Why are my budgies and their babies having watery poop? What to do?

If you're only noticing the watery stools on occasion, one of my first thoughts would be diet-related. Some veggies and fruits can cause watery stools, and if you notice this happens after giving them a new treat or something to snack on, it could be related. Removing all extras for a few days and seeing if the stool improves can help determine this. If it isn't food related, additional issues such as internal parasites, stress, diet changes, GI upset, infections, etc can also be possible causes. Keeping them in a low stress area, and scheduling a veterinary visit if the loose stools continue or other signs of illness such as listless behavior, weight changes, not eating or drinking, etc appear is best.

Unfortunately, those are symptoms that need to be seen in person by a vet, because they are not possible to diagnose over the internet. If multiple of your birds are having loose stools and are housed together, I would be concerned there is something going on such as a contagious illness, parasites, nutritional issue, or unclean environment. Treating for parasites and making sure all birds have access to fresh food and water and a clean environment may help. Separating out any sick birds until they recover may also help. If the problem continues, your bird(s) worsen, or they do not improve with home treatment, then you will need to find a vet in your area that can take a look at them and determine the problem.

If you've fed Miki any treats recently or changed his diet, it's possible the watery stool could be from that. Some fruits and veggies can cause an increase in watery stools, and removing them for a few days should allow the stool to return to normal. Other issues such as parasites, illness, etc, may have prolonged watery droppings, or you may see other symptoms such as decreased eating and drinking, not being as active, etc. If removing any treats or letting Miki adjust to a new diet doesn't clear up the stool issue in a few days, or you see worsening symptoms, scheduling a vet check to rule out more serious issues is best.

Submit a sample to your veterinarian to diagnose parasites or bacterial/fungal overgrowth. Discontinue feeding fruits and vegetables until the stool is normal, then introduce one at a time slowly. Clean and sanitize the cage, bowls, toys and perches. Discard anything that cannot be sanitized. Use paper towels on the cage bottom and change them daily until his droppings are normal. Provide plenty of fresh, clean water. Keep him warm and as stress free as possible. If he develops lethargy, loss of appetite or if the droppings don't begin to firm up in the next 24 hours, have him examined by your vet or an experienced avian vet.

Budgies hide ill-health well, and a dirty vent might be your bird's only symptom. Sometimes diarrhea only lasts a day or two, but longer-lasting problems indicate a more serious condition, requiring a visit to the vet. Dangers of diarrhea include waste build-up due to clogged vents, and intestinal damage from blocked ducts. Diarrhea makes him at risk from dehydration, weakness, lack of appetite and weight loss. Extreme cases lead to fits and starvation. Checking your bird's poop when he has a dirty vent can give useful information. Normal droppings are soft, olive-green to brown and coiled or cylindrical. Poop that's very dark, very pale, liquid, lumpy, dry, sticky or bubbly mean illness and need vet attention. Green-stained vents often mean poor quality feed and usually appear within 24 hours of eating new food. Providing healthier food should make symptoms disappear. One check of feed quality is biting. Grains should split cleanly and be hard to bite. Intestinal inflammation causes most diarrhea in budgies, due to bacterial or fungal infections. Vets can test for infections and treat with antibiotics. Worms, gut changes due to abnormal growths, viruses, liver disease and problems with egg production can also cause diarrhea. Less obvious causes of upset tummies are stress from a change in environment and over-use of antibiotics, causing an imbalance in normal gut bacteria. Vets can use probiotics and prebiotics to re-introduce healthy bacteria. Sick budgies need to be kept warm to conserve energy, and clean water is important in preventing dehydration. When he's lost his appetite, tempt your bird with his favorite treats, or offer specially-designed, easily digested feeds. Some budgies love soaked millet sprays. Cold, sweet black tea provides fluids and energy from sugar, and tannin in tea coats his intestines. Intensive nursing can often help in cases without a specific cause.

All bird droppings are made up of three parts: Feces, the solid, central part which can vary in color depending on the food the bird eats. Urates, the next layer of the ring, which can be cloudy-clear or with shades of white, yellows and greens, again depending on the foods eaten. Urine is the clear liquid, usually outer layer of the ring. Depending on the amount of fruits and fluids the bird eats/drinks, this can be a significant part of the dropping. Diarrhea is often actually Polyuria. True diarrhea is when the feces part of the droppings are not well formed and liquidy. Diarrhea is usually caused by a disease. Polyuria is when there’s more than usual amounts of the urine and urates (the feces are still well formed). Polyuria may be caused by viral infections, allergies to foods or even a tumor somewhere. There are just so many possible causes that a vet visit is essential in order to catch things early.

It's possible that is the baby bird poop. Most often the parents will take care of cleaning and can do a sort of technique where they press the stool to the nest wall to keep it "cleaner". I wouldn't disturb the babies until they are actively coming out of the nest and exploring on their own, which you can then use to remove the nest and clean it safely without injury a baby.