chirpy

The 'popping' sound when breathing, is it like a clicking sound at all? That could be air sack mites. I doubt very much if this would suddenly become severe enough to start killing your birds off one by one, BUT if its in conjunction with some other disease/allergy/poisoning/infection, then it could. I would have all your surviving flock treated for mites just in case. Are youusing an outdoor water supply/ What sort of plumbing do you have? If its lead piping, it could be related to the water they are drinking. As Rainbow suggested, a necropsy could be extremely important in finding the cause, then you can aim towards prevention to stop such a terrible tragedy re-occuring. Again, I am so sorry for you loss. Anne

This creature is living in *** on earth. As everyone is saying, VET!! NOW!! Anne

How terribly sad. I am so sorry for you gofD. I do hope all gets sorted as fast as possible. If you find out the cause, please would you share it with us? its situations like this where we can all learn something, and possibly salvage something good out of a very sad situation. I am so sorry. Anne

It sounds like some rather vicious infection is ready to sweep through your flock. I wish I could help, but the only thing I can do is press you to get emergency vet treatment ASAP, before Monday! Even if it means you have to beg or borrow. This dosent sound good at all. How many birds do you have, would it be possible to seperate every bird for observation at all? (like a quarantine) Id hate for more of your birds to get sick Poisoning is also a possibility as pixie just daid. Have you fed them any different raw foods, or changed the seed? I would immediately start off sterilising the cages with an avian safe disinfectant though, keep infection and cross infection risks down to a minimum. Clean up the poops at least 1/2 dozen times a day, so if it IS an infection, the risk of spread can at least be lessened. Anne

Thanks Andy!

Sounds like you have set yurself a task there, but I do like the sounds of it! Someone else has done a cupboard conversion for a cage on here, if I find the post i will link it for you. Im just wondering, if it would be feasable to put the wardrobe on its side? That way they could have great fun flying across from side to side! Anne

I would suggest that everybody has some liquid arnica in their birdy first aid supplies! That wound dosent look too bad, but you will need to keep a very close eye on the chick in case its a resuly of bullying. Anyway, the arnica. A single drop in half an egg cup of water is a wonderful bathing agent, soothing and healing. It could be dabbed on with a well scrubbed finger, or even a cotton bud. (available from herbalists and health stores) Its possible that Mum or Dad has simply caught the baby with a claw, but still watch for more injuries appearing. Anne

Let me know how you get on Cindy. Are you in the uk? If you have trouble, please let me know, I will shake feathers if I can for you.

Cindy, nothing you can buy over the counter is much good for feathermites to be honest. What the bird needs is a course of ivermectin, available (legally and rightfully) only from your vet. Its usually a 3 week course, one treatment per week. Its NOT expensive, yet totally reliable. Accepting anything less is like accepting that washing up liquid will cure human headlice. The treatment consists of a carefully measured drop of liquid being applied to the birds head, under the feathers, and it works, properly. Take the bird to the vet, get the ivermectin treatment. It works. Anne.

"I'll lend you, for a little while, a bird of mine, He said. For you to love while he lives, and mourn when he is dead. It may be six or seven years, or maybe twenty-three, But will you, 'til I call him back, take care of him for me? He'll bring his charms to gladden you, and shall his stay be brief, You'll have his lovely memories as solace for your grief. I cannot promise he will stay, as all from earth return, But there are lessons taught down there I want this bird to learn. I've looked the whole world over in my search for teachers true, And from the throngs that crowd life's lanes, I have selected you. Now will you give him all your love - not think this labor vain, Nor hate me when I come to call, to take him back again. I fancied that I heard them say, Dear Lord thy will be done. For all the joy this bird shall bring, the risk of grief we'll run. We'll shower him with tenderness and love while we may, And for the happiness we've known, forever grateful stay. And should the angels call for him, much sooner than we planned, We'll brave the bitter grief that comes, and try to understand." AUTHOR UNKNOWN

I certainly wouldnt mix fur and feathers andy. Physicaly they may not attack or harm, but spores and infection from poops etc, well, i just wuldnt. Anne

Dreamz, my heartfelt advice is, even if you dont trust avain vets, take your little bird anyway. Never close doors, okay ? That aside, keep him warm, NOT hot, just warm, keep him shaded, avoid bright light. Dont try and handle him, let him rest. Let him have access to his favourite diet, nothing extra and 'special'. Keep him quiet, but have, during the day, soft, quiet easy listening music playing. A single drop of arnica liquid (available from good health stores) in his water will ease any pain or distress he may be going through. Birds are funy creatures, when they have had enough, they will go, but cos yur bird is off colour, dosent mean he's had enough. okay? Keep calm, keep your bird calm and quiet and warm, and get that vet in attendance. Please keep us updated how the litle guy gets on. Blessings. Anne.

