regurgititation?

[chick101]

I posted this on the cockatiel thread last night...I think it's more appropriate here, so here goes...

Hi there. We wrote a while ago about a bird not having a crest, but now we have another question...

We are still visiting the baby (hatched 12/9), waiting for him (?) to be weaned...believe it or not he is getting a tiny little crest--looks a bit like alfalfa! My dtr and I have fallen in love with this bird--he's pretty ugly, but just as sweet as can be.

Today while he was snuggling on my dtr's shoulder, he started looking like he was stretching his neck and trying to gag...we were told it's because he likes her and wants to regurgitate to feed her. I questioned that because of his age and because he's not weaned yet, but didn't get much of an answer...What do you think? We will be totally devastated if there's something wrong with this baby.

We know he came from an established nearby breeder--this shop only deals with 2 breeders. We have dealt with this non-chain shop and really do trust them. He was hatched on 12/9 and, as we found out today, was the only one in his clutch.

Have you ever seen this behavior? He is pretty animated and does the head bob, snuggle, etc. We just hadn't seen this before today...

Any info you can give is appreciated!


p.s. I'm now in a panic...I looked at one of the cockatiel sites and it said that regurgitation can be a symptom of a virus that will kill the bird...

[HareTrinity]

I mean, if it's blatantly flirty behaviour (including flirty I-love-you chirping and a slightly cocked head), I'd say you have nothing to worry about...

If it's out of nowhere and by itself, though... Yeah; might want to see a vet about that. And I'm pretty sure you're right that it's a bit early for adolescence...

That he's still active and playful is a good sign, though. Double check what you're feeding him is recommended for his age, too...

Hope it all turns out fine.

[chick101]

Thanks for the info...I called this a.m. and he was doing fine and eating seed. We'll keep our fingers crossed and will be able to see him tomorrow...

My daughter lost her beloved parakeet in a horrible way, so I don't want to put her through another tragedy at this point!

Thanks again...I'll let you know what happens.

[Majj]

Make sure you have him fully vet checked before taking him home ....Good Luck , I hope it was just a behavioral thing or a itchy neck ....sorry I can`t really help as I have no clue as to what it could have been , is it continueing or was it just a one of action..???

[chick101]

We just saw him doing it a couple of times when he was on my dtr's shoulder. He is very affectionate & nuzzles her chin, etc. as well. We didn't see him do it after he went back into his cage or when I held him.

I don't know how we could have him checked before we take him home...he is "guaranteed" though--not that it wouldn't be devastating if something was wrong with him. I only know of 2 vets that see birds in our area--I haven't been very impressed with either one actually...

Thanks for the help! It's nice to know you guys are here...

[MiniMacMum]

Its sounds like your baby was yawning. Yes, sounds weird but they do yawn. I picked this off a site for you to read:

FOREIGN MATERIAL in the throat such as dust or food will produce a yawn-like action. Any inflammation of the area, including infections, might prompt this open-beak action, too. However, birds also yawn, just like we do. In fact, you can induce a yawn by gently massaging a bird's ears and stimulating the eustachian tubes (the connection from the middle ear to the throat).

If your bird rarely yawns and appears normal in all other respects, you probably need not be concerned. However, if he is yawning frequently, with or without other symptoms, it's time to take him to your avian veterinarian for an examination.

[Monica]

Just another thought, some birds yawn to get food moved around in their crops...

[chick101]

We visited him today, and he still seems like he's doing well. I guess I was overreacting...a mom just worries, you know?

Thanks for the help!