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Budgies/budgie wont eat cuttlebone
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Question
hi
i have two budgies, a male and a female,
i have a cuttlebone set out for them but only the male will eat it.
my female's beaks getting long and she wont eat the cuttlebone, is there anything i can do to encourage her to eat the cuttlebone?
Hi, Susan,
If a bird won't eat cuttlebone, this usually means the bird doesn't need supplemental calcium, which is the main purpose for a cuttlebone. You need to buy an item specifically made for keeping a bird's beak trimmed. You may need to trim the budgie's beak yourself if it gets too long and she refuses to use a beak trimming tool/toy. If you end up trimming the beak yourself, ask for guidance before attempting to do so. Often times, beak overgrowth is the result of some medical and/or dietary problem. Do you have your budgies on a healthy, nutritional diet of a variety of foods, pellets, etc.? An all-seed diet is a poor diet for a bird.
Chrys
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Chrys Meatyard
Expertise
I`ve been raising/breeding/handfeeding/selling parrots for over 20 years (parakeets/budgies, cockatiels, 6 subspecies of conures, parrotlets, amazons, lovebirds, etc.). I've been published in "Budgies" and "Cockatiels" offered by Bow Tie Productions, and have written avian articles for publication in England. I can provide advice in raising healthy birds, handfeeding/weaning babies, some health problems, nail/beak/wing clipping, general husbandry, etc. I also have experience with racing/showing homing pigeons. I cannot diagnose specific illness over this website. If you suspect your bird is ill or if you have an emergency, contact a certified avian veterinarian or emergency pet clinic ASAP.
Experience
Over 20 years breeding/raising/handfeeding/selling 15 different species of parrots.
Education/Credentials
American Federation of Aviculture, completed Level I course, Fundamentals of Aviculture. Keeping/breeding parrots and other birds for over 20 years.
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