I weighed my budgie Jazz on 16th August 2005 and she weighed 59g. I just weighed her today and now she weighs 48g, should I worry about that? She was born around March 2005 I think, do budgies get 'puppy fat' when they're younger or something? The only changes I've seen in her since I got her are that the bands on her head have gone and recently, in the past few weeks, her cere has been slowly turning brown from pale blue but it isn't all brown yet.

 

Before I had her she was on a seed-only diet but now she and her cage mate have a mixture of seed and fruit and veggies everyday. Shes the more agressive of the two so she never has trouble getting to a food bowl, I always hang enough for the two of them and shes always eating it. They live in a cage in my house but their door is open most of the day, they're out for a lot of the day, shes a bit mental and flys really fast compared to her cage mate. Shes always seemed to be in perfect health.

 

Can anyone help?

Well it sounds like she is much more active and healthier with all the exercise and eating right and that she probably removed some excess weight.

 

Normally budgies weigh between 26-30 grams. English budgies are slightly larger and weigh proportionally more.

 

I feel the need to say maybe to just have her checked by an Avian Vet to be sure.

 

I am sure someone with more expertise will jump in too

11 grams is a dramatic weight loss for a budgie. whether or not it has affected the health of the bird will depend on the length of time which the weight was lost.

 

59g is overweight for a budgie. an english budgie should weigh about 45 - 50 grams, but a normal domestic budgie averages at about 35 grams. you should definitely see a vet if the weight was lost within weeks, if you cant tell the timescale see a vet for a well bird check up anyway. depending on the type of budgie you have she still may be overweight.

I think if it's over several months (which from the dates you put it is) then it could be put down to the healthier diet and lifestyle. You should probably weigh her a couple of times a week to make sure she's not losing anymore weight. This is provided that there aren't any other syptoms of illness? (dirty bottom, runny poos, loss of appetite, fluffed up)

Edited January 26, 200619 yr by Bea

Sounds to me that the variation of diet now and her being more active with having a cage mate has seen the weight fall and 11 grams since August isnt drastic loss. Ive had a bird lose more on a diet. But like everyone says keep an eye on her for other symptons but to me its sounds quite normal.

Thanks all, taken your info on board

yes just keep watching her weight and if any signs of more sudden changes then check with a vet.