Help with Zebra chick Mutation....CFW Penguin???

[Chris103]

So I breed all my Zebras in an outdoor Aviary. They select their own mates, and only rarely will I put a pair in a cage with hopes to get them bonded and pair off once they are released back into the open avairy. This Is a pair I have been wanting to breed for some time, and they finally nested in a box instead of a food dish or some other random place!
Mom Is a CFW/BC..or possibly a poor full BC. Could be split to pied, penguin, white, and a few others. Dad Is a Grey BF/CFW and possibly split for fawn, pied, penguin, white, BC, along with a few others I can't remember at the moment! Soooo lots of possible genes at play here! Pair had four chicks, all appear CFW, Possible BF CFW but I only pulled this guy out since He looked odd. Anyway....here are a few pics of the chick in question. Never had one look like this in the nest. Would love to hear what you guys think He may be! Photos don't show it too well, but He almost has a grizzled or stippled (chicken talk) look to his feathers. Enough blabber, here He is.
*don't know the sex of the chick....I just call them he(s) unless I know otherwise.

[Chris103]

[Chris103]

[Chris103]

The wire on top of the box aka milk carton, Is to keep out the Sparrows!!!
They will get on top of the boxes and pull out chicks/eggs just for fun
They will soon be getting their own aviary....sooon!

[Chris103]

Im now wondering if this chick could be a Euro Isabel CFW since Roy Beckham has confirmed I have Isabels in my flock. I've never seen a Euro Isabel CFW, or a Penguin CFW so I don't know exactly how the two mutations would look when combined. The chick is starting to moult so im excited to see how it turns out, and hoping for a male! Any thoughts?

[Sally]

Once it is finished molting, I would send another photo to Roy to see what he thinks of it.

[Chris103]

Will Do Sally! Just glad Zebras don't molt like Gouldians! This one has already started and I'm thinking its a hen. I'll update the photos once she's done molting.

[Chris103]

Sent these pictures to Roy, along with some new ones I took today. He thinks it may be a Eumo CFW but I'm waiting to hear what He thinks of the pics I took today. She hasn't changed much, just loosing some of the black/gray on it's head but keeping the color on it's wings and back. I've never had a Eumo Zebra or Any splits that I know of, so a Eumo anything would be a shock. It's been fun in the Zebra aviary this year with these strange mutations just now showing up! I'll update again once I hear back from Roy.

[Colt]

Pretty chick. Can't wait to see what Roy's guess is. Cindy is pretty good at ID'ing mutations although with that much in the background it may be hard to guess.

[Chris103]

I feel soooo terrible!!! I went to band this Finch, and when I caught her in the aviary....I felt a pop. Her wing had broken..compound! It started bleeding within seconds. I quickly put some quik stop on it, but She had already lost quite a bit of blood for such a tiny bird. In 18 years, this has NEVER happened, and of all the birds for it to hapoen to, THIS ONE!

I put her in a small Hospital cage...She just layed there . I was sure She would be gone by morning, but when I woke up, She was hopping all over the cage! Not out of the woods yet, but if She made it the first 24hrs, I have Hope. Send your Finch prayers her way! I hate to lose Any Finch, but this one Is quite special to me. Praying She continues to improve and could one day breed, but right now I just want her to feel better and heal.

She Is now half way through her molt and keeping the dark color and pattern. I can now see that She Is split to BC. Other than that and the CFW, I have no idea what else Is going on!!!

@Cindy
I know you have a lot of experience with Zebra mutations. Have you seen anything like this, or have a Guess as to what She could be? Her other sibblings are BC CFW's and CFW split to BC.

[MiaCarter]

Chris103 -- Oh my goodness! This is so awful!!

FWIW, I've had a compound fracture (my hand) and it's not as bad as you'd imagine. Not pleasant, but not agonizing. In fact, I used quick stop styptic powder when I broke my hand! LOL Stings like hell, but it works beautifully! (The paramedics and ER folks were amused! They'd never seen it before.)

Were you able to re-position the bone at all? So it's not poking out of the skin? It would probably work its way back in naturally, but doing it manually would allow the healing to begin much faster.

