We have two male 4 month old budgies that occasionally will eat their own droppings. We just them for their first check up with an avian vet but did not seem very concerned about this behavior. We feed them regularly at set times throughout the day and have fresh food available in the cage 24/7. Any suggestions as to why they may be doing this, or if there is anyway I can discourage this sort of behavior?

 

This may be an unrelated issue, but at times they will also put their beaks between the bars of the cage and chew/eat the newspaper lining the bottom of the cage.

Edited December 9, 201113 yr by cmf0106

Chewing at the newspaper is normal.

 

Are you sure they are not just rummaging and pecking around the bottom of their cage? Rather than actually eating their droppings?

Chewing at the newspaper is normal.

 

Are you sure they are not just rummaging and pecking around the bottom of their cage? Rather than actually eating their droppings?

 

I am certain they are at least picking at their droppings, its hard to get a good look at them someitmes before they stop the behavior. It seems as if they chew and swallow it sometimes, but I am never close enough to be certain.

All birds do it, nothing to worry about at all.

Budgies should ALWAYS have seed available. You may infact be starving the birds, so they are looking for food.... please put a seed dish in, available all the time.

Budgies should ALWAYS have seed available. You may infact be starving the birds, so they are looking for food.... please put a seed dish in, available all the time.

 

Please refer to the original message, I have fresh food aka seeds and pellets, available 24/7 all day. Actually all they eat are seeds right now, they are very stubborn and would definitely starve themselves if I removed the seeds because they rarely touch pellets. We put harrisons bird builder supplement into their water for 2 weeks and we are bout to start making them bird bread with spray millet/ seeds/ and the harrisons pellets to try and get them to switch over to pellets.

I wouldn't be overly concerned about their behaviour... It sounds like you're doing the right stuff. If they aren't looking ill all you can really do is provide them with different stuff to play with but it sounds like you are on top of it.

 

Do they have toys that they can forage for food in? Might be an idea if you want to try and change their behaviour...

I wouldn't be overly concerned about their behaviour... It sounds like you're doing the right stuff. If they aren't looking ill all you can really do is provide them with different stuff to play with but it sounds like you are on top of it.

 

Do they have toys that they can forage for food in? Might be an idea if you want to try and change their behaviour...

 

Yeah we regularly hide food inside of their destructible toys and let them forage for it . We also have some bird safe paper that we make paper wraps out of. We put seed in the middle of the wrap and twist the ends, and stick these around the cage. They have to break them to get to the food.

Edited December 11, 201113 yr by cmf0106

Budgies should ALWAYS have seed available. You may infact be starving the birds, so they are looking for food.... please put a seed dish in, available all the time.

 

Please refer to the original message, I have fresh food aka seeds and pellets, available 24/7 all day. Actually all they eat are seeds right now, they are very stubborn and would definitely starve themselves if I removed the seeds because they rarely touch pellets. We put harrisons bird builder supplement into their water for 2 weeks and we are bout to start making them bird bread with spray millet/ seeds/ and the harrisons pellets to try and get them to switch over to pellets.

 

Sorry, its just in the original message you were not exactly clear...Seeds and pellets are not "fresh food" , normally when you talk about fresh food it means vegetables, fruits as such.

Budgies should ALWAYS have seed available. You may infact be starving the birds, so they are looking for food.... please put a seed dish in, available all the time.

 

 

 

 

 

This isnt about food Squeak

 

 

 

 

Eating droppings to a degree is normal practice. Its a part of keeping their natural gut flora healthy and working well.

 

Any breeder on here who is observant enough will tell you that parents eat some of their droppings before going in to feed their babies too, thus establishing correct gut flora and health for their babies. Its also part of immunity. It is NOT about starving for food.

Edited December 11, 201113 yr by **KAZ**

i agree with everyone above , it is normal.

Budgies should ALWAYS have seed available. You may infact be starving the birds, so they are looking for food.... please put a seed dish in, available all the time.

This isnt about food Squeak

 

 

 

 

 

I was actually just mentioning it, it is general health care, as the OP was not clear in the original post.

 

 

 

 

I don't think it is fair or healthy for a bird to not have food available at all times.

Edited December 11, 201113 yr by Squeak_Crumble

Budgies should ALWAYS have seed available. You may infact be starving the birds, so they are looking for food.... please put a seed dish in, available all the time.

This isnt about food Squeak

 

 

 

 

 

I was actually just mentioning it, it is general health care, as the OP was not clear in the original post.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't think it is fair or healthy for a bird to not have food available at all times.

 

I agree Squeak HOWEVER as already stated in the first post

We feed them regularly at set times throughout the day and have fresh food available in the cage 24/7.