I went to get a couple more birds off the bloke who gave me that nice grey green boy. I got a pretty bright green normal hen, she's a good size, not huge but he showed me her brother and he's a big boy so she may throw large chicks.

 

Anyway, when I went the other day there was this sad looking fellow pottering around in there, he's not sick but he is obese. I nearly took him the other day but I resisted, well of course he came home with me today I would like to know the best way to help him loose weight? Obviously I won't be feeding him oats but any other suggestions? He's a gorgeous boy and if I can get a bit of weight off bim I'd like to put him with the opaline hen I got with the other boy.

 

No photos until tomorrow sorry as the camera's out of order.

Put him in large flight cage with only 2 perches spaced as far apart as possible so he has to exercise. He still needs sufficient food to maintain body heat though the cold weather, so just remove oats and sunflower from the regular budgie mix. Also, lots of greens (peas, brocoli etc) and carrot.

I was always told increase their veggies and decrese their seed. However you need him to fly. Can he fly at the moment? If not then make him work to get his dinner, litterally make him walk across your floor to get to this food, you can then pick him up and let him try and fly to the ground increasing this distance and the amount of times that you do it as he gets better and better at it. Just watch his breathing as you don't want him to have a heart attack.

 

Flying is the key to getting weight off a Budgie

He can't fly, he tried to fly up onto the perch in the quarantine cage which is only about 2 inches off the ground and hit it face first instead

Is he strong when you hold him??? Just be careful, he might be sick. Birds can still fly when caring more weight.

Also, are his wings okay?? Has he had any injuries or poorly healed breaks??

Edited July 21, 200816 yr by **Liv**

Yeah, he seems healthy otherwise and he does try and fly he just can't get much lift

What about a rat wheel with a millet spray just out of reach to make him run hehehe

Meany :D

use Finch or canary seed to feed him as that doesn't have the fatterning seeds mixed in with it. I'm not talking about supermarket ones as they have the same mix of seed but a different package.

 

and fresh food too. excerise is always the best but don't rush him into it. if he can't fly that well look into him climbing more first even if that is just to get to food dishes up higher in the cage.

Put him on more millet too as this actually has less fat in it than the seed mixes that you buy.

He probably can't fly because he is so fat. When I had obese budgies they found it hard to get off the ground. Now they are a bit lighter they can fly perfectly.

Rat wheels are a good idea. I have one and when I had Saffy my runner budgie, she loved it to bits and would just run on it all day.

Now Bacardi just likes to use it as a hiding spot.

Take him for a few short flights and just watch to see that he doesn't get too puffed. (vet advice for my fatties)

Edited July 21, 200816 yr by Sailorwolf

I was going to advise the canary seed but Nerwen beat me to it .... If he can't fly from perch to perch - you are going to have to re arrange the cage put in Ladders LARGE ladders and 1 perch .

make the food dishes on the other side that the perches are not on so that he needs to climb wither the walls of the cage or use the ladders this will help he loose some weight - Also the rat wheels is a GREAT IDEA

I was always under the impression that millet was only to be given as a treat to budgie as it is fattening???

I was always under the impression that millet was only to be given as a treat to budgie as it is fattening???

Me too !

I thought so too, but that is what my avian vet told me.

I was soooooo interested with the mouse wheel that I bought one for mac

Ebay $2.99 PERFECT - along with some Floor play balls Pack of 4 $2.50 even better it is Buy one get one free

TOTAL BARGIN

Here's fat boy

 

 

For those wodering he doesn't have discolouration above his cere, I put him in the quarantine cage and one of the hens immediately took a chunk of feathers off the front of his head

He looks just like my royal (formerly fatness) Arkady.

 

 

Even has the whole feathers over the feet thing going on.

Edited July 23, 200816 yr by Sailorwolf

WOW!!! Snap!

Hehe what a cubba bubba

 

is he also a French Moulter??

No, he has tail feathers but they are all broken at the moment from him landing bum first

In all honesty MB, I think that you are a sucker - An obesed Budgie is bound to have liver problems if not anything else so it will end up being a costly bird, But you would already know this as you were a vet nurse - I really hope he has a clear bill of health

he is looking alright, have you felt the keel bone?

Other than a bit of a layer of fat over the top he is in good nick. I can JUST feel his keel bone under the softer fat on the top and I can feel a nice layer of more solid fat and muscle around his keel bone (if that makes sense at all). Once he burns off some of that excess fat just undr the skin I think he'll be fine.

 

Neat the guy gave him to me and I do love him so I'm willing to give him a chance at getting back ino shape again.

I am pleased to report that this little guy is now doing great! He is trim, taught and terrific and has een put down to breed with a pretty little hen I picked out for him.