Urgent Orange feathers on parakeets?

[MaddyM]

So I had three parakeets. Two are american budgies and one is an English budgie. About a month ago I put all three into a semi-outdoor aviary. Sadly, one of the american budgies named Pudgie passed away. Right before she died I noticed that she had gotten some orange feathers on her head and her tail. Now, only a week later I saw that my other two have the same problem. I brought them inside.

P.s I had put a orange mineral block in their aviary that stained my hand the same shade of orange, but I saw no bite marks on it. Some one please help me because I have no idea what is going on with them.

 

[Donna turner]

What kinds of minerals are in the block. If it has salt in it the bird might have been licking it and gotten too much. Had a horse that chewed a mineral block till he totally wore off his upper and lower front teeth before I saw what was happening. Don't like mineral blocks for horses anymore. I'm so sorry about your budgie.

 

[iamwhoiam]

So sorry about the loss of Pudgie.
Have no idea about the orange feathers. Can you post some photos of the other birds? They may have gotten the orange coloration from the mineral block on them.

 

[camelotshadow]

The orange is likely dye from the block. They sat on the block or rubbed there head on it.
Surprised there feet did not get orange too. Still a regular white block might be best. They are supposed to be ground up shell/ calcium... could be a high salt content too...

Doubt the orange had anything to do with death unless its a really toxic dye from china or something?

 

[expressmailtome]

If the mineral block became wet, anything that touched it would be stained orange.

 

[MaddyM]

Here is a picture

 

[karen256]

I think it's just a stain from the mineral block. It's probably getting wet from rain and dissolving a little.