FAQ Overview

Picture/Image Sizes: MUST be 640 x 480 pixels or under.

It is understood that not all images can be resized exactly, but if this is the case, you must attempt to get the pixel dimensions down to as close to 640 x 480 as possible.

Sizes deemed to large by Administrators or Moderators may be removed from posts or turned into links. On your post the edit line or a staff message will be added to your post if your pictures were turned into links and why.  If you repeatedly post oversized pictures a staff member will contact you and assist further.

Follow this to upload your photos to the forum for use in any post you make:

1. Join Photobucket and click "Join Up - It's free". Fill out what is needed and upload your pictures by logging into your account. It is a very safe and user friendly service.

2. You will need to click on the tab “my albums” followed by the sub-tab “albums & upload” once logged into your account. This page allows you to select where your images are located. In most cases, this will be on your computer. If this is the case, select “my computer” in the grey section entitled “from” on the left side of your screen. Before clicking “choose files” (which is where you will select your images to upload), be sure to select 320x240 pixels (medium) OR 640x480 pixels (large). SIZE is a big issue with photos, so remember to adjust this before uploading any files.

3. To choose the photos you wish to use, click on “choose files” and you will be directed to your computer files. Select the files you want to upload and click “open”. The files will automatically start uploading to Photobucket. If you wish to upload more than one file at a time, you can use the bulk uploader. This link is found just below where you would upload individual files. Photobucket will confirm your upload and ask you to enter image information. Enter this information and click “save and continue”. Your photo(s) are now in Photobucket and can be used on our forums.

4. Your uploaded images are now displayed below the image uploader. If you wish, you may click edit. This will take you to the new edit features. In here, you can crop, change colours and do almost anything to your photo. The most important feature is the RESIZE. Click on this button and enter your dimensions. If you make any changes to your image, click save and either overwrite existing image or save another copy.

5. To go back to the main Photobucket screen, click on "albums & uploads" (top left hand corner)

6. To add photos to your post on our forums, go back to the forum making sure you keep your Photobucket page open. Either start a new topic, or reply to one. When you want to add a picture, simply scroll down to the picture you want to add and click on the IMG code. This will copy it. Then go back to your post and paste it there (either ctrl v, or right click and paste). When you preview your topic or post your topic, your photo should appear and be the correct size. Please ensure your photo is the correct size by right clicking on it in your post and selecting “properties” and check the image dimensions. Ensure the dimensions are close to 640x480 pixels. If not, please remove your newly added code and repeat steps 2-6. If you are still unable to get a correctly sized image into your post, please make a new topic in this forum and staff will help you out.

By all means you can use other photo editing programs and hosting services, just remember to always put the IMG code into your posts and replies. For members, it can be annoying when you have to click on numerous links to view members photos, just because they can't be bothered resizing or don't know how. Often members will bypass your post and not even read it because of this. Please try to keep to the size limitations and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask any of the staff. We are happy to help if you are willing to have a go and follow the rules.

Signatures and Avatars on all member accounts. (Not including Administrators and Global Moderators).

Ensure that your signature and / or avatar coincides to with site rules: Administrators and Global Moderators are exempt from such restrictions due to the need to advertise and display information to alert forum members.

Signature:  a picture of your budgie or what you chose (must be approriate for the BBC boards) that is located on the bottom of your post.  You can add your signature through your Control Panel > Edit Signature

Avatar: a personalized picture or you can chose a standard avatar from the forum, (must be approriate for the BBC boards) that is located on the side of your post located under your name. 

Avatar image maximum size: 64x64 pixels (Max 30 kb) Signature image maximum size: 400 (wide) x 200 (high) pixels

Signature Text Restrictions: Maximum of 6 lines of small text (no gaps between lines) or 1 line of large text. The following image formats are allowed in signatures and avatars: gif, jpeg, jpg, swf.

Avatar Upload: We do allow members to upload avatars if absolutely necessary of 64x64px and 10K in size, but we would prefer you to link your images from another server. If your avatar and / or signature contains images over this limit, they may be removed without warning by a forum staff member. Our forum restricts members to certain sizes of avatars, but not signatures as of yet. If a PM or email is sent to you regarding this matter, simply change or resize your images so that they are within the rules, to avoid further action being taken by staff against your account.

