Sexing Budgies: Herculean Task?

Nowadays most of the lovebirds owners switch over to raising budgies as it is cheap to procure. But they have ended in sorrow due to the fact that they're unable to sex them.

The simple method for sexing Budgies is looking cere (the bit above it's beak). In male, it will be blue in color and in females they will be white cere with a hint of blue. It is very easy to differentiate adult and male. But the young ones are very difficult to differentiate. In young male, purple-pinkish colour cere is present and in females, they will have will have a pale blue cere with white rings around the nostrils.

See the picutres below and then you can sex the budgies very easily...

Male Adult Budgerigar


Female Budgerigar

Lovebirds Microchipping

Microchipping provides a permanent and unique way of identifying a lovebird. The microchip can be inserted into the pectoral muscle tissue of birds.

The only advantage of using band than microchips is that the microchips are relatively expensive, and placing them into birds requires technical skill, but their use has proved successful in birds identification. Microchipping lovebirds is helpful in identifying them, which will provide necessary information like breeding, feeding of lovebirds to the lovebird owners. One step further, this technology is useful in wildlife conservation and field study programmes.

Will the lovebird bleed?

Birds won't bleed when you microchip them. If you notice a hole left by the needle at the insertion point, this can be repaired by tissue glue or suture.

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Microchipping - a Perfect method for lovebird Identification

Psittacosis in Lovebirds

Once you made up your mind to purchase a pair of lovebirds to your home, equip yourself with enough knowledge about lovebirds care. Do you know lovebirds are prone for Psittacosis? Yes!!! It is a respiratory infection that will affect human beings also!

So, you should seek an appointment with your vet for a check-up some-time within the first week of purchase. He will do aoutine testing for psittacosis. It is always good to discuss this matter with your vet shortly after purchase. Fortunately, this is uncommon in lovebirds.

Symptoms

The psittacosis is technically called as Chlamydiosis. The common symptoms include

• Weakness
• "Fluffed up" appearance
• Lethargy
• Loss of Appetite
• Diarrhoea
• Laboured breathing
• Eye discharge or swelling

Treatment

The best drug of choice for this condition is antibiotic doxycycline, however some newer drugs are also proving of value. But it is mandatory to discuss this matter with your vet to get final opinion about thsis dreadful disease. Although it is uncommon in lovebirds, there is every possibility of outbreak of psittacosis among your flock of lovebirds. Hence the lovebirds care against psittacosis is mandatory.

Lovebirds Healthy Food List

So, you have started to build cage for your ensuing lovebirds. Congrats!!! This is the high time to get to know about the lovebirds healthy food list to keep them hale and healthy. Although there are so many feed items available for lovebirds, you should know what are the items that will keep your lovebirds healthy.

Here is the list-

Perfect Fruit List

1. papaya
2. melons
3. peach
4. pear
5.banana
6.kiwi
7.apples

N.B: Avoid Avacodos, as they are very poisonous to lovebirds.

Whole Grains

1. barley
2. oats
3. whole wheat, and whole rice,
4. sprouts
5. weeds

Seeds

1. Sunflower seeds
2. Sesame seeds
3. Beans

N.B: Avoid Navy bean and Lima- Highly toxic in nature

Please check the items carefully and choose the available stuffs to keep your lovebirds healthy in captivity. All the best!!!

Fatty Liver Syndrome in Lovebirds

This is also called as hepatic lipidosis. This disease is a slow process occuring in your lovebird which made the liver tissue to get replaced with fat. The lovebird may suddenly fall sick as the fatty liver syndrome in lovebirds has progressed.

Female lovebirds are more prone to this disease which is due to the hormonal activities in the reproductive hen. Even young ones also being reported with this condition

CAUSES

• Too frequent feeding or Over eating
• Providing high fat content diet -all-seed diet
• Nutritious deficiencies- Choline, Methionine and Biotin
• Diabetes mellitus

SYMPTOMS of Fatty Liver Syndrome

• Overgrown beaks and claws
• Dry itchy Skin
• Change in feather coloration - Poor feather quality
• Greenish diarrhea due to biliverdin being excreted
• Distended abdomen with the appearance of overgrown liver just below the keel
• Dyspnea- Difficulty in breathing
• In terminal stages, seizures are noticed

Prevention of Fatty Liver Syndrome

• Provision of low-fat diet like fresh fruits and veggies and high quality pellets
• Supplementation with Dimethylglycine (DMG), a perfect anti-oxidant
• Administration of lactulose - to treat or prevent central nervous system signs
• Fresh gel from the Aloe vera leaves may be prepared to administer the lovebirds

Fatty liver syndrome is a dreadful condition. In other words, it is difficult to cure. That's why we have to concentrate on preventing the Fatty Liver Syndrome well in advance by the lovebirds owner.