njc110381 Posted June 16, 2013 Report Share Posted June 16, 2013 Hey guys. I'm feeling a bit sorry for myself - one of my spare magpies died and I don't know why? It's been acting fine. They've got clean water and get fed every day, but when I got it out of the cage it had no meat on it at all like it had starved? The other two have been on the same diet and as far as I can tell seem fine. When I fed them yesterday they all picked up the food whilst I was there watching them, and there is always a little bit of food left when I replace it every morning? It was in a cage with another bird, but they weren't fighting and as I say I've been watching them share the food without any bother so I don't think it was bullied by the other one? I'm feeding them dry dog food which seems a popular choice but I don't want to lose another. It feels like I've neglected it somehow as it was all bone when I took it out of the cage but I'm at a loss as to how that may be? I thought I was looking after them well, checking their food and water twice daily and changing it every morning. I suppose it could have been ill already, but I didn't notice it being thin when I moved it from the trap to the holding cage? What am I doing wrong? Or have I just been unlucky? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazooka Joe Posted June 16, 2013 Report Share Posted June 16, 2013 Sounds like it's went light, happens a lot with Canarys/British, especially Greenfinch. http://www.nativebirds.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=28&Itemid=28 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zipdog Posted June 17, 2013 Report Share Posted June 17, 2013 (edited) I would say it died of stress, which can happen with call birds, despite how well you look after them! Edited June 17, 2013 by zipdog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted June 17, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2013 I did wonder about stress but it seemed to have got over being bothered when I walked up to the cage. They'd got used to me fairly well and were happy to feed with me standing near them? I suppose it is the most likely cause though. It was a fairly small bird when I caught it but it was an adult, which seems to suggest it wasn't going light. I hope the other two are ok. I don't really want to handle them to check their size because it will only stress them out more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazooka Joe Posted June 17, 2013 Report Share Posted June 17, 2013 It was a fairly small bird when I caught it but it was an adult, which seems to suggest it wasn't going light. How does it suggest it wasn't going light..? A small or an adult bird can go light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted June 17, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2013 From your link... What are the symptoms?The classic symptoms are the young bird appearing slightly puffed up with the feathers across the whole body having a slightly raised appearance. The bird will usually sit listlessly and there will be little movement evident. Feeding is difficult and although the bird will often sit for hours on or in the food dish, occasionally nibbling at seeds, it is unable to swallow them. Likewise, the bird will often be unable to drink. Some birds which show the full blown symptoms of the disease will die very quickly. Others can hang on for days before succumbing. In my experience it is very rare for any young bird showing these symptoms to survive. If a young bird completes it’s moult without being visually affected by the disease then it is unlikely to suffer from it as an adult. The critical time therefore is the period between fledging and completion of the moult. Not knowing much about it apart from reading that, I may be wrong of course! I'd never heard of it until you mentioned it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazooka Joe Posted June 17, 2013 Report Share Posted June 17, 2013 That link was plucked from google just to give you an insight Nic, I never read it, but, I do keep birds. Your bird has the classic symptoms of going light, they look as if they are feeding/drinking & nothing is wrong. Birds are very good at hiding illness, until it's to late. Contrary to the link, it does effect adult birds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted June 18, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2013 That's pretty much exactly what happened. I couldn't figure out how it was eating but got so thin?! The other two still look and are acting fine, even though one of them is the first I caught. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alycidon Posted June 26, 2013 Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 Dont worry about it, sometimes they keel over in a few days, others last all season. Feeding them pheasant pellets keeps them fit, but can attract pheasants into the catching compartments. A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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