We want to and try to be a 56K dialup modem friendly website as not everyone can acquire broadband. Respect others and they will respect you. We also allow flash signatures if members desire, but again must they must coincide with the above rules! However, any animated content in signatures MUST NOT contain any audio. That includes music, sound effects etc. We will stress that if you DO NOT KNOW HOW to edit/resize to make your images to coincide with our rules, do not insert/post them 'assuming' that it will ok and no-one will notice. Staff are on constant lookout and will remove offending signatures/avatars and images immediately. #-----------------------------------------------------------------#

You can click on this link which will go through the process of uploading picture and resizing Instructions: How to Post Images/Pictures

Internet Text Shortcuts (or slang).

(What is meant by this: Enuf, luv, thanx, woz, plz, phun and so on.) There are many, many people of all ages and languages that frequently visit this forum. English is hard enough for some people when it is their native language. There are people that post here that English is a second or even third language. Not everyone knows what shortcuts mean. It is like slang - if you're not from that area you don't understand what is being said.

We want this forum to be as friendly, fun, and informative for everyone as we can make it, and one way we do that is to not allow text shortcuts in posts. It is not difficult to type your responses using proper English.

However, we do allow a select few of the very commonly known internet shortcuts which are listed right here: LOL (Laughing Out Loud), brb (be right back) and OMG (Oh My God), PICS (pictures).

Members may only use these selected internet text shortcuts when it is appropriate. If you are found using text shortcuts in your posts and messages you will be contacted and asked to stop. If you fail to comply with our requests on this rule we will then take appropriate administrative action against your account.

Budgie of the Month

On going monthly competition where all members can enter their cutest budgie picture. 

Rules:  All photo's submitted must be resized to 640x480 or smaller (not too small though). Here is  Instructions: How to Post Images/Pictures.

Once the photo's are submitted they will become invisible to the general membership until voting time, this is done so everyone feels that they have an opporutunity at winning, this is NOT a professional contest it is here for all members to have fun and show off their budgie (s).

One photo per month is allowed for submission, you can enter every month but only 1 picture will be considered during that month.

Voting: This is either done by the global moderators/administrators OR voting can also be done by the general membership through a poll system.  How voting occurs on a monthly basis is decided by moderators/adminstration.

Winner:  There is 1 winner a month and the winner will have a post dedicated to them with the winning picture along with a special "Budgie of the Month" emblem added to their signature for the winning month.  The emblem is removed at the end of the month from their signature and assigned to the new winner of the month.

Click Budgie of the Month Competition to enter your picture.

There are always many other competitions that are created up by our Promotion Staff so feel free to hop over to the General Competition Section and browse through and see what is happening. General Competitions

Useful links in the The main Menu:

Board Terms, Conditions and Rules – Please become familiar with them
Blogs – You can create your very own blog. There also lots of blogs to read though too
Shout box – say "hi" or chat to other members. Competition announcements are also made in the shout box so keep an eye out for the latest news.
Budgie FAQ – A very important area to get lots of information in relation to your budgies health, nutrition and care.
Members – search for members and view their profiles
Search – Searches the entire BBC forum.
Help – Helpful help topics and information of how to use the special features of the forum.


Personal Menu:



Logged is as: username (log Out) - click on your username to view your profile.
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Viewing forums/ View new posts

When you browse the different forums or click "view new posts" you will see lists of the different topics displayed. An example shown in image below.



Each folder colour/type has a different meaning for each topic. These are as follows



Topics that you have posted a reply to have folder icons that looks like one of these




Quick links and easier navigation.

Click this icon to jump to the newest post/s since you last read the topic – if you haven't read the topic before, it will take you to the first post.

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This symbol shows how many pages a particular topic has. This one has 26 pages. You can click on the numbers to jump to pages 1,2,3 or 26. If you want to view page 16 for example click on the icon circled below.


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Topic Viewing Options

At the top of each topic there is a "Options" link (circled in image below)


When you click on "options" it displays a menu of the available options for this topic.



Track this Topic - Forum subscriptions will notify when new topics have been made and topic subscriptions notify when a reply has been made.
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The display modes are:

Switch to: Outline – Displays only the first post in full, then all replies thereafter are only a brief outline. An example of this view pictured below.


Switch to: Standard – Returns view to normal again.
Switch to: Linear+ - Displays the first post for the topic at the top of each page of replies. All replies are shown in full in this view mode.



In-topic Member quick links

Next to each reply you see the members name, rank, avatar, and some brief details about him/her. An example shown below.



