hi guys it appears we've gotten our first french moult chick... is there any advice any of you can give me on helping him back to health? he's only very young but is missing secondary flights and heead feathers he's got rump and belly and most primaries but the others havent come through.. anything to help would be appreciated as iv'e never had a french moulter before

cheers guys

libby

Missing head feathers might mean the Mum has plucked it Libby. I had some babies where Mum did that and then the flights fell out and were never to regrow properly again. They are in the juvenile flight where they have ladders from floor to top perches if they need to use them.

French moulters seem to keep trying to regrow their flights, but many times the feathers break off again and bleed somewhere in the process of trying to keep the new feathers.

Best suggestions I can make is make sure there are ladders for it anywhere you choose to house the budgie. Watch out for excessive bleeding when the feathers may break off. Keep a pair of forceps ready to pull the broken shaft out if it does break feathers...and cornflour to stop the bleeding. Give it the best nutrition and vitamins you can. :oliveb:

thanks KAZ umm the baby is still in the nest with the others should i remove it? none of them seem to show any signs of feather plucking there's no blood on him anywhere and i can't see any actual broken ones... only normally growing ones or pins coming through... again presumably... i heard it's contageous and he's in a nest with 4 other chicks... the youngest around 8 days oldish... if it's a concern for the other babies health i'll remove and hand feed him in a second cage i dont beleive it to be the hen or the cock feather plucking... he has no blood on him anywhere and the other chicks are also fine but i'll keep a steady eye on them as they're inside anyway.... what vitamins would you recommend to help the little tike :oliveb: thankyou so much :ausb:

Contagious...HMMM....thats debatable. I have had one in a nest where others were fine and didnt "catch it". I have had french moult babies in kindie cages with lots of other babies who didnt also "catch it". I have some in the avairy and with others ...again who havent caught it. I would leave it where it is.

Cheers Kaz

thanks kaz that helps and saves alot of hassel guess i cant beleive everything i read in books :oliveb: i'll let ya know how the little tackers doing in a few weeks

cheers libby :ausb: and thanks for the quick help