My old budgie recently passed away, leaving Marigold without a friend. So I bought a new one, a beautiful boy. The old budgie died of illness and I didn't seperate Marigold from it because the old budgie would have died from loneliness, so I'm worried about Marigold's health. I'm quarantining her now since she started closing her eyes a bit when she thought I wasn't looking. She also started slightly puffing, only slightly, but since I have kept her inside tilll now that may be from cold. She still cheep and is active, but I've lost a few birds due to not catching the illness early on.

birds are very good at disguising illness. When they are fluffed up and on the floor its often too late to save them so dont wait for that to happen.

 

If you see any change in behaviour, always assume illness before anything else and give a heat lamp. Heat is the biggest contributing factor when it comes to saving a birds life. When a bird is showing any signs of illness or even just a little off character, put them in a small cage with a incandescent globe (25-40 watts) shinning right on them. Some will hug right up to the globe. Aim for about 37 degrees air temp in the cage, up to 42 if your bird looks fluffed up and sickly.

 

Apart from heat, they need energy. Give pure raspberry cordial in the water at a ratio of 1-2ml to 100ml water - Other than an energy boost, pure raspberry is also a mild antibiotic and can help them feel better. Also give seed on the floor of the cage.

 

If you ever want to move a bird from living inside to living outside, its always best to do it around November before you need to use an a/c to cool your house, but the nights are warmer than right now. Your hen would not have the body fat or down feather to cope with the cold right now.

Edited October 1, 200915 yr by **Liv**

I didn't seperate Marigold from it because the old budgie would have died from loneliness,

 

 

this is an old wives tale. More often than not the remaining bird dies from whatever the other bird was suffering from so people over the years have stated that it dfied of lonliness...this just isnt the case. In the case of sick birds ALWAYS SEPERATE for quarantine and treatment.

Edited October 2, 200915 yr by KAZ

We didnt have a spare cage inside anyway and the old bird relied on the other one to preen her.

We didnt have a spare cage inside anyway and the old bird relied on the other one to preen her.

 

sorry mate these are really bad excuse's for not really doing the best for your birds

you really need to decide are you going to take he to a vet or are you going to just keep replacing your dead birds and reinfecting new ones by replacing the one that died with a new mate for the one that wasnt quiet as sick yet

 

what im basiclly saying is

dont buy anymore birds untill you know whats up with the one you have thats not well now and the one that she is with although may look and seem fine if she is ill will surely get ill to

so go to vet get poo test and see whats up

please its cheaper than replaceing and killing birds belive it or not

I'm only 11 years old, I don't have any money unless you count the dollar that I've lost. Though I really really want to, I can't take the bird to the vet.

I know you are 11 years old, and I know that you want what is best, but everytime you buy a new bird and you put it with your surviving one, it is going to die. You are pretty much signing its death warrant.

 

My advice - see if you can keep the two birds you have. If one dies, then do not replace it. Keep just the one.

 

Eventually, if they are both infected, and they both don't get vet treatement, they will both die. Before you buy any new birds, clean out their cages, disinfect them, and save enough money for multiple vet visits.