Click on the members name (circled above) to view quick links to this member (shown below)



Using this menu you can:

View Member Profile – takes you to their detailed profile page
Add/Remove Friend – click to add/remove the member as your friend
Send Message – opens a personal message addressed to the member
Find Members Topics – Displays all the topics the member has created in all the forums.
Find Members Posts – Displays all the posts the member has made on all the forums.


Hiding categories in the main forum list.

If there are particular topics you are not interested in (for example "Show Budgerigars") you can hide it by clicking on the little "-" icon circled below



It will turn that category into a minimized form shown below
You can then click on the little "+" circled below to restore the category.

Feel free to join this post and put in your introduction.

Click here to Introduce Yourself

Registered club breeders place metal rings on their baby budgies (chicks) between 8 and 10 days old (while their toes are still pliable so the ring can slide on without causing the budgie pain). Budgies will not be accepted into shows and exhibitions without a ring. The rings (also knows as bands) allow the breeder to track the budgie or if the budgie escapes and a person finds it, it can be traced back to the breeder. It also shows the year the budgie was born with the last two digits of the year and the ring colour. It is recommended that you leave the ring on the budgie's leg. However, if problems arise for whatever reason, only allow a breeder or avian vet to remove the band with the appropriate tools.

There are two types in Australia. There is a club ring and a coded ring.

Coded rings are made specifically for a particular breeder. e.g: IBS XX -6 350. IBS is the state or club initials (in this case Ipswich Budgerigar Society; XX is the code or initials of the actual breeder; 06 (or -6) is the year the chick was hatched - 2006; and 350 is the number of the chick.

Club rings are used for or by a particular club. e.g: PR -5 394. PR would be the club code or initials (in this case Pine Rivers Budgerigar Club; -5 is the year the chick hatched - 2005; and 394 is the number of the chick.

Coded rings  PR 1W -8 021. PR is Pine Rivers Budgerigar Society, 1W is Darryl Wells, -8 is the year 2008 and 021 is the chick/bird number.

Each ring is registered with the state and the Australian National Budgerigar Council and it always remains with that bird (unless it has to be removed due to injury or illness).Note not all birds are ringed so if your bird does not have a ring it is OK.Contributed by BBC member: Daz from AU & Adam BBC owner

Australian Ring Colours.

Breeders rings in Australia have a 6 year cycle.

2001 - Green
2002 - Black
2003 - Red
2004 - Blue
2005 - Purple
2006 - Gold
2007 - Green
2008 - Black

2009 - Red

2010 - Blue

2011 - purple

2012 - gold 

Budgerigars enjoy toys and need them for mental stimulation. Try to keep quite a few in the cage (while being careful not to clutter it) and rotate new ones in regularly to keep your budgie from becoming bored. It is best to avoid mirrors and imitation bird figures as your budgie may bond to these thinking they are another real bird. This can cause problems during training because your budgie will prefer the other "bird" to you.

Please ensure that all toys are non-toxic and safe for your budgie. Be careful that there are no loose strands that can tangle in your bird's feet or sharp edges. When buying toy ladders, ensure that the gap isn't so small that your budgie could be come stuck. Most budgies enjoy olympic ring toys, lattice balls with bells inside, and other toys that hang and make noise. Shredder toys are great for budgies as they love to chew, especially females.

Give your bird at least 2-3 toys to keep him/her busy.  But, not too many - your budgie should be able to move about freely without bumping into any in the cage.  Rotate toys weekly (suggested) to keep him/her interested.

When purchasing your first budgie, it is best to get just one. This will make taming much much easier as two budgies are more likely to bond to each other instead of you. Once you have the first budgie tame, you can decide whether or not a second budgie is a good idea.

Budgies are extremely social creatures and in the wild they would live in massive flocks. If you have less than a few hours to devote to your budgie every day, getting a friend for him may be a good idea. Here are some very important things to remember when you're thinking of adding another budgie to your family:

• Any new bird must be quarantined for at least 30 days before having contact with your existing bird(s). This means keeping it in a separate room as well as a separate cage and making sure that no contact is made with the other bird. Always wash your hands and change any clothing that has come in contact with the new bird before handling the original one. Quarantine Program
• It is possible that your new bird and original bird will not get along. Always plan ahead for the fact that you might end up having to keep the two birds separate permanently. They may still enjoy each other's company during out of cage time or they may just have to chatter back and forth from one cage to the other. You might have to alternate which bird is out of the cage which is a bit more work for you.
• Another bird means another expense as far as extra food, toys, cage, vet bills, etc.
• Two males often get along better than a male and female or female and female. Females tend to be more bossy and aggressive toward other budgies.

