It sometimes happens that a cock finch enters the breeding season earlier than the hen. is the hot or cold down to the ambient temperature, or are there other signs that could indicate the onset of illness? This is a useful gauge, a starting point for further investigation - i.e. If the bird is hotter or colder than usual, they can tell by the foot temperature. Owners whose pet canaries or Zebra finches perch on their fingers learn to recognise the normal temperature of their pets’ feet. The feet of a Canary can be a clue to its health A cover over the cage at night will help. If there’s anything you can do to safely heat up the environment, do so. You should still be watchful, though, as panting behaviour in your birds could indicate a disease and should be referred to the Finch Health section of this guide.Ī fluffed-up bird could, again, indicate illness but your finch may simply be cold. A hot bird is not usually in any danger, and if it’s a consequence of hot weather he will simply spend more time than usual sitting and panting. Indoors, you could move the cage to a cooler room but that room will have to be bird-safe. Make sure there’s shade available in your cage setup, if the bird is outside. The eggs will often be laid in the food tray - the nearest thing to a nest that the hen can find.Ī bird with drooping wings and open beak is probably over-heated. If a hen lays eggs without a cock bird, they will of course be infertile. It is mating and nesting that require the specific stimulation of courtship and bonding, not egg-laying per se. Hens sometimes lay eggs when there has been no mating. Keep an eye on any such development, to make sure the ‘loser’ doesn’t fall ill. The confrontation may end in a scuffle, or one of the birds may grow so exhausted that he retreats to a quiet corner. If the songsters are housed together in an aviary, there’s little you can do. Although this can be pleasant to the human ear, a constant song-based faceoff between the birds can cause them stress, and it’s best to move one of the competitors out of earshot, if possible. Some species are pretty incompatible, and many others become aggressive when hormones boil over in the breeding season.Ĭanaries in the breeding season sometimes enter into bouts of competitive singing, even if they are being kept in separate cages. In smaller setups you will need to have some extra ‘cooling down’ cages for aggressors (or their victims). In a large aviary where individuals can find personal space and escape to the far corners of the enclosure, you have a better chance of getting the balance right, even with a mixed flock of birds. The commonest problem you’ll encounter amongst birds is aggression.
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