Moulting can take a lot out of a bird cooper, so she will just be topping up her calcium supplies, dont worry. Does she have a mineral block aswel? She may make good use of that too while she is moulting Anne

(Laughing out loud) Bea! I just scrape the soft side, and use the handle of a teaspoon to scrape with, then there's no ''nails on a blackboard'' noise to contend with! Anne

I think it will be the same as most dried food, it will have a long lifespan. And, as Dwells says, if you are not sure, sling it! My birds hardly bother with their cuttle fish, so what I do is scrape a bit into their food every day, so I know they are getting some, and the same with their mineral block. I am quite sure there isnt really a limited shelf life on cuttlefish, but its so cheap that after a month id bin it and replace with fresh anyway. Anne

yes, as pixie says, dont give prescribed drugs without veterinary advice (anti biotics and pro biotics are prescription only meds as far as i know) All a pro-biotic does is help level out the good bacteria in the birds gut and stomach, which the antibiotics might destroy. Dont buy off the net, they could be faulty, old, out of date, fake, anything. Even a small animal vet should have some background knowledge on thse things, and if not, vet to vet advice is only a phone call away, let your vet get dialling! I do agree with yu that an avian vet is the best course lynn, they are specialists in bird and reptile care, so I hope you manage to find a local one! Good luck! Anne

dont go panicking now lass! its rather rare, especially in budgies, and budgies react a lot different to the larger parrots to this condition (there is at this very moment a lot of research going on into budgie pbfd) its a very unlikely cause, but one worth covering, so please dont panic. Its just something worth inquiring about, im a big believer in 'leave no stone unturned'. Dont get upset, its NOT common in budgies, just ask vet and get yurself reassured. (my Teapot looked like pbfd was the cause of his probs once, i was nearly demented, and all for nothing! its hormonal with him, yet i was panicking like a demented washerwoman at the time, (Laughing out loud)!) Let us know how things go, i find feather loss extremely interesting, so many factors can cause, and bullying could be the one. Dont over-worry, make a list of things to ask, and dont rule anything out, and dont rule anything in. Keep that chin up! Anne xx

NO NO NO!!!!!!!!!!!!! do NOT clip your birds tailfeathers! I would personally like to clip or stretch the neck of the person who suggested this! NO!!!!!!!!!!!

Good luck pixie, and the fresher the feather the better (the bigger the better too) It could be something so simple like a nasty mite infection, but you are right to get him thoroughly tested. Ask yur new vet also, about misting with aloe vera, 1 tablespoon aloe to one punt water. its not really medicinial, but can be extremely soothing. To much concentration can leave feathers sticky though, and CAUSE over preening and plucking, but very dilute, i find it really good. Am glad you checking all suggestions with vet, its a good thing to do. Anne

Boil a kettle near him, not pointing at him, but so steam is easily wafted to him. treat this as croup in a baby, he needs moisture. if he wont drink, the steam will give him the moisture he needs, but DONT pint spout towards him.

I agree, it could be bullying. On the darker end of the scale, but i feel it must be mentioned, is there any history of beak and feather pbfd? A fresh feather pulp test can rule a lot out, and answer a lot, so DONT let a vet tell you a budgies is too small for intensive blood testing (they are, its true) but DONT accept as final answer. Feather pulp can be tested where bloods fail. If he IS plucking, a wonderful aid is a thing called arnica liquid, from your health store. I have enourmous faith in this. one drop in water, one drop mixed in food, its soothing, healing properties are immense. Its NOT a be all and end all medical wonder, its a holistic boost that i have found to be exceptional. I KNOW it saved Alberts life in the end, he was dying, i couldnt stop it, until a friend told me about it. he turned the corner then.

eeek, bobbyblue, that dosent sound too clever. when was he last at the vet? Is it an avian specialist? Do you have any pro-biotics? anti biotics often totally upset the stomach floras of a bird (possibly the cause of the poop problems) and pro-biotics usually counteract this. I always back up anti's with pro's. Is your budgie possibly at the begining of a heavy moult? Also, the feather condition sounds like it could possibly be some sort of vitamin or mineral deficiency. There is an excellent vetinary aid to deficiencies, called ACE high. you just sprinkle a tiny little bit onto the birds food and it really helps them pick up. make sure your bird is getting calcium and minerals in the meantime, i always scrape a tiny bit of cuttlefish into my birds seed, and a tiny bit of mineral block, to make sure they are getting some down. Id deffinately get the bird back to the vet, if its not an avian vet then id get searching. please will you keep us updated? Good luck and blessings, Anne

yes, he'll settle, im sure. soon he wont even flinch at the hoover going on.

I would say potentially this is a health issue. If the cere was deffinately blue, even if a palish blue, then your budgie is male, but a change in cere colour can be indicative of quite serious underlying problems, such as testicular tumours. I would most certainly get this checked out. Thyroid disorders have also been known to cause odd changes in a budgie. I dont want to scare you witless with what I say here, but, I feel it would be wrong not to warn you of the possibilities, (and I mean *possibilities*) Get the little guy checked out, his cere really shouldnt be changing colour so noticeably. Good luck, and please keep us informed! Anne

your vet said she was fine, not in any pain, yet willing to do something when you have some money???? If something needs doing, then it needs doing now, not sometime whenever. That does not make sense.