Hi all i lost 7 birds due to the heat this week it is the first time i have had this happen im now a little worried about my flock in the coming weeks not sure what else i can do in all the years i have breed budgies this is a first for me ( i changed there water 4 times during day hosed down the roofs put ice in the bath water gave then wet spinach leafs had a fan going all day and sprayed them with water) any other suggestions will be welcomed

Edited January 17, 200916 yr by Neat

I am so sorry for you losses

 

It sounds like you did everything right to keep them cool. My only suggestion is that the floor of the aviary or the feed got wet and caused bacteria to grow and make some of the birds to get sick.

 

When i spray my aviary on a hot day, i have to spend all evening cleaning out the floor and giving fresh feed

I am so sorry to hear about your birds! Sounds like you tried everything... so sorry..

wow! I am in the north west of sydney and we had a couple of 40+ days, so i can imagine it was just as bad if not worse out west where you are. I haven't experienced such prolonged periods of hot weather before... a single day here and there over summer (eg new years day 2005) but never three or four consecutive days! I hope for you and your birds' sake (and the rest of us!) that the worst of it is over and the weather starts to settle down! Sorry for your losses... it's terrible when you have done all you can and it still ends up happening

I think sometimes it just wheedles out the weaker ones, even when they look healthy they may have an underlying heart problem etc and it takes this stress to bring it on. We've been having 40-42 then a 46 last week, I even had chicks hatch on the 46c day, you notice some do it harder than others

I think sometimes it just wheedles out the weaker ones, even when they look healthy they may have an underlying heart problem etc and it takes this stress to bring it on. We've been having 40-42 then a 46 last week, I even had chicks hatch on the 46c day, you notice some do it harder than others

I agree with Pie totally. I lost some birds over the past few hot days. The tally is :-

 

1. hen in the aviary.

2. one young cock with issues

3. two chicks in the kindie cage with issues.

4. Two newly hatched chicks...both hatched too early and had yellowbelly.

Sorry to hear about your losses Dodger and you too Kaz.

Sorry to hear about your losses Dodger and you too Kaz.

Thanks...could have been worse. We heard today of a parrot breeder lost around 18 birds.

Sorry to hear of your losses Dodge. It been a stinker ( the worse thing is it is hotter then they actually say on the news )

 

Are your birds in a bird room or out in the open?

 

Mine are outside under a porch so they get the morning sun for 2 -3 hours then they are in shade the rest of the day ...

 

I have made seed bells and hung them up high so that when I hose them they aren't getting water in their feed dishes ... I have used lettuce in their water as this is high in water so will re hydrate them and I have been adding " spark " ( electrolyte) to their water in the after noon ..

 

Hope things pick up mate

Been a long time since I lost a bird (besides one chick the hen attacked a few months back)

I'm wondering as we have the extreme heat for prolonged periods and not 'suddenly for a few days' the birds get acclimatised to the heat better. They still spend the day on the floor of the aviary or round the water when its hot but no losses.

Been a long time since I lost a bird (besides one chick the hen attacked a few months back)

I'm wondering as we have the extreme heat for prolonged periods and not 'suddenly for a few days' the birds get acclimatised to the heat better. They still spend the day on the floor of the aviary or round the water when its hot but no losses.

 

They breed em tough out your way Pie. Maybe some of you is rubbing off on them

wow i live in penrith to and my birds are in a aviary and all i do is spray the cage with the hose (i remove all the food 1st) and i have only lost 1 bird on 15th because an other male attacked him on the head and mouth

Mine are doing okay in the heat *touch wood* - mine are all on stress dose of pro biotic so that might be helping too.

The day before yesterday I lost one of my oldies from the Retirement Village.

 

Yesterday the temperatures peaked over 40C at midday and I was horrified to see all my young uns flat out on the floor looking very stressed. Now I know I always say don't spray your birds 'cause you run the risk of bacterial growth .... but I threw caution to the wind and I grabbed the hose and gave them all a good hose down. Notwithstanding I did end up losing one.

 

Needless to say we spent all yesterday evening cleaning out the aviary.

 

Thankfully no losses from the aviary with the retic on the top or the quarentine cage which is protected by a pergola.

 

I too have them all on probiotic.

Edited January 17, 200916 yr by renee

Sorry to hear of your losses Dodge. It been a stinker ( the worse thing is it is hotter then they actually say on the news )

 

Are your birds in a bird room or out in the open?

 

Mine are outside under a porch so they get the morning sun for 2 -3 hours then they are in shade the rest of the day ...

 

I have made seed bells and hung them up high so that when I hose them they aren't getting water in their feed dishes ... I have used lettuce in their water as this is high in water so will re hydrate them and I have been adding " spark " ( electrolyte) to their water in the after noon ..

 

Hope things pick up mate

i agree Neat it was 46 here the news said 43.5 i managed to keep the temp down in the breeding shed to the hi 30s but it was just to much and for 2 long we have a weather station set up in the shed and one outside which are conected to our computers that helps to keep tabs on them they are tipping the very high 30s for tues weds thurs and friday here so im keeping my fingers crossed

Sorry to hear of your losses Dodge. It been a stinker ( the worse thing is it is hotter then they actually say on the news )

 

Are your birds in a bird room or out in the open?

 

Mine are outside under a porch so they get the morning sun for 2 -3 hours then they are in shade the rest of the day ...

 

I have made seed bells and hung them up high so that when I hose them they aren't getting water in their feed dishes ... I have used lettuce in their water as this is high in water so will re hydrate them and I have been adding " spark " ( electrolyte) to their water in the after noon ..

 

Hope things pick up mate

i agree Neat it was 46 here the news said 43.5 i managed to keep the temp down in the breeding shed to the hi 30s but it was just to much and for 2 long we have a weather station set up in the shed and one outside which are conected to our computers that helps to keep tabs on them they are tipping the very high 30s for tues weds thurs and friday here so im keeping my fingers crossed

 

just been out with the birds got a warning beel that temp was rising internl temp was 28 sure worries me aout next eek

oh thats so sad, I have my cage under the veranda, and i spray my budgie's.

kirsty