Smaller than average Alexandrine?

[hmvick09]

Hi everyone!

I have an Alexandrine that is a little over 1 year old. I'm not sure the sex yet...due to the fact that there is no indication of a ring yet. I think it is female so I'm going to refer to her as a she. So anyway, I noticed that she was smaller than some of the much younger Alexandrines that I saw in the petstore, but she has always had a great appetite, active and vocal. Well, a few weeks after seeing the other Alex's in the store, I noticed that she was acting a little strange...inactive, barely touching her food, and sleeping a TON! I realized that she was very sick when she started falling asleep on my hand. I rushed her to the vet and she was diagnosed with an extreme case of Clostridium bacteria, in which the vet believes that she had all along but at a low level. Something else triggered a drop in her immune system and then the Clostridium took over! After 3 overnight stays at the vet, tube feedings, incubation, and antibiotics she is feeling a million times better and is back to her normal self I guess my question after this novel is....is she going to get bigger or is this what she is gonna be. Her last weight was 178 g. which is small for an Alex. I'm wondering if she wasn't able to grow the way she was supposed to because of the bacteria and now she will take off?? Her appetite is wonderful, she seems happy and even said her first words "Pretty girl". Before she was just making noises. I'm hopeful that she will grow some more because I want her to be healthy. Thank you for reading!!

 

[Dinosrawr]

I know a member here had a very, very small cockatiel that eventually grew a bit in size after being treated with antibiotics (re: http://www.parrotforums.com/budgies-parakeets-cockatiels/42389-little-tiny-growing.html). I would assume that when given proper nutrients and no longer warding off bacterial infection that the bird would be able to dedicate those nutrients to growing to its appropriate size.

You'll have to update us as time goes on. I'm glad that the infection was caught before it was too late and that she could be treated

 

[hmvick09]

That is so great to know!!! I appreciate your kind words

 

[Allee]

I'm so glad you caught the infection and your Alex is healthy again. I hope you see a positive growth spurt very soon.

 

[GW.Joe]

So glad you caught the infection in time !!

Welcome to Parrot Forums!!

Make sure you keep us updated on you baby

BTW: We all LOVE pictures !!

 

[Betrisher]

Poor little baby! I wouldn't worry about her ultimate size. My pair of Alexes have always been a bit on the small side to my eye, but they've recently had a bit of a growth spurt, so I have no idea how big or small they'll be. Umar (one of our members) has positively enormous Nepalese Alexes and I'm sure mine are much smaller than that.

But y'know what? It doesn't matter. Barney and Madge are hilarious. They're unique and fit into our family in such a special way, I wouldn't want them any different than they are right now. You just love your baby and teach her the things that matter to you. You'll find she snuggles into a place in your heart and stays there!

Of course, I understand we all want to know our birds are 'as good as' the breed standard, but in the end it's the companionship that really forms the bond. Don't worry about it.

Why don't you check with your vet or breeder to find out what you should expect in terms of weight and/or length? A breeder is probably more likely to know those sorts of details than a vet would.

Whatever happens, do post some photos. I never get sick of looking at Alexandrines!

 

[khaiqha]

My Alex initially only weighed 210g, and then after a year he finally hit a growth spurt and is now...220. He's still small for an Alex, but you only notice that when you see other birds his size, like derbyans. He still dwarfs cockatiels and most conures.

 

[MonicaMc]

There are different subspecies of alexandrines, so they'll vary in weight and size. Many of the birds within captivity may be hybrids between the subspecies, so any weight size may be expected from the low end to the high end of the species.

Alexandrine Parakeet (Psittacula eupatria) | Parrot Encyclopedia
Lexicon of Parrots
Alexandrine parakeet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia