# My budgies feather looks different



## Zehraontheroad (3 mo ago)

My budgies feather is like this for a while. Should I worry about it?


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

The feathers look a bit sparse and in a couple of places it looks like I can almost see the beginning of some balding of the downy feathers, is that the case? She also looks a bit thin but that may be just the the way she is standing. Do you see her picking at her feathers? I would remove that string of lights she is on, that is very dangerous if she picks on it and not at all appropriate for her to be sitting or playing on. What do you feed her, that can have an influence on her overall condition.


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## Zehraontheroad (3 mo ago)

Cody said:


> The feathers look a bit sparse and in a couple of places it looks like I can almost see the beginning of some balding of the downy feathers, is that the case? She also looks a bit thin but that may be just the the way she is standing. Do you see her picking at her feathers? I would remove that string of lights she is on, that is very dangerous if she picks on it and not at all appropriate for her to be sitting or playing on. What do you feed her, that can have an influence on her overall condition.


Yes, her feathers look weird. I never realized that she was picking her feathers. The light is not working and it’s her playing and hanging place, she really loves it. We feed her with normal parakeet food. When she feels hungry, she goes to her cage and eats it. Bu the way, I think her weight is normal. What do you think about her feathers?


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Hi, Welcome to Talk Budgies!*

*The purpose of this forum is to promote the BEST PRACTICES in the care of budgies for their optimal Health and Well-Being*
*Locating an Avian Veterinarian*

*It looks like she is on an electrical cord -- Is that the case? 
She can easily become electrocuted if she chews through the plastic covering the wires and it appears they have been chewed.
Even if the light is not working, your budgie chewing down to the metal can lead to heavy metal poisoning!

Lead and Zinc Toxicosis*

*Your budgie does look to be underweight and her feathers are not normal.
Lack of proper nutrition will affect feather growth.*

*She is not getting the sufficient nutrition she needs if you are only feeding her a seed diet even if she does turn out to be a proper weight.*
*Please carefully review the information in the attached links.*

*A Healthy Diet for your Budgie*
*Quality Seed Mix*
*CuttleBones, Mineral Blocks and Manu Clay Roses*
*Safe Foods for Budgies*
*The Truth about GRIT*

*Nutritional Diseases in Budgies.*

*How old is she?
What is her name?
How long have you had her?*

*It would be advisable for you to take her to an Avian Veterinarian for a well-birdie checkup.*
*Avian Vets have special training to determine the cause of symptoms resulting from illness or trauma.
This is important as "regular" vets will often overlook symptoms that are quickly obvious to an Avian Vet.
When you rely on anyone who has not had training in Avian diagnosis and care, you may be delaying effective treatment.
This can prolong suffering that may be avoidable.
The bird will often require a more intense, prolonged treatment with a poorer chance of full recovery than it would have if you seek prompt professional diagnosis and treatment at the first sign of illness.
If there are no Avian Vets near you, please find an Exotic Pet Veterinarian with experience in dealing with small birds.
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.


Please take the time to read through the Site Guidelines, the FAQs, the Budgie Articles and all of the Stickies located at the top of each section of the forum.
Additionally, please be sure to read the thread "Posting on the Forums" which is linked below.

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.
(Stickies are threads “stuck” at the top of each forum sub-section)
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.*

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*Before You Ever Consider Breeding Your Budgies*
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*Resource Directory*


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## Zehraontheroad (3 mo ago)

FaeryBee said:


> *Hi, Welcome to Talk Budgies!*
> 
> *The purpose of this forum is to promote the BEST PRACTICES in the care of budgies for their optimal Health and Well-Being*
> *Locating an Avian Veterinarian*
> ...


Thank you so much for answering and giving me all the information. She play on this light all day. If I remove it, she may become sad or bored, so what do you suggest for removing the lights? Actually, her diet is not only seed, it is a mixed seed diet but she only eats the seeds.


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

Only seeds will leave her nutritionally deficient and the lack of proper nutrition could be a cause abnormal feathering, it may be best to have her seen by an avian vet, where are you located?


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Create a safe climbing area for her to use instead of the strings of lights. It is up to you to ensure she is protected from harm.
Please READ the information I provided to you in the above post regarding nutrition and finding an Avian Vet.*


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## Zehraontheroad (3 mo ago)

Cody said:


> Only seeds will leave her nutritionally deficient and the lack of proper nutrition could be a cause abnormal feathering, it may be best to have her seen by an avian vet, where are you located?


We are in Tempe, AZ.


FaeryBee said:


> *Create a safe climbing area for her to use instead of the strings of lights. It is up to you to ensure she is protected from harm.
> Please READ the information I provided to you in the above post regarding nutrition and finding an Avian Vet.*


Ok, I will. Thank you so much!!


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## Sweety's mom (4 mo ago)

There are already exposed metal wires on that string of lights.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*You can find an appropriate Vet using the link provided in my first post. *


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

There is a great avian vet near you Dr. Stephanie Lamb, DVM, Dipl ABVP (Avian Practice) - MEDICAL DIRECTOR | Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital


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## Zehraontheroad (3 mo ago)

Cody said:


> There is a great avian vet near you Dr. Stephanie Lamb, DVM, Dipl ABVP (Avian Practice) - MEDICAL DIRECTOR | Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital


Great!! I will check there. Thank you all!!


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## vrabec (Oct 8, 2021)

Sweety's mom said:


> There are already exposed metal wires on that string of lights.


Yes, good catch: those metal wires are made from copper, and if the budgie ingests some, it could lead to metal toxicosis, which is really bad. Additionally, there could be lead, cadmium, and other heavy metals**. For you, Z, some alternates instead of string of lights: 
- plastic c-clip / link chains (you can find these on amazon really cheap or independent web-based bird supply stores)
- long wooden rope ladders
- some rope perches (extend a boing swing or the the flexible type)
- jute rope (I'm not clear on this one, mods?)
- seagrass hammocks

Good luck!

** I'm in california, and we have something called "Prop 65" which requires manufacturers to disclose potential carcinogenic materials in their products, and I haven't seen a single type of light or electrical fixture without this warning. For electronics, it usually means lead and cadmium.


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## Zehraontheroad (3 mo ago)

vrabec said:


> Yes, good catch: those metal wires are made from copper, and if the budgie ingests some, it could lead to metal toxicosis, which is really bad. Additionally, there could be lead, cadmium, and other heavy metals**. For you, Z, some alternates instead of string of lights:
> 
> plastic c-clip / link chains (you can find these on amazon really cheap or independent web-based bird supply stores)
> long wooden rope ladders
> ...


Thank you so much for giving me this information. I ordered long wooden ropes and going to move this electrical wire.


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

Make sure the rope is a natural fiber like sisal and that it is not treated with anything. Check out this site Sisal Archives | RightRope.com.


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## Zehraontheroad (3 mo ago)

Cody said:


> Make sure the rope is a natural fiber like sisal and that it is not treated with anything. Check out this site Sisal Archives | RightRope.com.


Thanks for the website. Btw, is cotton rope good for them?


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

You have to make sure that your bird does not ingest any of the cotton fiber because it can get stuck in the crop or GI tract and cause problems.


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## Zehraontheroad (3 mo ago)

Cody said:


> You have to make sure that your bird does not ingest any of the cotton fiber because it can get stuck in the crop or GI tract and cause problems.


Ok, thanks again


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