If it's a situation where it's dangling and moving around, I'd place the wing against the torso, then use a piece of vet wrap (sold in drug stores as self-adhering bandages) to wrap around her torso. So it holds the wing up against the body and prevents movement.
In fact, I'd try to do this even if it's not "dangling" as it will speed healing.
I might do antibiotics (if you're not already) since she'll be very prone to an infection.

Prayers coming your way!

Keep us updated!

[Chris103]

MiaCarter
Thanks so much for your advice and prayers! Bella (her new name) is doing better each day! I've broken many bones but never compound....I can't even imagine!

The bone seems to be back in place...but not 100% certain...
When it first happened, her wing was drooping, but now she's holding it up normal. I couldn't see the bone anymore when I applied honey to the wound, so I think it worked it's way back in. I have Vet Wrap on hand, but I'm afraid to handle her more. Im not the best wing sling maker, and With all the acrobatics to get it on, I worry I'll pop the bone back out. If it starts to droop again, perhaps I'll fit a "wing sling" to another Zebra, and use that one to just slide on her.

I've used a honey paste for years as an antibacterial/antifungal....prefer the all natural route if I have the choice. I used it on myself with fantastic results, so I figured it may work on the birds too! Doesn't wreck your gut flora, and I find that wounds heal much faster when honey Is used. Works like a charm for cuts, nipped toes, and anything external. In Australia, clinical studies have shown that Honey actually works better than typical antibiotics, and Is now the first choice for wounds in some Australian Hospitals!

I use a raw honey from New Zealand that's very thick, and much like a paste or salve. I apply the honey (takes very little), then a bit of quick stop or flour over the honey to help prevent it from getting matted on the birds feathers. If it's in a spot where Vet Wrap or a bandage can be applied, I'll use one to cover the wound and honey paste. If the bird spreads the honey to other feathers, a Q-tip or rag and warm water will get it right out. The whole thing sounds odd, and much more messy than it actually Is lol!

I will of course use antibiotics for internal issues, or if I don't see enough improvement from the honey alone! It's not a cure all, but nice to have a natural option...one that has worked for me and the birds!

Bella looked great this morning, and was eating her eggfood with just as much gusto as before her injury! I'm keeping her in quite a small cage to prevent Any flight attempts so the wing can set.

I'll keep everyone posted on her progress!

-Chris

[Colt]

Hope she gets to feeling better for you. Interesting on the honey. And Mia I know just what you mean. I got quick stop in a cut on my finger and thought I'd just die when I worked at the pet store. One of the birds broke a blood feather and not thinking I grabbed a big pinch of quick stop. I've never run for the sink so quickly in my life...

[cindy]

The baby may be BF since Dad is a visual BF...BF takes a while to completely color out, may be a male, not a penguin unless one parent is a visual and the other split to it or both parents are split to it.

At this point it is really hard to say, you mentioned you aviary breed. In doing so the hen can be mated with other males or an egg can be deposited in the parents nest. I would suggest you wait until this little one matures and colors out completely to see exactly what it may be. If you want to know without a doubt what your birds young will be I suggest controlled breeding by pulling select pairs and individually cage breed them.

Do you keep all the young and allow them to mature and live in the same aviary you are breeding in? If so I would use caution since siblings will pair up and breed.

May I make a suggestion, the wire piece you have hanging over the nest, I would trim the very pointy wires off to the crossbar, this will prevent a bird from flying into it and becoming injured.

Cornstarch or flour works well also to help stop bleeding. I would be careful using the honey, it can stick to feathers.

[cindy]

The baby may be BF since Dad is a visual BF...BF takes a while to completely color out, may be a male, not a penguin unless one parent is a visual and the other split to it or both parents are split to it.

At this point it is really hard to say, you mentioned you aviary breed. In doing so the hen can be mated with other males or an egg can be deposited in the parents nest. I would suggest you wait until this little one matures and colors out completely to see exactly what it may be. If you want to know without a doubt what your birds young will be I suggest controlled breeding by pulling select pairs and individually cage breed them.

Do you keep all the young and allow them to mature and live in the same aviary you are breeding in? If so I would use caution since siblings will pair up and breed.

May I make a suggestion, the wire piece you have hanging over the nest, I would trim the very pointy wires off to the crossbar, this will prevent a bird from flying into it and becoming injured.

Cornstarch or flour works well also to help stop bleeding. I would be careful using the honey, it can stick to feathers.