re-is my parakeet sick or not?

Question
QUESTION: hello,
i got my budgie 2 days ago and i havent seen him eat or drink . i see him poop so he must be eating but, however
the poop sticks to his butt, and his cere i pale white with a very little dash of pink. also, he is very skinny. he bites to witch is understandable because i would be
scared too if i was ripped away from the people i loved
but is my parakeet sick or not?
schyler

ANSWER: If he's not eating or drinking at all, he's very sick and you should get him to a vet.  They can put an IV in him to get fluids and nutrients into him.  Find an avian vet if possible, but a general vet will do if you have to.  He may actually be eating or drinking a little (he's obviously eating a little or he wouldn't be pooping as you noted in your other question) just not when and where you can see him.  Try partially covering the cage so that he thinks that you can't see him.  Budgies are actually very intelligent, but if they can't see you, in their mindset, you're not there.

How often does he poop?  I know you probably aren't sitting there with a stop watch, waiting to see when he poops, but when they're sick or stressed, they tend to poop pretty frequently.  They normally poop every 5-20 minutes, but can poop every minute if they're stressed!  What color is the poop?  White and green is normal, if it's all green that means that it's diet has a lot of one thing (millet, seed, fruit), dark is normal as long as it's not too runny, because that could signal internal bleeding or other illness.  If it's sticking to his feathers, that could mean that he's sick, or this could all be due to the stress.  It's best to call a vet and ask them for a professional opinion.

You may want to set up a hospital cage for him.  It's best to use a small cage so that transportation to a vet's office if necessary is easier for you and the bird.  Keep the cage warm, humid, and dark.  He will need some rest.  Supply him with fresh food and water.  This is a good idea to do for sick birds or ones that you just bring home so that they don't get too stressed.  You may also want to keep some perches pretty low so that if he becomes weak or falls off, he won't fall far enough to get seriously hurt.

I can understand why he's scared too.  He's separated from other birds he knew, adjusting to a new home, and may be sick.  Just talk to him enough that he gets comfortable with you and feels safe and loved, but not so much that he is too distracted or scared to eat or drink.

Let me know how he's doing after you get this!

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hello again,
i just have a few more questions that need to be answerd
if thats ok with you.my bird really doesent akt sick but when he trys to fly he doesent land sweetly. he lands on his face. how are babie parekeets sopposed to look? because my babie, i got and he ALWAYS has ruffled feathers and his cere is purple. and his curp is like a bell  hes  got kinda black splotches on his back. about the poop problem he poops more normally than not  but
sometimes is will come out especally watery with a little little dabb of solidthis really scares me!!!!
i love his soo soo soo mutch
and if i were to make a (hospital cage) would i put another bird with him? would i put a humidifier by the
cage? give me all the detalis because i wouldent know
thanx schyler

Answer
If he's not really acting sick, it's probably due to stress.  As you said, moving away from friends is scary.  He may also be thin, but with proper diet you can fatten him up.

Does he have his wings clipped?  Many pet stores do this routinely.  Because their flight feathers are short, they can't land very softly and will often faceplant.  Because they can't fly fast enough to build up enough to really land very hard, it won't hurt him.

Baby parakeets will usually have proportionally large heads, with big dark eyes.  As they get older, they get light-colored irises around their dark pupils.  You may also notice that he has dark lines on the back of his head.  These lines fade with age, but don't always go away.  If he's puffed up, he may be sick, or may just be happy.  Black patterns on the back or wings is also very common and perfectly normal.  Since budgies don't act sick unless they're really really sick, it's sometimes hard to tell.  Its cere is purple?  That usually means that it's a female.  If your bird is under six months old though, hormonal changes are so frequent that the color will change.  Once it's six months old, you should be able to tell for sure.  What to you mean by his "curp is like a bell"?

Watery poop is rarely a good sign, and you should really get him seen by a vet.

You should wait at least 30 days before putting budgies together.  Especially if you believe that your bird might be sick.  Hospital cages are designed to be safe, quiet, and private so that the bird can rest and avoid infecting other birds.

A humidifier is always a good idea.  They can prevent many respiratory problems such as sinus infections.  They come from a warm, moist climate, so it's good for them and makes them very comfortable.  The humidity should be around 60%.