Some of you may remember I got my first show budgies a number of months ago (seven of them) and today I came home to find sweet little bluebell passed on but she had been brutally savaged by one (or more...who knows) of the other budgies. This was my bunch that were so docile they bordered on dull! I've never seen them squabble at all...they seemed to get along just fine. I won't go into detail but what was done to her was brutal. Did I cause this to happen by having 4 hens with 3 cocks? I am not doing any breeding this year and would never colony breed ever but she did seem closely bonded to one of the males. Perhaps the "odd hen out" went into a jealous rage?

 

I'm heart broken ...she was the cute little one who draped herself over the perch like a wet noodle to sleep. May she rest in peace :rofl:

 

It's been a hard month as I lost two other birds a couple of weeks ago for no obvious reason.

 

Anyway, I'm hoping those more experienced than I am might be able to shed some light on this for me. If I did inadvertently cause this, I don't want to ever make the same mistake again.

I'm sorry to here this... :rofl:

 

I don't believe you did anything wrong... As a breeder myself of show budgies, we always aim to have more hens than cocks... But hens will be hens and from the sounds of it, they were just not in the mood for each other and the fight ended badly...

 

Just keep an eye out of the others hens and cocks too and make sure no one else is hurt or gets hurt...

 

I'm sure wee all know how you feel... ...

I must say something....and its likely to have happened in this case too.

Many times a budgie will just die. What happens to them after they die and before you get to them in the aviary or cage proves the point that budgies ARE meat eaters. I got to a dead budgie the other day AFTER my other budgies had got to her first.

What was left ?

They had eaten her feet, her chest, all of her beak, half her head, her brain, eyes etc. There wasnt much left :rofl:

 

Is it possible this is what happened to yours ?

Edited April 20, 201015 yr by KAZ

Meat eating budgies... Yep it is true... I have had the same thing happen to me aswell... Kaz, can't we give our budgies well cook chicken to eat...? I'm sure I read somewhere some people do that...

Meat eating budgies... Yep it is true... I have had the same thing happen to me aswell... Kaz, can't we give our budgies well cook chicken to eat...? I'm sure I read somewhere some people do that...

We have a topic on here on meat protein LB in that we discuss meat eating budgies :rofl:

i think you could. can you give budgies tofu?

Thanks Kaz, I think I have read it but I will double check... :rofl:

So sorry to hear of your loss. She was a special bird - very characteristic. I'm sure you didn't cause this at all. Maybe it was her time, maybe she had something wrong that you couldn't possibly have known about. Maybe it was another hen. You aren't to blame, and I hate to see you heartbroken. :rofl:

 

Little wet noodle Bluebell

 

I must say something....and its likely to have happened in this case too.

Many times a budgie will just die. What happens to them after they die and before you get to them in the aviary or cage proves the point that budgies ARE meat eaters. I got to a dead budgie the other day AFTER my other budgies had got to her first.

What was left ?

They had eaten her feet, her chest, all of her beak, half her head, her brain, eyes etc. There wasnt much left

 

Is it possible this is what happened to yours ?

 

I completely agree with this - I found the Dark Green cock you gave me Kaz, dead on the floor of the aviary this morning. He was fine yesterday evening, but I think he must have gotten a fright during the night and flown into the aviary mesh. We had some strong winds last night that knocked over some sheet metal next door - which may have caused him to spook When I found him I can only assume that it was the budgies that caused a not very attractive sight.

 

Shame too as was coming into breeding condition and was looking fabulous

Thanks for the kind words everyone You're a great lot!

 

It did cross my mind that possibly this was done after she died but it was too gruesome a thought at the time. It was one side of her head that was very messed up, feathers plucked, half her face missing including the eye. ***shudder**

 

They can be a pretty macabre group then can't they? Maybe it's the flock mentality. They make my little group of cockatiels look like innocent little lambs in comparison!

i do feed my birds chicken carcus and have not had this happen to my birds

but it is true i would say thats what happened

they may of needed the protin just like when the birds eat the feathers from the growing tails in moult or the down and feathers off a chick

my birds eat the marrow and the tinny bits of chicken from the bones

they love it

Thanks for the kind words everyone You're a great lot!

 

It did cross my mind that possibly this was done after she died but it was too gruesome a thought at the time. It was one side of her head that was very messed up, feathers plucked, half her face missing including the eye. ***shudder**

 

They can be a pretty macabre group then can't they? Maybe it's the flock mentality. They make my little group of cockatiels look like innocent little lambs in comparison!

 

DEFINITELY happened after death by your description. Doesnt take budgies long to eat one of thier own after death. Maybe its there way of stopping other predators coming amongst the flock after the body .............but budgies do eat meat...that is CERTAIN ?

Hey GB, is it just a raw chicken carcus you give them...? Is there anything you do to it before hand...? And how long do you leave it in the aviary before removing it, so it doesn't make anyone sick...?