I need help

[Florida_girl]

hi I have 2 keets 1 male snowflake and 1 female tweeters my problem is tweeters is sitting in a corner of her cage fluffed up half the day and the other half she is active she still eats and drinks but her droppings are larger and look like tar sometimes they are of normal color is she sick or is she trying to lay eggs. Please help if you can

[Daeo]

It is very common for budgie hens to produce very large droppings within the few days to hours before they start laying. I would watch Tweeters very closely for the next day or so. You want to watch for signs of egg binding. A lot of hens will normally fluff up a bit, even rock back and forth before laying. In egg-bound birds this behavior will continue, because it is painful and highly stressing on the bird. She would not simply perk up suddenly and skip about and enjoy a nice big meal.

Before budgie's lay the first egg, the area right above their vent, towards their abdomen will swell slightly for a few days (which impacts their poop, causing those big turds :P), a sudden subsidation of this swelling, with no egg being expelled calls for an immediate trip to the vet, as the egg could've crushed while still inside her body. Also take notice of any heavy breathing or panting, which will follow after the bird has been straining for a long time to expel the egg without success. The longer an egg stays in the birds body, the more harm can be done to surrounding organs in their little bodies (they're all squeezed into such a little space, such a little bird!), so if the large droppings and bottom sitting continues for more than a few days, it can be a sign your Tweeters is having major trouble.

Egg laying troubles can stem from genetics, calcium and other nutrient deficiencies, and general illness that has caused the bird to be weak. Be sure that you have the birds on a very good fortified pelleted diet, not a seed one, and that you supplement them with lots of fresh clean vegi's. And always always always have at least 2 mineral+calcium blocks in their cage at all times. Hen's will sometimes completely devour their cuttlebones during breeding times. If they don't have an external source of calcium, their bodies will pull it from their bones, in order to form the shells of the eggs. This weakens their bodies drastically and can cause the egg to not be able to pass out of their bodies. Without appropriate medical intervention, birds with egg binding will die.

A few tricks that can help the egg laying process along - sitting the bird (cage and all) inside a bathroom while the shower is on hot. The humidity from the steam can help the egg's slide out. You can also spread lubricant around the vent area of the bird, this is said to help sometimes - but not always. Contact an avian veterinarian for appropriate types of bird safe lubricants before you do this, if oils get spread onto the feathers, the bird cannot properly regulate it's temperature, which will only make matters worse.

Keep us updated. I hope everything works out fine and she is just ready to start a family :D Good luck!

[mynameislola]

Egg binding can also be caused by inadequate exercise, like in a cage that is too small. Watch carefully becasue it is often fatal. :(

Do you have a scale to weigh your birds with? They will hide signs of illness, but they can't hide their weight. A portable perch on a stand that fits on the scale works well.

[Florida_girl]

Thanks for your help I called a vet and could not get her in on time she was egg bound but sorry to say she passed away this morning.

[rstowe]

So sorry for your loss. Sorry to welcome you to this great site under such sad circumstances. How is the other bird dealing with the loss?

Wishing you the best.

[Florida_girl]

the other bird is doing ok so far and I will keep you posted on him we plan on getting him a companion soon so that its not that hard on him. Thanks for your concern

[rstowe]

You're welcome; that's what we're all here for.

Get a new companion when you are ready for one or if the other bird seems to be really lonely and you think a companion would help.

Wishing you the best.

[Sandibird]

Hi Florida Girl,

Sorry to hear about your loss, keep your chin up IF you can!!!!

Sandibird

[mynameislola]

Please keep in mind that a female companion may suffer the same fate. Inadequate nutrition and lack of exercise before being put in a cage with a male kills lots of female birds.

Check out a conditioning program or get another male. If you want to breed, you will do better with a flight cage for their exercise.