Love bird eats flat out!

[61TJ]

My peach faced love birds, the male is green with the red on the head, and blue tail feathers etc. and the female is grey with a bit of peach above her beak, have had several babies. One of these babies is yellow with a few grey tail feathers, I don't know how they could have got this colour baby. The problem is that the yellow baby (Blondie), never stops eating, it is about 2-3 weeks out of the nest, and if it isn't in one of the seed bowls it is eating from the fruit and veg skewers I have around the cage. It particularly goes for the apple and corn on the cob. I wonder if there is something wrong with it, if it was worms then the other birds would be the same wouldn't they. The droppings seem to be clear like water as well. Since it is an odd colour mutation, could it be susceptible to health problems? I'm only summising all of these things, does anyone know anything about this sort of thing. <br><br>Post edited by: 61TJ, at: 2008/03/26 09:18

[Florence]

I wouldn't worry too much about it right now, 61TJ since he is still a baby. The more active he is getting he will probably eat less. It could be boredom? But on the other hand I have no experience with the odd color mutation.... Perhaps this is better to ask an avian vet who might have encountered this?

[61TJ]

Thanks I think I will:dry:

[Florence]

Will you let me know what he says? :blush:

[61TJ]

Yes Florence, I'll be talking to him tomorrow, I've wormed the birds anyway to see if that helps{Nature-00020095}

[Florence]

Great. Thank you. I would be very surprised if it was because of worms though given what you wrote about the other birds eating regular.

[61TJ]

Well I took my dog for a vaccination at the vets today and asked her while I was there, (there wasn't an avian vet), she said that as long as the bird is alert and not fluffed up or listless it is probably ok and to keep and eye on the droppings. I did worm them today however. I still am concerned because it has food all over its feathers and beak and doesn't seem to want to clean it off. If it is a case of boredom, I should probably try and get some toys although I'm not quite sure what a lovebird would want to play with that is safe, so all I can do at the moment is watch it closely.

[61TJ]

The vet did also say that birds can get diabetes, but it would more likely to be listless in that case. I am actually considering either some antibiotic in the water just in case, or perhaps vitamins in case there could be a deficiency. Poor strange little Blondie looks nothing like either parent or brothers and sisters, and never even got black on the beak like the other young ones, the beak was more bright orange.

[Florence]

61TJ, you could get her one of those mirrors with bells on it (or something like bells) - Usually lovebirds do like to touch that and in that way the food would fall off her beak. I wouldn't give her antibiotics without know there really is something wrong with her. How do the other birds react to her?

[61TJ]

Florence, I decided on the vitamins instead, the other birds don't take a lot of notice of her, although she is definitely the bottom of the pecking order, mind you she is also the youngest. I didn't put corn on the cob in the cage, or apple this time, the things she normally goes for and she didn't touch the broccoli, celery or beans, but she does give the seed a hammering. With a bit of luck the vitamins might give her something she's missing.