Rainbow

I am very sorry for your loss...it is always so difficult when they go.

I understand, it is a difficult decision. I have a hen that also had a growth on her wing which I did have surgically removed because it was growing quickly and she began to pick at it and make it bleed. She is much younger than your bird, but she has liver/kidney problems and internal cysts (inoperable) as well so there was a good chance she might not have made it through either. Thankfully she did, and so far the tumor has not reappeared. I did not have it biopsied, so do not know if it was cancerous or benign. My thoughts are with you and Marble.

Since my birds are indoors and I am in a climate that is not always hospitable to taking birds out of doors, they do not have regular access to natural sunlight. (I do not have a yard.) Lack of D3 is the main reason my birds get a small amount of Harrison's pellets, they have D3 in them which makes up for the many months when it is too cold and snowy to sit with the birds outside for real sun, if there were any sun to be had then, that is.....

The blue looks normal on my monitor, Jodie.

Is the purple tone concentrated more towards the top of the cere and is bluer towards the beak?

Are you sure 'he' is not a 'she'? In a normal green, the cere should be very blue by almost a year of age, I think when much younger you would be able to tell. What color(s) are the cere in this bird?

When my budgies eat the soaked rice, they "hull" the outer coating and eat the inside as if it were a seed. They take little bites of it at a time. They do not like it cooked, maybe because there is really nothing to hull that way?

It does not have to be cooked, but if you are not cooking it should be soaked for 8-12 hours before giving to your birds. Give long grain, brown, or wild rice instead of white rice. My budgies do not like cooked rice, but they love it after it has been soaked.

Liv, I'm sorry about the feather dusters...but they are very lovely birds. You mentioned there are other siblings that seem to have issues also, do you think this pair could be related in any way or just a bad combination of genes in the nest? Just wondering with all the different issues that have occurred, you don't normally see all that in the same clutch.

KAZ they are beautiful. It will be interesting to see how they finally feather out!

Awwww, love the last sleepy picture!

Space is a big consideration. If there is enough, and enough feeding stations around the aviary you may be fine. The concern is that even though your budgies are smaller than the 'tiels, the 'tiels are gentler birds. Budgerigars are more aggressive, and have been known to harass 'tiels. They don't care that they are smaller than the bird they are bullying, but if the 'tiel has had enough the size difference gives them a slight upper hand. Just watch for any aggression, and have a ready space for the 'tiels should you need to move them out of the budgie aviary.

She's got spunk? Good for her! Or maybe taking lessons from Nasty? That last picture is pretty funny.

Love this one, KAZ.

They are all lovely birds, it was a treat to follow this thread tonight. :rofl: I can't wait to see all the babies once they are fully feathered out.