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Post by alexandra on Feb 1, 2007 11:19:32 GMT
hi ever since my hen cockatiel started laying eggs, she has had very runny poo and it stinks! i have cut right down on how much egg food she has (the one i use is EMP egg food/ rearing food) she doesnt have any greens at the moment either. i have noticed that she only seems to poo when she is outside of the cage and after she has had a fly around! so it goes all over my lounge floor! lucky its a wood floor! i have taken her to the vet and she got anti biotics in case it was a tummy infection but i'm not sure how much she actually got! i tried putting it in a tiny amount of egg food. i have also tried gardian angel supplement, and also avol mixture. she has vitimins and calcivet too at the moment while she has eggs. she used to be so friendly and playful but now she doesnt seems to want to know mw and wont even hop onto my finger, i am not sure if the last trip to the vet put her off us humans!! Also she has been eating her normal seed well and seems to have a good appetite. can anyone help? should i take her back to the vet? Alexandra (worried tiel owner )
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Post by battybirdie on Feb 1, 2007 19:45:35 GMT
Hi Alexandra Silly question - is your vet an avian vet or a general vet? If he's a general vet, with all the best will in the world it's very possible that he could miss something an avian vet would spot. I know it's not always easy finding a qualified avian vet, but they are out there. I have to travel for almost an hour to my closest one, but I think my lovely babies are worth every mile I've had a bit of a 'google' for you, and have found these avian vets in Cornwall - I'm not sure if they are anywhere near you or not? I'll pop their details in a PM to you. I think you would be absolutely right to take her back to the vets at this stage - if she does have an infection then you really do want to nip it in the bud nice and early. I recently lost 2 birds in one nigh, which after post-mortem turned out to be as a result of a tragic accident - but while we were still looking at possible causes the vet hi-lighted a pretty nasty virus at the time that can even be transmitted through household water supplies - these days my motto is better safe than sorry. I'm sure Jesse will be fine - she's really lucky to have you looking out for her, and caring the way that you do - it's also a really good sign that she's still eating well Hope some of this helps & all the Batties send lots of tweets and get well wishes.
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Post by alexandra on Feb 1, 2007 19:59:31 GMT
thanks for that advice. Jess seemed a bit more like her usual self today, she flow onto my keyboard and tried to type while i was and had a play on her gym, then she had her bath. She just seems quite when in her cage. i did read that when a hen has a nest with eggs they will save their poo until they are away from the nest and only go once a day..........couyld this be what she is doing??? when she was out earlier, after the major poo all over everything she did poop at while later and it was small and fairly normal!!! this is very confusing!! but i will ring that avian vet you PM me and see what they say. thanks a lot
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Post by Billie on Feb 1, 2007 20:51:24 GMT
Good luck, with your birds. Its very exciting but quite intimidating being a first time Mum when your birds first have a family isn't it.
Hope your new mum feels better soon.
Hugs Billie
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Post by alexandra on Feb 1, 2007 21:09:00 GMT
hi i am a bit worried that the eggs wont hatch, they should have by today and we still another 3 from their second mating. i am sure i read that they should keep the eggs moist, but they havent as far as i know. i havent seen them with damp feathers on their bellies
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Post by Admin on Feb 3, 2007 9:25:36 GMT
Do your birds like egg (rather than the shop bought egg food)? you could boil and mash up an egg (and crush the shell and mix in with it) to put in the pot as a treat as this will help "bind" up their poos a little more. if she is doing what you say and saving them all for the one trip out per day this might help a bit? i do the same for my children (but without the shell lol) you need to count the days from the day she first started to sit tightly, this might be a few days after the first egg was layed, would this make more sense with the hatching due date? also, when the books say they need to keep the eggs moist, they mean that the humidity in the box will be pretty high, it doesnt mean that the box has to be physically damp - i thought the same thing to start with. therefore, the birds wouldnt have a damp belly by sitting on the eggs im sure it will all turn out fine, they cant have a better owner than you for looking out for them for first time mum your doing a great job (
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Post by alexandra on Feb 3, 2007 12:33:19 GMT
ahhh thanks for your help. i will try the egg mix you recommended. in that case the eggs might hatch next week then.....fingers crossed. what would be the best food to give the parents when they are feeding their babies? thanks for all your help everyone...............you are a massive help to me!!
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Post by Berserka on Feb 3, 2007 13:05:36 GMT
Give plenty of fruit & vegies, the babies have their first taste from the parents & are more likely to continue to eat the same foods after fledging. If you have chick starter then give the parents some too. Limit the amount of sunflower seeds as they are high in fat - the black ones especially, the grey stripe sunflower seeds are the better option. If you are wondering about the water from taps, try giving water from a water filter as if the council authority put many chemicals in the water it can interfere with the additives you give and could possibly make your birds ill.
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Post by alexandra on Feb 3, 2007 17:21:30 GMT
ok thats a good idea about the water.......i never thought of that!! would bottled water be ok too? Jake and Jess wont eat much fruit and veg! i alwaysl offer it to them though but often its intouched Jake loves lettuce but its not very nutritional i have tried watercress, carrot, cucumber, tomatoes, apple (which they might have a nibble at) banana, melon, grapes, spinach & sweetcorn!!!!! oh and strawberries when they arent too expensive! i really hate the prices they charge here for fruit and veg.......its crazy
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Post by Berserka on Feb 4, 2007 1:36:36 GMT
Bottled water still has chemicals added (even though the water companies would have us believe otherwise)! Bottled water is still better than tap water in highly treated supplies. If you have a blender, chop it up really fine & mix it in with the seed. Birds generally love celery so try that. I tried my birdies with peaches a few weeks ago and they surprisingly loved it!
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