Watery poo

[usamma]

I have a breeding pair of budgies that is feeding 7 chicks right now. They have been naturally consuming a LOT of water and seeds, especially since we live in the desert and our house is a little warm (84 degrees). Well, I can't tell whose poo this is (maybe both of theirs) but it's very watery. I have taken some pictures if you don't mind looking. I am not sure if this is normal because of the huge amt of water they are taking in, or if they are sick. They seem to be acting just fine otherwise. Also I had to move their cage yesterday and I'm wondering if they are just showing the stress. One more thing, the male is discouraging the female from feeding the babies, probably because he wants her to get back into breeding mood. She is spending more and more time outside the box.

In these photos there are several poos in the pile like they had been sitting there awhile. The single poos had a dime-sized circle of water around them.

[perrinda]

Hi: I am a large parrot breeder in Ohio and have a whole lot of experience with analyzing bird droppings. You are exactly correct in doing this because this is sometimes the first and only place you may pick up that there is something wrong with your bird. What I see in the photo that you provided is totally healthy. The important aspect I see is that the solid (fecal) portion of your bird's droppings are nicely formed. This is what you want to see. Remember that hen's spend a significant time in their box caring for their babies. Because of this they will hold themselves much longer than normal and their droppings will be much larger and wetter than normal. I would be more concerned if the droppings were less wet because that would mean that your bird was not drinking enough water. It is very common for your hen to come down with a bacterial infection during egg laying, brooding and chick care. This is why it is important to watch for signs of distress....Deb

[usamma]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate your detailed answer. Like I said, they are still behaving normally and seem healthy, but I know that watery poo can be a sign of illness. Thanks. :)