# weird,weird,Hunchback???ever seen before??



## Lovin_the_tiels (Jun 10, 2009)

I have had Cockatiels for 20 + years and this is a new one for me,Is it a male dominate behavior?Is there something seriously wrong with him?And now my other male in same cage is doing it,,we are calling it the hunchback syndrome,LOLOL..It may not be funny thou,but it sure is funny looking!!!But yet after we touch the bird,it disappears,as you see in the picture he is all puffed up,and looking like a hunchback,Is he trying to look bigger and better than the other male,,it is soooooo weird!!!Any ideas??LOLOL


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

It's hard to tell in the photo. Is that a shadow behind his shoulders? Or feathers raised? At a quick glance it looks like an iflated air sac...but can't be because you said if you touch him it disappears.


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## Duckie (Feb 13, 2008)

I have never seen anything like that either  Maybe, he just has puffy feathers? :blush: If and when you find out what it is, let us know


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## fluoro.black (Nov 5, 2009)

Hmmm well if it goes away when you touch him, it seems like he is controlling it. Typically when animals 'puff up' they are doing one of two things: 1. Showing off, trying to move up the 'pecking order' 2. Defense Mechanism, he could be feeling threatened, and is puffing up his feathers to make himself look bigger and more intimidating. But according to other comments, that doesn't sound like Cockatiel behavior.


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## Raven2322 (Mar 1, 2008)

God, looking at that picture is freaking me out. lol I hope everything is ok with your birds and it's not an illness or anything. I have never seen a cockatiel puff up like that,so freaky.


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## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

If he was puffing up, it wouldn't just be one part, it'd be his whole body.. they don't just puff up in one spot, not that I know of anyway.

I have never seen it before.. very interesting though.


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## Lovin_the_tiels (Jun 10, 2009)

*another Hunchback picture..*

Its has us laughing and wondering too,,Thier is 2 birds/both males in the same cage,that are doing it,,the one pied has a very thick coat of feathers around neck and he came to me this way,when we give him love he deflates this action,but still has the ''look''of being huge like the incredible hulk(no neck),LOLOL,,I laugh now,but if it is a inflated air-sac,what does that mean?a allergy?Male dominance?there is one other male in the cage,and he doesnt do this,,but Babbers,the pied,has been mounting every female around,except the female whos hubby is in attached picture i posted.
If i need to seperate them i will,Heres another pict of same bird,,Susanne,no it wasnt a shadow,it was all him!!!It is so wierd!!!The males dont fight at all.And yes,it freaks us out too looking at these 2 birds doing this,every day i walk by and talk to them,its like YIKKERS,what is the problem with you two!!


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

From this pix it does look like an inflated air sac. But, if so, he should not inflate and deflate it so easily. The inflation could happen when he is singing and if a *little* tear is in the air sac it will inflate. If you hold him while he is singing and it inflates, when you hold your hand around the hump it would feel like there is air or a balloon under the skin. If it has a small tear hentle pressure wil quickly deflate it. Also while inflated, blowing the feathers to see the skin will show if it looks balloned or the skin normal.

Ususally a tear is self healing over time. Not a health hazard. Most times are of unknown cause, or a puncture from another birds toenail, end of a millet peice or sharp object.


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## Lovin_the_tiels (Jun 10, 2009)

Thank You,I am going to assume this is what is happening to them then,the gray bird in picture is strickly a breeder and wild,so i will catch him tonight when hubby is home,i did notice that he and another male(dif from hunch)have been grooming each other and it is very possible it has happened(a small punture to air sac)this particular male very rarely sings,,he was a quiet bird from the age of 12 weeks...the millet i buy is huge and has sharp ends(that i have now cut the pieces smaller)and cut the stems off and placed in food dishes,i will eliminate every possibility of this continuing to happen,,it sure is freaky!!,,Thank You for easing my mind!!!It totally makes sense!!They are going to have these knicknames for along time in my house!!Do you think i should seperate them into thier breeder cages while it is healing?Probally a good idea!Thank You so Kindly!!


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

The membrane is very thin. When it is deflated if the edges of the tear come into contact with each other then they adhere and repair the tear.

LOL...he looks like an 'Igor'

This can hanppen too with babies in the nest. Their neck looks like it is a bolloon.


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## Lovin_the_tiels (Jun 10, 2009)

Im still laughing at my hunchbacks!!!It floored me,,not once in 20+years of tiels had i seen this,My hubby will be so relieved to know this too,,we both thought it was a male dominance thing,,Igor and hunchback,,oh my goodness,,LOLLOL,,Thanks Again!!


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Igor and Boris ...LOL


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## Lovin_the_tiels (Jun 10, 2009)

How funny,Those picts would have been good for halloween COTM,,,My name is Igor and this is my brother Boris,,and we are here to freak you out!!No these are not our costumes!!!Thank You Susanne for very good info on the airsac problem!!!!,It amazes me all the things that can go wrong with humans and birds,and all animals,yet most of them are healthy,and normal,,,I am happy thou that this ''new/rare,neverb4seen''problem has been brought out to the public so if it happens to them ,they understand what it is possibly,and they can remember for the future,,But all in all,,It still looks HILARIOUS!!!


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

They would have been PERFECT for Halloween...LOL!!!

In rare instances this can also happen to hens. But the inflation is then located lower on the back and sides and is a result of when I male mounting a hen and his toenails are too long, and have punctured an abdominal airsac.


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