An Umbie question

[birdie]

For those that have gotten their Umbies at a young age, under 1 year, and they are now over 4 years of age.

I have mostly seemed to struggle to keep weight on Stella for the past 4 years, she would gain slowly and drop weight quick if momma wasn’t home at supper time.
Slowly her weight has been going up over the last few months and is now at 580g this morning :yeah: I’m happy with her at 550g but 580g I never thought. Her keel has a good feel to it, not thin or too fatty.

My question is, did you notice when your Umbie got to be about 4 yrs of age, did their weight increase a noticeable amount?

[Larry, Baby and Me]

Hey Brenda,

Baby started to put on weight when she was a little over 4 years old. Her "normal" weight was 540. Then at around 4 years old, she went up to 570. She has stayed at around 610 for the last couple years.

Her weight for the last week jumped to 650... that is what triggered me to believe that an egg was in the forecast... and it was.

I would not worry about Stella's weight. She will add weight as she gets older -- and maybe not.

We can never go by what other Umbies weigh. Some naturally weigh more than others.

Linus is a huge Umbie. I forget what Patty said he weighs, but he is on the large size. Baby is of the large Umbie species as well. So we could not use either weights to compare to Stella.

The main thing to watch out for is sudden weight loss (10%) or sudden weight gains. If Stella is behaving properly, happy, and active... then you have a healthy bird.

It is better for an Umbie to be on the underweight side than on the overweight side. Umbies are known to develop fatty tumors from being overweight.

And we can never go by averages printed in some books... just like we can never go by averages for humans printed in some books... every bird is different just as every human is different.

I hope this helps.

Lar

[Larry, Baby and Me]

Hmmm... reading your post over again... I would be on the lookout for an egg. If she doesn't lay one within the week, I would get her to the vet to see if she has one in the hopper and can't pass it.

Lar

[birdie]

After Baby's 1st surprise I really pay attention to the differnces in Stella's weight. It wasn't a sudden gain over a week, she's been steadily climbing. 3 months ago she weighed 552, 2 months ago she weighed 562, it has taken 7 weeks to go from 562 to the 580g she was at this morning.
I'm not thinking egg, just an increase with getting older.

Lar~ do I need to be thinking egg?

[Diane, Clouds assignment]

. . . I'm not thinking egg, just an increase with getting older.

My weight has been gradually increasing over the last 20 years . . . . Lar~ do I need to be thinking egg?

[Larry, Baby and Me]

What was her weight last week?

Lar

[Larry, Baby and Me]

My weight has been gradually increasing over the last 20 years . . . . Lar~ do I need to be thinking egg?

Hahaha... Diane, I think you had better get checked out for egg binding.

:rofl::rofl::rofl::hihihi::hihihi:

[birdie]

My weight has been gradually increasing over the last 20 years . . . . Lar~ do I need to be thinking egg?

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

[birdie]

What was her weight last week?

Lar


last monday it was 570

[birdie]

just for the record... Stella always gets weighed same time... before food after poops so it is only bird weight.

[Larry, Baby and Me]

After Baby's 1st surprise I really pay attention to the differnces in Stella's weight. It wasn't a sudden gain over a week, she's been steadily climbing. 3 months ago she weighed 552, 2 months ago she weighed 562, it has taken 7 weeks to go from 562 to the 580g she was at this morning.
I'm not thinking egg, just an increase with getting older.

Lar~ do I need to be thinking egg?

I checked Baby's weight records...

05/13/2007 = 552
07/08/2007 = 568
09/01/2007 = 573
12/08/2007 = 599

Those are the highlights. I generally weigh her at least once every two weeks. The scale shows a steady weight increase over a 6 month period. She was hatched 08/29/2003 which made her 4 years old at the time of the weights I gave here.

Over the following year she went up to an average weight of 610.

So -- it looks like Stella might be doing the same thing as Baby did at four years old.

I thought Stella was the same age as Baby??? 6-1/2 years old???

Lar

[birdie]

Stella was hatched 8/4/2005, about 2 yrs younger.
looks like she might be doing the same thing, and that is what I was hoping to find. She seems to be learning to try more things and with that, her weight has been increasing.
Sshh she has been eating lentils and more rice also pasta again and is trying carrots.
I sure hope Cassie will do the same soon, she needs to gain about 10g

[Patty, Linus and Co.]

I can't really add anything to this thread since Linus is at least 18 now, has no eggs in his future, and he has had a considerable weight drop since we got to Orlando.
Lar, Linus usually weighs in around 725, but is much lighter now - around 645. He has lost slightly more than 10% of his body weight, which normally would have me running to the vet. He is active and vocal, poops look good, keel isn't protruding etc and the weight drop has stopped for a few weeks now. I'm watching VERY closely and trying to get a little weight on him.

[birdie]

I would say an upset in his world and if it's steady now should be ok. How are the rest of the fids weights?

[Patty, Linus and Co.]

That's what I'm thinking too. But with his history I am still careful and watchful. Everyone else did okay with the move, except Tinky, who lost a bit but is gaining it back.
Two of the three parakeets I was to take care of got sick with a bacterial infection in early October. One died in November after I arrived. The other has just started to show some real signs of improvement in the last 10 days or so and is still on medication. I need to get some weight on this guy too. Given this fact, I am being really careful with my own birds, who are kept separate from the two remaining parakeets.