Is my bird overweight?

[Flipgirl24]

I have an almost 8 month old, cobalt blue, male parrotlet. I weighed him last week and he was 30 grams. He gets 1 Tbsp of mash (grains, beans, and veggies), 1 tsp seed, some dried veggies, and 1 tsp Tops pellets. He gets fresh greens at night and a bit of fruit twice a week in the am. And a bit of boiled or scrambled egg once a week. He gets lots of exercise. Is 30 grams too heavy? Here he is. He looks wide because of the way he is standing.

Thank you in advance for your help.

 

[HeatherG]

Well, I don’t see bird cleavage, so that’s a good sign.

 

[Flipgirl24]

Well, I don’t see bird cleavage, so that’s a good sign.

What is bird cleavage?

 

[Owlet]

Bird cleavage is when there is a visible indent going down the breast. This is because when birds are typically overweight the flesh on either side of their keel bone bulges out causing "cleavage"

Best way to tell if your bird is overweight is to feel their keel bone, heres a little graphic:

 

[wrench13]

any time you look up what the average weight of a given species is you must keep in mind there are outliers in both directions. some individuals are heavier or lighter then the average. Keep track of your parrots weight by using a inexpensive kitchen scale what weigh in grams, and check it a few times a week. One of the surest methods of getting a early warning if your parrot is ill is his weight. Weight loss cant be hidden, while symptoms can be hidden. His weight should be stable +/- 3% for a parrotlet, they are so tiny.

 

[HeatherG]

I think the best way to tell is by feeling along the breastbone. If it’s super-sharp, your bird is probably too thin. If it’s hard to find of if your bird actually has cleavage, your bird is probably too heavy.

 

[HeatherG]

Bird cleavage is when there is a visible indent going down the breast. This is because when birds are typically overweight the flesh on either side of their keel bone bulges out causing "cleavage"

Best way to tell if your bird is overweight is to feel their keel bone, heres a little graphic:

That bottom graphic (bird cleavage) should be labeled “overweight”. Not meaning to be picky but trying to avoid confusion.

 

[Flipgirl24]

Bird cleavage is when there is a visible indent going down the breast. This is because when birds are typically overweight the flesh on either side of their keel bone bulges out causing "cleavage"

Best way to tell if your bird is overweight is to feel their keel bone, heres a little graphic:

Thank you very much! This helps a lot!

 

[Flipgirl24]

any time you look up what the average weight of a given species is you must keep in mind there are outliers in both directions. some individuals are heavier or lighter then the average. Keep track of your parrots weight by using a inexpensive kitchen scale what weigh in grams, and check it a few times a week. One of the surest methods of getting a early warning if your parrot is ill is his weight. Weight loss cant be hidden, while symptoms can be hidden. His weight should be stable +/- 3% for a parrotlet, they are so tiny.

Excellent idea! Thank you so much.

 

[Flipgirl24]

I think the best way to tell is by feeling along the breastbone. If it’s super-sharp, your bird is probably too thin. If it’s hard to find of if your bird actually has cleavage, your bird is probably too heavy.

Thank you! I'll definitely check his breastbone.