I have 2 birds that when I grab them and hold them (most of the time against my chest with my hands just around, barely even touching them) - they kind of twitch and go faint. When I put them down they lie on the floor for about 30 seconds before jumping up and acting normal. They are relatively tame, so it's not like I have chased them around and frightened them before hand.

 

If this happened to all my birds I'd think I was holding them wrong, but it doesn't. I never squeeze them. I just find it bizarre that it is only these 2 birds that ever do this.

 

It reminds me of a fainting goat's behaviour or something...

Suffice to say he or any like him is not from a good genetic pool........best you dont breed from them.

I have 2 birds that when I grab them and hold them (most of the time against my chest with my hands just around, barely even touching them) - they kind of twitch and go faint. When I put them down they lie on the floor for about 30 seconds before jumping up and acting normal. They are relatively tame, so it's not like I have chased them around and frightened them before hand.

 

If this happened to all my birds I'd think I was holding them wrong, but it doesn't. I never squeeze them. I just find it bizarre that it is only these 2 birds that ever do this.

 

It reminds me of a fainting goat's behaviour or something...

 

Hi, Do they still faint if you hold them at arms length?? Yours B. J.

Suffice to say he or any like him is not from a good genetic pool........best you dont breed from them.

 

I am not sure I agree with this advice. One of my best breeding cocks acts like this. He freaks out when you hold him, and he is called Twitch, as it is like he has a heart problem. i found that when I hold him, catch him, or put him initially in a breeding cage, he has some anxiety issues. Stroking his stomach helps.

 

As for breeding - he is very fertile, produces great offspring - none of whom act like him - and he is the best Dad I have at raising chicks.

Suffice to say he or any like him is not from a good genetic pool........best you dont breed from them.

 

I am not sure I agree with this advice. One of my best breeding cocks acts like this. He freaks out when you hold him, and he is called Twitch, as it is like he has a heart problem. i found that when I hold him, catch him, or put him initially in a breeding cage, he has some anxiety issues. Stroking his stomach helps.

 

As for breeding - he is very fertile, produces great offspring - none of whom act like him - and he is the best Dad I have at raising chicks.

 

Yeah it is strange. Both of these birds are not even slightly related. Does yours kind of lie there and you can like stroke him and then he suddenly snaps out of it? My birds don't freak out there is a minor struggle (very minor kind of a misbehaving struggle rather than panic) then he just goes limp...

Edited January 9, 201213 yr by SarahC

It is called cardiac racing syndrome or stress seizures and is reasonably common in budgies but I have had it happen in a few cockatiels, a princess parrot and I had a hooded parrot die in my hands while I was getting a dna sample from it I think it went into shock after the seizure. Probably not any research done into whether or not it is hereditary but I haven't had any connections personally.

I would probably only handle them when absolutely necessary though.

 

Cheers Jenny

I calm him down straight after I catch him.

 

Minimisation of handling is the key - as Jenny said.

Thanks guys - yeah I only grab him if he needs to be moved while I clean etc. Sometimes I can get him on my finger and he just jumps into the cage but when he doesn't behave I grab him, so it has only ever happened a handful of times. The other bird has only ever done it once.