Does your budgie have a messy back end all the time for no apparent reason, leaving you unsure about what to do? Getting budgie poop stuck to their bottom is a common problem for these birds, and it’s a pretty unpleasant side of bird ownership and taking care of a budgie.
Unfortunately, it can happen for a whole variety of reasons, and as an owner, you need to figure out what’s going on, as well as clean your bird up and help it avoid any risk of infection.
On the whole, your budgie will manage its own grooming and hygiene very well, and you will probably find that as owner, you rarely need to intervene – but if your budgie gets really messy, it may need your help getting cleaned up.
You should keep an eye out for messy tail feathers, as these could indicate a whole host of issues, and often, you will need to take action to help your bird out. Don’t leave your budgie with a very mucky rear end, as this will invite infection and could make your bird sick.
It’s crucial to investigate and get help from a professional if you can’t work out why your budgie’s poop keeps getting stuck to its bottom. Make sure you contact a vet promptly, as most birds can hide illness very well, and messy tail feathers are often an indicator that something is amiss.
Why Does Budgie Poop Get Stuck To Their Bottom?
There are many reasons that your budgie may get poop stuck to its bottom, including a diet that contains too much seed or too much fruit, or dehydration, diarrhea, stress, kidney problems, a change in diet, low quality food, or even just a young bird not quite knowing how to groom itself yet.
It is still a good idea to take your budgie to a vet to rule out any possible illnesses, even if you think your bird is just young. Don’t ever leave a bird that is getting dirty around its vent (bottom) without checking for medical issues, as sometimes these can be serious.
Often, however, a messy behind will be the result of your budgie having eaten something that does not really agree with it.
A diet that is very high in seed or fruit can cause droppings that are pasty or runny, and these may get stuck in the tail feathers and prove difficult for the bird to clean by itself. Low quality seed can also cause these problems, as can a sudden change in your bird’s diet.
If your budgie is dehydrated, it might also get poop stuck to its tail feathers, because it won’t be getting enough water to properly shape its droppings, and this may make them stickier and harder for it to clean.
Alternatively, a disease could be affecting your budgie’s digestive system, in which case, it will need to see a vet.
How To Stop Budgie Poop Getting Stuck To Their Bottom!
You can reduce the risk of your budgie getting poop stuck to its bottom by making sure that you minimize stress and feed it a proper diet of high quality seed, greens, and mixed fruits at all times.
You can reduce stress by covering three sides of the cage, playing soothing music, and keeping your budgie in a familiar environment as much as possible.
It’s a good idea to make dietary changes gradually, ensuring your budgie’s digestive system has time to adjust. Make sure it is getting a good balance of seed, fruit, berries, and vegetation, as well as plenty to drink, and its droppings should become normal again.
You may find that increasing the amount of fiber in your budgie’s diet also helps out, so add some leafy greens to its menu. This could make it easier for your bird to shape its droppings correctly and get rid of them easily.
Is It Easy To Clean Budgie Poop?
It is reasonably easy to clean up budgie poop, and if your bird’s vent area is messy, you should do this to avoid any health complications arising.
However, it’s important to do so correctly to avoid worsening the problem or irritating your budgie’s skin. You will need some warm water, cotton balls, and possibly a second pair of hands.
You should get the budgie calm, holding it with a towel to prevent flapping, and then dip a cotton ball in the water and use it to wipe the budgie’s vent area.
If the droppings are heavily caked on, you will probably have to do this quite a few times, changing the cotton balls when they get messy, to loosen the feces.
It is important to be gentle and patient so that you don’t hurt your bird. Make sure that you do not hold it too tightly, or you could inflict an injury.
Don’t add soap to the water, as even a mild soap may irritate your bird’s skin, and warm water should be sufficient for cleaning the mess.
You can stand the budgie in a bowl full of warm water if necessary to soak off stubborn mess, and afterward, pat it dry with a towel and put it in a warm room to let it dry off fully.
Do not use a hairdryer to try and dry the bird’s feathers, as the budgie is at high risk of getting overheated, and will probably be extremely stressed by the experience.
Conclusion
Budgie poop stuck to your bird’s bottom is not pleasant to deal with, and it’s something that you should pay attention to because it could be a sign that the bird needs to be taken to a vet. In many cases, it will simply be an indication that the bird is either stressed, or that its diet is not very well balanced – and both of these should be reasonably easy to correct. Your budgie won’t be able to clean up caked-on poop by itself, so make sure you give it some help if it has got a messy bottom.
