# Molting?



## small_birbs (Oct 6, 2021)

Kiwis been acting off when I got home from school. For the last few days I noticed some black dotted feathers on his face and today he’s been acting really sleepy and kind of defensive when I tried handling him like usual. He’s still eating and want foods and interacts with tofu but he also isn’t flying around like he always does and is just choosing to camp out. Should I be more worried or is he molting? His feather look off and there’s some bareness under his wings (not bald but also not as fluffy). If he is molting is there anything I can do to help the process and make it a little easier for him?









Yesterday he was flying around and being is loud, normal self. they're diet consist of veges and a little seed to get them encouraged, which he's been eating. his droppings seem normal and his vent is clean

for a moment i thought he was just throwing up but then he started feeding marshmallow so i really don't know whats going on

I really wanna take him to the vet but my parents aren't allowed me and that he's fine but its really worrying me and the way he's being. he was fine yesterday and the days before that. i'm making him a separate cage just in case

See now he’s being normal. He’s letting tofu groom him, he willingly ate millet, now he’s preening himself and hopping around. Idk what to do or what to think. He even got some water and more vegetable mix. I’m so confused


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

A diet of veggies with a little seed may not be enough, how much seed are you giving and what seeds are in it?


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## small_birbs (Oct 6, 2021)

Cody said:


> A diet of veggies with a little seed may not be enough, how much seed are you giving and what seeds are in it?


I try not to put to much. It’s zupreem basic seed and I only ever use enough to encourage them to eat. I use to use Katee but I heard bad things about it and stopped buying it. As for the mix I use different stuff every time I make a batch, this particular batch has spinach, kale, cucumber, apple, walnuts, and sweet peppers (seeds and stem removed)


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

Each bird should get 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of seed a day have you tried adding Zupreem pellets to their diet, the canary size seems to be the preferred size as each pellet is about the size of a millet seed. They definitely need additional protein when molting, I hard boil an egg and finely shred the egg white and the birds love it.


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## small_birbs (Oct 6, 2021)

Cody said:


> Each bird should get 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of seed a day have you tried adding Zupreem pellets to their diet, the canary size seems to be the preferred size as each pellet is about the size of a millet seed. They definitely need additional protein when molting, I hard boil an egg and finely shred the egg white and the birds love it.


No I haven’t but I’ll definitely go to the store when I can and get some. I use to give them the zupreem fruit pellets but they didn’t seem like the were eating it, at least I’d find them scattered on the floor lol. I’ll definitely try the egg! I was worried it would make them sick but I’ll hard boil one and let them chew at it. Thank you for the recommendation


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

I found that shredding the white of the egg makes it more acceptable rather than just sticking a big chuck of egg in the cage.


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## small_birbs (Oct 6, 2021)

Cody said:


> I found that shredding the white of the egg makes it more acceptable rather than just sticking a big chuck of egg in the cage.


Yeah that seems like it’s spook them. My birds are pretty picky so I’m careful of what they eat. Are they able to eat the yolk or just the white?


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

They can eat the yolk but mine don't like it much.


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

My girl likes scrambled eggs 🤣


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## small_birbs (Oct 6, 2021)

StarlingWings said:


> My girl likes scrambled eggs 🤣


i'l defiantly give scrambled a try!



Cody said:


> They can eat the yolk but mine don't like it much.


i'll let them try it anyway and see. he seems to be doing a lot better this morning and was the first to wake me up for food. yesterday was cold and snowy so idk if weather plays a part in bird behavior


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Is Kiwi still fluffed up and lethargic? Please post another picture of how she looks right now.*


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## small_birbs (Oct 6, 2021)

FaeryBee said:


> *Is Kiwi still fluffed up and lethargic? Please post another picture of how she looks right now.*


No hes acting like his crazy self again. He’s the first one to wake me up for food in the mornings and he’s flying out the cage when I open it like usual. I cleaned their cage out completely and out paper towels down to look at his poo and it looks normal. I’ve seen a lot of little green feathers at the bottom tho and he’s been preening and itching a lot more, but other than that he looks and is acting better


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

Glad Kiwi is feeling better, how old is Kiwi, it looks like this bird may be a female. In these pictures the cere looks like it is a tan color, what color is it in person?


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## small_birbs (Oct 6, 2021)

Cody said:


> Glad Kiwi is feeling better, how old is Kiwi, it looks like this bird may be a female. In these pictures the cere looks like it is a tan color, what color is it in person?


