Indian ringneck parakeet

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Indian ringneck parakeet

by david
(bristol, england)

thanks for looking and for your help in advance.

I have a pair of indian ringneck parakeets both male and female.

the female is approx 4-5 years old, going back about 2 years ago she was nesting, looking after eggs (all survived) however due to her being in the box alot of time i was unable to see her.
when she started coming out the box more and more i noticed she had lost half the bottom of her beak. a complete side missing.

she is eating well and on foods such as cockateal/parakeet/parrot mix with fresh veg, the beak has never seemed to have caused her a problem, why would this have happened? the male is not aggressive towards her.

is it fair for her to put up with this? also she is nesting again, fresh paper everyday and no box, if she was to have chicks would she be able to actually feed them?

hope all that made sense

Comments for
Indian ringneck parakeet

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Mar 21, 2011

Indian ringneck beak
by: The Avian Vet

This beak issue is not normal. I do not know what caused it, maybe an injury from the mate, maybe aggressively feeding chicks on a beak that is nutritionally deficient. You should have her examined by an avian veterinarian.

You also need to be feeding a diet that is 80% pellets and only 20% treats to be sure that they are nutritionally complete and balanced.

Dr B
Switching Birds to Pellets article

Mar 19, 2011

Indian ringneck parakeet
by: Linda

What you wrote makes sense. What does not is WHY you are breeding these birds so much? Birds can only be bred no more than twice a year, and have to be examined before those breedings to make sure they are healthy. Either the male attacked your hen or you have overbred her to the point where she is losing vital nutrients and her beak is crumbling.

You MUST take this bird to an Avian Vet in your driving area and make sure whichever one you choose comes with references you can check out before appointment. If you know of a reputable breeder anywhere in close proximity, they can give you name of a reputable Avian Vet. Avian vets are not all alike and some are not even qualified to cut a bird's nails much less diagnose and treat so be careful.

This trip to avian vet is not optional nor is only breeding twice a year. Your birds also need to be on a high quality pelleted diet like Harrisons, sold here because what you are feeding is not enough to keep the hen from literally eating herself from the inside out. It takes a lot of vitamins, minerals and high quality proteins to make and lay eggs and then feed the babies. Until she has been thoroughly examined by a qualified avian vet, do not put the nest box back in. If she lays in bottom of cage, you will have to gently wash eggs off with an antibacterial bird safe cleaner to keep them from developing salmonella on the outside and killing your birds.

So, take this hen to a vet before doing anything else. Here is a link on how to go about changing over from seeds to high quality pellets written by a reputable and highly regarded Avian Vet:

Switching Birds to Pellets article

Changing the diet takes time, so do not be in a hurry for that or to breed these birds again. Separate them into two cages to stop the breeding until the hen is either well or is being treated.

Linda

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