Jump to content

Fluffed Feathers On Recovering Chick


Recommended Posts


  • Member ID:  5,135
  • Group:  Global Moderators
  • Followers:  0
  • Topic Count:  69
  • Topics Per Day:  0.01
  • Content Count:  2,545
  • Content Per Day:  0.49
  • Reputation:   0
  • Achievement Points:  14,055
  • Solved Content:  0
  • Days Won:  0
  • Joined:  12/03/09
  • Status:  Offline
  • Last Seen:  
  • Birthday:  06/08/1965

Here's a little background on the chick in question:

 

I was hand raising her, along with three other chicks, from about 3weeks old until they were about 6 weeks old. At that point, the other three were pretty much refusing any formula, but this particluar one stlll wanted 3 meals a day, and not only that, she was constantly begging from her cage mates. And she would typically sit a little bit hunched, and a little fluffed, which was how she looked while she did her begging. But otherwise, she seemed fine, so I started backing off on her hand feeding.

 

At 47 days old, she suddenly took a turn for the worse, lost her coordination and ability to perch, and stopped eating. This actually happened during a feeding session. Eating normally at the beginning of the meal, then just nibbling/pretending to eat, and that's when I noticed she looked bad. And she also took off flying, but crash landed on the floor, which she had never done before. (Fully flighted)

 

When I picked her up, she was so thin and "odd" that I thought she was about to die in my hand right that moment. And I noticed that she was extremely thin, and her crop was empty. I force fed her a little calcivet from a dropper, and put her in a hospital cage with a warm lamp. She perked up and seemed fine for several hours. But when the next feeding came around, she again only nibbled on the food, and it looked like it was all dribbling back into the cup. Again, she seemed to kind of collapse, and I thought I was going to lose her. I got the idea that she was unable to eat at all, and was starving.

 

So I tried to crop feed her, but once I got the needle down her throat, the plunger wouldn't depress! It was a last ditch effort to save her life, and it didn't work, and I just knew she would die. I put her back in the hospital cage, where she just sat on the floor, and I waited for the end.

 

Two hours later, she was able to eat, and again 2 more hours later. She lived through the night, and with constant hand feeding over the next several days, I got her weight up from 27g to about 31g. She went from sulking on the floor of the cage at 47 days old, to perching and sleeping on one foot at 49 days old. She made visible improvment almost hourly, and within a few more days, she didn't need the heat lamp any more, and after a week, she went back in the cage with the other babies.

 

Since then I've been slowly cutting back on her hand feedings, weaning her more slowly this time, because I felt that it was my fault, and that I must have starved her before. So now she's 65 days, (it's been a while :P ) and she's been doing just awesome, and is down to only one feeding a day. She obviously eats enough of the regular foods that I provide in the cage in order to maintain her weight of 30 to 31g. There is only one problem left.

 

When she was sick, her beak and cere color looked bad, her shape and posture looked bad, her feathers looked fluffed and horrible. When she got better, all that went away except for the fluffed feathers on her back. They aren't fluffed all the time, just when she's at rest on a perch. When she's active and alert, eating, playing, flying, all her feathers are smooth and normal. But when she just sits, her back is fluffed.

 

Up to now, I've been assuming that it would eventually smooth out. But fluffed feathers always means a sick budgie, doesn't it? Can I expect it to take longer than this for the feathers to stop fluffing? Perhaps it's just a bad habit she might have picked up? Does anybody have any experience with a recovering chick staying fluffed?

 

Now that she's almost weaned again, I'm watching her very closely for any signs of a relapse, but so far I'm not seeing anything. I guess I'm looking for anybody who has had a budgie with fluffed feathers that turned out okay. (I'm a little worried she's going to stay fluffed for life.)

