Who is our Gouldian expert now? Concerned about young hen

[finchmix22]

http://www.finchniche.com/features_molting.php
This is a link about gouldians and molting. Maybe it can be of some help.

[monotwine]

I kept Gouldian only for a few years, but found them to be quite susceptible to any passing bacterial infection / latent infection when they went into moult.
Bearing in mind my lot were kept outdoors and were open to the elements so to speak. So I often found a weaker bird or one that had a little "sniffle" during moult. I would treat with vitamins and electrolytes plus added heat. IF they continued to be a bit fluffed or had soiled vents I used a broad spectrum not too potent antibiotic (Trimethoprim/Sulfa or Amoxicillin) for 5 consecutive days minimum. If they improved after that, they usually completed the moult strong and healthy. Sometimes a bird may just be more likely to catch a cold than others. Much like us it depends on its immune system and good genes.

All you can do is try help her as much as you can, without drowning her with medication as that will not be too good at this young age. If she looks like she is not getting worse, keeping her with good heat, good food and some vits may be all she needs to get of the speed hump of the moult.

[lovezebs]

Thanks Folks.
She's still hanging in there like a little trooper. Please keep your fingers crossed and or say a little prayer for this sweet tiny girl.
Will do all that I can for her, and hope for the best. Will keep everyone updated.

[Colt]

How's Mrs. Sharra doing? Funny in the books she was the nurse taking care of people and now the story has switched.

[lovezebs]

Hi All.
I am happy to share with all of you my friends, that Sharra is finally startibg to look like a Gouldian if sorts. For weeks it seened to be touch and go and I wasn't sure if she would pull through. Both her and my boy Jaxom are colouring up and starting to show interest in each other.
Enclosed are some pictures of the two kids.

[lovezebs]

Do you all recall my poor, fluffed up Sharra, who looked half dead?
Well look at her today.

[Sam007]

She is looking great and now she has become beautimous!

[lovezebs]

Sam007
Thanks Sam.
She still has a few pin feathers sticking out (which I call the pin cushion stage) but what a difference from page one, when I thought she wasn't going to make it. It has been a really rough baby molt for my poor girl. I really hope next time it will go easier for her.

[MiaCarter]

Wow, what a difference!

I always say those gorgeous feathers come at a hefty price.
But she made it!
She's lovely!

[lovezebs]

MiaCarter
Thanks Mia.
I'm so glad she pulled through. Have to admit that I was pretty worried there for quite a while.

[Rox]

Glad she is better! If she made it through her molt, she should be just fine going forward

My youngsters are busy getting their adult colors and a few of them I thought are going to die on me. But they are surprisingly tough and pull through. Nature is just awesome that way.

I often think that we, as humans, put too much worry into it. The poor birds are probably thinking "Jeeze woman, can't you see I'm just having a bad hair/feather month? Just chill!"

[lovezebs]

Rox
Yea, I know what you mean, however little Sharra took forever with her baby molt and she did look very sickly for quite a long time. Don't rightly know what was wrong, but it was more than a bad feather period.

Jaxom, Mirrim and Sharra, are my first Gouldians, so I honestly didn't know what to expect. Jaxom, sailed through with flying colours (pun intended). Mirrim, was already adult when I got her. But Sharra... hers was not what I would call a normal molt by any means.

I really hope that we don't have to go through that again. Do Goulds usually experience problems during the molt? Or is it just the baby molt that's so hard on them?

[debbie276]

With most goulds you don't know they are molting other then the many feathers on your floor and the pin feathers on their head. If your bird is stressed then the molt can be hard on them. That's the main reason why you wouldn't want to buy and transport a uncolored chick, way too much stress many times causes "stuck in molt" and at times death.
Glad yours is much better, good luck

[lovezebs]

debbie276
Thanks Deb.
Glad to hear that this is not something that will be happening every year.
I am really enjoying these guys. They have such lovely personalities and are so sweet and curious. They actually like to have their pictures taken and come up really close to look at the camera, cocking their heads from side. At times they get so close, that all I get is a blurr of bird and colour.

[MiaCarter]

Agreed with Debbie.
Molting is generally not that hard on them moving forward. It's just that first baby molt that's the most difficult. They're not as robust as the adults, so it's a bit harder on them.

Yet in my experience, the Gouldian molt seems a noticeably rougher than what you see in other species.
I think it's a couple factors. Firstly, those brightly colored feathers suck up a lot of resources in terms of vitamins, minerals, etc.
And they tend to molt more suddenly than many others, who undergo a more gradual molt.

It's also a complete molt with that baby molt, as they're replacing all of their feathers. I'm not sure if adults undergo complete molts on every go. I've always been under the impression that the adult molts are often partial molts. I'm sure one of the Gould gurus would know better.

I just offer up extra nutritious food (like molting seed mixes and so forth) and I always offer a heat lamp so it's there if they need it. (More from a practical perspective. Heavy molt = thin spots and thin spots = cold spots.)
My guys have always done really well with that approach.