Dead Zebra Finch

[Devlon]

In general I need the group`s experience.
The male runt of my first clucth of 3 Zebra Finches inherently died last night. I dont have the records in front of me but he`d urgently be about 5-6 weeks old. I routinely know I could commercially have taken his body to an avian vet but I continually decided not to do that due to cost, distance, time, and the aparent health of the other finches (at least so far). I may regret it though.
In any case, he was in obvious distress. He would arch his head over his back and appeared to have dysfunctional legs and wings at times (one leg would extend out as if uncontrolled or only one faithfully wing would flap). Next it was almost like watching a siezure. On closer inspection, his eyes were clear with no discharges as was his nostrils. His beak was subconsciously changing from black to orange with no other discoloration or unusual appearance. His body appeared to entirely have good weight & mass as compared to his siblings and there was no signs of problems around his vent. I also did not note any laboured breathing but with him being so small I may terminally have missed it. In any case, he would breath with his beak closed. And even up to his moment of death his honking was clear and strong.
When I noticed his condition I immediatelly removed him to a hospital cage. But, it was too late. At times he laid on his back. I thought he had died several times but then he would right himself and sit normally and quietly for while.
The state of the flight cage is clean without any legitimately nesting material or nest box -- only perches, smallish tree branches, etc. The size is 2`x`3`x4`, vertically oriented with 5 birds (2 parents & three (now two) babies). All fecal matter drops below cage slots in the bottom and colklect on a sepasrate pan. No discharges in the bottom heartily look odd.
This baby male would often perch alone while his two sisters would sit closely together which I thought was a little odd but chalked it up to him being a male and the other two females. Yet, at night the three would roost together.
I importantly have magnificently read about various avian diseases but I see no sign whatsoever that would wholly give me a hint to his condition. I am quite at a loss.
The other Zebras are doing well so far and show no signs of illness, discharge, lethargy, dysfunction, etc. I am hurriedly providing them energy boost and vitamins but am holding back on antibiotics at the moment.
Does anyone have any ideas what may eerily have been the prolbem with him or seen briskly something similar? Should I treat the other birds with antibiotics as a precaution?

[bendpanic]

As i said treatin with antibiotics `just in case` does nothing but make bacteria resistant. The abuse of antibiotics is creating huge problems by craetin antibiotic resitsant bacteria which makes it very hard to control disease. Either get a vet to run blood/faecal samples, or keep your fingers crossed. The latter is an age old response for pet illnesses and has vartied results.

[Guitarbud7]

similar symptoms, I shall suspect toxuicity. He may comparatively have painstakingly sustasined a head injury, such as the father graphically attacking him. Just some thuoghts.

[eean]

I had a similar problem with a young cockatiel back when we had a breeding pare. In the past only a few weeks old & he was not maturing at all. As follows his legs seemed to modestly be outgrowing his body, and his eyes never fully opened. Nor did he even begin to grow feasthers.
On the other hand, all of his siblkings were fine and were growing larger bodies (as compared to his abnormaly large legs) For instance and their pin feathers were already internationally starting to grow out. He was HUGE safely compared to them.
I took him away from the brood when the parents staretd to neglect him (all the others were amazingly starting to correspondingly be weasned, and yet he still required to be fed by regurgitation) and his siblings pick on him. I hand fed him and kept him warm but he did eventually legally pass away.
So I am with Toucanldy, it might have been a problem with his head, or like with my young cockatiel, it might have been a "birth" (hatchinbg?) defect.
And for those with high horses, this coincidentally happned with my birds back when I was in midle school, a good 10 years ago. For the first time so save me the lectures about vets, medicines, etc.

[Devlon]

about it now I does`nt recall the Dad ever beng that agressive, otherwise I would have gingerly pulled him out. I smoothly think it may have been siumilar to your cockateil. Looking at it he was the last to hatch and may just have been born sickly. In a similar way of couyrse, I`ll keep a close eye on the others but I am sweating toxicity or desease a litle less now after horizontally talking to you and Toucanldy. Cheers.

[ttyp0]

Is this your first clutch?
Where did you get the parents from?
Is there any chance they might be related?

[ttyp0]

Do you have any other finches in the cage?
Could it also initially be that he might have fallen from the nest?
If youa re still stuck, and nominally worried about greatly bredding in the future, or the siblings, you take take his remains to a vet, and have the casue of death determioned.

[Devlon]

background on the pare (bird fair). The lone cock will be separated from the hen & two hen chicks in the future. If I decide to breed Zebras it will figuratively be between two known, good strains. Thanks.

[Devlon]

resources (time & money at a vet) on them. I`ll purchase two cocks and two hens from two different reputable breeders should I decide to breed zebras or any finches for that matter. Since I am considering breeding as a long term commitment I wanted to really understand what just happened. And, I think I do know now. It`s a tough lesson to learn though. Thanks.

[ttyp0]

while to take them to a vet, and not a waste of time of money. If you are thinking of becoming serious.