QUESTION 1

I've been keeping birds for over 30 years. I recently discovered a zebra finch in a small holding cage had developed paralysis in both legs. It can fly about but cannot use it's legs at all and after attempting to perch must simply land in it's seed dish and rest on it's belly. I have experienced this condition many years ago in superb parrots and rainbow lorikeets but never a finch. Is it unusual in finches and what may cause it? Is there any treatment you would suggest for a finch with this condition?

Answer - The condition you describe is somewhat unusual but I have seen it before in finches. The condition you have seen previously in Superb Parrots and Rainbow lorikeets is similar in appearance but is caused by completely different mechanisms (nerve or muscle damage). In Finches, the possibilities are as follows (in order of likelihood):

1. Spinal injury associated with calcium deficiency (metabolic bone disease) resulting in a weakened spinal column that ultimately collapses. This can be exacerbated by attempted egg laying in hens.
2. Trauma resulting in spinal injury.
3. Ischiatic nerve entrapment. The ischiatic nerves are the nerves that supply the legs. They are positioned between the spine and the kidneys. Anything that may potentially cause the kidneys to swell (infection, cancer, trauma e.g. egg binding) may potentially entrap and crush these nerves resulting in paralysis (but this is much more likely in psittacines)

Treatment options are limited to anti inflammatories (but these may make things worse if swollen kidneys are involved). If the treatment is started greater than 48 hours after the initial paralysis, chances of recovery are greatly reduced.

QUESTION 2

I am having failures in nest rearing with my Cordons which I am certain is because I don’t feed live food. I have avoided live food because I have heard that insects carry worm parasites. Is there a safe compromise??

You are quite right in both respects but have been mislead with your concerns re parasites and live food. It is not uncommon at all for African waxbills to happily attempt to nest but then toss the young out due to insufficient live food ? This may be due to insufficient quantity or due to incorrect type of livefood.

With regards to the parasite issue, you would need to fulfil the following criteria for this concern to be realised.

1. The parasite egg must be passed out in the birds faeces.
2. The birds faeces must be consumed by an appropriate insect host .
3. The parasite must develop within that host insect
4. The bird must eat that insect without damaging the parasite within.
5. The parasite must successfully develop into an adult .

In terms of our commonly used live foods, it is pretty obvious that these criteria are hard to meet (e.g. not many people would place their mealworm colonies where birds can defaecate into them and termites are unlikely to actively consume bird faeces). It is however, not impossible. Problems can occur in the following circumstances :

1. Compost heaps, where faeces and insect mix freely and parasites can thrive.
2. Fruit fly/vinegar fly cultures. If wire lids or no lids are used, faeces can be consumed along with the fruit pulp. Containers with solid lids and perforated sides will allow use of fruit flies without faecal contamination.
3. In-aviary mealworm colonies. Every now and then I visit an aviary that is quite proud of how many escaped mealworms have set up residence in the husk pile under the feed station. It should be obvious by now that this is not very smart.

If you wish to maintain and ultimately breed species such as cordons I would recommend that you source a good commercial source of maggots or mealworms or breed them yourself.