The quarantine period is a great time to tame your new bird so that when you introduce it to the other, they don't ignore you completely. It's impossible to predict just how much your relationship with the first budgie will change once he/she has a friend but if both birds are tame and comfortable with you, you have a much greater chance of them choosing to interact with you as a member of their flock.

Sexing my budgie

Generally the colour of a budgie's cere (the coloured area at the top of the beak surrounding the nostrils) is the simplest indicator of gender in adult budgies.

Most adult males have a blue cere with a smooth, waxy completion. Some males, such as albinos, lutinos, fallows, and some recessive pieds do not develop a blue cere, instead it remains the pinkish/purple colour they had as a juvenile bird. Below we have added an link to our member's birds and there is an example of the mutations that do not develop the normal blue colored cere in a male budgie. Click here Example of Cere

Adult females have a cere that ranges from a light beige or tan colour through to a dark chocolate brown colour, which become flaky when they are in breeding condition.

Another indicator is the shape; males tend to have a more rounded bulbous cere compared to the females flatter shaped cere.

When budgies are a younger age (6 week to 6 months) it is much harder to work out the sex and it takes a trained eye to pick up the slight differences. The things to look for are an even pinky/purple colour over the whole cere for young males and a pink or blue cere with noticable white rings around the nostrils for females. This is where many go wrong for we associate pink for girls and blue for boys and many pet shop employees believe that this is how to tell the difference and incorrectly sex the birds.

If you are still confused about which gender your bird is the nest step is to look at the behaviour of the bird. Females are known to bite harder than males, which is a great way to tell if you have more than one bird. But still any bird can bite hard when not hand tamed or panicked. Males are the talkers of the species and re quite happy to sit alone and warble and chatter to themselves for hours on end. While females have an urge to chew and rip at things; it is a natural breeding instinct to get a nest set up.

Visuals Pictures to Help Sex your Budgies (babies and adults) pictures provided by Kaz BBC Global Moderator.

(above picture) adult cock bird (male)

(above picture) adult cock bird (male)

(picture above) baby recessive pied cock bird (male), in this variety the cere will remain pink in the cock birds, the hen's cere will be like a normal hen. Other varieties where the cock (male) cere will remain pink fallows, dark eyed clears (DEC), lacewings, albino/lutino,

(picture above) baby hen (female) notice though the cere is very pink it is not as smooth or rounded as a baby cock (male) cere.

(picture above) adult hen (female) this is the same budgie grown up her baby picture is right above this photo. 

(above picture) hen (female)

(above picture) baby hen (female)

(above picture) adult recessive pied hen (female) you can see unlike the male recessive pied the cere turns tannish pink, it can also vary to a dark brown, to light tan or light blue.

A square cage 18x18x18 inches is a suitable size for an individual budgie. There should be enough space for several perches and toys and still be space left over for the budgie to flap around easily. Bar spacing on any cage should be 1/2 inch or less. Anything wider is large enough for your budgie to push his/her head through or even get it stuck. This can lead to your budgie escaping, serious injury, or even death.

Also visit What is the best kind of cage to buy? / what size cage do I need? AND Example of Cage Setups AND Cages: The good and bad

It's never a good idea to mix parrot species in a cage. It sometimes works if you have a very large outdoor aviary. Budgies can be extremely territorial and aggressive toward other birds, especially those that are more docile in nature such as cockatiels. On the other hand, larger birds have larger beaks and can do serious harm to budgies. The risk of these problems is increased if you have birds that are nesting. If you are still planning on trying to mix two different parrot species, please be prepared to house them separately if it doesn't work out.

Budgerigars are native to Australia, but over the years they have been bred to different standards in other parts of the world.

The 'pet' type of budgerigars (also known as "American Budgies" only in america ) are a small bird, usually up to 180mm in length. These birds are more commonly found in pet stores.

A larger breed of Exhibition budgerigars (also called "English Budgies" or "Show or exhibition Budgies") were originally developed in England. Theses birds were developed from Australian budgies but due to lack of breeding stock breeding them back to related birds increased their size and type. Exhibition budgies are much larger, 220 - 240mm in length and appear to have have larger 'boofy' heads. The appearance is more about feather than bone structure.  This type of budgerigar is normally bred by dedicated exhibition breeders that belong to a budgerigar club.

