I just checked on my breeding pair, Storm and Cinder. Yesterday I noticed Cinder was quieter than usual but not abnormally so..Today he was in the nest, as always..I picked him up (which he has never allowed me to do before, he would bolt out of the nest if my hand came even a bit close to him) and put him on the perch. He tried to fly but just dropped to the ground. He has an incredibly sharp keelbone and even his feet are thin...I don't know how this happened, I was gone for the weekend but they had food and I had someone (who I can trust to look after them) feeding them.

I've noticed he has been getting quieter and always in the nest, but I haven't been able to watch them constantly so I didn't manage to catch this earlier. What is wrong with him??? I took him out of breeding cage and into another cage by himself, with a warm lamp and food. He is extremely skinny, close to starvation I think! He is docile and doesn't seem to be able to perch properly or fly at all, and is constantly sleeping.

Is he starving or is something else wrong with him? Other than taking him to a vet (which I can't do at the moment, also I know of no avian vets anywhere near where I live) what can I do??

Please please help ASAP, I do not want him to die!! I'm guessing he is starving himself to feed the chicks, as it seems he has taken over Storm's job of feeding them and stays in the nest all day. What can I do?!

Edit: The chicks are 27, 25, and 23 days old. I am not going to let them have a second clutch.

Edited April 5, 200916 yr by Jen144

Apart from extreme thin-ness does he have a poopy bottom as well ? I would love to be able to say you could fix him yourself, but it has gone beyond that and he does need urgent care. The warm cage is good, but he urgently needs crop feeding too. In a crop feed for him he would need handrearing formula, and I would add a minute amount of triple C, and protein...like whole egg powder and or whey protein powder and a few drops of calcivet. The need to get food into him by crop feed is URGENT. The signs you have described indicate he is totally weak and need of urgent care.

Edited April 5, 200916 yr by KAZ

I agree with Kaz, you need to get emergency food into him now, and get him under a warm light. Retire him from breeding. The chicks will do fine with just the hen (provided she is fit)

Oh great I was afraid someone would say that...

He does not have a poopy bottom at all.

I have nothing to crop-feed him with, but I might be able to get something that might work in an hour or so. But I have no idea how to crop feed him..The only thing I know that may work is a hollow, small metal thing to put on the end of a syringe, but is that too hard for crop feeding, seeing as it obviously cannot bend? Woudl it hurt him? Should I risk crop-feeding him seeing as I have no idea how to and never have had to do it..it is better than leaving him but could I kill him myself by doing that?

Would a normal vet be able to help him?

Vet-.. It's your only option.

The need is urgent,...it has gone past the ealry stages and into crucial action stage. Crop needles I use arent bent anyway. BUT YES you do need to be shown the first time or two. Any breeders near you who use crop needles and can do this or show you ?

I would race him off to the vet.

I know of one breeder nearby who breeds and handraises birds, so I assume he knows how to crop-feed. I'll try to take Cinder to the vet, and go to the breeder sometime so if this ever happens again I am prepared...The reason I'll try to take Cinder is I'm not sure whether I can get there or not but he will die won't he, without it..So I will try, very much to get there. Thanks.

Yes, unfortunately he would die without being crop fed right now.

Okay I can get him to the vet within half an hour. I hope he will survive!!

Oh, and Liv, you said retire him from breeding. You mean forever? Has it stressed him too much or is it that he will do it again or..?

Edited April 5, 200916 yr by Jen144

Perhaps put a drop of calcivet to the side of his beak and see if he sucks it in (don't force it as he may asperate)

Pack him in the car and take him to the vet. any vet worth their salt will treat him immediately with out appointment.

 

He seems to not cope with breeding well.

 

we can talk about this after... get him to the vet

Edited April 5, 200916 yr by **Liv**

My dad is taking him now. I expect they will have to keep him overnight, at least..so I'll know how he is tomorrow or so I hope...

My dad is taking him now. I expect they will have to keep him overnight, at least..so I'll know how he is tomorrow or so I hope...

You should go too and ask to be shown how to crop feed and you should purchase a 14 guage 3 inch straight crop needle for the future.

Oh I'm so glad to hear you could get him to the vet after all. At least you know that you've done all you can, and I hope they can get him back to full strength

When I pick him up I will ask to be shown how to crop-feed, and I'll buy a crop needle while there. Thank you so much for this, I hope it is not too late to save his life.

Good plan Fingers crossed

i hope he pulls through

Sounds like a case of an over feeding cock. I hear there are cocks that are superb at feeding and raising chicks - however, they forget to feed themselves and can die from malnutrition. Could be what has happened here, and i suspect he will always be that way which is why it would be wise to retire him from breeding.

 

Good luck!

Sounds like a case of an over feeding cock. I hear there are cocks that are superb at feeding and raising chicks - however, they forget to feed themselves and can die from malnutrition. Could be what has happened here, and i suspect he will always be that way which is why it would be wise to retire him from breeding.

 

Good luck!

 

this is my thoughts too

I agree also with Deans diagnosis

Great.. Cinder is a very sick little birdy..I just got a call from the vet, and they've done tests etc. And apparently he has two intestinal infections: E.coli and megabacteria.. and he has worms!! I have no idea how that happened..she said one of them is caused by the bird pooping in the water/food, and from stress. She also said it's touch and go as to whether he will survive the night.

All the tests, the feeding him and treating him, plus some worming treatment for the other birds..will be about $50.

$50 is a cheap vet bill...you are lucky in that regard. I hope he makes it.

For the future, all breeding birds must be in optimum condition and that includes worming before breeding amongst other things. The ecoli comes from contaminated water, which can easily occur when seed or poop is in their water.

Yes, and because I was gone for the weekend and that was when he went majorly downhill, I'm thinking the water didn't get changed enough...

I'm praying he makes it..by the way, is either of those contagious? Could Storm have megbacteria or ecoli? What about the babies?

Ecoli isnt contagious but bad water fed through parents to chicks transfers the bacteria. Megabacteria is a secondary disease which kicks in when all other defenses are down and the bird has succumbed to aprevious or primary illness. Its like someone living with HIV and then AIDS takes over. Many birds carry megabacteria but it doesnt take control of them unless they are ill from other things making them weak enough for the megabaceria rods to multiply and take over. At the point where megabacteria is in play they are seriously ill.

Okay thanks, so there is nothing I have to do about the babies? Would I have to get Storm treated for ecoli though?

Put a few drops of apple cider vinegar in her water supply and watch her and chicks.