[mlgortt2015]

I just picked up a pair of cocaktiels for breeding. they are proven breeders last year. but, the female just went thru a molt, and now I have noticed she isn't perching right......more like she is leaning on her perch with her belly?? not upright like they normally perch. I have had them for about three weeks. she sneezes once in while, but could just be dust.....the person I got her from thinks that she is overweight....but when I first picked her up, I noticed she was holding her wing down, and there was a bloody spot at the "elbow", but it wasn't broken. looked like maybe when he got her out of the cage, he roughed her up a bit, and sprained her wing. it seems like it healed, cause she isn't holding it down anymore....just doing the weird "lazy" perch. I don't know if those two issues are related, but, figured I would throw that out. their diet is mostly pellets, little bit of seeds.....started giving them veggies(they never had them before, it was an all pellet diet.)

 

[frozengirl]

Hi i do not suggest breeding birds . There are usually so many birds in rescue shelters to adopt. If you must breed birds , do make sure the female is old enough and healthy, otherwise she may have trouble taking care of her young, causing more suffering for not only her but her chicks. Do take her to the vet when possible, she could still be in pain from her injury , and could require a hospital cage to help her heal.

 

[mlgortt2015]

ok.....one...I was breeding years ago, and just started back into it(was only handfeeding for awhile). I am not a "professional", but, this is my first pair, and they aren't even really mine, its a "loaner" pair I got from another breeder. I know she is old enough, this pair produced last year(I handfed the babies myself). I feed her pellets and starting to get her to eat veggies. I am NOT breeding her till she is looking better. None of the other birds seem to be affected, just her. She is in a cage by herself now, with her bonded mate next to her, so they can see each other. She eats and flys fine now. its just looking like she is overweight when she sits on a perch. I did find out they were on an all seed diet(ahhh!!!) before I got them. he would feed sprouts to them in the morning, and seeds at night.

 

[Daytontiel]

I have two, who were used to on seeds diet, weight about 120 grams +/- 2 grams. Now, they are mostly on pellet, weigh 104 -106 grams, pretty constantly. I am wondering if previously both were over weight or not. Now, I only give them seeds one hour at evening, they can eat pellet all day. I do provide veggies, none of them are interested at...

 

[mlgortt2015]

she is eating the pellets, not happy about it. lol. I did get her to eat some veggies, only if I basically cut them up in TINY pieces. had her out last night, flying for exercise. she seemed to fly fine. couldn't land worth a penny, probally cause she isn't used to free flying. I am giving her a FEW seeds, mixing in with veggies to get her used. how long did it take for yours to lose the weight?

 

[Daytontiel]

mines lost weight pretty fast, within a few weeks after I had them, which worried me for awhile. But, so far, their weight are pretty constantly now. One of mine refuses to eat pellet initially, I had to buy a bag of seeds mixture for that one. My birds do flying exercise every evening when I have to, they are pretty much excited about the exercise time. I am in the middle of train them to fly to me. So far they doing pretty well in fly to me when called.

 

[mlgortt2015]

well, she was a breeder, so she is really skittish around humans. but, she is getting better. she actually got on my hand last night, after her flight. so fingers crossed. She had a breakfast of eggs and pellets, and evening meal of veggies with a few seeds. shes adjusting faster than I figured she would.

 

[frozengirl]

If she’s an adult and cannot land, she probably didn’t learn to fly very well. When they learn to fly they usually have trouble with descending. Practice makes perfect. Diet and exercise does sound like the cause of her being overweight. Although sprouts are supposed to be less fatty then dry seed. Tiels should have out of cage time for at least 2-4 hours a day.

Also do be careful of high pellet diets. Small parrots don’t drink more water to compensate for the dry pellet diet. That’s why I feed my parrots only 10-20% of their diet as pellets. I get them to eat more vegetables and sprouts.

Following written :
By: Christal Pollock, DVM, DABVP (Avian Practice)
Reviewed by: Tom Tully, DVM, DABVP (Avian Practice), DECZM
There have also been anecdotal reports in small companion parrots of a “diet-induced” renal disease syndrome fed predominately pellets. Affected species have been small color variety psittacine birds such as cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus), lovebirds (Agapornis spp.), budgerigar parakeets (Melopsittacus undulatus), and parrotlets (Cyclopsitta spp. and Forpus spp.).