Closure For My Budgies

I have owned my budgies for three years. They have been fed daily, given fresh water every day, and their cages were scrubbed and cleaned every week. Yesterday, I was doing some homework on my computer and I looked over at my white budgie, Snowflake, and she was bobbing back and forth and breathing heavily. I picked her up and tried to have her step up on my finger, but she couldn't even grip it with one of her claws. I held her for about 20 minutes, and she kept stretching her wings and screeching. She passed away in my hands about after 20 minutes of the wing stretching and screeching. About an hour later, my green budgie, Calypso, was breathing heavy too. I was immediately suspicious since I lost my other budgie prior to him breathing like that, so I had him step up. He could for a while, but I put him down to see what he could do and he couldn't walk. I held him in my hands and he started to close his eyes, and then he would shoot them open and start to twitch. He also started to drip blood from his rear. After about 30 minutes of that he also passed away in my hands. Needless to say, I lost both of my birdies within the span of an hour.


The only thing I can think of that could've possibly killed them is new spray millet. My mom stopped by a feed store that we have never been to before to get shavings for our horse and some hay for our guinea pig, and she also picked up some new spray millet for the birds. On September 19, they were completely fine, and they did their daily routines of playing with each other, eating, and just being happy birds. But yesterday I put that spray millet from the feed store in their treat tray, and then they both passed away mid-day. I have a hunch that is what it is, but I posted this to see if someone could maybe help me figure out what happened to my babies.


I will post links of what they looked like when they passed, because from what I can see, they look perfectly healthy and it could quite possibly just be poisoning from the millet.



I really miss my babies and I hope that if someone can help me decipher what happened to them, that if someone else's bird is sick like this that they can find some closure for their bird too.

**Mod note: Sensitive images of deceased birds**
https://imgur.com/4BR2gO3
https://imgur.com/SbSIYaf

My deepest condolences for your untimely loss of Snowflake and Calypso. I cannot imagine the pain and sorrow of losing them in such manner.

Their near simultaneous passing cannot be coincidence and may be connected with an external event. If possible and within your ability and belief system, a necropsy (autopsy) by certified avian vet may help save others. Can you think of anything else that may have caused this tragic loss? Certainly possible a tainted supply of millet is on store shelves and in presence of unsuspecting folks. At a minimum, I'd immediately notify the feed store in case they want to practice due diligence.

I'm so sorry for this double rapid loss of both your babies.
This could be from a pesticides on the millet maybe.
It also sounds a lot like an airborne toxinije Teflon on cookie baking sheet, pan, pot , air fryer or tge like. Was any cooking going on? This toxic to burds substances can aldo be on ironing boards , space heaters ect.. or toxic funes from a cleaning product? Topical flea and tick products used in other pets in the house?

Its also possible its a mold contaminated , does it hsve a powdery substance on the millet , any smell or discoloration? I'm not sure how quickly they pas from this
" WHAT IS AFLATOXIN?
By Happy Beaks -March 14, 201901621

Peanuts are a favourite treat for many a finch or tit, but unless they are harvested and stored properly they can be at risk of aflatoxin infection. You might have heard about aflatoxin if you have ever bought bird peanuts, but what exactly is it and why is it so bad for birds?

What is aflatoxin?
Aflatoxins are a poisonous carcinogen that is harmful to birds, as well as humans. The term ‘aflatoxin’ is derived from the mould which produces it, namely, aspergillus flavus. These moulds usually develop in agricultural crops such as peanuts and other grains.

The mould grows between the skin and the kernel, and will be more likely to occur in cheaper nuts which haven’t been processed correctly or stored properly. High moisture and high temperatures are more likely to encourage the moulds to grow"

I'm so sorry for your tragic loss. I also recommend having a necropsy done if you can to see if it can pinpoint what happened. It sounds like it may have been something airborne to me, and it wouldn't hurt to check and make sure you don't have a gas leak or anything like that.

My heart goes out to you, I'm so very sorry.

I'm so sorry for your loss and heartbreak

I am so very sorry for your loss. My heart goes out to you. Take solace in the fact they were both able to draw some comfort in their final moments by being in your hands.

Lunalie said:

I'm so sorry! We recently had some loses, too. 1 I don'tknow why. He was still brightly colored, active, but the next day fell to the bottom of the cage and I couldn't save him. i moved his mate with my younger ones. She's fine. I still can't figure it out.
Again! I'm so sorry!

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I am so sorry for your loss as well, that is so sad i hope you are doing alright, along with your other birdies