If this is your first time holding a Diamond Mandarin you will probably be very surprised to see it pluck its feathers. This type of behavior may be due to several factors that we will detail below.
Also, something you should keep in mind is that if your Mandarin Diamond plucks its feathers, it will need extra specific care and feeding.
Keep reading and find out in this article on our site why my mandarin diamond plucks its feathers and solve this problem that, in the long run, it can be detrimental to your he alth.
During the start
If we have a male and a female in the same habitat (especially if it is small) we can easily solve why the Mandarin Diamond plucks its feathers: it is because wants to build a nest, that's when the breeding of the mandarin finch begins.
The mandarin diamond reminds us of a small hen as it is capable of making several broods during the year. When having a pair of diamonds alone (or several pairs) they begin the courtship and the preparation of the nest if they are receptive.
We must avoid breeding females that are too young, sick specimens or any diamonds if we do not have vitamins and calcium to offer them.
To avoid plucking out the feathers when trying to make a nest we have several options:
Separate the diamond pair: In this way we will avoid courtship and therefore feathers will be plucked, normally the breeding season is usually in spring. Of course, they should not see each other otherwise the courtship will not stop
Offer them material to make the nest: If we do this we will avoid feathers being pulled out, we can use goat hair or coconut hair (available at any store) of course, if you do not want to have more diamonds you will have to replace the eggs for fake ones but this can lead to stress and apathy in our diamonds
Avoid heat by means of lemon drops: This practice is widely used among fans of Mandarin diamonds and consists of putting a few drops of lemon in the water. It is not harmful to your he alth at all
Also It can happen that a diamond takes out the feathers of another diamond during this time, we must watch if this is our case:
When we only have a pair of diamonds it can happen that the male is very active, and when there is only one female, she can be worn out from copulating. That's when the male bites her and tries to cheer her up. For this, it would be best to add an extra tenant.
Another very different issue is when two diamonds of the same sex coexist and one of them is especially dominant or aggressive (it can happen) it is also a good idea to add some extra specimen although the marked character will probably not disappear, we will simply make coexistence more enjoyable for the submissive diamond.
During moult
Like many birds, During the fall and spring the Mandarin finch usually sheds its plumage. It will be usual in those times that we observe an excess of feathers at the bottom of the cage and on the floor, don't worry, it's normal.
Keep reading to discover how we should help the Mandarin Diamond when he plucks his feathers, it is very important that you keep this in mind.
Feeding a feather-plucking diamond
Indeed, the diet of the Mandarin diamond is the fundamental pillar that will ensure that our diamond does not physically wear out and recover its plumage. That will happen more quickly if we create a good situation and a good dose of supplements.
To begin with, we emphasize that the diamond needs quality and complete food, exclusive seeds for diamonds. It also requires that we regularly offer fruit and vegetables suitable for Mandarin Diamonds.
Your cage can't miss either the cuttlefish bone, a super-necessary supply of calcium that you should always have within reach. Likewise and as an extra, we can also get gritt, a mineral substance that we can place at the bottom of the cage and that is very beneficial for its digestion and calcium intake.
Vitamins and breeding paste
If we observe our diamond especially decayed or worn due to the loss of feathers we should think about using vitamins and even breeding paste if we wish make them breed.
We will find vitamins in any store since there is a very varied gamma dedicated to birds, among them we can find them with multiple properties, calcium, vitamin C, etc.
In principle we recommend that you go to an exotic professional for guidance, since he will know better than anyone which vitamins are most suitable for your case. Even so, these are products that do not harm the he alth of your diamond.
The breeding paste on the other hand is a very complete food that is offered during the laying of eggs and the rearing of the pigeons. Even so, this food is not exclusive to breeding, we can also use it to improve its calcium intake and enrich its diet.
How is breeding paste made? Next we will explain, with a simple step-by-step, an easy and easy to do at home. To start we are going to detail the ingredients you need:
- Dry breeding paste
- Rusk
- Brewer's yeast (for poultry)
- Vitamin complex
- Honey
- Egg
- Omega 3 Omega 6
- Orange
Among the elements that we have detailed you will be able to see the egg, the orange and the honey, natural products that you have available in your own home. You can find the rest at any pet store.
Once we have everything we will start with a simple step by step:
- Boil the rusk in water until it has absorbed all the liquid
- You should also boil the egg until we have a hard-boiled egg
- Add and mix all the products with your hands: the boiled rusk, the egg (with the shell included), the honey, the yeast, vitamins, oils and the orange.
- You should achieve a spongy and dense dough
Remember that this breeding paste contains eggs, which at room temperature can spoil. To do this, we recommend that you do not exceed the quantities and that you store the leftover pasta in the refrigerator without leaving it there for more than two days.