Both types make great pets. Click here to see pictures of the different varieties Member's Budgies

The best way to find a local budgerigar club is by contacting your State or National organisation. e.g. Australian National Budgerigar Council; The American Budgerigar Society; The World Budgerigar Organisation etc. These organisation will be able to give you contact numbers for a club in your area.

These contacts can usually be found in your local phone book or by searching on the internet.

Wing Clipping
Should you or shouldn?t you?This is by far one of the most controversial topics among bird owners and a source of some extremely passionate debate. In order to avoid dealing with hostile arguments and ill feelings among members, we felt it best to present only the facts and let YOU decide your own opinion.

This topic is being written from an unbiased point of view and reviewed by others to try and keep it as fair and fact-based as humanly possible. I am not for wing clipping but I?m also not against it. My opinion is neutral in that I feel that it is up to YOU as a budgie owner to decide what will work best for your bird and situation. The only way for you to be able to make a good decision is to give you the facts without the emotional outbursts of those who (rightfully) defend what they believe.

We are a very friendly group and we respect your opinions but also want to make this topic educational and free from conflict as that would make it extremely hard for a new user to make his/her decision. Most people do not want to read ten pages of bickering and no one should have to do so just to get some simple answers. So, that being said, please respect each other?s opinions if this topic comes up in other places as well!

In this topic you will learn the pros and cons of wing clipping, the pros and cons of not wing clipping, why some people choose to clip wings vs. why others don?t, what a proper wing clip is and how it affects your budgie.


Leaving Your Budgie Flighted

You may have heard that it is impossible to tame a flighted budgie and this is not true! Baby budgies (6-8 weeks of age) are incredibly easy to tame. This is one of the things that makes budgies ideal pets. If you spend plenty of one on one time with your baby budgie it will bond to you quite easily. Older budgies in general are much more difficult to tame but it is not at all an impossible task. No matter what you choose to do, the main priority must be SAFETY! It is best to tame your budgie before allowing it to fly out of the cage. A scared budgie is going to be extremely difficult to catch and put back into its cage, not to mention, chasing it around is just going to add to its fear of you and slow down the taming process.

When allowing your budgie to fly, make sure that the room he is in is completely safe. Some common household hazards to flighted budgies include open doors and windows, hot stoves, candles, fireplaces, ceiling fans (any fan, really), standing water (fish tanks, toilets, sinks, cups/glasses, etc.), toxic houseplants and/or chemicals, mirrors, and other pets. Some of these are obviously just as dangerous to clipped birds.

All precautions must be taken before allowing your bird out of the cage for flight. Make sure everyone in your household is aware of the bird being out and what precautions to take. Close all doors and windows, make sure the stove is off and cool, be sure no candles or fireplaces are burning (scented candles aren?t to be used around birds anyway as the fumes are harmful to their lungs), turn off all fans, cover/drain/remove any source of standing water, remove any toxic houseplants or chemicals that your budgie might be able to find, cover all mirrors so that your budgie can?t fly into them, and make sure that other pets are locked away from where the budgie will be. Generally, do a thorough survey of the area in which your budgie will be allowed to fly and think carefully about what might pose a risk.

Links that discuss household dangers (whether or not your budgie is clipped, these apply):

Harmful Household Items & Other Warnings

Safe Home for Exotic Birds

Parrot Chronicles.com Hazards

Bird Proofing Your Home

Safe & Dangerous Plants


Some Pros and Cons of owning a Flighted Budgie

Pros:
? Flight is great exercise and budgies are prone to obesity so it?s very healthy for them.
? Budgies that are tamed and allowed flight are generally more outgoing and confident.
? If you own other pets (especially dogs and cats) your budgie has a better chance of escaping them in the unfortunate event that the dog or cat is accidentally let into the room with the budgie. (Obviously, you should try to avoid this at all costs but accidents do happen.)


Cons:
? There are many added safety concerns in keeping a flighted budgie, such as the bird escaping through an open door or window.
? Older budgies are often more difficult (though not impossible) to tame when left flighted.


Having Your Budgie Clipped

As you?ll learn, clipped budgies do not fall like rocks. They still have a bit of flying ability. Wing clips do not hurt the budgie in any way when done properly and they should be performed by your avian vet. (Always let a professional show you how to do it before attempting it yourself! Clipping a blood feather can be fatal so you must be taught how to look for them and where to clip.)