Link to comment

  • Member ID:  1,976
  • Group:  Site Members
  • Followers:  2
  • Topic Count:  521
  • Topics Per Day:  0.03
  • Content Count:  25,294
  • Content Per Day:  1.28
  • Reputation:   0
  • Achievement Points:  152,977
  • Solved Content:  0
  • Days Won:  0
  • Joined:  24/01/06
  • Status:  Offline
  • Last Seen:  
  • Birthday:  07/01/1956

If all other signs are good, and all you are worried about is a few fluffed feathers on her back, I would say she's going to be okay. I have had the odd chick or two that wouldnt eat upon fledging. One just like yours. I was sure was going to die. I reduced it to a top up crop feed only one a day in the evening and expected to see it dead the next morning everyday :( I went to a budgie show one day and looking at that chick before I left I was sure I would find it dead when I got home. I got home in the dark and went to the bird room to remove its body as I was sure it would have died. It was perching and feeling its crop it had seed in its crop. The chick never looked back from that moment on. He is one of Omelettes babies, a cinnamon grey cock and has won best in show a time or two. I am constantly in awe of him still being in my aviary and looking so good considering his rough start in life. There will always be chicks who refuse to eat and wont thrive. I used to think I could save them all. Sometimes now I just look at them and say "Alright then....die if thats what you want" and its these ones that seem to try and prove me wrong by pulling through. Others will die just because they wont eat once they leave the nest. Parents stop feeding them knowing they arent quite right. ......and the old rule of the fittest surviving kicks in.

Edited by **KAZ**
Link to comment

  • Member ID:  5,135
  • Group:  Global Moderators
  • Followers:  0
  • Topic Count:  69
  • Topics Per Day:  0.01
  • Content Count:  2,545
  • Content Per Day:  0.49
  • Reputation:   0
  • Achievement Points:  14,055
  • Solved Content:  0
  • Days Won:  0
  • Joined:  12/03/09
  • Status:  Offline
  • Last Seen:  
  • Birthday:  06/08/1965

Thank you for that, Kaz. It helps me put it in perspective.

 

On the one hand, she didn't die when she had the chance, so maybe she is one of the "survivors". On the other hand, due to my intervention and constant pumping of food into her, maybe I have supported the survival of one of the "less fit". I guess her true nature will come out when I quit that last feeding, and she's completley on her own.

Link to comment

  • Member ID:  1,976
  • Group:  Site Members
  • Followers:  2
  • Topic Count:  521
  • Topics Per Day:  0.03
  • Content Count:  25,294
  • Content Per Day:  1.28
  • Reputation:   0
  • Achievement Points:  152,977
  • Solved Content:  0
  • Days Won:  0
  • Joined:  24/01/06
  • Status:  Offline
  • Last Seen:  
  • Birthday:  07/01/1956

One just like yours. I was sure was going to die. I reduced it to a top up crop feed only one a day in the evening and expected to see it dead the next morning everyday :( I went to a budgie show one day and looking at that chick before I left I was sure I would find it dead when I got home. I got home in the dark and went to the bird room to remove its body as I was sure it would have died. It was perching and feeling its crop it had seed in its crop. The chick never looked back from that moment on. He is one of Omelettes babies, a cinnamon grey cock and has won best in show a time or two. I am constantly in awe of him still being in my aviary and looking so good considering his rough start in life.

Here he is

 

as a chick 032-3.jpg

 

and adult 020-27.jpg

Link to comment

  • Member ID:  5,135
  • Group:  Global Moderators
  • Followers:  0
  • Topic Count:  69
  • Topics Per Day:  0.01
  • Content Count:  2,545
  • Content Per Day:  0.49
  • Reputation:   0
  • Achievement Points:  14,055
  • Solved Content:  0
  • Days Won:  0
  • Joined:  12/03/09
  • Status:  Offline
  • Last Seen:  
  • Birthday:  06/08/1965

He is very nice! :D

Link to comment

  • Member ID:  6,765
  • Group:  Site Members
  • Followers:  0
  • Topic Count:  3
  • Topics Per Day:  0.00
  • Content Count:  35
  • Content Per Day:  0.01
  • Reputation:   0
  • Achievement Points:  205
  • Solved Content:  0
  • Days Won:  0
  • Joined:  04/06/11
  • Status:  Offline
  • Last Seen:  
  • Birthday:  11/10/1983

Awwwwwe I love the baby picture, he's gorgeous :)

Link to comment

  • Member ID:  1,976
  • Group:  Site Members
  • Followers:  2
  • Topic Count:  521
  • Topics Per Day:  0.03
  • Content Count:  25,294
  • Content Per Day:  1.28
  • Reputation:   0
  • Achievement Points:  152,977
  • Solved Content:  0
  • Days Won:  0
  • Joined:  24/01/06
  • Status:  Offline
  • Last Seen:  
  • Birthday:  07/01/1956

How's your baby Finn ?

