New to Finches - hen acting sick - advice needed asap please

[silversong]

Hi, sorry to have to make my first post to this forum about a sick society finch hen I purchased a mated pair of Society finches last week for strictly pets. The hen had been a recent purchase (a few weeks ago) by the previous owner to keep the male company and she had laid two eggs. During the move to my home with their cage and all accessories, the two eggs were abandoned so I disposed of them. She was doing fine yesterday morning when I left for work, but when I got home at night, she was in the nest with the male, was "squinting", puffed up and seemed weak/lethargic. She came out of the nest and had difficulty flying down to the floor.

I caught her (easy to do, she's not flying now) and gave her a few drops of scraped off cuttle bone mixed with warm water, examined her but her vent appeared "normal". I "very" carefully examined her and her abdomen also appeared normal (not that I really know what I'm looking for here). Acting on the assumption that she is egg bound, I wrapped the cage with blankets, put a space heater nearby to bring the temp up (I live in a cold climate and like my house to be on the cool side) and ensured she has access to food and plenty of fresh water. I only have the one cage, so can't separate her out from the male at this time and don't have a heat lamp or heating pad (yet!).

I just spoke to my neighbour who checked in on the hen and she says she's still puffed up but is moving about, eating and had flown up to a perch. She looked but did not see an egg anywhere. So I'm not sure if the danger is passed, or just held at bay?

What I need to know now is what can I get today to help her through whatever she is going through? I'm going to leave work early to head over to PetSmart and pick up anything that might help!

Thank you so much for any advice/suggestions you can give!
Jennifer

[Sally]

I usually suspect egg binding when it is a hen that is sick. They will often sit on the bottom of the cage, droopy wings, squinty eyes, and just look miserable in general. If you have a desk lamp with a 60w bulb, that can act as a heat lamp. I like the gooseneck desk lamps, as you can direct the beam wherever you want. I use the clamp-on lamps you can get at big box hardware stores.

Heat, humidity, and a source of liquid calcium are the best treatments if it is egg binding. Petsmart probably won't carry liquid calcium, but often you can get calcium glutonate at the drug store, get unflavored if possible. A drop or two directly to the side of the beak, and she will take in some of it.

Welcome to the forum, though it is not under the best of circumstances. There's lots of good reading at www.finchinfo.com, where you will find many articles on breeding and the Society finch. If you put your general location in your profile, it makes it easier to answer locale-specific questions later on.

[dutch]

silversong..birds indoors?

[silversong]

silversong..birds indoors?

yes, birds are indoors, but not much natural light in my house, especially this time of year. I live in Atlantic Canada, btw , listening to a wind, ice pellet and snow storm as I type.

The hen seems to have recovered significantly since yesterday and is flying about the cage, eating and drinking, though still spends a lit of time on her nest now
that she can get to it again. Will watch her closely and keep up the heat. Purchased gravel, vitamin supplement with calcium and d3, picked up a trouble light to hang from the large cage she's in, also got a sweet deal on a starter cage to have if needed.

Still no egg, so hoping I don't get home to a sick bird tonight again.

Thanks! Jennifer

[dutch]

silversong....good thing you picked up the d3

Being indoors your bird will be lacking d3...

[silversong]

Update - the hen passed two eggs on Saturday. One broken, the other malformed. Unfortunately, I suspect she must have infected with the broken shell, as she continued to decline and died Sunday afternoon.

Take care, and thanks for the advice. Jennifer

[Sally]

So sorry you lost the hen. Often, when the egg breaks inside the hen, they can get infected.