We had a bit of a tragedy here at lunch time. 
Last week i had brought a pair of cockatiels in from the aviary to breed, Lucy and Sorcha. Things were going quite well except they seemed to be pooping rather infrequently. I assumed it was stress. When Lucy's abdomen started looking swollen i assumed it was an egg. Two days ago she laid her first egg, and today she laid her second. When i got home at lunch time her abdomen looked really swollen, about the size of a ping pong ball. She was also straining to poop with nothing happening. I decided to get her out and just have a quick look, when i toweled her the slightest pressure on her sides resulted in smelly, liquid poo just gushing out. I thought if i relieved the pressure just a little she might be able to poop on her own, i was hardly using any pressure. One minute she seemed quite alright, the next she was just dead in my hand. I feel so bad. I'm grateful though that it happened so quickly, it was instant.
I don't understand how she could be passing eggs but not droppings. The only thing i can think of is that something was ruptured in her bowel. I didn't think to take her to the vet just yet because i had assumed it was stress.
Sorcha is still sitting on the two eggs, he is yet to come out of the nest box so won't realise that Lucy is gone. I feel so sad for him. I'll let him try to look after the eggs, if he doesn't manage i'll put them in with the budgies (they probably won't hatch in that case, but i'd like to try everything).
RIP Lucy, i'm so sorry.
Last week i had brought a pair of cockatiels in from the aviary to breed, Lucy and Sorcha. Things were going quite well except they seemed to be pooping rather infrequently. I assumed it was stress. When Lucy's abdomen started looking swollen i assumed it was an egg. Two days ago she laid her first egg, and today she laid her second. When i got home at lunch time her abdomen looked really swollen, about the size of a ping pong ball. She was also straining to poop with nothing happening. I decided to get her out and just have a quick look, when i toweled her the slightest pressure on her sides resulted in smelly, liquid poo just gushing out. I thought if i relieved the pressure just a little she might be able to poop on her own, i was hardly using any pressure. One minute she seemed quite alright, the next she was just dead in my hand. I feel so bad. I'm grateful though that it happened so quickly, it was instant. I don't understand how she could be passing eggs but not droppings. The only thing i can think of is that something was ruptured in her bowel. I didn't think to take her to the vet just yet because i had assumed it was stress.
Sorcha is still sitting on the two eggs, he is yet to come out of the nest box so won't realise that Lucy is gone. I feel so sad for him. I'll let him try to look after the eggs, if he doesn't manage i'll put them in with the budgies (they probably won't hatch in that case, but i'd like to try everything).
RIP Lucy, i'm so sorry.
Im so sorry 
