Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!world!rmura From: rmura@world.std.com (Ron Mura) Newsgroups: rec.birds Subject: Re: INDOOR: More questions on feeding Message-ID: Date: 9 Nov 90 01:02:58 GMT References: <962@babcock.cerc.wvu.wvnet.edu> <9003@cognos.UUCP> <273716A3.4683@intercon.com> <1990Nov7.193411.22165@cbnewsd.att.com> Sender: rmura@world.std.com (Ron Mura) Organization: The World Lines: 37 In-Reply-To: jlevy@cbnewsd.att.com's message of 7 Nov 90 19:34:11 GMT In article <1990Nov7.193411.22165@cbnewsd.att.com> jlevy@cbnewsd.att.com (janet.levy) writes: > > I have been following this discussion about feeding with great > interest. I have about 25 English budgies which I have bred. > I keep complete records on my birds, and find that after about > four years of age I tend to lose them. They sometimes get a > digestive disorder which is not bacterial (vet cannot culture > it). Many of the females seem overly fat and though the vet > says English budgies tend to this, I am coming to believe that > this is contributing to their early deaths. Some appear to > have tumors (called fatty tumors by the vet), but they may also > get internal tumors for all I know. These birds are bred very > seldom (2-3 pairs a year for only two clutches each). > I can't comment on every type of food you are giving them, but it definitely sounds like you are in the right direction. Our two budgies got very fat when they were about 3 or 4, with tumor-like deposits (not actually tumors). We had given them occasional vegetables, but they were getting mixed, commercial-type seed. The avian vet we took them to said they should be on 100% white millet, get vegetable(s) every day, and get regular exercise. The changes definitely have helped them, although the male has retained a fatty deposit. Another thing we did a year ago that seems to have helped was to introduce into their cage a budgie that was a few months old. She has kept the older two quite active! I wouldn't try this without careful observation--the older ones could mercilessly pick on the young one if it is too young, and I suppose the young one could in theory drive the older ones to exhaustion. It would also complicate things if you are trying to breed them. It has worked very well in our case, though. -- - Ron Mura, Boston, Mass. rmura@world.std.com