Budgie Goes Mad ! Stressed ?

[GenericBlue 0]

How is he today Kaz?

He's quiet. I havent seen any feather shredding today. I put him in a cage with two other budgies to see how he gets on. He just went straight to the food dish

thats a good sighn isnt it

[nubbly5 0]

Giardiasis is an infectious disease caused by a parasite present in the drinking water of many cities. Again, its more common in the US

 

That is very odd Kaz its as if something has just snapped quite suddenly in the birds mind

 

Giardia is canker. Kaz (like the rest of us) do regular canker treatments.

 

Sorry to say Kaz but this is stress related. Seen it in varying forms but never this bad and heard of it as bad as this or worse. Not altogether uncommon.

 

Edit: no scratch that. Had a blonde moment giardia is not canker but also a protazoa like canker and therefore responds to ronivet.

Edited May 5, 2010 by nubbly5

[**KAZ** 0]

Stressed cockbird is fine in the hoilding cage with others for company......hasnt removed any more feathers.

[GenericBlue 0]

good news kaz

glad hes carmed down

mabe breeding cabnit brought back bad childhood memories ,...lol

[Houman 0]

no... no not the breeding cabnet NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!. :laughter:

[**KAZ** 0]

Maybe he is gay and has yet to come out of the closet :laughter:

[eve 0]

How's the little guy now?

[**KAZ** 0]

How's the little guy now?

He is really good. He stopped mutilating his feathers upon removal from the breeding cage and he is in a holding cage with three or four other budgies and he has had no further problems.

[eve 0]

How's the little guy now?

He is really good. He stopped mutilating his feathers upon removal from the breeding cage and he is in a holding cage with three or four other budgies and he has had no further problems.

Great! So, I guess it was stress? I've never bred budgie and don't want to. I'm just not set up for all that may happen. I'm so glad they little guy is doing okay now. That picture of him being held by you with his little beak open in protest is so cute. :yes:

[**KAZ** 0]

I had a pair in the breeding cage...no eggs as yet. All going well between the pair.

Cock was calm on the perch the last time I saw him. All good. No problems.

Late afternoon today and I check them to give some soft food and the cock has begun to strip off all his feathers. He has removed all his wing flights, he has shredded his tail, and he has plucked his chest right down to his down feathers. I pulled him out of the breeder cage and put him in a show cage and watched him. He is jumping all around like a mexican jumping bean, rolling over and grabbing his tail feathers and pulling hard and biting at it and removing and shredding more tail feathers. :yes:

No mites, no changes...except now he is acting mentally disturbed and shredding and removing all his feathers.

 

Any ideas ???????????????????????? This has all changed in less than a day.

 

Before

 

 

and now

 

 

 

 

 

Here he is today

 

 

 

 

[eve 0]

His tail fedders all gone......you'll have to call him Bob. :yes:

 

He's a sweetie. I just luv their looks when they've lost their little tail fedders.

Edited May 27, 2010 by eve

[**KAZ** 0]

His tail fedders all gone......you'll have to call him Bob. :yes:

 

He's a sweetie. I just luv their looks when they've lost their little tail fedders.

Yeah it will take time for him to get his flights and tail feathers back. Chest feathers are all grown in though so its a start

[**Liv** 0]

I have seen this twice. Once in a breeding cabinet at a friends place where the cock would pluck out all this flights and body feathers. The other time was a hen in an auction who had ripped out all her tale feathers and flights while fretting in the cage. I would most definitely put the cause as excessive stress or some sort of serious anxiety issue. Birds that are known to be stress cases, I have been told, pass the trait on to their chicks...

Edited May 27, 2010 by **Liv**

[**KAZ** 0]

I have seen this twice. Once in a breeding cabinet at a friends place where the cock would pluck out all this flights and body feathers. The other time was a hen in an auction who had ripped out all her tale feathers and flights while fretting in the cage. I would most definitely put the cause as excessive stress or some sort of serious anxiety issue. Birds that are known to be stress cases, I have been told, pass the trait on to their chicks...

This can be true in the case of hens stressed in the nestbox and chicks who learn this in the nestbox and squark and dive under each other in panic. I dont know if the same is true of the dads. Most often its the hens that have these issues.

Time will tell if he does this all the time when breeding. Maybe after a very long holiday I should let him choose his own hen.

[Houman 0]

yay, how long do tail feathers take to grow back?

[**KAZ** 0]

yay, how long do tail feathers take to grow back?

Since he didnt lost his tail featrhers but just messed them up, we will have to wait till they moult out and new ones grow in.

[Ratzy 0]

What about the flights?

[**KAZ** 0]

What about the flights?

Since he pulled them straight out they should begin to grow back in soon and may already be doing so. I will have a closer look tomorrow

[**Liv** 0]

I'd pull out the ruined tail feathers too, so he looks better faster He would have just finished his April moult so it will be long wait until the next tail change. The next moult is only a head moult i believe

Edited May 27, 2010 by **Liv**

[**KAZ** 0]

I'd pull out the ruined tail feathers too, so he looks better faster He would have just finished his April moult so it will be long wait until the next tail change. The next moult is only a head moult i believe

 

There's been a lot said recently from show breeders who pull tails that a pulled feather can often damage the feather follicle and the tail wont regrow. As I have seen this quite often and heard from other breeders about birds with pulled tail feathers never regrowing their tails. I will take the chance and let his regrow in his own good time. Only half my birds did the April moult and others moulted at another time or have yet to moult. I will take the chance.

[Houman 0]

no need to rush right?, let a bird be a bird as i keep being told by family

[**KAZ** 0]

he is in the aviary and looking better

 

 

[Dave_McMinn 0]

I am glad to see he is looking better.

 

I assume that when he is back to top condition you will give him another go, and see how he goes from there. It is either breed or bust I suppose.

[**KAZ** 0]

I am glad to see he is looking better.

 

I assume that when he is back to top condition you will give him another go, and see how he goes from there. It is either breed or bust I suppose.

 

 

I guess so, or I might have to watch and see if he chooses his own female.

[Dave_McMinn 0]

If he chooses his own female he might stress less with her. that would be the ideal situation.