Expert: Chrys Meatyard - 1/2/2008

Question
Hi Tara,

I've had my budgie since September of 2005 and I was told at the time that she was 6 wks old. She is an albino (all white with red eyes) female judging by her brown cere.

She has recently been standing inside her food dish and sweeping out the food onto the floor. She does this over and over.
Something I should also add is that I purchased this powder nutrient called Vita Flight. And was advised by the pet store clerk to put it in her food rather than her water since birds don't drink much water. I stopped giving it to her because she was acting crazy and almost acting like she was crazy without it and this is when the dumping of her food started. Maybe this Vita Flight stuff has had a negative effect on her? What do you think? And how can/may I be able to prevent this from happening and discourage her from spilling her food all over the place?

Answer
Hi, Amy,

I found your question in the question pool this morning.  I don't know why it was not answered when you submitted it.

Your bird's behavior is typical of parrots (budgies are parrots).  MANY parrots kick their food out of their food dishes.  You will probably need to try a dish that is covered, such as a crock or something other, so that when your bird tries to do this, she can't get the food out of the dish.  Otherwise, you will just have to feed her only the amount at a time that she can consume during a short period after you put the food into the dish (instead of keeping the food dish full all the time).  I don't like to use over-the-counter products with my birds.  I feed healthy, nutritious foods every day so I don't need to use nutrient supplements.  

The reason you should not put supplements, etc., in a bird's water is because doing so can result in the creation of bacteria.  A bird drinks the water with bacteria in it and the bird can get sick.  I'm not familiar with Vita Flight, but I seriously doubt this has an affect on what your bird is doing.  Usually when a female budgie does this, she's about to turn her food dish into a nest and lay eggs in it.  However, some birds just have a bad habit of kicking all their food out of their dishes.  I recommend you try different types of hooded dishes/crocks to see if this helps resolve the problem.  Be aware, however, if your bird is about to lay eggs (if she has no mate, any eggs laid will be infertile), avoid crock-type dishes, as she may turn this into a nest.  Perhaps your bird needs toys or different types of toys or more interaction with you.  Sometimes when birds behave in this manner, they are bored and need something to help stimulate them mentally.  You'll just have to try different things to see what the problem is.

Chrys