Link to comment

  • Member ID:  5,135
  • Group:  Global Moderators
  • Followers:  0
  • Topic Count:  69
  • Topics Per Day:  0.01
  • Content Count:  2,545
  • Content Per Day:  0.49
  • Reputation:   0
  • Achievement Points:  14,055
  • Solved Content:  0
  • Days Won:  0
  • Joined:  12/03/09
  • Status:  Offline
  • Last Seen:  
  • Birthday:  06/08/1965

How's your baby Finn ?

 

 

She's doing okay. Since I dropped her down to one hand feeding per day, she has lost a couple of grams, down to 29. So I'm stil keeping an eye on her. She is promised to an owner who has been waiting for a hand tamed spangle chick since February, and we thought this chick was going to be ready to go home about 3 weeks ago, until she took that sudden nose-dive. I (we) sure would hate to lose her now!

 

I was planning to get some photos of her today, but I forgot about it until towards evening, so the low light made for poor quality photos, but here they are anyway:

 

KA16-10-112.jpg

 

 

 

KA16-10-113.jpg

 

 

 

KA16-10-114.jpg

 

 

 

KA16-10-11.jpg

Link to comment

  • Member ID:  1,976
  • Group:  Site Members
  • Followers:  2
  • Topic Count:  521
  • Topics Per Day:  0.03
  • Content Count:  25,294
  • Content Per Day:  1.28
  • Reputation:   0
  • Achievement Points:  152,977
  • Solved Content:  0
  • Days Won:  0
  • Joined:  24/01/06
  • Status:  Offline
  • Last Seen:  
  • Birthday:  07/01/1956

She doesnt look "happy" yet. You would want to be sure she is really well and over it before she goes to a new home.

Link to comment

  • Member ID:  5,135
  • Group:  Global Moderators
  • Followers:  0
  • Topic Count:  69
  • Topics Per Day:  0.01
  • Content Count:  2,545
  • Content Per Day:  0.49
  • Reputation:   0
  • Achievement Points:  14,055
  • Solved Content:  0
  • Days Won:  0
  • Joined:  12/03/09
  • Status:  Offline
  • Last Seen:  
  • Birthday:  06/08/1965

She doesnt look "happy" yet. You would want to be sure she is really well and over it before she goes to a new home.

 

 

Yeah, that's what I told the buyer. She understands, she wants what's best for her too. :)

 

I gave the buyer a bit of a warning that there could be more of a problem going on with this chick than we think. That's one of the reasons I started this thread, to see if other people had chicks that got better, but stayed fluffed up. And to see if those chicks got better, or went back downhill.

Link to comment

  • Member ID:  4,737
  • Group:  Site Members
  • Followers:  0
  • Topic Count:  106
  • Topics Per Day:  0.02
  • Content Count:  5,156
  • Content Per Day:  0.92
  • Reputation:   0
  • Achievement Points:  28,240
  • Solved Content:  0
  • Days Won:  0
  • Joined:  12/10/08
  • Status:  Offline
  • Last Seen:  
  • Birthday:  08/09/1973

usually when fluffed like that they either go down hill or get a immunity to the illness causing it and become a carrier birds so be careful hun its not something more detrimental than just starting out slow

Link to comment

  • Member ID:  5,135
  • Group:  Global Moderators
  • Followers:  0
  • Topic Count:  69
  • Topics Per Day:  0.01
  • Content Count:  2,545
  • Content Per Day:  0.49
  • Reputation:   0
  • Achievement Points:  14,055
  • Solved Content:  0
  • Days Won:  0
  • Joined:  12/03/09
  • Status:  Offline
  • Last Seen:  
  • Birthday:  06/08/1965

usually when fluffed like that they either go down hill or get a immunity to the illness causing it and become a carrier birds so be careful hun its not something more detrimental than just starting out slow

 

 

That is a good point, GB, and something the buyer and I have also thought of. I don't know if it's just because this bird can't handle the range of "normal" germs that probably already exist here, or if something new and bad has come in, and she is just the first to show any signs. I don't really want to jump into a panic about my whole flock, but I do figure I better keep a sharp eye on them just in case.

