I was at my girlfriend's house this afternoon and looking at her birds, seen this one. It's bottom beak appears to be sticking out and can't close it's mouth. It's still trying to eat but mainly sits on the perch with her eyes closed, panting slightly. My girlfriend said that the last bird she had in that cage the same thing happened to it and it died (I did speak to her sternly about putting another hen in the same cage).

Does anybody have any ideas what it could be?

 

That is seed husks stuck to the beak.

 

 

I have told her to take it to the vet but bottom line is she gave birth to twins 3 weeks ago and her husband has walked out on her leaving her with 4 children under 3 and centrelink are holding back giving her any money until they have spoken to her husband who drained all their bank accounts.

 

 

I will speak to my husband when he gets home to see about taking it to the vet myself. I don't think it will last the night though.

The kindest thing to do id put the bird to sleep.Will save the cost of the Vet,& you can buy

another one :angel1:

The bird has been throwing up. It is far from well.

How sad to see a budgie in such a state. Surely it must be uncomfortable, in pain even? Is there any hope for recovery? It hurts to see its sad little face.. Good luck with the little sweetie.

A bird in that state wont last very long without vet care. If no vet the bird will die.

My girlfriend has just rang me to say that the bird has died

 

I have offered to go around and care for her other 5 birds until she gets back on her feet, but I will leave them at her house, I won't bring them here just in case of disease.

Does anybody know if this may be some kind of mite or similar? The poor little bird, its better off now, it sure looked uncomfortable.

Does anybody know if this may be some kind of mite or similar? The poor little bird, its better off now, it sure looked uncomfortable.

It looks like mite but isnt...it shows a bird that has been vomiting...a very serious symptom of illness. Causes can be canker or megabacteria.

I have just been finding out more about this bird and the other one she had that died in the same cage.

They were both in a breeding cage with the same cock but he is fine, showing no symptoms at all, the first one that died didn't have the funny beak, just got skinny and died overnight, that was about 4-5 weeks ago. The cage was apparently cleaned and disenfected, so why isn't the cock sick too?

I guess its good news that she passed away..she looked very sad and uncomfortable.. up to Budgie Heaven where I'm sure she'll be happier. Its always sad when they go though.. RIP little one.

I have just been finding out more about this bird and the other one she had that died in the same cage.

They were both in a breeding cage with the same cock but he is fine, showing no symptoms at all, the first one that died didn't have the funny beak, just got skinny and died overnight, that was about 4-5 weeks ago. The cage was apparently cleaned and disenfected, so why isn't the cock sick too?

Some birds are carriers.....as the cock may well be. BUT also breeding is stress conditions and birds do get sick when under stress. An over zealous cock can stress a hen to the point where she tries to hide from him in a nestbox and she doesnt eat and dies. Does your friend intorduce new birds without quarantine...you know...like buy a hen and put it straight in with the cock to breed ?

The other bird that "got skinny and died overnight" gave enough signs that it wasnt well as it got thinner and thinner. A good reason for people to observe closely and to always check their budgies bottoms for signs of ill health and treat immediately, or seek treatment. People with busy or stressful lives should give the care of their animals or birds to someone else until they are best able to cope and care for them better.

Denise.....hope you are washing hands well and not using same clothes and shoes when going to your birds after being near the sick ones ?

Yes she always quarantines the birds and they both came from different places.

Their bottoms didn't show any signs of ill health, they had normal poops. The cock has been in with other hens last year and earlier this year and they are fine?

 

Yes I am a stickler for hand washing with anti bacterial wash and soap too.

 

Thanks for the tip about clothes and shoes, hadn't thought of that, but I did change as soon as I got home this afternoon anyway.

Yes she always quarantines the birds and they both came from different places.

Their bottoms didn't show any signs of ill health, they had normal poops. The cock has been in with other hens last year and earlier this year and they are fine?

 

Yes I am a stickler for hand washing with anti bacterial wash and soap too.

 

Thanks for the tip about clothes and shoes, hadn't thought of that, but I did change as soon as I got home this afternoon anyway.

The hens may have got sick from stress of breeding then and it developed into something worse. Pity.

Pity that looked like a nice TCB hen…it seems to me that what ever killed it must have been sudden maybe like some poison, as usually if a bird is slowly getting sick, the cere would have got pale first & it’s cere still looked in a nice dark state.

 

You said at first that it’s beak looked strange, was it overshot or undershot, [can’t remember which is which] where the bottom beak is longer than the top? That makes it difficult for the bird to eat, but that condition would take much longer for the bird to die.

aww..it is sad that she passed away but at least she isn't suffering anymore

Edited November 15, 200717 yr by birdluv

Pity that looked like a nice TCB hen…it seems to me that what ever killed it must have been sudden maybe like some poison, as usually if a bird is slowly getting sick, the cere would have got pale first & it's cere still looked in a nice dark state.

 

You said at first that it's beak looked strange, was it overshot or undershot, [can't remember which is which] where the bottom beak is longer than the top? That makes it difficult for the bird to eat, but that condition would take much longer for the bird to die.

 

 

It was the bottom beak was longer than the top, but it hadn't always been like that, it just the day before she died it came out like that?

Very strange.

It’s hard to say seeing I wasn’t there, but it seems to me that from the symptoms you have stated, that like I said the bird may have eaten something that poisoned her. If the beak was normal until just before she died & she was vomiting, it sounds like she was in acute pain.