Weekly Bible Verse: Genesis 1:20 ….let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.”

The healthy bird:

A healthy bird should have nice smooth looking feathers (unless it is molting). The feathers should not be rumpled up, the bird should not be under weight (breast should not be too bony).  The bird should have bright clean eyes, and have no discharge coming from the cere/nose.

The sick bird:

Often sick birds will have puffed up feathers all day and not move around much in the cage or they may stay on the floor of a cage in the corner.  Sometimes a sick bird will have a discharge coming from the cere or eyes.  Often a sick bird will have no appetite.

Caring for the sick bird:

The best thing you can do for your sick bird is take it to a vet right away and do not delay!  Take your bird to a vet that is very knowledgeable about birds and treats birds on a regular basis.  At home a heat lamp will help maintain the bird’s temperature.  Make sure the bird can get away from the heat if he gets too hot otherwise the bird could die of heatstroke.  If you use a ceramic heat bulb it will not give off light so your bird can seep at night.

Photo of a Ceramic Heat Bulb in a light fixture

Make sure your bird has food and water right next to him.  If the bird is on the floor of the cage you will need to put the food and water on the floor.  You can also put some kind of electrolytes in the bird’s water.  For sick birds that will not eat you can try hand feeding him/her with a baby bird formula.  If your sick bird tries to climes often and continuously falls you may need to put the bird in a smaller cage that way he/she will not be able to clime so high and fall.  Place a perch in the small cage a few inches from the bottom, this way if the bird falls he will not get hurt. For birds that clime, cages with horizontal bars are best so the sick bird can clime to a low perch easily and feel more comfortable.  For chickens and other birds that do not clime horizontal bars are not necessary.