Watching Eva carefully right now

Lozhinge

Parakeet Daddeh
Regular Member
I'll admit, I am currently on a hair-trigger with regard to the budgies - what they are doing, how they are behaving and are they OK. I've been trying to closely observe sixteen budgies at once, knowing that if I miss any signs of their being unwell, I could lose one or more of them and will not forgive myself. There are no excuses.
With this in mind, I know, intellectually, that I am likely to draw the worst conclusions from the least amount of data.

My concern is with Eva right now. She's been foraging, she's been flying around, she's been preening herself ... but she's been napping a lot today, more than is usual for her. She has shown, on one occasion, signs of tail bob.

On the other hand, it is apparent to me that the moulting season is upon us again. Eva took full advantage of the Nutriberries in the Forage Gym. She's accepted head scritches from her favoured fella, Finarfin. When napping, her head is pointed back towards her tail, which I associate with a budgie who is well. When I changed the paper in the bottom of the cages, Eva joined the rest of the flock in fleeing the scene of the violence and mayhem resulting from Daddeh's efforts. Here is a video of her up in the sky snake:
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I do not have any conclusive evidence, of illness or of wellness, I have only worry and the rawness that Isabeau's recent passing has left.

I tried to make a vet appointment for this afternoon but no slot was available. I have to wait for Monday morning and deal with the feeling in the pit of my stomach in the meantime.
 
Oh no, you are probably on edge because of your recent loss. How old is Eva?
Based upon what the breeder (who bred both Eva and Isabeau) told me when I rehomed her, she is four, just turned.
I have a suspicion, based upon not much evidence, that the breeder may not have been being honest with me and that Eva's (and Isabeau's) age might be greater. He didn't strike me as the most reliable of people. For instance, the stated age of both budgies differed in the rehoming advert from what he told me verbally.
I know that with the kind of show budgie she is (and Isabeau was), I could not realistically expect more than a six years lifespan.

Eva is seriously overweight. I have restricted the amount of seed and other treats she and the rest of the flock has access to but she has always been a very, very big budgie, my largest. I have managed to bring her weight down at times but it often creeps up again.

If I am dealing with disease here, it is puzzling as the disease has taken a year to manifest. No new budgies have been introduced into the home in the past year. Theoretically, disease could have come via one of the cockatiels, introduced ten and eight months ago.

I'm in an agony of uncertainty and, of course, this arises at the weekend when my options regarding vets are nil.
 
Loz hun please calm yourself, please? She looks great to me, wouldn't she if feeling a bit crook be quiet perched somewhere? You lost Isabeau hun and I am truly sorry for what her loss has caused you. But she passed away at home where she was loved, with her feathery companions and peacefully. Such a lot to be said for that tbh. These little ones are tiny, how do the vets get on? An overweight Budgie is not new is it :)? Maybe have a look at everyone's diet can the green/yellow and red stuff be upped and the seeds and treats be reduced or slightly restricted. Someone selling a bird and lying about it's age, well that is not a new one is it? Rubes was two apparently, supposedly had some dodgy band put on her. Yeh, yeh er NO she was 11 y/o. Just so glad got her out of there. Regrets with taking those budgies Loz? None I bet are there?
Relax and observe. I only mentioned those passed seeds because I wanted you to just be aware not on tenterhooks expecting the worst at every turn and in all honesty your reason was a perfectly good one that you gave. Diseases can lay dormant for a long long time before they manifest themselves and that is the thing with second hand birds where you do not know the in's and out's. Would you swap any of them??? No! Of course you wouldn't just like me and mine. R E L A X please?
 
My worry is mainly for the health of the Flock. With Whistle passing in November, Isabeau in January and Eva showing ambiguous signs today, I am going to struggle with my thoughts, fearing the worst.

There's nothing to be done without more information right now. Info such as, Eva gets better, or she gets a test for likely diseases or some other event occurs. I know that I could simply be looking at a budgie who is moulting, or elderly or who knows what. I've experienced budgies being unwell and who recovered and budgies who did not recover.

Allowing my fears to take over is not sn option and won't be allowed but some anxiety arising from recent events is inevitable, given I care for these little fellows!
 
This morning I uncovered the cages with a lot of trepidation. To my concern for Eva was added a completely unrelated worry over Herman who last thing was showing some disturbing signs. He landed on the floor twice and seemed to be uncoordinated. I'd seen similar from my dear Berek towards the end and I was, frankly, sick with worry. In fact, I prepped Isabeau's old cage and was prepared to place him in there for his own safety but he settled in the big cage, so I left him in there.

Both Herman and Eva were sat on their perches this morning and both looked well. I've since seen evidence that Herman is going through a hell of a moult, it looks like he's very uncomfortable indeed so I am attributing last night's worrisome behaviour to that.

Eva, after a very bright start, has been snoozing again. I am prepared to chalk it down to moulting issues but I am still carefully watching her. I hope to identify a poop that I can link to her with certainty but that is not easy with sixteen budgies! I'll see what I can come up with.
 
May I ask when they are a bit 'off colour' or moulting do you give them a pinch of Guardian Angel (or budgie equivalent) on foods.
 
May I ask when they are a bit 'off colour' or moulting do you give them a pinch of Guardian Angel (or budgie equivalent) on foods.
I generally place GA in the water but in the food is also an option.

I haven't done so today though as Saturday is AviPro Day.
 
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