Buddy has a shinny substance on head feathers! Help

[airpirate]

He normally gets this condition about every other week. It is like a wet shiny coating that makes his head feathers stiff.
Please help if you know how to treat this condition. Thanks

[Marianne Marlow]

We'll need a better photo, sorry but that one is too small.

[Hezz]

Have you noticed him vomiting at all?

Definitely need a better photo - sharp and close-up so it can be enlarged without losing definition.

[airpirate]

Is this photo ok? It is the area at the top of his head.

[Marianne Marlow]

Hezz is right, it's possible he's been vomiting. What is it in his seed trough, what is in his diet?

Please remove the sand covers from his perches, they are unnecessary and they hurt their feet.

[Marianne Marlow]

Just enlarging the photo

[airpirate]

He does regurgitate his food a few times daily. We feed him Browns gourmet foraging feast. When he does vomit it is just two types of seed, White proso millet and canary grass seed.
They come out dry he cranes his neck like he is choking and then ejects the seeds.
How much gravel do these guys need?
Won’t his nails become overgrown?

[ladybird]

I can’t comment much on his diet although it doesn’t sound good to me. Other more experienced members will help you. Definitely remove the sandpaper from his perches it will hurt him and doesn’t stop the nails growing. He isn’t rubbing his head on it is he? His cage looks small? Or maybe it’s just the angle of the photo.

[airpirate]

sandpaper gone. He does eat celery carrots apples and cilantro but his main bowl is the seed mix I described earlier.

[tweetiepiesmom]

Does he take a bath? Try hanging a bunch of the cilantro (since he already eats it) that is wet in his cage and see if he'll rub against it. Whatever is on his head may come off and then watch to see if it comes back. Sounds like you may have to be a bit of a detective trying to figure out what it is and how its getting on his head.

Maybe others will have some ideas also.

[airpirate]

Thanks for the suggestion I’ll give that a try. He will,take a bath in my hands under running water but you really have to work at it. My wife has better luck

[Hezz]

There is a difference between regurgitation and vomiting. Regurgitation is a more controlled natural motion, vomiting is generally more violent and the birds will fling their head around while they vomit which is why it ends up all over their faces and heads, they will also wipe their face and beak hurriedly on anything possible, spreading it throughout the cage. Have you washed the muck off yourself? Give him a wash off using a soft damp cloth, at least then you will know when it happens again.

Regarding the lack of sandpaper in his cage, no his claws won’t over grow if you give him natural tree branches for perches instead of smooth uniformly round dowels that come with the cage. Find some trees in your neighbourhood that are bird safe(google a few different sites to cross reference), get differing thicknesses and textures and have enough to be able so swap them around each week or so. Budgies do not need gravel. They husk their seeds, unlike pigeons and doves. They don’t mind a little oyster shell (soluble) grit to chew on occasionally but they don’t need it to grind their food.

[airpirate]

Thank you Hezz for you input I will try the various perch materials. I have a natural perch on our screen porch made from a backyard tree that he loves and has used for years. I will cut some perches for his cage from that tree. He will sit on me, sleep on me, rub on me, but won’t let me grasp him and rub him with a cloth. I will give it a try he doesn’t bite but throws a fit.
Thanks again I will watch and monitor for vomiting although I have never witnessed him doing so but when he gets rid of seed somtimes it does launch but is dry.

[Hezz]

Don’t be afraid to hold him and clean him off. It’s all good practise if he needs to see a vet at any point. People get too precious about handling their birds and “stressing them out” when the reality is that a little handling goes a long way towards NOT stressing them out so much when a vet visit is necessary. A bird used to being handled will know that it isn’t the end of the world for them.

[airpirate]

I cut Bud new perches from the same branches he has for his outside perch. Just brought him in and he is loving chewing on them.
The crud on his head has dried and if coming off on its own, if not clear in a day or so I will use the soft washcloth and clean it off. I wonder if he hadn’t rubbed his had on those sandpaper perches and caused a slight injury.
Anyway perches replaced, fresh green in place. I am confident he will be much better.
Thanks to the entire community for your suggestions and support.