# Is my budgie ill?



## Sarahismail (Jan 8, 2021)

Hi guys, so i bought 2 budgies about 2 days ago. My budgies dont move around in the cage, they stay in the same place or dont chirp. My blue budgie looks really off but im not sure as its my first pet. She eats quiet alot and and she constantly looks sleepy. Could you guys help me?


----------



## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

Where did you get the birds and do you know the ages? It is quite common when you first bring home any new bird that it will not have much movement or appear to eat much for the first few days. It takes time for the bird to get used to its new surroundings and feel comfortable. Are you able to get another picture of the bird from a different angle? In the picture you posted it looks as if maybe the birds right wing is hanging down a bit rather then crossed with the other above the rump. Do you see droppings in the cage, can you post a picture of them?


----------



## Sarahismail (Jan 8, 2021)

Hi, i bought them from a bird and fish shop. And no i dont know there ages. Yes they do have droppings! And they eat asswell. However, they dont eat the fruit and vegetables i give them. This is another picture!


----------



## Sarahismail (Jan 8, 2021)

Cody said:


> Where did you get the birds and do you know the ages? It is quite common when you first bring home any new bird that it will not have much movement or appear to eat much for the first few days. It takes time for the bird to get used to its new surroundings and feel comfortable. Are you able to get another picture of the bird from a different angle? In the picture you posted it looks as if maybe the birds right wing is hanging down a bit rather then crossed with the other above the rump. Do you see droppings in the cage, can you post a picture of them?


Hi, i bought them from a bird and fish shop. And no i dont know there ages. Yes they do have droppings! And they eat asswell. However, they dont eat the fruit and vegetables i give them. This is another picture!


----------



## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

They both look ok in these pictures, I cannot see their ceres well enough to determine the gender, they are nice looking birds. They are not babies, I would go back to the shop where you got them and see if they can give you any information as to their age and where the shop got them. They look like mature birds so either the shop had them as babies and they have been there since or they were past the baby stage when the shop got them. If they are not used to eating fruits and veggies it may take some time for them to try it, veggies are better than fruit because fruit has a high sugar content. What is it about the blue bird that makes you feel something is off? Do you have access to an avian vet should the need arise?


----------



## Sarahismail (Jan 8, 2021)

Cody said:


> They both look ok in these pictures, I cannot see their ceres well enough to determine the gender, they are nice looking birds. They are not babies, I would go back to the shop where you got them and see if they can give you any information as to their age and where the shop got them. They look like mature birds so either the shop had them as babies and they have been there since or they were past the baby stage when the shop got them. If they are not used to eating fruits and veggies it may take some time for them to try it, veggies are better than fruit because fruit has a high sugar content. What is it about the blue bird that makes you feel something is off? Do you have access to an avian vet should the need arise?


Okay thankyou! I believe one of them is a female as it has a brown ceres and the other is a male, as it has a blue ceres. Well the blue bird looks abit off as its always sleepy, she seems abit fluffy. However, she may just be abit overweight. And according to the stripes on their head, i thought that they may be over 4 months but im not sure.


----------



## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

I did not see any evidence of the stripes on either birds head, indicating they have at the very least been through the first molt. When you look at the eyes are they a solid color or are you able to see the iris?


----------



## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Hi! :welcome: to Talk Budgies

I agree with Cody - both budgies appear to be mature birds and the female is currently in breeding condition.

As you have a mixed gender pair, it is very important you do everything necessary to prevent breeding.

A Heartfelt Plea to All Members
Guidance regarding Breeding Advice Threads

Rearranging their cage frequently and limiting the light they get to 8 hours a day will help tremendously. Please be sure you never put a nest box or anything that could be used as a nesting site in their cage.

When they come into condition, limit the amount of protein (such as egg or egg food) in their diet at that time.

It is recommended you take new budgies to an Avian Vet for a well-birdie exam.

Having your budgie examined by an Avian Vet allows you to develop a good relationship with the vet in case your bird needs care for an injury or illness in the future. Additionally, it is always helpful for the vet to have a baseline for your bird to refer to should it need future treatment.

If there are no Avian Vets near you, please find an Exotic Pet Veterinarian with experience in dealing with small birds.

I recommend you remove the wooden dowel perch in the cage and replace it with natural wooden perches of varying diameters to help prevent pressure sores.

Pressure Sores

The information in this link will give examples of better options for perches:

Essentials for a Great Cage

Please take the time to read through the Site Guidelines, all of the How To Guides, the FAQs, the Budgie Articles and the stickies located at the top of each section of the forum.

Truly, the very BEST advice anyone can offer you is to take the time to read ALL of the stickies throughout the various Talk Budgie forums as well as the Budgie Articles we have posted.

These are great resources for Talk Budgie members and have a wealth of reliable information which will assist you to learn the best practices in caring for your budgies for their optimal health and well-being.

Site Guidelines
Posting on the Forums
Please do not use Emojis from Phones - use Forum Smilies Only
Let's Talk Budgies
How-To Guides
FAQs Frequently Asked Questions
Budgie Articles
List of Stickies
Be Prepared for Veterinary Expense
Avian First Aid
Why Quarantine?

Recommended Minimum Cage Sizes
Resource Directory

When you upload pictures as attachments directly from your computer, tablet or phone, the forum automatically defaults to landscape. Additionally, the picture appears as what we term a "thumbnail" attachment.

To upload full-sized pictures with the proper orientation, please use a photo-sharing service such as Imgur and follow the steps in these instructions:
How to Post Full Size Pictures from a Photo Sharing Site
You can practice uploading pictures in the site's "Test Forum:
Test Forum

If you have any questions after reading through everything, please be sure to ask!

Glad you decided to join us and looking forward to seeing you around the forums.*


----------



## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

Hi there and :welcome: to the forums!

You've been given great advice by FaeryBee and Cody as well as great resources to make sure you're up to date on the best of budgie care practices. Please be sure to read through the links provided to ensure you're up to date on everything. If you need help after doing so, please feel free to ask as we'd love to help! 

Hope to see more of you and your budgies around! :wave:


----------

