Vet Q&A-Bird

My cockatiel is 2 month old now and I am still feeding him cerelac by syringe 3times a day.How can i wean it and make it eat by itself ? He’s unable to eat seeds,he drops it whenever he picks it.I put some eggs so he eats,but he rejects it as well.He shouts for his food in syringe!

Thanks for reaching out about Pasha and including photos. Cerelac is a carbohydrate source meant to supplement human breast milk. It is poor in protein, essential vitamins and minerals. Start adding pureed vegetables, a legume/bean puree also. Leave it more and more thick, offer via hand so start weaning. Feathers are ruffled probably due to poor nutrition. A veterinary visit is recommended. Good luck.

My birds have black stains around their nostrils. At times it is dark but at other times it is lighter but you can still see a color difference (greyish) but no longer black. Is this normal, because I know they sneeze and my mom forgets to tell me when she is cooking as we like to use garlic and spice. I will remember to take them upstairs now but is their anything else that may be a possible problem that needs attention? Hope to hear from you soon :))

Thanks for reaching out about Pekoe and Rico, and including photos. The staining around the nostrils (not noticed on the photos) could be the result of inhalation of dust, smoke or other particulate matter during cooking or other times. Bird's respiratory systems are very sensitive and inhalation of cooking smoke or other products can be potentially acutely fatal. Removing birds from the vicinity when cooking is important, especially if cooking with Teflon. Good luck.

Are salt lamps ok to have around birds?

That is a great question. As far as I am aware the actual salt lamp should not be harmful to birds. However birds are very sensitive to air quality or particles in the air so I would watch the lamp closely to make sure the lamp does not break and cause abnormal fumes. hope that helps

My male budgie recently passed away yesterday. The problem is, the male budgie has a female partner named Baby. She is currently in mating period. She just laid one egg. She appears to still want to lay eggs after her partner died. I have other male budgies in another cage. I have 15 budgies currently. 2 of my female birds are mating and staying in the nestbox at this time. How can I continue having 15 budgies? Should I throw the eggs away? I just don’t want any more birds...

My condolences on the loss of your male budgie. Do not throw the egg away without replacing it. This may spur her to lay more. You can replace the egg(s) with dummy eggs. Find them in the Avian section of the local Petco. Leave the dummy eggs in the nest box for 2-3 weeks, then remove one every few days until none remain. Hens will lay eggs regardless of whether or not they mate. To stop egg laying, limit exposure to daylight (use a cage cover or move them away from windows, light sources, etc.) and lower room temperature by a few degrees. To prevent mating, you will need to separate males from females.

How old does my baby conure have to be before he can safely take a bath? He’s about 6 weeks old right now. Also, when should I start weaning him off of hand feeding? Thank you

Thanks for reaching out about Spicy. You could start offering solid foods such as vegetables and softened pellets now. If he is fully feathered, he can have a mild shower/bath as long as it is a warm day in which to dry. Good luck.

I have a 3 month old cockatiel. I've just noticed that his lumpy, crusty and bleeding from his bottom. It looks pretty bad. I have attached a picture. Please advise

Thanks for reaching out about Oscar and including photos. Did you have wings trimmed recently? This appears to be a contusion on the tissue close to the vent (but not) that happens when cockatiels jump/fall, wings are over trimmed and they hit the ground hard. The tail becomes hyper-extended dorsally, ripping the skin. The wound needs to be cleaned, and systemic antibiotics can assist with infection prevention. A veterinary visit is recommended. Lower perches to 3-6 inches above the bottom of the cage, place a soft towel to lighten falling. Good luck.

My budgie is all fluffed up and when he shakes small white balls are falling of him. His poop is also watery and green in color.

Harry is very sick, he is probably suffering from either a very severe respiratory infection or a fungal infection, you must take him to an avian vet specialist urgently in order to attempt to save his life.

hello my bird already laied eggs. In how many weeks do they hatch? Also do to the cold weather what can I do to keep my birds warm. what other foods could I feed my budgie? what if the nest box is small will they lay eggs in it or will they lay them on the bottom of the cage?

Thanks for reaching out about Blue. The average incubation length for budgies is 14-16 days, once she starts sitting on the eggs. A thermostat regulated heat lamp can be used to regulate the temperature. If she is going into and out of the nest box, and has laid egg in the box, she is probably comfortable with the size, as long as it is large enough to rear the young. Regarding nutrition, a wide variety of vegetables and a plant protein source (legumes) is important to replace nutrients lost in laying eggs. Good luck

I have one pair Red Rump bird. The Female Rump making her nest in the box since last two weeks. But male and female are not mating. Female Rump trying to be closer to the male one but male rump always keep good distance from the female one. They are not fighting but not getting closer. What should I do now?

Try not to disturb them. This could delay or interrupt mating. They may be mating when you are not around. Simply provide water, fresh food and a calcium supplement or mineral block. After mating, the hen will begin lay eggs after about 10 days. Clutch size is 4-7 eggs with an average incubation of 20 days. The male will feed his mate during incubation and will begin to feed the chicks about 2 weeks after hatching.