avarrie
Egg
loving momma of Jojo and Eagle
Posts: 31
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Post by avarrie on Dec 17, 2013 0:43:50 GMT
my oldest bird jojo is about 8 months of age but in the last few months he has been getting a brow patch on his chest , what could this be
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Post by Pammy on Dec 17, 2013 18:06:01 GMT
Hmmm? Sorry, I have no idea. Hopefully Sarah will see this.
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Post by dianapalmer on Dec 17, 2013 22:45:54 GMT
Perhaps you should take both budgies to a vet. I'm sorry I have no idea about the discolored feathers and have no experience with it. My first thought is that it looks like a blood stain, but I really don't know. The reason I say you should consider taking both to a vet is that you also mentioned Eagle's leg problem.
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Post by dianapalmer on Dec 18, 2013 0:59:05 GMT
Do you think Jojo could be plucking the feathers in his breast? If he is, that could possibly cause bleeding, and possibly stain the feathers. Perhaps you could clean the feathers with a cotton ball and warm water, then see if the stain recurs. In the meantime, you could watch his behavior closely and see if he is plucking feathers in this area. I am really just guessing.
Feather plucking can be a problem in parrots. There can be various causes. If you see behavior indicating that is what it may be, you could post that information, and perhaps someone would have suggestions on causes and how to combat it. It is too early to jump to any conclusions. However, a parasite can cause feather plucking.
If you got both of your birds from the same supplier there may have been problems in their early care. Lack of attention to the developing chick, for example, can result in splayed leg not being identified and treated at a young age. This might reflect other areas of lack of care in the breeding environment.
There is a test kit for a parasite known as giardia that can result in feather plucking. You send in several stool samples. The test costs about $100. The test kit is available from thebirdsafestore.com. I have no idea whether to recommend the test--I'm just not enough of an expert. If Sarah sees your picture, she may have better advice. However, she has not been on much in the last couple of days. So, I am just throwing some ideas out there.
I hope you are able to help Jojo.
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avarrie
Egg
loving momma of Jojo and Eagle
Posts: 31
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Post by avarrie on Dec 18, 2013 2:00:56 GMT
i got jojo from a really good breeder that a local pet store buys she hand picks them and makes sure they are healthy , i visited her today and she said that the lady i bought eagle off of was breeding them for color not quality , which makes me really sad
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Post by dianapalmer on Dec 18, 2013 3:00:05 GMT
Ah. So they came from different breeders. I guess that's good, in a way. Did she have any idea what could be going on with Jojo?
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Post by saif on Dec 18, 2013 5:20:00 GMT
Have u tried researching about this on the internet ?
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avarrie
Egg
loving momma of Jojo and Eagle
Posts: 31
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Post by avarrie on Dec 18, 2013 5:27:10 GMT
i just took a really good look at his tummy and there are no feathers missing but he seems to have mini patches of the same color all over in odd places
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avarrie
Egg
loving momma of Jojo and Eagle
Posts: 31
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Post by avarrie on Dec 18, 2013 5:37:47 GMT
i just went and looked up what it could be and there was an online vet that said to put hydrogen peroxide on a Q-tip and rub it on a little bit of the area and if it bubbled it was a wound or if it is blood and it didnt bubble so im glad it isnt a wound and the white feathers unnder is blue ones are still really white
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Post by Sarah on Dec 18, 2013 6:27:30 GMT
So it was a blood stain then?
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Post by Bluebirds on Dec 18, 2013 8:23:54 GMT
Strange, I'm just taking a guess but could it be in lack of nutrition? If so maybe go to you local pet store and see if they sell discolouration pellets... Cause I know they make them for fish =D
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avarrie
Egg
loving momma of Jojo and Eagle
Posts: 31
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Post by avarrie on Dec 18, 2013 21:08:09 GMT
no it was not a blood stain
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Post by Sarah on Dec 18, 2013 22:00:02 GMT
I've done some reading, and I believe this is a sign of malnutrition. When a bird's feathers start to look brown, blackened or even just plain 'dirty,' it is a sign that the feathers are being de-pigmented with age: in short, they should have been molted some time ago and are stuck around because the bird's body can't replace them. Try to treat this by increasing the amount of nutrients your birds are getting - it may trigger a molt to fix this.
You need to add a mineral block and a cuttlebone to the cage if you have not already. When that is done, you need to go out and buy something called APPLE vinegar. Not Apple cider vinegar, not white vinegar, APPLE VINEGAR. You also need to check that the label specifies that the vinegar has the 'mother' left in it. If it does, it will be a cloudy liquid, not clear. Don't buy the clear stuff. Add a few drops of this to your bird's water. Every day while you are applying this treatment, throw out the water, rinse the container and refill, adding the apple vinegar again. Apple vinegar is packed with vitamins and nutrients, and promotes good feather health. Also, if you do not already, please push for a veggie packed diet for your birds. If you can't get them to try it and they only want seeds, do your best to at least get them eating pellets, which supply a more varied diet.
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Post by dianapalmer on Dec 18, 2013 22:54:38 GMT
So interesting.
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Post by jackmichigan on Dec 18, 2013 23:57:33 GMT
I'm still learning about Budgies however in the past I have raised Pigeons and know for a fact that the Apple Vinegar is great for them. Yes the kind that still has the mother in it. Best place to get it is a health Food store. I'm not sure what the mix with water would be for Budgies but for Pigeons its an ounce to a gallon of water. Its loaded with vitamins etc. It also helps keep the bad bacteria in there gut at bay as its acedic and bad bacteria don;t like an acedic environment. Buy the way this is also GREAT for Humans.... I had raced and raised Pigeons for several years but now live in a place I can't have them so now turned to the Budgies and I love them..... If you try the Vinegar thing be sure to shake it each and every time you use it as the mother settles to the bottom of the bottle......You can also look it up on the internet as there's several great articles on the use of Apple Vinegar (With the Mother)
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