Ugh!! Woke up this morning to THIS!!!

[Corkysgirl]

I'm sorry you lost your little hen. I know how heartbreaking it is. Especially when the losses are close together. I've had finches a little over ten years. Except for a few babies being tossed at birth, I've only lost three birds out of hundreds and they were in close proximity. One was to a freak drowning. Another was from hanging by his toenail upside down from a splinter on a ladder. He couldn't fly and had to hop up the ladder to get his water. Another was to possible fatty liver disease. I may have forgotten a couple birds over the years, but I have not lost many out of hundreds. Had I just started at the point I lost the three birds, I could have gotten really discouraged too. That is not the norm. The joy very much outweighs the sorrow! I hope you will not give up.

[Colt]

Sorry you lost her. But like everyone else has said don't let it get you down or discouraged. I had an abysmal start to the breeding season this year, but things seem to have really turned around and I'm doing much better in the bird room.

[dutch]

Olympic_Aiairies....I dont think an agressive zebra did this.....Although zebra finches can be dangerous at times....maybe you could set up a surveillance system to monitor your birds. ......my money is on the cat.......but I wouldn't rule out those dangerous zebras just yet......they may be small.......but they pack a big punch.......sorry for your loss

[Ginene]

So sorry for your loss . Fly free little girl...

[Barb]

Olympic_Aiairies

Heidi,

So sorry for your loss, it is so hard to lose one of our birdie babies.
I lost my second finch two weeks ago, he died in my hand and wanted to quit too.
I think a lot of Finch friends have also.
Hang in there, we're all here for you...

[Olympic_Aiairies]

Thanks guys. I'm feeling better now. Spent a while watching my birds this afternoon and it cheered my up. I have one guy named Ares whose a bit of a character. He was telling me off because I've stared cutting back on their millet to get them to eat more egg. He made me smile.

[MiaCarter]

Oh no! I'm sorry, Heidi.
I'm happy to hear you're feeling a bit better.

It sounds like she may have gotten an infection?
Or maybe the injury was just too severe. At least she didn't suffer for long. (Not that that's much/any consolation.)

I have cats -- 16 to be exact -- and I won't let them set foot in my bird room. Many are former ferals/strays and verified bird killers, so I don't even take the chance. I had a couple that I trusted around the cage, but I'd never leave them unattended for fear they'd knock the cage over or something like that.
So while I wouldn't trust a cat around a bird, I can't envision this being from a cat only because I can't see how they could get through the bars of a finch cage. Unless a kitty somehow got one of the doors open? If that were the case, I imagine you'd see lots of evidence.

Do you have a metal cuttle bone holder? I've heard of those doing damage.

I also find it hard to believe another juvenile would do this. I imagine there would have been a huge ruckus and noise, you know?

I just hope you can figure out what happened so you can prevent it from happening in the future.

I'm feeling the same way today - very discouraged, so I can relate.
I had three healthy babies yesterday. Today, I have one left and I'm now handfeeding, praying Squeepers' parents will adopt him.

[Olympic_Aiairies]

Mia I read your post last night. I really hope they adopt him!! I have my fingers crossed for you.

My bird room is under construction right now so my birds are in the bonus room until it's done. The cages are stacked and tied down so the cats can't knock them over. My cats are indoor cats but I have lost two birds to them. Both were my fault and related to new equipment that I didn't think they could open. The first was a new cage that I didn't realize a bird could squeeze out of or that they'd even try. My very first hen squeeze out of the cage and got loose over night. It didn't end well. The second was when I got the new nest boxes. I didn't realize that they could be open and I lost a juvenile who also got out of the cage. From those I've learned my lesson. Everything is tied closed. Doors, nest boxes, and the cages are zip tied together and all gaps zip tied closed. They are also tied at the top so they can't be knocked over. The bar spacing is too narrow for the cats to get in and I tie my cuttle bones because I have read the metal clips can do damage. I can't for the life of me figure out what happened but I'm 99% sure it wasn't the cats.

I have no idea how this happened. I find it so hard to believe that the male juvenile she was in with did this but I don't know now. He gets to be alone for a while because I'm afraid to put anyone else in with him. He is definitely less than please.

[Corkysgirl]

Olympic_Aiairies I don't know what part of the country you are from or if it's possible something might have gotten in like a rat, or another predator similar that couldn't get into the cage but if the bird was on the side, was able to grab at it? Some says snakes can. I don't have snake problems or rats...here but I do have flying squirrels plaguing me in my house. Had one in my kitchen. It's a crazy story. Just a thought.

[Sally]

The thing with cats is that they don't have to be able to reach into the cage to get a bird. If a bird sits cuddled up against the cage bars, a cat can hook it with its claws. One swipe at a bird sitting right next to the bars could rip out a bunch of feathers, I think. One puncture wound with a claw could be fatal and might not bleed much.

[Olympic_Aiairies]

Sally I suppose it's not impossible but I don't know how likely it is. I keep my cats nails really sort. I don't think I'll ever really know. Just hope it wasn't my male juvenile. I had plans to keep him to breed. For now he gets to be alone because I'm going on vacation tomorrow and can't risk putting anyone in with him while I'm away. My BIL is watching the birds while I'm gone and he isn't that experienced.

[Sally]

Often we never know what happened when we lose a bird. It is very frustrating, but it is the reality of keeping birds. Enjoy your vacation and don't worry about your birds, they should be fine.

[wildbird]

It's very likely a cat killed your bird. All of the feathers were outside the cage & a cat's bacteria can kill quickly. As Sally said, the cat doesn't have to reach into the cage. Cats should never be trusted with birds.

[Olympic_Aiairies]

Wildbird as I stated the cats aren't trusted around the birds. I take all the precautions I can short of a room with a door which we are in the process of building.