Clipped budgies are easier to tame as you can more easily use a one-on-one technique away from the cage. Many people don?t feel comfortable with this as you?re forcing the bird to be near you when he doesn?t want to be. On the other hand, you spend less time trying to capture the budgie and more time showing him that you aren?t a threat. Most of them learn fairly quickly not to fear you if you approach them calmly and speak softly.

Wing clipping is not a "solution" to a behavioral problem but a tool in helping you manage the situation until your budgie is trained. In other words, clipping a budgie's wings won't immediately make him more tame or less nippy. It will just make it easier for you to work with him so that you can work on these issues.

Wing clips are not permanent. With your budgie?s next moult you can choose to allow the flight feathers to grow in and he will once again be able to fly. Your budgie will not resent you for the wing clip and will be able to do all the things flighted budgies do (hop from perch to perch, climb, play, etc.) other than fly great distances.



The Proper Wing Clip

You may have heard that clipping your bird?s wings can cause permanent damage to your budgie and/or that it could cause your budgie to never be able to fly again. This can be true and this is why you must educate yourself before deciding to have your budgie?s wings clipped. If they are clipped properly, these will not be issues. A properly clipped budgie will suffer no long-term effects and will regain full flight with its next moult.

With a proper clip, your budgie will not simply fall to the ground like a rock. This could lead to injury and means that the budgie has been clipped far too severely. A properly-clipped budgie can get quite a bit of distance before he begins to gradually lose altitude. The higher the starting point, the more distance he?ll be able to ?fly? before finally reaching the ground (or other destination).

The long feathers are on your budgie?s wing are called primaries and these are the feathers that your vet will trim. Secondary feathers should never be trimmed.


In the picture above, you can see the primary and secondary feathers easily on the right wing. This bird is moulting so some of her clipped primary feathers on the left wing have grown back.

How many primaries to clip depends on how well your budgie can fly. Have your vet start by trimming a few first to see how that works. Both wings must be trimmed equally so that your budgie?s sense of balance isn?t thrown off. Only trim as many as necessary and never anything more. Remember that the purpose of a wing clip is not to render your bird completely flightless but to prevent him from gaining too much altitude during flight.

Always let a professional show you how to clip wings before attempting it yourself! Clipping a blood feather can be fatal so you must be taught how to look for them and where to clip.

Breeders should always let their baby budgies to fledge (learn to fly) before allowing them to be clipped.

Some Pros and Cons of Owning a Clipped Budgie

Pros:
? Clipped budgies are often easier to tame than flighted budgies (especially older ones).
? The risk of your budgie getting injured or escaping is greatly reduced if it is clipped.
? Having fewer safety hazards to worry about along with easing the taming process means a clipped budgie may come out of the cage easier and more freqently.

Cons:
? Clipped budgies won?t be able to get the exercise associated with flying.
? A wing trim that isn?t done properly can be very stressful, painful, and/or damaging to your budgie.

In Conclusion

The ultimate priority in this ?debate? is safety. Before everything else, you must consider your personal situation and how safe your home can be made for your budgie whether you decide to have his wings trimmed or leave him flighted. This is why it is so important for you to know these facts, assess your home and decide what will work for you and your budgie. Be sure to take other family members into consideration as well and include them in your decision. After all, they will be involved when it comes to bird proofing your home.

Most people are going to have a very strong opinion one way or the other. While it never hurts to listen to both sides of the argument, make sure you?re properly educated so that you can make the best decision for you and your family. No one else can tell you what is right as none of us know your home or family routine.

Note: This post has been reviewed by moderators and admin staff and people of varying opinions to ensure facts are presented in an unbiased manner. If you wish to discuss wing clipping further or have any questions regarding a proper wing clip please feel free to post a new topic in the main forum area. Thank you

Wing clipping has always been a debate between people.  To furthur your education we we encourage you to also read the discussion on our forum To Clip or Not to Clip

Finding an Avian Vet 

Your budgies first moult will be around 12 - 14 weeks (3-4 months old). It can last for about two months (this is an estimation).

After that depending on your climate and where you live they can moult 2-4 times a year. Artifical air condition and heating does affect how your birds moult.

It is very normal to see a lot of white downy feathers and long feathers in and around the cage. As the new feathers grown in you will see what is called pin feathers where the tip of the feather has a small black sheath like covering on it. This will come off as the new feather will opens out.

