spots on his tail so I guess Mama is a BB after all.. and not a penguin.

(*hypothetically speaking, possibly a she of course!)

[Nerien]

Hurray for the little one. Do you have a name yet? (Trying to remember some of the one-eyed characters from Monsters, Inc., and don't those Minion things have only one eye, also?)

At my local health food store, I can buy hulled millet from one of their bins. That might be one option for him/her, still gets to eat millet, but doesn't have to deal with the 'shell'.

[fhgwgads]

The parents have been plucking him all day... hug beaks full.. and just dropping them. They take them from his but and tail. He isn't weaned yet but I don't know what to do. Should I separate him? Or the father who is the main instigator?

[Nerien]

Yes, remove Dad right away, if he is the main offender.

Then remove the nest. Baby and Mom will sleep on a perch, they don't NEED the nest.

Most likely Dad, and Mom, are plucking Baby to line and rebuild the nest to start the next clutch of eggs. No nest means no reason to pluck the little guy. Mom will be able to take care of him herself, and teach him how to eat.

Dad is often the main plucking offender, as it is his job to ready the nest for eggs. So it is not uncommon for him to start plucking, and need to be removed.

[Ginene]

fhgwgads
Ugh...naughty Zebbie dads...Get him out of there asap (as long as momma is the one feeding Baby). Nature is so harsh . Thankfully, your sweet baby has you! Can you tell if its a girl or a boy yet? Name him something like "Fabio," because even though he is disabled and has only 1 eye, he is beautiful!!!

[fhgwgads]

I think Dad is the one feeding him the most! But also picking on him the most.. I took him out for a good portion of the day and me and my boyfriend took turns holding him.. but he wouldn't eat from us. When I put him back they were still feeding him.. but now the parents are sleeping in the nest and poor little baby is on top of the nest! I am so mad at them right now! I am going to work on somehow getting dad out tomorrow but I have no idea how I am going to do that! Ugh!! They have been mating like crazy so I need to get him out of there... check and see how many eggs.. and decide if I am taking them away.

[fhgwgads]

Well I can't sleep and I can't get my mind off of this so I figured I would summarize:

Dad and Mom are mating at least once a day if not several times.
Dad feeds Baby the most.
Dad also plucks Baby the most.
There is at least one if not more eggs in the nest.
Baby is not weaned and has slight scissor beak.
Baby will not take food from me out of syringe...
(I did not force his and put it at the side of his beak and he did taste it a bit.)

If I separate Dad I am wondering if Mom is start feeding him more?
Should I maybe take out Mom and the nest?
It seems to be a dominance thing.. not sure if it's just in general, because Baby is clearly the weak one and the disabled one, or if Baby is a boy and therefore a competition in Dads eyes.

If I do have to feed baby how do I get him to eat from me?

I am so upset, aggravated, restless, worried, and kind of heartbroken because of this! And I am also worried that because I took Baby out for a while to protect him and give him a break that the trust the parents had in me will be destroyed as now they will associate hands with grabbing.. therefore being a threat.

[fhgwgads]

Also.. I apologize for the atrocious grammar in my last post! Lol.. I guess I should not post when I am that tired

[debbie276]

They may be sensing that the chick is not quite right and have decided to abandon it or they may just want to move on to another clutch. To give the chick a chance I would remove the eggs and leave the chick with the female and take out the male. See if she feeds more now that the male isn't there.

I'd also remove all future eggs from the nest if you don't want anymore chicks from this pair. If the problem with the chick is genetic breeding this pair probably is not a good idea.

good luck

[Ginene]

Good Luck...I hope your baby continues to grow and makes it through weaning. I am hand feeding 2 hatchlings (less than 1 week old) and pray that they make it to weaning. I will not breed my NG Zebra pair again, as I hate to watch them "learn to be good parents," as baby birds die needlessly .

[fhgwgads]

Dad is out... took a HELL of a time and guts and patience to corner him. I thought they were a gonna have heart attacks. I know it's for the best but I feel bad isolating him... and I hope Mama feeds the baby now. I feel a hell of a lot worse knowing the Dad is plucking him. He literally pulled out all the baby's spotted tail feathers. I feel so bad for him. And the poor little thing still loves his Dad. UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!