First-time pet parents have a field day every day when they see their budgies poop in the water or food bowls.
You will hear very frantic budgie owners wail about how frequently they wash the water bowls and change the placement of the water bowls to prevent their saucy little winged friends from creating a poopy mess in their water bowls.
But, you will witness that no matter how often you refresh the water or change the spot of the water bowl, your budgie always finds a way to answer Nature’s call right inside its water bowl.
So, first, you have my sympathy.
But whoever said that being a pet parent was going to be easy.
Budgies are messy birds that don’t mind a mess even in the wild.
So, what’s to make them clean freaks in captivity.
You should also know that sometimes budgies eat their poop when they lack certain nutrients.
Sounds gross and unbelievable, right?
Well, let’s look into the matter as to why your budgie might feel compelled to poop in its water and consume its feces to replenish its body.
Why Does My Bird Poop In Her Water?
Yes, it is perfectly normal for budgies to poop in their water bowl.
Even when the water bowl and food dishes are in the extreme opposite of your budgie’s favorite perch, you will still find poop in the water at one point or another.
Your bird is pooping in her water because she is either practicing coprophagia or just downright bored.
Coprophagia is the scientific term used for the condition described as the compulsive consumption of feces.
The etymology stems from Greek origins where ‘copros’ means feces and ‘phagein’ means to eat.
Coprophagia isn’t a fancy or fixation in some animals, such as parrots.
Nope, with budgies, coprophagia is a must sometimes.
It is common for wild budgies to eat their feces.
The idea is to consume the water that has been replenished with soluble vitamins that have been lost through excretion.
Such practices are regular for budgies when there is a food shortage, or the weather does not allow the bird to forage much.
Thus, to survive and provide the body with the necessary vitamins and minerals, wild budgies poop in the water and drink the water with their poop in it.
However, you should know that if your birdie is practicing coprophagia, its body lacks certain nutrients.
And, if these nutrients aren’t replenished, your beloved pet might suffer from the consequences of lack of nourishment.
So, the best action to take for your pet to discontinue is to visit an avian vet immediately.
The avian vet will prescribe specific supplements that will
How To Stop Your Bird Pooping In Their Water?
Wild birds can visit avian vets and get supplements to meet their daily nutritional needs, your winged friend as you, and as a pet parent, it is your responsibility to ensure that your beloved pet is not lacking in anything, least of all nutrition.
Now, you might wonder why coprophagia is acceptable in wild budgies but looked down upon in pet budgies.
You should know that most wild budgies have shorter lifespans than domestic budgies.
Furthermore, in recent years studies have shown that budgies living in captivity, in general, are healthier than many wild birds that fall sick often.
Coprophagia isn’t a habit that springs from a time of the plentiful.
On the contrary, wild budgies only practice coprophagy when limited food supply.
Coprophagia might replenish some of your bird’s vital nutrients, but it can, in the long run, make your feathered friend very sick.
Budgie poop isn’t on its own unsafe for budgies.
Poop left in a water bowl can easily and quickly get infected with bacteria that will cause all kinds of health problems for your beloved pet, such as diarrhea, vomiting, salmonellosis, Psittacosis, or intestinal and respiratory diseases.
Budgies are intelligent birds, so you can use budgie toys or teach your budgie new tricks.
Playing hide and seek or playing fetch or catch is another great way to keep your pet occupied constructively.
You can also provide your pet with entertainment or exercise to keep it from unwarranted mischief.
Moreover, you can use passive enrichment to keep your pet away from bad habits such as speaking to your budgie every time you pass its cage, keeping your bird’s cage close to the area that you use commonly, provide hammocks, multiple perches, and swings inside its cage to keep it busy.
Why Do Budgies Poop In Their Food?
In most cases, especially with first-time budgie parents, the food or water dish is placed too close to the perches or directly beneath the perches on which your budgie loves to sit, hence causing a mess inside the food bowl.
You see, if you rotate your bird’s feed as many pet parents are advised to do, your budgie will sometimes poop in its food to get the next meal rather than finish the one it has.
Sometimes, your budgie will poop inside of its food to make mischief.
Other times, it wants you to give it some other meal.
Unfortunately, the worst-case scenario is when your budgie poops in its food to get back nutrients inside its body.
So, if you notice other symptoms such as lethargy, loss of appetite, frequent molting, and weight loss, you should head straight for an avian vet.
Related articles you will find useful
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Wrapping Up
Budgies are sturdy birds that make fantastic pets.
If you feel that your bird looks fine, then you should spend more time keeping your pet busy and away from trouble.
But, you as a pet parent need to be extra careful about your bird’s habits and activities.
If you find your bird frequently pooping in its water or food bowl and consume the mess afterward, you should investigate the matter.