With the keeping of any bird you will from time to time come across problems with the health of your birds, So with that in mind I have listed a few of the most common problems you will face and the remedy for it.

I must stress if you are in any doubt about your stock you must seek professional advise from your vet as soon as you can as some diseases can progress very quickly in birds

Viral infections in budgerigars include E. Coli and Salmonellosis These are both serious infection and the symptoms include diarrhoea and drowsiness.

They can be treated with Bioserine or Aureomycin from your local pet store or vet.

The symptoms of this disease are the scaling or powder around the beak of the bird this can be treated with a commercially acquired product from your local pet store or vet but I have found that a good household disinfectant like Dettol applied to the area of infection then left for a day or so and repeat the treatment and that should be adequate to relieve the problem.

Red Mite are small insects that live in the cracks of your aviary or breeding cages.

They feed on the blood of your birds at night causing the birds to look anaemic and lethargic.

Treatment for this is very easy either by a commercially bought spray for your bird room or before the breeding season all the nest boxes and breeding cages should be dusted with a poultry powder or sprayed with a good household insecticide.

This problem is very serious the hen when affected will look swollen at the back passage and if she is not treated immediately could very well die.

This can occur in either very young hens or birds that are coming to the end of there breeding lives ( Around three years old if two - three sitting per year ) or in very cold weather. The egg becomes lodged before it can be laid and it must be removed at all costs. With the older hens they will tend to stay in the nest box with a swollen abdomen which gets larger and larger to solve this just release the hen into the flight and the exercise should allow the egg to be passed. With the younger birds they will usually be found in the nest box or on the floor of the breeding cage with a swollen abdomen and possibly dilated pupils and distended feathers with these hens and the older hens that exercise does not help they must be placed into a heated cage and a few drops of olive oil placed on the beak and rear vent areas. If this does nothing after a few hours then you must massage the abdomen until some of the egg is showing then puncture the egg with a pin to allow the fluid inside to drain from the egg the collapsed egg should then be passed by the hen.

Please remember once you have had this problem with an older bird retire her to the flight as she is reaching the end of her breading life.