Sorcha the finch Part 2 (back with more questions!)

[LyricalDream]

Back on April 1st my zebra finch laid an egg. You can read my other post for all the drama - mama dying, papa abandoning baby, baby has a dead foot, wing hurt, etc. I've gotten her through 95 percent of the problems, however I've run into a few new ones that have me scratching my head. Hoping maybe you all can help me out once again!

1) My nest cam broke, so I'm going on sounds alone here, but it sounds like she's not eating food yet. She screams bloody murder for about five minutes and then shushes. I thought it was papa attacking her at first. After a few days of investigative work I've seen her screaming bloody murder while papa sits on his perch. He also freaks out, hops down and then she shushes. She screams about four times a day. I'm assuming she's relying on papa for food and not eating herself. As she's on the floor I've moved their food dish to a sour cream lid so she can get into it. Still no results. Is there a way to coax her into eating? I've tried all sorts of veggies, pellets, seeds, you name it. What happens if she doesn't eat? Will papa just feed her forever? And how much is she supposed to be eating on her own? I'm not sure if the four or five feedings are normal for a finch of her age.

2) Not *as* pressing, but something I could use advice on. Papa - his new official name - ripped her feathers out when she was young on her left wing. It also happens to be the side with the dead foot. She's figured out walking okay. She now uses the bend in her foot (the joint) to walk instead of the foot itself. But she seems to be lacking wing strength in her left side. Currently she will NOT fly at all. I thought at her age she should be hopping up onto perches? How much flying is normal for a baby her age? I went to pick her up this morning for a 'flight session' to try to get a little strength into her wing (I had to do it with my cockatiel - she's not in any danger!) and she was able to fly up to the bottom of her floor tray. About an inch. And she had the corner to prop her up so it wasn't really 'flying' exactly. What age should she be fully flying?

Also, when is she considered an adult and not relying on Papa finch anymore? I WILL NOT let her breed. She's too fragile! What do I do if she's not feeding herself by that time? Just let Papa do it? He looks a tad stressed!

I've been messaging @finchly for help, but I think we're both stumped on the feeding issue. (I also don't want to bother them too much!) Any help would be appreciated! She's doing so well. (If loud. Her screaming gives me headaches)

 

[Peachfaced]

Is there a sort of baby formula you can try feeding her with? Maybe put some formula on a spoon and feed her like that, and slowly put less formula and increase the big bird food (kinda coat the adult food with formula so it tastes familiar) over time? Then offer her a bit of adult food with formula on a lid or plate if she takes to the spoon feedings.

 

[finchly]

I think she will wean when it’s time... not sure why she isn’t eating but soak the seeds or millet for 1/2 hour and that should help. You can also soak pellets, and pulverize veggies.

Right now she yells and gets fed and that’’s pretty normal for her age. A zebra would follow its dad around yelling, if it could fly. I agree that you could try some formula, maybe offer it on a yogurt lid or something where she can reach it easily. Or hand feed her, but only when she begs.

When she yells and he ignores her check her crop. That will be when he is trying to wean her - if she isn’t eating by then she’s in trouble.

 

[LyricalDream]

I'll try that. I know she can see Papa on the floor eating. I think she's just kind of clueless/stubborn! I'll buy some baby bird food tomorrow (again! I returned it) Should I just leave it out,or maybe dab a bit on the very end of her beak? I'm totally up for hand feeding if I have to.

How can you tell if he's weaning her from the crop? It just won't be as full?

 

[finchly]

If she is screaming and he isn’t responding, he is trying to wean her. Trust me you’ll know, she will be very angry. Just check her crop some time later and be sure it has something in it— that she’s getting at least some nourishment.

You can do a few different things with the formula. Mix and leave in the cage for a short while, you could dab some on her beak but it dries like cement. Maybe do that once or twice to se if she gets the idea. You could also wet some pellets and mix with the formula.