Link to comment

  • Member ID:  1,976
  • Group:  Site Members
  • Followers:  2
  • Topic Count:  521
  • Topics Per Day:  0.03
  • Content Count:  25,294
  • Content Per Day:  1.28
  • Reputation:   0
  • Achievement Points:  152,977
  • Solved Content:  0
  • Days Won:  0
  • Joined:  24/01/06
  • Status:  Offline
  • Last Seen:  
  • Birthday:  07/01/1956

Have you got another chick you can offer your buyer ?

Link to comment

  • Member ID:  5,135
  • Group:  Global Moderators
  • Followers:  0
  • Topic Count:  69
  • Topics Per Day:  0.01
  • Content Count:  2,545
  • Content Per Day:  0.49
  • Reputation:   0
  • Achievement Points:  14,055
  • Solved Content:  0
  • Days Won:  0
  • Joined:  12/03/09
  • Status:  Offline
  • Last Seen:  
  • Birthday:  06/08/1965

Have you got another chick you can offer your buyer ?

 

Maybe, but it wouldn't be nearly as nice as this one. This one is the friendliest chick I've ever been able to raise. I sure hope she pulls through and begins to thrive.

 

Today's update is that she has a very full crop, and weighs 35grams!

 

There's no pleasing me. I wanted her to eat and bring her weight up, but now I am worried that she is eating TOO much, and might impact her crop.

 

After worrying all weekend that something may be about to infect my whole flock, I did a lot of reading up on Megabacteria, and other common diseases. She really doesn't appear (yet anyway) to match anything, except for the constant eating at the food dish but still losing weight. I weigh her every day at about 1pm, and on Sunday, she was down to 28g. That's only 1g above the weight she was at when she "collapsed", so I've been worrying that she was about to plummet at any time.

 

Seeing her with her head in the food dishes 24/7 got me really worrying, cuz from what I could find out, Megabac is the only disease where they do that. So I was ecstatic to see that she is actually eating and swallowing, not just dropping the food back out.

 

Now to watch and see if she can digest her crop full of food without any ill effects.

 

If I do have to switch to a different chick, it would have to be one from the second round that are just feathering up now. In that case, there would be plenty of time to see if this girl fully regains her health enough to be sellable.

Link to comment

  • Member ID:  4,737
  • Group:  Site Members
  • Followers:  0
  • Topic Count:  106
  • Topics Per Day:  0.02
  • Content Count:  5,156
  • Content Per Day:  0.92
  • Reputation:   0
  • Achievement Points:  28,240
  • Solved Content:  0
  • Days Won:  0
  • Joined:  12/10/08
  • Status:  Offline
  • Last Seen:  
  • Birthday:  08/09/1973

im sorry darl but i would not be letting that chick leave my stud until its done the 6 months moult

 

just say she gets well enough to sell

you sell her

and three month molt she cant cope stresses and what ever resistance shes built up well she just didnt build up enough to stop her from going backwards again

and she becomes unwell and buyer becomes bird-less

i have refused to sell birds on occasion due to me feeling they were just under the weather

to actually be unwell from start shes got more going on

so unless you stop all feeds now and spesh treatment and have her in a cage separate from others and alone bar the human contact she will be getting

for a month to see if shes active or just sits their

then id just tell the lady that you are sorry but if you were to sell her chances are she could become unwell at latter date or in the move to her new environment

megga is normally a secondary infection so and they can hang on for months just on the edge of survival ( not saying she has that )

and unless she was meaty around her keel bone then she should not go anywhere

regardless of her weight or if shes eatting

i resently had two birds come down with secondary megga cases after a bought of canker in flock

they lasted three months almost before i decided that they needed to be safely put to sleep just as they eat and live does not mean they are healthy if the weights up and down the bird is not fit for sale and wont be till its stable visually for at shortest one month on its own no help no special anything

 

my two would of gone on for ever like they were up down up down it was cruel to them considering what they were and what they became with no steady flow of weight gain or stable health back good for few weeks then on floor fluffed then night eating preening on perch then next day sick on floor so on so on two months this went on birds were better put to sleep and believe me i tried everything to get them healthy they were a great two birds :(

 

 

so.......... find another regardless and you will never get a call saying oh the bird died and you wondering was it due to its health or what ???

