flight feather problems in Gouldian

[jniner]

Hi, I have a male Gouldian who fledged with all his feathers (and could fly perfectly). When he went through his moult into his adult feathers, something apparently happened and only one wing moulted properly. He would flap around in circles trying to fly, and end up on the bottom of the cage. Poor baby!

So I moved him into a smaller cage (so he wouldn't fall so far when he tried to fly, cuz he really WANTS to!). It's been a couple months now, and still not much luck growing in new wing feathers. He has a wide variety of food to choose from, but mostly likes his soaked seeds the best. I've been using Feather Fast on them for him, hoping to give him a boost. But then he tries to fly, and ends up flopping around the bottom of the cage and beating the poo out of his feathers that were trying to grow back!

He's started going through a hard molt, and replacing most all of his feather now, so I'm HOPING that the wing flight feathers will finally come in. He hates being separated from the rest of them, but I don't dare give him a friend cuz he'll just try to fly more I think.

Has anyone else had anything similar happen with their birds? I'm not really sure what happened to cause this, none of the other juveniles are having any issues like this. Strange....

Thanks,
Jeannine

[Zebrafincher]

Hi there,

two of my finches, both star finches have developed this issue. My first one, Fruit, couldn't fly (he had broken his wing at a year old) and I couldn't give him a bowl to bathe in as he might have drowned, so I had to spray him down/wash him down with wet tissues and dry him, which did help to a degree. Fruit suffered from muscle wastage in the wing, but he did hop around a lot, and I let him out on top of the other bird's cages (separately as they would attack him).

My mother Star finch Merl has developed this issue as well, and he seems to be stuck in a Moult. I've been giving him fortified seed, mineral supplement, and making him fly across the cages with the other birds when he is out, and he is now much better at flying (he reached a point where he couldn't fly at all!) I'm not sure if its a genetic thing or what. I got both of my birds from separate suppliers, so I don't know. I've had several canaries, budgies and Zebra finches, and none of them have had these issues.

Best of luck with your little one.

[Zebrafincher]

Hi there,

two of my finches, both star finches have developed this issue. My first one, Fruit, couldn't fly (he had broken his wing at a year old) and I couldn't give him a bowl to bathe in as he might have drowned, so I had to spray him down/wash him down with wet tissues and dry him, which did help to a degree. Fruit suffered from muscle wastage in the wing, but he did hop around a lot, and I let him out on top of the other bird's cages (separately as they would attack him).

My mother Star finch Merl has developed this issue as well, and he seems to be stuck in a Moult. I've been giving him fortified seed, mineral supplement, and making him fly across the cages with the other birds when he is out, and he is now much better at flying (he reached a point where he couldn't fly at all!) I'm not sure if its a genetic thing or what. I got both of my birds from separate suppliers, so I don't know. I've had several canaries, budgies and Zebra finches, and none of them have had these issues.

Best of luck with your little one.

[Zebrafincher]

Hi there,

two of my finches, both star finches have developed this issue. My first one, Fruit, couldn't fly (he had broken his wing at a year old) and I couldn't give him a bowl to bathe in as he might have drowned, so I had to spray him down/wash him down with wet tissues and dry him, which did help to a degree. Fruit suffered from muscle wastage in the wing, but he did hop around a lot, and I let him out on top of the other bird's cages (separately as they would attack him).

My mother Star finch Merl has developed this issue as well, and he seems to be stuck in a Moult. I've been giving him fortified seed, mineral supplement, and making him fly across the cages with the other birds when he is out, and he is now much better at flying (he reached a point where he couldn't fly at all!) I'm not sure if its a genetic thing or what. I got both of my birds from separate suppliers, so I don't know. I've had several canaries, budgies and Zebra finches, and none of them have had these issues.

Best of luck with your little one.

[finchandlovebird]

Sorry to hear about your "one armed bandit". Hope his new moult completes his bare wing.