Not to sure about the age but I don’t think too old. In person it looks very blue/purple, when I first got him it was a light purple almost dark pink but it got more blue over time. One of my females beak is completely brown while the one in the pictures hasn’t really changed since I got her


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

In this picture the cere shows really blue, the way a male cere would be, so Kiwi is a male, I don't know why the other pictures look so different.


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## small_birbs (Oct 6, 2021)

Cody said:


> In this picture the cere shows really blue, the way a male cere would be, so Kiwi is a male, I don't know why the other pictures look so different.


it might have been the lighting honestly, he likes to sit on my shoulder and eat millet when i'm doing homework right under my light. he has times where he tries mating with everything in sight so i have to keep an eye on him and try to limit is daylight


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

Since you have a mixed gender pair, limiting the daylight is important for both, never have anything in the cage that the female could use as a nest and if she ever lays an egg, dispose of it right away. It would probably just fall to the bottom of the cage and break. When We Don't Want Eggs!


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## small_birbs (Oct 6, 2021)

Cody said:


> Since you have a mixed gender pair, limiting the daylight is important for both, never have anything in the cage that the female could use as a nest and if she ever lays an egg, dispose of it right away. It would probably just fall to the bottom of the cage and break. When We Don't Want Eggs!


i think mating is starting to get discouraged but there's still times i need to tell them no. they don't have anything in the cage that could really be used for nesting or any dark places. would they possibly try and nest with chew toys? i need to get them more and i know to avoid toys with mirrors but not sure about anything else that could make them frustrated or moody


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*It depends on the type of chew toy. Please post pictures of the one(s) you are concerned about.*

*A Heartfelt Plea to All Members*
*Tips For Discouraging Breeding*
*Before You Ever Consider Breeding Your Budgies*
*Guidance for Breeding Advice Threads*

*Rearranging their cage frequently 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, you need to limit the light they get to 8 hours a day and limit the amount of protein in their diet.*


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## small_birbs (Oct 6, 2021)

FaeryBee said:


> *It depends on the type of chew toy. Please post pictures of the one(s) you are concerned about.*
> 
> *A Heartfelt Plea to All Members*
> *Tips For Discouraging Breeding*
> ...


Overall thinks like straw toys and woven balls to chew on. I stay away from toys with string and stick with untreated sisal. My birds really like pine cones so I was wondering if there’s toys sort of like that as well


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Straw toys and woven balls are fine. If she shreds them and then piles the shredded pieces up in the bottom of the cage, you'll want to remove the pieces.

Pine cones are listed as safe for budgies but may have the pine "pitch" in or on them which can be a real mess on birds' feathers. 
If you have some, make sure they aren't sticky and haven't been treated with any pesticides. 
You can heat them in the oven at around 150 degrees F for 45 minutes (make sure they don't catch on fire) to ensure they are completely dried out before giving them to her.*


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## small_birbs (Oct 6, 2021)

FaeryBee said:


> *Straw toys and woven balls are fine. If she shreds them and then piles the shredded pieces up in the bottom of the cage, you'll want to remove the pieces.
> 
> Pine cones are listed as safe for budgies but may have the pine "pitch" in or on them which can be a real mess on birds' feathers.
> If you have some, make sure they aren't sticky and haven't been treated with any pesticides.
> You can heat them in the oven at around 150 degrees F for 45 minutes (make sure they don't catch on fire) to ensure they are completely dried out before giving them to her.*


None of my birds have done that thankfully, they just throw the shredded pieces on the floor. For the pine cones I boil them two-three times and throughly dry them before giving it to them, they come from my granddads neighbors house who hasn’t treated the tree at all. With that being the topic would pine sticks be safe perches for them? There’s a lot of pine trees around me and I have a mimosa tree in my backyard, but I’m not sure about the safety of the branches


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Pine branches are fine, just make sure no sap is present and wood is fully dry. 💜

Mimosa is on the "Safe Woods" list. 

