Budgie Weight Diary

[Loz]

Hello All!

I don't know how regular this diary will be but I thought I'd share it here in cases there are comments, questions and good discussions that might come out of the subject. We all know weight is an important factor in avian health care.

I managed to get everyone's weight just now. I am pleased - it is like herding cats only difficult - but surprised at one of the results.

Date	Birb Friend	Weight in g	Age & Commentary
7 Feb 22	Squeak	32	3 months +
7 Feb 22	Patch	37	5 months
7 Feb 22	Eeyore	49	11 months
7 Feb 22	Mr Hibs	51	12 months
7 Feb 22	Chocobo	59	6 months (kakariki)

Ages are approximate.
What I cannot get my head around is Hibs' and Eeyore's relative weights. Eeyore is show budgie stock (the only example of such I have). He's a giant compared to the other budgies and is not far off the chocobo in terms of size. He's been a little lazy in terms of flying and is only now what I'd call competent at it - he can almost match Hibs for speed now, if not for stamina. Hibs is a willing, enthusiastic flier and by far the most active of the budgies. I'm guessing (hoping) that the surprise in relative weights for the two seniors is due to muscle development.
The two youngsters have naps throughout the day, I believe that the constant attention of the seniors tends to exhaust them! That said, they are very confident fliers and indulge willingly a couple of times a day.

Gratuitous group shot taken whilst composing this post:



Disclaimer: spelling mistakes and random letters are the responsibility of the chocobo who helped me compose this post.

[Marianne Marlow]

Well done for weighing them. I did this every week for years, but when my daughter came along it all stopped.

[Loz]

Feb 11, 2022 16:15:08 GMT Marianne Marlow said:

Well done for weighing them. I did this every week for years, but when my daughter came along it all stopped.

Hmm. I won't tell my sons about weighing the birbs in case they put a stop to it too! 🤣

[Marianne Marlow]

She didn't stop them herself, it's just that it was too hard to juggle feeding and changing her and washing bottles with the weighing of budgies

She's almost 3 years old now..

[Ira]

I weigh mine weekly too. Alas, they're such tinkers when it comes to getting on the scales for a bribe that I've taken to putting them in a lidded pot. This does mean they also get a weekly handling, which at least means they're used to it when I've had to give medicines, and I can check their body condition.

[tweetiepiesmom]

I weigh my two weekly and find my forum calendar perfect for recording and tracking their weight. I weigh them at the same time of day. I clean the cage bottom so the scales will sit flat. I put a little dish with millet on the scales, tare it and wait for the budgies. Tweetie Pie is the first on and then Buddy joins him. Tweetie Pie now knows when he sees the scales, millet is coming so he goes into the cage waiting for it. Their weights have been very steady. FYI - Tweetie Pie weighs 30gms, Buddy weighs 27gms.

[Loz]

Feb 7, 2022 10:10:21 GMT @loz said:

[...]

Date	Birb Friend	Weight in g	Age & Commentary
7 Feb 22	Squeak	32	3 months +
7 Feb 22	Patch	37	5 months
7 Feb 22	Eeyore	49	11 months
7 Feb 22	Mr Hibs	51	12 months
7 Feb 22	Chocobo	59	6 months (kakariki)

[...]

A week later and I managed another weighing.

Squeak up two at 34g - not surprised, a greedy little budgie that one..
Patch down two at 35g - he's fine, I'm not concerned with only two data points to work from.
Eeyore down two at 47g - he's having to fly a lot at the moment so maybe burning calories.
Mr Hibs down one at 50g - nothing to worry about, it's rounding-error territory
Chocobo down one at 58g - same as with Hibs

Gratuitous Group Pic

[tweetiepiesmom]

I don't think a fluctuation of 1 or 2 grams is enough to worry about. If you see a loss or gain every week, that might be something to check into if its an adult bird.

[Hezz]

You are looking for trends, either up or down, not specific weights themselves. As TPM has said, a gram or two difference from week to week may simply that the bird has had a feed before being weighed. It is best to weigh at the same time of the day, preferably first thing in the morning before anything else. Even then you will see some differences from week to week.

[Ira]

Aye, my lot flicker up and down even when I haven't changed anything about their food. It's hard to know exactly who is eating what though.

Alas, they are not cooperative when I try using a perch on the scales or a food bowl, because they either all avoid it or all go for it at once.

[Loz]

I tend to get two of them at once and up to four of them at times but if I'm quick, I can deduce the weight of each of them. Thankfully my addled brain can still do quick mental arithmatic so I get there using aggregate weights and subtraction.
Doesn't help when Chocobo is lurking and placing a single foot on the scales for fun. She does mischief, you know. It's her thing.

[Marianne Marlow]

Chocobo sounds like a very fun hen

[Loz]

Feb 18, 2022 10:43:02 GMT Marianne Marlow said:

Chocobo sounds like a very fun hen

Life and soul of the party. I've had dogs that are less friendly and interactive!

[Loz]

If this table displays correctly, here is the latest update on the flock. Everyone showing modest gains, except for one.

I've been watching Squeak carefully as he(she?) seems to be a professional eater, dedicated to the art. I was worried if he wasn't eating too much? Whilst I've been watching Squeak, Patch has quietly gained 16% of his body weight in just over two weeks. I did not see that coming!
Squeak and patch are both young and significant gains are to be expected ... but wow. Just wow. I will do another weighing in a week to perform a sanity check on the figures.

Estimated ages in months:
Mr Hibs - 12
Eeyore - 11
Patch - 5
Squeak - 3
Chocobo - 7

(Can you tell I miss being at work, just a little?)

[Loz]

Latest weight information. A change in weighing device prior to the April weighings complicates matters.



I've discussed Patch's weight loss elsewhere but Chocobo ... what in tarnation is going on there? If Eeyore has made her pregnant, I will be having words with him.

In all seriousness though, I think Chocobo must be carrying eggs. She's been hiding under her aviary recently, tearing up the soon-to-be-removed carpet - I think she's decided she has a nest. Plus she is eating corn like there's no tomorrow.
I predict eggs.