I think @Peachfaced ’s idea of the spoon is great, I’ve just never fed a finch with a spoon. Try it! Then you’ll be the mama bird and she will follow you everywhere. LOL

 

[LyricalDream]

Ha, I'd love being mama! She currently just attacks me out of anger.

Is a month old a proper age to be weaned? Or is she still okay? Her crop does get shoved full several times a day, so that's good!

We had a milestone last night! Papa is eating out of a 1/4th cup measuring cup on the floor so she will (hopefully) get the idea. She tried to run away from me (she got wet somehow and I needed to dry her) during her fleeing she hopped up on the ledge by herself and was able to balance! She now knows how to sit on things without help!

 

[finchly]

She will keep hopping up more and more now. Clever baby

She will most likely wean within the next 2 weeks. 35 days is considered the norm, but with her challenges it might be a little more.

 

[LyricalDream]

Yes!! Papa feeds her still! She won't hand feed yet though. I'm glad she's still within the safe zone for papa rearing her. I put millet in her cage. Papa is gobbling it. I'm hopeful she's just slow. I keep offering her mashed egg, veggies, pellets etc on a spoon /syrenge. It's making her very, very angry. She's a biter. (It's adorable!)

Deapite how it looks I'm holding her very carefully. Papa has plucked her rear! Not happy with him. I don't know if she has enough tail left to fly now. You can also see on the right side her foot is sideways. That's the bum foot.


Dropbox - IMG_20180505_182110.jpg

Dropbox - IMG_20180505_182054.jpg

 

[LyricalDream]

I think Sorcha is sick. She's been fluffed up today. I'm not sure if she just looks funny because Papa sometimes plucks her or if she's ill. We keep her with Papa even with plucking so she gets fed.
Today she's taken up hiding and her peep isn't as loud. She just seems low in spirits. We are thinking her journey is coming to an end soon. She's not in any pain, just low in spirits.
I could just be projecting worry. I got news yesterday that my 19 yr old cat has stage 2/possibly stage 3 kidney failure and has maybe three months to live. I hope it's just projecting. If not I have a beautiful place in my hard to bury her when the time comes.

Dropbox - VID_20180506_163736.mp4

(Yes I know seeds are bad. Papa just decided yesterday he would rather starve than eat more pellets. He was fine for two weeks. Now he hates them? He did the same thing with peas.)

 

[sheeluhwhet]

I think Sorcha is sick. She's been fluffed up today. I'm not sure if she just looks funny because Papa sometimes plucks her or if she's ill. We keep her with Papa even with plucking so she gets fed.
Today she's taken up hiding and her peep isn't as loud. She just seems low in spirits. We are thinking her journey is coming to an end soon. She's not in any pain, just low in spirits.
I could just be projecting worry. I got news yesterday that my 19 yr old cat has stage 2/possibly stage 3 kidney failure and has maybe three months to live. I hope it's just projecting. If not I have a beautiful place in my hard to bury her when the time comes.

Dropbox - VID_20180506_163736.mp4

(Yes I know seeds are bad. Papa just decided yesterday he would rather starve than eat more pellets. He was fine for two weeks. Now he hates them? He did the same thing with peas.)

NOO! I've been following your updates since your first thread, I can't stay quiet after reading this! I hope she comes around!!!
For what it's worth, you've been taking such good care of her, and i can see you've been doing the best you can. Also, I'm so sorry to hear about your cat--too many things are happening at the same tiem right now!!!

I do hope the best for little Sorcha, she and her papa are adorable

 

[LyricalDream]

NOO! I've been following your updates since your first thread, I can't stay quiet after reading this! I hope she comes around!!!
For what it's worth, you've been taking such good care of her, and i can see you've been doing the best you can. Also, I'm so sorry to hear about your cat--too many things are happening at the same tiem right now!!!

Thank you! I actually have some good news!

*Drum roll please*

SORCHA IS EATING MILLET! Let me say that again. SORCHA. IS. EATING!!!!