During a moult you may notice your bird may become grouchy, tend to bite more and itch (it is not uncommon to see them rub their heads on their perches or cage bars). Again this is normal but if you find your bird is lethargic, fluffed up for long periods of time or not able to perch this would be cause for concern and you will need to schedule an appointment with your avian vet.

Answer these questions to find out if a budgie is the perfect pet for your family.

I am prepared to care for a bird that as a potential life span of approximately 10-15 years plus.

Can you give her/him 60 minutes or more daily of attention. Do know that budgies are social and enjoy interacting with their families as much as possible.  They will be lonely if left all day to fend on their own.  You may consider a 2nd budgie Should I purchase one or two budgies? and another good read I have been thinking about getting a second budgie, is this a good idea? this information can help you decide.

Can you commit to cleaning up after a pet that tends to be fairly messy.  Budgies are messy eaters and will get seed all over the place including outside of the cage.  You will need to wash the water container daily to avoid bacteria build up along with blowing off the empty huskys from the seed container. 

I am happy with a pet that may be noisy, even early in the morning. Budgies can tend to get noisy, that is their nature, and the more budgies you have together the more the noise level increases Do know that they are birds and enjoy singing at the crack of dawn so a cover to darken their cage is suggested.

I understand that budgies do moult" to Am I prepared for my budgies to moult every 3 - 4 months and that they do drop a lot of feathers during this time.  Even when they are not molting they still drop feathers.  If you are allergic or a family member is allergic to pets you will need to reconsider.

If you answered yes to all of the above a budgie may just be the perfect family pet for you.  Your next step is What should I look for in a good healthy Budgerigar?

Budgies are very smart and easily trained when given the patience and attention.  You should teach your "pet" budgie to step up and step down this makes it easier when you are putting them back in their cage.  Budgies are friendly, have wonderful personalities and are the most popular companion bird. With their raspy voices, male budgies (and even some females) can sometimes learn to talk.

Always supervise your budgie if you have children, pets and unfamilar guests so no harm comes to your budgie (s). Click here  Pet Proofing Checklist

Ensure that you have an avian vet already handy for a general check-up or if your budgie needs immediate treatment. Finding an Avian Vet

LOST BUDGIE -This is probably one of the most horrible feelings, when your feathered friend becomes lost.

Here are some steps you can do to try and locate your budgie and bring him back home safely.

Don't assume he is gone forever because he flew right out
Don't assume because he is clipped that he is done for
Do know that with immediate action on your part your chances of finding him/her will be higher.

Call all the vets in your area and ask them how you can go about posting a flyer about your lost budgie.  You may have to come in or they may do it for you

1. Go to www.petfinders.com and you can post a lost ad for FREE and in Australia you can go here Lost Pets
2. Make up simple flyers of your budgies, add your name, contact information, description of your budgie
3. Do leave out a cage with water and your budgies favorite treat
4. If you have other budgies put them within hearing shot of the cage sometimes your other budgies will call him/her back. 

5. Budgies can fly many miles so don't assume they will stick around. You can put flyers around surrounding cities and call vets in those areas about putting up a lost notice

Lastly don't give up hope here is a heartwarming story from one of our own BBC members at the end of this post.

FOUND BUDGIE - If you are the lucky one to have found a budgie here are some steps that you can do to see if you can locate the ower.

• Don't assume that he was let go on purpose especially if they are tame
• Don't assume that the person doesn't care
• Do assume they are missing their bird
• Do assume that it was an accident

1. Call the surround vets in and around your area to see if there is a lost notice
2. check www.petfinders.com and the newspaper for lost and found

Are you prepared to take care of your bird when a disaster strikes? If not, NOW is the time to stock up on the items that you will need so you will not get caught unprepared. Listed below is a handy shopping list for you to use. The next time you buy food or supplies for your bird, take this list with you. Don't put off doing what you should do now - it may just make the difference between being able to keep your bird alive when a disaster strikes.

Here are the supplies that you should have in a disaster kit for birds. Adjust the amounts, depending on the number of birds that you have.

1. FOOD: Have at least a (2) week supply at all times. Use the brand that your bird is used to eating. Store food in an air tight, water proof container. Rotate food at least once every (3) months.

