Lisa Shea Forums Parakeets Health and Medical Issues BIRDS WEIGHT

Just wondering how many of you out there may own a digital scale to weigh your birds an if you do how often do you weigh...ive only just recently picked up a digital kichen scale which also shows grams,ounces,pounds to a limited amt of each..

i recommend anyone with a scale to check the accuracy of their scales using this as a guideline however,,,not all coins are equal in thickness of the same denomination so try a few different ones to see which one is closet to these from this chart.

I used the quarter but had to go thru a few before i found one that came to what is found in this chart

www.funtrivia.com/askft/Question28369.html

id like to get a comparison of our birds weights thru out the forum...if you dont have a scale what was the last known weight and at what age of your bird maybe taken during a wellness check

im inclined to believe thru generations of breeding and better care and food our birds are not all the once very small keets etc they were of say 20 yrs ago...and the weight charts out there now do not reflect the changes in our keets/birds....in fact according to these charts some of the weights of our own birds would tend to lead us to believe they are overweight...then start to reduce their weight ...while others if striving to get to the lower end of these suggestions would probably have a dead bird before reaching that level UNLESS the genetic make up of that bird needed to be that low..in saying that i will also add ...i doubt seriously there are many keets out there today at a gram weight of 25grams

www.avianweb.com/AverageBirdWeights.htm

BE ADVISED THO...it should also be known as little as a 10% drop in their existing weights may likely cause some serious weakness. on the other hand a bird too heavy can also cause some serious health issues...

if your trying to help a bird to lose weight keep that in mind and monitor the birds progress and over all activity levels VERY closely for any showing of lethargy or disinterest in a good activity level....make all changes very very slowly

like people not all birds even of same species are genetically the same...some may easily carry lower weights while others need a higher weight.

Cappy weighs 42grams and if he lost say 10% of that, a weight of 4.00 grams loss approx, i believe he would show serious issues and i surely dont believe he could carry only 35grams.

im thinking the AVERAGE would be about 35grams for a keet but thats only my guideline as mentioned a AVERAGE...being based again on genetics....along with diet.

The last time I weighed JJ was quite a few months back already.....maybe end of last year? Anyway, I have weighed him a few times ever since I got him and his weight has been steady....32 grams. Recently I could feel his weight when he is perching on my finger, guess he must have gained some weight when turning into his adulthood. OK, I'll try to get him on the scale this week and let you know his 'score'.

thx bebee but judging by perching on your finger is not a good way remember we are dealing with only grams here in weight which would not seem to be felt in that way...he may have also gained a bit bebee after his recovery around that time from heavy metal poisoning

some pictures also of our birds AFTER weighing in here from head to tail standing normally and sideways would help for visual comparisons possibly and remembering to not have the bird too far off in the distance in the photo

i think this could make for some nice forum research into this with our birds as participants.

altho not the best picture as its a bit fuzzy, i had to reach inside his cage to get the picture, this one shows Cappy in a direct side view and standing relaxed, not squatting on the perch nor standing stretched fully erect either.



and this shows how wide he is from the back, both pictures give a good indication of how long he is carrying full flight and tails feathers, he is not fluffed either, that can really throw off the perspective...he would show actually wider had his wings not been crossed at the tips



and this is a 42gram adult male parakeet of two years old a couple weeks ago,, but not to mislead these were taking when he was about 18mos old, but carrying same weight then as now i believe.

Hope I could get a good shot of him as he seldom stays still.

I don't have a scale so I don't have a recent weight of either of mine.
That being said-Levi weighed in at 33grams at the vets when he was 3 mos old. Oct '08
Ziggy has never been weighed.

I do keep a visual eye on them..if they look to be getting too plump I cut back on the more fattening stuff and bring out the treadmill LOL..if looking thin...well you get the picture.

That is yet another good thing about making own mix. It's easily adjustable for weight issues or other health reasons.

Good idea for a thread btw

to be a effective and productive thread, lets try to keep this thread as a... RESEARCH THREAD....an not a idle chit chat thread for future readers who may not want to go thru tons of pages of regular chit chat please...and want only specific info not idle conversation or comments...

i know bebee and connor and MnM and myself have scales but i dont know who else does and its a good way for this forum to have its own little research type of thing we can get involved with so folks can see different birds with pictures(for those with cams) and their weights for refrencing and comparison checks... especially if.. all photos are of the same criteria...thanks folks....

a good... full side shot of a bird at normal stance (not fluffed or leaning forward or squatting/resting its body on a perch) and a backview would be great... for those being able to take pictures and remember try not to have the bird in a shot that is in the distance as that will throw off comparisons.

so if you have scales or at minimum, a wellness check weight for your bird/birds please let us know and... include the age of the bird,(baby or adult) species and sex of it at that time.(no guessed weights) and will need weights at the time of weighing to go with pictures, not just the pictures...

or if you only have wellness check weights and remember the age at that time thats fine too, and if your lucky enough to also have a picture of your bird that fits the criteria too for that time frame, thats ok too.. but not just pictures as this will not serve as a comparison of weight to bird... and bird to bird.

I dont believe this has ever been done in this forum and it would be a great informational thread...so again please, research information only sticking to the topic...it will be really great to be... the first ones personally involved in conducting our own little research..(with no guessed weights)...kindly appreciated..and thanks

and remember to check the accuracy of your scales first by doing a accuracy check using the link in the first post above to do that. i dont believe the present charts (shown in link with first post) apply, on the average, with todays birds as they have evolved thru better breeding and food.

This sounds like a vey interesting and worthwhile project

Ok here is my two birdies.

Bare in mind these pics were taken at bedtime so little boys had full bellies and were a bit sleepy hence looking a bit more fluffed up than normal.

Pheonix weights 39.8 Grams

Side view:


Back View:


And Marley weighing in at 41.3 grams


And Back view:

Here is Bebe and he weighs 33 grams as of 10/12/11 he is a male 2 year old parakeet

Back


Side


This is Reggie, he is also a 2 year old budgie who weighs 31 grams as of 10/12/11 also a male

Back


Side



Sorry illusive that it took me sooo long it's just so hard to get a good shot of these guys and they wont sit still!

Ok I need to add some info

Phoenix is approx 7 weeks old. Still a baby and I believe he is an American Budgie. Now I think he is male but he is a bit young to tell correctly. He likes to bite *laughs so he may end up a She yet!

Marley is approx 6-7 weeks. He is what we believe to be an English Budgie which range between 40-60grams at maturity and English Budgies are about one (budgie-)head taller than the wild ancestors, and the american budgie, and have shorter life spans. So i have a little porker on my hands lol. Feathering of an English Budgie varies also.