Link to comment

  • Member ID:  1,976
  • Group:  Site Members
  • Followers:  2
  • Topic Count:  521
  • Topics Per Day:  0.03
  • Content Count:  25,294
  • Content Per Day:  1.28
  • Reputation:   0
  • Achievement Points:  152,977
  • Solved Content:  0
  • Days Won:  0
  • Joined:  24/01/06
  • Status:  Offline
  • Last Seen:  
  • Birthday:  07/01/1956

I agree with GB about not letting this one go and thats why I asked if you had another bird to sell.

 

Chances are high this one will go backwards when it leaves for its new home. When they have a start in life like this one has they need careful watching by an experienced eye not a new owner.

Link to comment

  • Member ID:  5,135
  • Group:  Global Moderators
  • Followers:  0
  • Topic Count:  69
  • Topics Per Day:  0.01
  • Content Count:  2,545
  • Content Per Day:  0.49
  • Reputation:   0
  • Achievement Points:  14,055
  • Solved Content:  0
  • Days Won:  0
  • Joined:  12/03/09
  • Status:  Offline
  • Last Seen:  
  • Birthday:  06/08/1965

Wow. Thank you Kaz and GB. I have already told the buyer that I can't sell this chick until it stabillizes. But being as it's my first problem chick, I had no idea that it could fluctuate up and down like this for so long. I figured it would either die, or get all better. And then after a week or so I would know if it was fine. But I can see by what you said, GB, about your two hanging on for so long, but never fully recovering, that a week or two would be overly optimistic.

 

Rats. What a disappointment. Guess I need to go contact the buyer again. Although she's been following this thread, so she probably read your replies before I did. I know how disappointed she's going to be. She's like the best pet buyer you could hope for, and she's been patient for so long.

 

The new chicks are from the same parents, so I hope none of them gets this problem too. :(

Link to comment

  • Member ID:  4,737
  • Group:  Site Members
  • Followers:  0
  • Topic Count:  106
  • Topics Per Day:  0.02
  • Content Count:  5,156
  • Content Per Day:  0.92
  • Reputation:   0
  • Achievement Points:  28,240
  • Solved Content:  0
  • Days Won:  0
  • Joined:  12/10/08
  • Status:  Offline
  • Last Seen:  
  • Birthday:  08/09/1973

well she would be more silly than dumb if she was to say she still wants this certain bubby

so in saying that patience does pay off things happen for reasons and i bet her new chick will be something grand :) personality wize

Link to comment
  • 5 months later...

  • Member ID:  5,135
  • Group:  Global Moderators
  • Followers:  0
  • Topic Count:  69
  • Topics Per Day:  0.01
  • Content Count:  2,545
  • Content Per Day:  0.49
  • Reputation:   0
  • Achievement Points:  14,055
  • Solved Content:  0
  • Days Won:  0
  • Joined:  12/03/09
  • Status:  Offline
  • Last Seen:  
  • Birthday:  06/08/1965

I thought it was a good time to follow up on how this turned out, as the owner of this bird has sent me some photos of her.:)

 

 

 

Once the chick finally got weaned, she was fine. I honestly think she was just sulking for more formula. Once I cut that out completely, she eventually dug into her regular birdy foods and stabilized and was just fine.

 

 

 

Of course, my bird buyer was already quite attached to her, and preferred to just get her home, come what may. And everything went very well.

 

 

"Miss Birdy" is 8 months old now. Been through her first major molt, and a couple of brief ones. Perfectly fine and healthy, and her owner couldn't be happier.

 

 

 

She gave me permission to post some of her photos on here. They spoil that bird! But I can see why, cuz that bird has always had Some Personality, even from two weeks of age. :D

 

 

 

 

Playstand they made for her out of a tree branch:

 

 

 

052-2.jpg

 

Hmm. Her photos appear to be too large. I guess I'll have to rely on the auto-resizer. Sorry.

057.jpg

012-4.jpg

 

004-4.jpg

 

059.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

027-2.jpg

 

 

Funny preening shot:

 

018-2.jpg

 

She loves her daddy!

 

058.jpg

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...