I think I might be getting paranoid, but I just looked at Bud and somehow I think her chest is bumpy. I grabbed her and took a look at it, it seems to be blueish underneath her feathers (It's hard to tell, she wriggles a lot.). I wish I could take a better picture, but that's all I got...

 

 

What do you folks think? Would there be a reason to worry? I think I'll try to get a better picture...

:hap: Is she moulting? I have a major moult in progress right now with several of the birds. :rip:

She could of knocked herself through the night and has a bruise.

Well I think she's moulting but I'm not sure. See, that's the spot where she ripped feathers off her chest...

 

Do you think it's just a swell? It still has me worried... with the babies and all, what would happen to them if something happened to her?

Budgies can look a bit scrappy when they're breeding. Spending all their time looking after demanding little ones and not after themselves :-) (I think most mums can relate to that) As long as she is behaving normally, eating okay and the chicks are being regularly fed, leave her alone to get on with mothering.Too much well intentioned interference may do more harm than good and stress her out further.

 

Cheers,

KathyW.

 

I took another picture... I dunno if it's because she looks crappy, but I think her chest is much bigger than it should be. At least, it is if I compare her to Pat.

I would not worry too much. A few of my hens' crops swell with the food they accumulate to feed the babies. Yours is more obvious as she has got a little thin feeding the babies. Thats what it looks like to me

Edited June 20, 200718 yr by **KAZ**

Huh. Now that you mention it that does make sense. o_o She does need lots of food isn't it?

 

strange I didn't see her eat that much today, but then again I have lots of things on my mind (Gastroscopy tomorrow. Waah!!! I don't want a camera down my throat.) and I was playing a lot of video games... And Pat must be stuffing her crazy!

 

I did notice she lost some weight too. Do you think that's a concern?

Edited June 20, 200718 yr by Michelle

looking at the first picture that was the first thing that came to mind is that she does look thin and too me that is a concern. I don't breed so I can't say if this is common among hens or not but I would think that it could lower her immune system. So I would make sure she is getting everything plus a breeding hen needs to stay healthy plus a break after this clutch.

 

You should have an electronic gram scale if not it would be a good investment especially since you are breeding. An ounce or 2 lost or gained on a budgie can help you indicate if there is a health concern. Example..if you weighed her and she weighed x grams and then in 3 days say lost 3 grams to me that is a concern. Budgies weigh little and a little bit of loss of weigh is critical. This was the avian vet advice I received after Pretty passed away so suddenly.

Is there any way I can make her gain some weight back? She's pretty busy giving all that food to her babies.

She is a little thin in my opinion. Some hens give their all to their babies and leave nothing for themselves, especially if the Dad isnt pulling his weight with feeding chicks. Make sure you have plenty of soft food available to her at all times...homemade eggfood, with vegies and some treat type food like millet sprays also

Right, I'll put some spray millet in the cage right now.

 

Any good recipes?

Edited June 20, 200718 yr by Michelle

When i make mine i get a hard boiled egg, bread crumbs, bird seed, and my birds favourite veggies.

 

You microwaves the egg shell for about 2 mins and smash that into a fine powder. You add that to mashed hard boiled egg. Sprinkle some bread crumbs over the top just enough to spread right through the mix. Add a tablespoon or two of the budgies seed mix and then mix some finely chopped veggies in as well and stir it all together.

 

taken from Bea

righto, I'll try that tomorrow. Hopefully she'll gain back some weight fast... There's just four babies in right now, with a 5th due RIGHT NOW, it'll be horrible by the 8th if she gets 'em all....

 

I'm so worried :\ I want the babies to be okay but I want Bud to be even more okay!

Edited June 20, 200718 yr by Michelle

Make her up all the good food suggested and let her chow down!! Hope she fills out again soon for you but raising babies is tough business and she can't be the beauty queen she once preened to be at this time in her life.

(Laughing out loud)! Bud never was a beauty queen. I mean, she's adorable because she's a tiny bird but she's also a snarling monster! S'why I like her so much! She's adorable in her "I'll destroy the world! And your eyebrows too!" way. She reminds me of myself! (And she reminds me of Stewie in Family Guy.)

 

Pat is the pretty one. He's all cuddly and pretty, but he's still not the caliber of the pretty folks here.

 

(Yes. Bud eats my eyebrows... She still does that nowadays. I wonder what's so attractive in my bushy eyebrows.)