Expert: Chrys Meatyard - 4/3/2007

Question
QUESTION: Hi, I started with 2 budgies..now have 12 plus 3 more babies.  The only difference with this last 3... they don't seem to have many feathers.. they are almost due to fly out from the nesting box... but i'm not sure how they will go.. they don't even seem to have completely covered wings..any ideas to the cause...
ANSWER: Hi, Rona.  Thanks for posting!

Are the parents plucking the babies?  If not, then they could have some sort of health problem.  If you have your birds on an all-seed diet, this might be the problem.  Seed is high in fat, low in nutrition...the babies might not be getting the nutrition they need, thus, can't properly grow their feathers.

I would need to have more information about what is going on.

If you don't want so many offspring, separate your adult birds.

Chrys

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi, Thanks for your reply.  I don't think the parents are plucking them.  The female doesn't let any others into the box.  They are mostly on seed.. but we have a lot of leafy greens from vegie plants that they love..and cabbage.Once they come out o fthe nesting box... would it be a good idea to maybe put them & the mother off by themselves?  How long would the mother need to stay with them... do they eat for themselves as soon as they come out of the nesting box?
ANSWER: H again, Rona.

Are there other birds besides the mom and dad in the same cage with these birds and their babies?  The female might be plucking their feathers out.  OR since everyone is on mostly seed, it could be a nutritional problem.  

You should have mom, dad, and their babies in 1 cage without any other birds.  Once the babies leave the nesting box, daddy bird teaches them what to eat (and continues to feed them by mouth) and everything they need to know while mom goes to nest again (so you will want to remove that nesting box right away if you don't want more babies).  You can't separate the babies from their mom and dad until they can eat and drink on their own.

Chrys

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks again Chrys,
two are out if the box now..2 left in.  They seem to be able to fly ok..  The father is feeding them.  All the ones in the cage are the previous offspring of the same male & female.  Basically she lays eggs, they hatch & the day the last ones leaves the box  she has already laid another egg  :).. I will probably have to destroy an egg to get the box out.  If its only a nutricianal thing (the lack of feathers).. once they start eating for themselves..would the feathers grow?I don't know if they would survive in cold weather the waythey are.

Answer
Hi again, Rona.

I don't know for sure that nutrition is the problem.  However, poor nutrition contributes to/is the reason for lots of problems with our parrots.  It COULD be the problem, but there could be other reasons for their feather loss or lack of feather growth.  I don't have enough information about the entire situation to make this determination.  It could be a medical problem, and the only way you'd know this or not would be to take the babies to a certified avian veterinarian for a medical evaluation.  If these babies would be eating the same thing as the parents are eating, they are already eating the food that is contributing to lack of feather growth.  In other words, the parents are already feeding the babies the food that the babies will be eating when they feed themselves.  So there's really no difference UNLESS you change them to a healthier diet.

The feather loss could be another bird in the cage plucking the babies.  You really shouldn't keep all these babies together in the same cage with new babies and the parents.  You should separate the parents and eggs/new babies from the other offspring.  

When you allow babies to be parent-raised instead of you handfeeding them, it's difficult to "catch" the female between the most recent babies and laying a new clutch.  You're right, you may have to destroy an egg or two.  When you handfeed babies, the nesting box can be removed as soon as the babies are pulled from the parents.  You could remove the box now, but you'd have to take the last 2 babies out of the box and put them in the cage with the others....another reason to separate all these birds into different cages.  This would be OK as long as the babies are able to tolerate being out of the box.  You'll have to judge the latter, as you are there and I'm here (and I can't see what's going on).

Chrys