[HigginDazs]

Hi all,

I'm a new poster here, just wanted to get some advice/opinions about my budgie, who has been acting a little strange.

We have two male budgies, Pesto and Ricotta (Rico), and have had them for just over a year. Lately, Rico has been exhibiting some unusual behaviour. He will fly out of the cage and just sit on top of it, slightly hunched over, and stay there for a long time, only occasially going to get some pellets to eat, then returning to his hunching spot. While he does this, he tends to gently tap or nibble the bars of the cage, and it looks like he is grinding his beak. He is still eating and drinking, and his droppings are normal, and a recent trip to vet turned out with no issues at all, but this is still somewhat unusual behaviour for him, as he is much quieter and more docile that he used to be.

Has anyone else experienced anything like this with their budgies? We are not worried about his health, but just slightly confused about this change in behaviour. I have attached a picture of Rico to illustrate the "hunching". Thank you

 

[FaeryBee]

Hi, Welcome to Talk Budgies!

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Was Rico an adult budgie when you got him a year ago?
Do you know how much he weighs? (He looks as though he may be overweight but is could be the angle of the picture)
What diet do you have him on?
In the picture, it appears Rico is an English Budgie. Did you get him from a pet shop or a breeder?
Has Rico been examined by an Avian Vet for a full well-birdie check-up?

Some English Budgies have been bred to the point their heads are too heavy for their body.
When this happens, the bird will often "hunch" over the way Rico is in the picture simply as that is the most comfortable position for the bird.
Some people think the bird is "lazy" but it is really a matter of the strain on the budgie's neck and back which contributes to the hunched posture.

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[HigginDazs]

I believe he was just under 6 months old when we got him. We adopted him from a friend whose partner was allergic, I belive they got him and his brother from a breeder. Yes, the avian vet at the practice near to us gave him a checkup.

We have him on a diet of Harrisons Pellets, and we try to give him fresh vegetables (cabbage and butternut squash) as much as he will tolerate, and some fruits now and then as well. When the vet weighed him (only about 2 weeks ago) he was 42 grams.

 

[FaeryBee]

OK, at 42 grams he is not overweight.

I would recommend you take a look at the safe foods list and try to incorporate other vegetables into his diet.
Safe Foods for Budgies

Had Rico begun this behavior before you took him to the Avian Vet?

 

[HigginDazs]

Yes, he had been doing this before his most recent vet checkup. He started this about a month ago, before that we had not seen him behave in this way.

 

[FaeryBee]

What did your Avian Vet say about it?

 

[HigginDazs]

They were checking in case it might be a respiratory infection because of him opening and closing his beak so much, but they also said there was no sign of any laboured breathing. However they did say if his behaviour hasn't changed, to bring him back in for a course of antibiotics (his brother needed the same last year, and it cleared his respiratory infection very well).

I might also ask the vet to check his crop, in case his "chewing" the air could be him trying to regurgiate or clear his crop.

 

[FaeryBee]

Please let us know what you find out at the Avian Veterinarian about his condition.
I'm sending love and healing energy for his full and speedy recovery.

 

[HigginDazs]

Update on Rico:

Took him to the vet who checked him for any issues, including any impaction of his crop; she said that his behaviour may be him trying to adjust it/regurgitate, but that he is healthy with no issues, but advised us to try using a nebuliser with an antiseptic solution, F10 I believe it is called. We have been using it for the past 2 days, and while the boys don't like being caught and put into the box for the treatment, they seem to be taking well to it, and it is not bothering them, other than breathing a little heavily afterwards (from the stress/excited of being caught and placed into a box it seems). I know it is for their own good and health, but I always feel awful for them when I have to catch them and scare them like that

 

[FaeryBee]

For how many days did the veterinarian tell you to use the nebuliser?

An easy way to help open the airways is to simply use a warm mist humidifier in the room.
You can put a drop or two of 100% pure Eucalyptus Essential Oil in the water which helps the budgies to breathe more easily.