# Fat Female tiel



## Jynxstorm (May 15, 2010)

My mother also noticed that my female is fat is it just because she is well fed or big boned. Could she be egg bound? I haven't seen any eggs from her just yet of course since there isn't a nest in there. She does tend to pig down alot too.


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## Cockatiel love (Aug 15, 2010)

That is one anwser to that but it is not to common egg bound and fatness can be much more common so either way i would get her checked up and the vet should offer a diet food or if egg bound = surgery or antibiotics hope this helps xxx


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## Jynxstorm (May 15, 2010)

hmm I could try that. I have noticed she has been looking like that for a few days. I'll have my mom take me to get a nest box just on the safe side incase it is the eggs if nothing happens with in so many days, I'll have my mother break down and help me buy a traveling cage so her and I can go to cranberry with her since thats the only spot that has a vet closest to us that I know of.

Of course what I'll prolly do first is try the nest see if she is with eggs and if they'll come out on there own. If not, I'll buy a pet carrier and drive down with her to cranberry since I looked up one time that they have one in the store.


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## Cockatiel love (Aug 15, 2010)

I must say if the bird was desprate it would lay eggs anywhere so just keep an eye out


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## Jynxstorm (May 15, 2010)

Cockatiel love said:


> I must say if the bird was desprate it would lay eggs anywhere so just keep an eye out


That I will.... I notice she has been fat since I got her. Though, she could just be big boned. Never know and never hurts to be cautious. I'd have to get the nest tomorrow of course.


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## Cockatiel love (Aug 15, 2010)

You can got loose feathered cockatiels which feathers are loose causing them to look or seem fat so it could just be the mutation, if you could post a picture?


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## Jess (Jun 20, 2010)

I have a cockatiel that weighs 150g, she seems big boned or well built, she's built like a small senegal parrot.


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## Jynxstorm (May 15, 2010)

Cockatiel love said:


> You can got loose feathered cockatiels which feathers are loose causing them to look or seem fat so it could just be the mutation, if you could post a picture?


Sure,

the picture is attatched.

Ziva(the one on the swing that is the female tiel that I'm concerned about) 

Pumpkin's my male tiel.


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## Cockatiel love (Aug 15, 2010)

Ok that is fat! I don't think it is actual flab but it is not puffy cockatiel. Could be egg bound? Keep an eye but i must say she is a beautiful tiel


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## Jynxstorm (May 15, 2010)

Cockatiel love said:


> Ok that is fat! I don't think it is actual flab but it is not puffy cockatiel. Could be egg bound? Keep an eye but i must say she is a beautiful tiel


Belive me I am. I have a picture of her before I'll post that as well but she did look like that when I first got her too. Tomorrow I'll be going out to get Ziva a nest box of course. I told my mother if nothing happens were getting a traveling cage and take her to cranberry's petco since they are the closet place that has a vet. I can ask the one where we'd be going to get the box if they have one cause they sell birds of course. They probably do.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

DO NOT add a nestbox if you don't know what is going on. From your pix the hen appears to be a wide. broad bird compared to the male.


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## Jynxstorm (May 15, 2010)

srtiels said:


> DO NOT add a nestbox if you don't know what is going on. From your pix the hen appears to be a wide. broad bird compared to the male.


Alright, I have planned on breeding him which is why I got the female in the first place too. Course I'd only want one clutch out of them.


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## mpayjr (Aug 16, 2010)

I agree with srtiels, if you do put a nestbox on alot of factors can come into place. The fact that you don't know what is wrong can be escalated if you add in a nestbox.

My females get like that sometimes too. But the only times I've notcied it is when they are molting or preparing to lay.

My females will begin to eat more than usual when it comes to laying eggs, in return they begin to look a little better.

Also, one question, do you let them out their cage?


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

If a hen is eggbound it's a medical emergency and a nestbox wouldn't solve the problem. She'd need veterinary care or emergency home first-aid measures.

This probably isn't the problem though. If she was eggbound she wouldn't be able to poop, and if she's pooping OK she isn't eggbound. Egg binding wouldn't make her look fat in the main part of the body anyway - it would cause a bulge near her vent. 

The way to figure out if a bird's weight is appropriate is to feel the amount of "meat" near the breastbone. It's difficult for an inexperienced person to judge, but if you can't feel the breastbone at all she's definitely too fat, and if the breastbone sticks way out she's too thin. Avian vets are very experienced in this so a vet can tell you for sure whether her weight is appropriate and what to do if it isn't.

I agree with the "no nestbox" consensus. Putting in a nestbox will encourage her to lay eggs, and if she really is too fat she'll have a higher risk of becoming eggbound. You need to get her vet-checked before you try to breed her, and get her weight to an appropriate level if it isn't appropriate already.


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## Jynxstorm (May 15, 2010)

mpayjr said:


> I agree with srtiels, if you do put a nestbox on alot of factors can come into place. The fact that you don't know what is wrong can be escalated if you add in a nestbox.
> 
> My females get like that sometimes too. But the only times I've notcied it is when they are molting or preparing to lay.
> 
> ...


They do of course get out of the cage yes,


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## mpayjr (Aug 16, 2010)

Ok. I'm sorry if that sounded kind of rude. I was reading it and thought I kind of sounded harsh. That's good that you let them out.

I was just making sure because the previous owner of my first two birds, Amber and Isaac, never allowed them out of their cage and they had become FAT. hahaha, once I allowed them out to get exercise they began to look thinner. 

But, I'm not sure about your bird. She's beautiful, but (sorry to repeat everyone) your best bet is to take her to a vet.


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## tielmom (Aug 4, 2010)

She is a beauty =)

I am not sure about her weight...do you give her lots of treats? Is she active, does she get a lot of out of cage time to fly around and exercise her wings and chest? These may be things you may want to consider. How old is she? Also if you give her a nest box, you will be encouraging her to lay...if you do not want this...you may not want to do that.


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## Jynxstorm (May 15, 2010)

tielmom said:


> She is a beauty =)
> 
> I am not sure about her weight...do you give her lots of treats? Is she active, does she get a lot of out of cage time to fly around and exercise her wings and chest? These may be things you may want to consider. How old is she? Also if you give her a nest box, you will be encouraging her to lay...if you do not want this...you may not want to do that.


I do not know how old she is, AI do know that she has the dots under hwer wings which makes me belive she's about 9-12 weeks. She does like laying in her cage though, she does get to excersize of course. They don't get alot of treats right now they have the beak conditioner and cuddle bones. cause if I gave my tiels treats they pig them down.


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## tielmom (Aug 4, 2010)

Sorry when I put my post on here, I did not read the last page of posts apparently 
I did not read any of the page two posts.


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

females keep the spots. and 9-12 weeks is too young to be eggbound cuz shes not old enough to breed. ideally breeding should be at 18 months old. i would bring her to a vet to be weighed and examined. only theyd be able to tell you whats wrong. i hope you find out! hopefully shes just a naturally heavy set female and is perfectly healthy


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## Jess (Jun 20, 2010)

I just had a look at the picture, her build looks similar to my 150g bird.
She doesn't appear to eat anymore than other Cockatiels and can fly about as much as she wants so I think it's just the way she is.
Srtiels what is a wide?


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

As I was looking at websites trying to find a breeder, I noticed one line (don't remember who it was now) actually breeds their tiels to be that size, 150g or more. Guess some people like bigger birds.


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## mpayjr (Aug 16, 2010)

She is still beautiful! I actually like the way she is. She looks _well-built_. hahaha. Where did you get her? I'd love to know!


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