My Budgie losing flight feathers

[snej]

Hi everyone,

Over the last few weeks I have noticed that one of my Budgies has slowly been losing his long tail and wing feathers to the point were he cant fly anymore and I'm wondering if anyone who is more informed about budgies could be of any help. I got my two Budgies earlier this year in May. Everything was going great they both were happy and playful and enjoyed flying around their room until a few weeks ago I realised one of them was having trouble flying and as the weeks went on I saw his longer flight feathers were falling out. This carried on to the point where he couldn't fly at all and he also started losing feathers around his face and under his wings. I took him to the vet already and they said they had no idea what the problem was which honestly was more concerning to me as all I want to know is if he'll be able to fly again. Recently the feathers around his face and under his wings have been growing back and he has been looking better but his tail feathers along with his wing feathers keep falling out. I find it particularly strange as my other Budgie is completely fine and is pretty as ever. He has been flying around less though and sticking around the other one to keep him company.

As you can probably tell these are my first budgies and I have a lot of questions and just want to make sure my little birdies are okay.


Ill attach a few photos from over the last few weeks.









imgur.com/a/NsSg7v4

[Morgan]

He could have French moult. Someone more experienced here could better help confirm that for you.

Was your vet an avian vet? One that specializes in birds? Or just a vet that “will see birds”? Going to a regular vet that works primarily on dogs and cats is unfortunately fairly useless for bird owners. :/

Unless you get lucky and your bird happens to improve on whatever general antibiotics are prescribed, or if it’s a physical injury - usually a regular vet can help there. But still a proper avian vet would be best for your future needs if you have any available to choose from.

If you do have choices, also ask how much experience they have with budgies specifically - because a lot of budgies never see a vet in their lifetimes so many avian vets have more experience with larger and more expensive parrots.

P.S. - your buds are gorgeous! I am particular to clearflight pieds (your green one), and the dilute rainbow is also very pretty! He may also be a clearflight pied as well by his white flight feathers!

Luckily, if it is French moult it is not life-threatening. Your bud will just need a little extra help getting around.

[Hezz]

If it has only been a few weeks, I wouldn't panic over French Moult just yet. Your budgie has gone through a normal moult from what you say, and it can take a few weeks for the long feathers to form enough to be visible without giving the bird a full examination. It isn't that uncommon for our pet budgies to lose the ability to fly during a heavy moult, but that usually only lasts a month or two, the new flight feathers grow in and they are back in the air.

If he does have FM, it is still possible that he will at times manage to retain enough flight feathers to regain some flying ability. It isn't always a static disease, and a diet high in protein can help with growing in those lost feathers. It doesn't necessarily help the feathers stay attached as it is the feather follicles that are the problem in that regard. Even if he doesn't regain his ability to fly, he can still go on to lead a long and happy life.

[snej]

Thanks for the information guys, I hope he doesnt have french moult but atleast he's still a happy little bird

[birdguhl]

Aside from FM question (hope it’s not but as others have said they can still be happy buds), your set-up looks great!

But can I suggest you get some natural perches as well - irregular diameters and angles - so that your birds’ feet and legs will get proper exercise. If they are all the same the pressure will always be on same parts of feet leading to potential problems.

I love seeing budgies on swings!

[snej]

Dec 8, 2020 0:14:36 GMT birdguhl said:

Aside from FM question (hope it’s not but as others have said they can still be happy buds), your set-up looks great!

But can I suggest you get some natural perches as well - irregular diameters and angles - so that your birds’ feet and legs will get proper exercise. If they are all the same the pressure will always be on same parts of feet leading to potential problems.

I love seeing budgies on swings!

Yeah I was thinking of making some natural perches but I heard its quite time consuming as you have to disinfect the branches or something along that line is what I read. Ill probably just end up buying some online I guess much simpler. 

[Hezz]

It is not time-consuming at all to disinfect some natural tree branches to use in the cage. Once you have your branches shaped as you want them or to fit their cage, give them a good scrub in some hot soapy water (dishwashing detergent works well), rinse in a dilute vinegar solution and allow to dry, preferably in the sun.

The other thing that can cause you problems is the happy hut in the background. They are far from anything happy; if your birds get to chewing, chewing on those things can and will most likely lead to crop impaction from ingestion of the fibres.

[snej]

Alright Ill give it a go on the weekend when I have more time . I have also just removed the hut after what you said don't want any risk of them hurting themselves even if they don't chew it at the moment.

[Hezz]

That's great! And good luck with your natural perches. Check a few on line sites that list safe and non-safe trees for birds, you'll need to know what the trees are that you are sourcing from.

[snej]

Im planning on using birch as I have a couple birch tree's in my garden and have read it isnt toxic towards budgies

[Hezz]

That sounds good on all fronts. Get some of different thicknesses, but not too thin (10mm would be too thin) and not straight. Have them so that you can angle them in the cage - trees don't grow perfectly horizontal so don't be afraid to have them higher one end, lower at the other.