# Severe moult



## AwesomeOwl (Dec 27, 2020)

I noticed this morning that my budgie Olive’s head feathers are looking really bedraggled. He (I know that Olive is a girl’s name but I named him when I was little) is acting sleepier than usual. I’m thinking that he’s going through a severe moult, since his budgie friend is moulting too. He’s lost some feathers around one of his eyes and had some feathers sticking up irregularly on his head and neck. Is there something I can do to help him? I sprayed him with water this morning and I’m making a batch of sprouted seeds for him and his friend. The problem is that he doesn’t share a cage with anyone to preen his head feathers.


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## AwesomeOwl (Dec 27, 2020)

Here’s some pictures of him so you get the idea


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

I see the loss of feathers but it does not really look like a molt to me, as I do not see any pin feathers, when did you first notice this?


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## AwesomeOwl (Dec 27, 2020)

I first noticed it this morning when I turned on the lights in the bird room. He looks a bit less messy now. Maybe because I sprayed him several times. He has gone through an extreme moult before, but I don’t think he looked how he did this morning.

His budgie friend has lost some feathers too, but not on her head.


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## AwesomeOwl (Dec 27, 2020)

I just took a closer look at him, and I can see some pin feathers.


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

You can offer him some hard boiled egg or some commercially prepared egg food for birds, it takes a lot of protein to grow new feathers. I hard boil and egg and grate the white of the egg and give it to my birds and they love it.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Budgie Molting

Miserable Molts*


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## AwesomeOwl (Dec 27, 2020)

Thanks for the advice! I offered him some sprouted seeds this afternoon, though unfortunately he didn't eat many. I don't think he likes that they're wet and hard to shake the seed husks off his beak. I will be offering him and his friend some egg soon. He does have AGY, so he's on meds and I fear this molt is going to be a bit hard for him. I'm worried though because last time he had a molt he got a bacterial infection which I think weakened him and allowed the AGY to multiply. His friend (not really his mate because she never really liked him) probably also has AGY but she doesn't have enough to have symptoms.

I'm thinking of maybe adding supplements to their food to help them during their molt, since the first time I brought Olive to the vet with the bacterial infection, they gave him a vitamin shot to boost his strength. What kind of supplements do you recommend? Also, are supplements safe for him while he's on medication? I'm giving him Amphotericin B twice a day for ten days, and a couple weeks ago he had another round of 30 days of meds. I don't have any experience with AGY so I don't know what's safe to give him and what's not (other than sweet foods).


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*I recommend using Sodium Benzoate as a supplement in your budgies' water.

AGY and Sodium Benzoate*


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

Please read through the info here https://nilesanimalhospital.com/files/2012/05/Megabacteriosis-Avian-Gastric-Yeast.pdf it may give you a better understanding of AGY and what you are dealing with.


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## AwesomeOwl (Dec 27, 2020)

Thank you guys for the info! I’ve already added the apple cider vinegar to Olive’s water (he hasn’t tasted it yet but I can just imagine his reaction when he does) and I gave both my budgies some egg ( I think they’re still deciding what they think about it but they ate some).


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## AwesomeOwl (Dec 27, 2020)

I’m just wondering, is lettuce ok for me to give Olive? He hasn’t had any veggies in a while because I wasn’t sure it was safe for him and he must be getting pretty bored of his millet, and his seed and pellet mix.


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

There are greens better than lettuce, take a look at this list,
https://nilesanimalhospital.com/files/2012/05/Good-Food-Sources-of-Calcium-and_or-Vitamin-A.pdf but if you are going to feed lettuce give the darkest leaves of Romaine.


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