I had my suspicions yesterday when I noticed it vanished SUPER quickly and she was resting her belly against it. It was confirmed today when I replaced it when she was begging. I went back a minute later after watching to be sure Pop wasn't on the floor at all during that time. A nice little Sorcha head sized bite had been taken out. She'd eaten one of the puffs of millet! And she knew what to do! Papa has been letting her scream longer and longer before feeding her. I was panicked that he'd abandoned her. Turns out he's teaching her about solids! Way to go Pop! She begs, he ignores her, she eats millet, and THEN he'll feed her. He won't feed her until she's fed herself a bit. Then he stuffs her eventually.

She's also back to her active self. Still puffed up, but I think that's normal for her. My cockatiel has a bum leg and fluffs the same way. You can kind of see it here Dropbox - IMG_20180508_125623.jpg (Cage cleaning day which is why the picture.) You can see she leans forward on her beak and favors one side, JUST like Sorcha does. She also puffs up a lot and shakes like she has shivers. Sorcha does the same but not as extreme. I'm hopeful it's just a broken leg thing.

We're still keeping a VERY close eye for infection or other issues. But for today at least it's a high note. I've learned to treasure every moment I have with her and take each day as it comes. Who knows how long she'll hang around. She's NOT doing well at flying at ALL. I'm okay with that. I know how to arrange her cage to keep her happy. My cockatiel has lived 24 years happily with a bum foot. There's no reason Sorcha can't live a full life with her bum foot.


As for my cat, I adopted him knowing he was dying. He was 17 and his owner passed from cancer after the birth of her 5th child. Hubby couldn't cope so he locked kitty in a garage. I adopted kitty and poured $2.5K into him for medical bills. We've been fighting his failing kidneys for months now. At least it's not cancer like we thought! It's just sad to be faced with reality. We've bonded in a very unusual way. (We both pretty much rescued each other) It's rough, but worth every second.

And my OTHER cat, his broken tail is healing. Now he got stung by a bee. My vet doesn't even make me make an appointment now. *sigh* Half the time she doesn't even charge me the appointment fee. Sometimes I'm not sure if I run a farm or a rehab center for pets.

 

[sheeluhwhet]

YAY! IM SO GLAD!!!!!!

You seem like a very compassionate person, your cats and birds are very lucky to have you as their mom

I'm looking forward to more updates

 

[LyricalDream]

Sorcha's fiery reign of terror came to an end about an hour ago. She has been crying non stop for food for two days. I've tried feeding her with no success. Tonight she passed on. I think she starved to death and I feel beyond horrible.

 

[Peachfaced]

You did all you could for her. Don't put the blame on yourself.

 

[LyricalDream]

I guess her death brings me to my final question. I know from my research that finches don't do well on their own. Am I going to have to buy another female for him? I don't want more eggs. This is sad. I buried her under a beautiful tree outside and am engraving a little rock to be her tombstone today.

 

[Sylvester]

Thank you! I actually have some good news!

*Drum roll please*

SORCHA IS EATING MILLET! Let me say that again. SORCHA. IS. EATING!!!!



As for my cat, I adopted him knowing he was dying. He was 17 and his owner passed from cancer after the birth of her 5th child. Hubby couldn't cope so he locked kitty in a garage. I adopted kitty and poured $2.5K into him for medical bills. We've been fighting his failing kidneys for months now. At least it's not cancer like we thought! It's just sad to be faced with reality. We've bonded in a very unusual way. (We both pretty much rescued each other) It's rough, but worth every second.

And my OTHER cat, his broken tail is healing. Now he got stung by a bee. My vet doesn't even make me make an appointment now. *sigh* Half the time she doesn't even charge me the appointment fee. Sometimes I'm not sure if I run a farm or a rehab center for pets.

Although 19 years is a long time for a feline to live, don't give up on her just yet. I had a seventeen year old cat who had kidney failure so advanced that the numbers were off the charts. I changed his diet and took him into the vet three times a week for fluid injections. He lived for three more years when he passed away peacefully in his sleep.