Zebra Finch Problem on Neck

[gotsphynx]

HeY All~
Am new here - and did a rescue mission from a horrible pet store a few weeks ago. They had this tiny cage with what seemed to be a hundred zebra finches in it. Was only there to buy food and could NOT get the poor litte flying hamburger balls out of my head for a week. (They literally looked THAT bad) So the following week my daughter and I went and "bought" 4 of the worst ones and put them in a cage away from my other birds to see if I could get them "healthy". They are happy, flying, chirping, they all go in a rattan nest together and do "up periscope" when someone comes into the kitchen...but I have a question. Some of them have this "mass" on the back of their necks under the skin. They look like little yellow beads and the mass is about the size of your pinkie nail and is a blob under their skin. Their feathers elsewhere are growing back- just like they should - little straws - and they are eating and acting very happy. What is it? Don't see bugs (mites) they are not scratching. They bathe normally and they make their happy chirp all the time. I currently am owned by an umbrella cockatoo, a green-cheek conure, a pair of gouldian finches, a trio of cordon bleus, a saffron finch and a red factor canary. I have had birds for what seems like forever AND was a vet tech for a while. I have NEVER seen anything like this before. Anyone with any ideas?

Charley
(Mom of a small zoo in RI)

[isoscelestri]

I found this on a different site:
"used to breed zebra finches years ago and had quite a collection (around 40ish!).

What you describe may be fat deposits which are most often evident around the neck/crop area when the birds feathers have been removed either by itself or by a fellow feather plucker; I'm not so sure about the wing though, I've never witnessed fat deposition in that area.

If in doubt it's worth giving your vet a call."
You can find the full conversation here: Does Anyone Know Anything About Zebra Finches? - Chinchillas Unlimited

It doesn't say what or if anything needs to be done about it. Hope that helps and that your finches don't have a serious problem.

[catschair]

I don't have quite forty (yet), but have also observed it when they pull out their feathers. I don't think it is problematic, since I have had birds who have been happy and healthy for years that way. If you do talk to a vet, please let us know!

[gotsphynx]

These "blobs" are just on the backs of their necks...not anywhere else. There were many in that overcrowded cage that had the same thing. There was a LOT of plucking by the other birds going on. That is why I got them out of there. They literally looked like a flying hamburger ball. (Bare naked with a few wing and back feathers.) They are all getting their feathers back and the feathers are starting to cover over the mass. It does not seem to bother them and they are otherwise in great health considering where they came from. It seems they are only quiet when they are sleeping! They are very comical and holler as soon as I walk in the door after work for their fresh millet. boy do they have me trained! Thanx for the link- I just think that they will have to stay segregated. No in the big flight for them. But they are still spoiled~ (you think?!)

Charley

[gotsphynx]

Will these masses go away after time or do they remain?...and by the way....I HAVE EGGS....<I'm too young to be a gramma!> lol

Charley