Safe Natural Wood for Budgies*


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## small_birbs (Oct 6, 2021)

FaeryBee said:


> *Pine branches are fine, just make sure no sap is present and wood is fully dry. 💜
> 
> Mimosa is on the "Safe Woods" list.
> 
> Safe Natural Wood for Budgies*


Thank you for the confirm cause I wanna get rid of their dual perches and switch to natural ones :>


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## Reefcurlman (Nov 19, 2021)

small_birbs said:


> Yesterday he was flying around and being is loud, normal self. they're diet consist of veges and a little seed to get them encouraged, which he's been eating. his droppings seem normal and his vent is clean
> 
> for a moment i thought he was just throwing up but then he started feeding marshmallow so i really don't know whats going on
> 
> ...


If your budgie ever seems lethargic or quieter than usual, please make sure that they are getting protein and the easiest way to achieve this is in the form of hard-boiled egg in their diet.

Hard-boiled egg should be crushed up (with some of the shell) and sprinkled with a little chopped broccoli or celery and a *few* seeds. This is given to all our birds every week at Whispering Pines Aviary and they eat it like it is going to be their last meal!

The picture below shows the hard-boiled egg, broccoli, celery and a tomato chopped up ready for our budgies. There is enough here for 100 birds because we do not want it to be in the cage for longer that say 2 hours as the egg might start to go off!









Of all the foods we prepare for them, this dish is the one they love the most and they can even smell us preparing it, the excitement in the aviary is amazing. We prepare six eggs for maybe 100 birds and so you can see that the amount they eat is small so if you only have two or three budgies, you may only need a teaspoon full for them so make it when you are having eggs for breakfast.

I summary, our golden rules for complete budgie happiness where food is concerned is simple, make sure you feed them a well-balanced and mixed diet.

This is our suggested ‘chop food’ diet – just pick the ones that you normally eat or that are in season.....

Broccoli
Cauliflower
Celery
Brussel Sprouts
Capsicum
Chilies (great nutritional value and the bird cannot feel the heat)
Squash
Spinach
Herbs
Sweet Potatoes
Carrots
Bird safe edible flowers
Mixed sprouted seeds
Mung beans
Fruit 2-3 times a week
Hard-boiled egg once every 7-10 days (this is important for protein - budgies need protein)
Seeds are important but, in moderation, although seed is easy when you are busy, seeds alone will leave the birds nutritionally deficient. You need to be careful, budgies in the wild tend to seek out spinifex grass and feast on those seeds.
The thing with Spinifex grass is that it has low or no fat content. Most seeds you buy in a shop that are supposedly for budgies, are loaded with canary and finch seed which are high in fat because it is cheap. Although canaries and finches can take that seed, budgies cannot and often fatty liver disease is the resulting problem and that is usually terminal!
Remember that seeds are nutritionally incomplete, lacking vitamins, minerals and protein, they should therefore only be a very small part of a budgie’s diet and should never be the entire diet.
If you gradually offer your bird fewer seeds replacing them with healthier options from the list of the ‘chop foods’ above, your bird will eventually start eating more of the properly balanced foods to give them a healthy diet.
‘No’ to a food item one day - does not mean ‘no forever’ - KEEP TRYING!

Also, don't worry so much if your budgie has an 'off day', like humans, the weather, dust, a poor nights sleep etc. can all give a budgie an 'off' day, the same as it can for a human. Just keep an eye on things, oh and by the way, your parents are quite right to not let you run to the vet every time a budgie is not performing as you expect. You can usually tell when a bird is not well over a couple of days. If you do go to a vet, make sure it is an Avian Vet (a bird specialist), not an animal vet, we have not seen good results at all from an animal vet with birds.


Good luck

Garry


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## small_birbs (Oct 6, 2021)

Reefcurlman said:


> If your budgie ever seems lethargic or quieter than usual, please make sure that they are getting protein and the easiest way to achieve this is in the form of hard-boiled egg in their diet.
> 
> Hard-boiled egg should be crushed up (with some of the shell) and sprinkled with a little chopped broccoli or celery and a *few* seeds. This is given to all our birds every week at Whispering Pines Aviary and they eat it like it is going to be their last meal!
> 
> ...


thank you for the recommendations! a lot of the ingredients listed i try to incorporate into their chop. I've brighten their diet more and got pellets and they're seeming way happier and hyper


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## Reefcurlman (Nov 19, 2021)

small_birbs said:


> thank you for the recommendations! a lot of the ingredients listed i try to incorporate into their chop. I've brighten their diet more and got pellets and they're seeming way happier and hyper


Yes, they always seem to be more hyper when they have the fresh food - you should hear our aviary when 120 of them get their fresh food breakfast ha ha


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