2. GRAVEL (Not for all types of birds) - Have at least a (2) week supply at all times.

3. CUTTLE BONE AND/OR BEAK CONDITIONER: Always have an extra one on hand.

4. WATER FOR DRINKING AND CLEANING: Have at least a (2) week supply at all times. Store water in plastic containers and keep in a cool, dark place. Rotate water at least once every (2) months.

5. CLEANING SUPPLIES AND PAPER TOWELS: Have disinfectant and paper towels to clean the cage. Have at least a (2) week supply of whatever it is that you put on the bottom on the bird's cage (i.e., newspaper, butcher paper, gravel paper, etc.).

6. EXTRA SEED BOWLS AND WATER CONTAINERS: Have several seed cups and water containers to replace ones that might get broken. You may want to put an extra food and water dish in the cage, so that in case you forget to feed the bird in all the confusion, the bird will have plenty of food and water.

7. FIRST AID SUPPLIES AND BOOK FOR BIRDS: Check with your veterinarian to find out what he/she recommends you include in your first aid kit. Some suggested items include - kwik stop or cornstarch to stop bleeding, tweezers, heavy duty gloves (for handling the bird if it is injured and trying to bite), bandaging materials. Click here to see Budgie First Aide Kit

8. NET AND TOWEL: A long handled net with small enough openings so that your bird cannot poke its head through and a heavy towel, in case your bird escapes and you have to recapture it. A heavy towel or blanket should be in with your supplies in case the disaster strikes when it is cold and you have to cover the cage to keep the bird warm.

9. EVACUATION CAGE : You should have a small cage for transporting (evacuating) your bird and be sure it is one that your bird cannot chew its way out of.

10. FLASH LIGHT AND EXTRA BATTERIES: This is used to regulate light hours for your bird, which is important for your birds health.

In addition to having the above supplies, here are some other additional suggestions for keeping your bird safe:

Take some recent pictures of your bird, including any distinguishing marks. This is to help you locate your bird should it get loose during a disaster. Include yourself in some of the pictures for proof of ownership.

You may want to consider getting your bird microchipped. Check with your veterinarian for more information about this permanent form of identification, which works great with birds since you can't put a collar and a tag around their neck.

If your bird is on long term medication, be sure you always have at least a (2) week supply on hand. Your veterinarian may not be able to open for awhile after the disaster has struck to fill prescriptions.

Check with your veterinarian to see if he/she has a disaster plan should your bird need emergency care following a disaster. Locate a back up veterinarian just in case yours is not available. Finding an Avian Vet

If you are going on vacation and leaving your bird with someone, be sure you have discussed with them a plan to take care of your bird in the event of a disaster.

Check to make sure your cage is secure. All opening doors and a removable top or bottom on your cage, should be fastened to prevent them from opening during a disaster - and your bird escaping. You can use twist ties or metal ring closures to secure the cage. You should also secure the cage to a wall, using a hook and eye. Be sure you do not keep the cage under a shelf, where objects might fall during a disaster, or keep the cage near a window that might break during a disaster. Keep a pair of pliers and wire in your disaster supplies to make any necessary repairs to the cage after a disaster.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Courtesy of United Animal Nation's Emergency Animal Rescue Service
For more information please contact EARS at (800) 440-EARS
OR visit http://www.uan.org

When looking for a breeder be aware, there are very very good breeders and very very bad breeders. You obviously need to find a good one from which to choose your bird.

There are the indiscriminant breeders that breed birds in massive quantities with little or no thought given the possibility of inbreeding, or what good and bad qualities they may be breeding into their birds. For them it is all about the money they get by selling bulk quantities of birds to pet shops and dealers. They do this with no thought or care for the health of the birds, their welfare or their future.

BUT, there are breeders who breed for the love of their birds. These breeders keep good records so that they can selectively breed their birds. The outcome is happy, healthy budgies that they want to go to good homes. These breeders rarely sell their budgies to pet shops, unless a particular pet shop is on their "approved list". Thankfully, there are some good pet shops.


So, Where to start looking?

The best places to start looking for responsible breeders would be via a local bird club. These clubs cater for people who have a love for birds. These are likeminded individuals who join the club to learn about raising healthy birds and they share common goals and interests.

Look in your local phonebook for bird clubs and associations and you will soon be put in touch with a good breeder. You may also find these contacts on the internet.


What about Advertisements?

You will find both types of breeders here. Some people advertise well bred and cared for birds through newspapers and Internet sites. While other individuals are selling large quantities of birds week after week after week. They are the bird "farmers" or bird "mills" which you wish to avoid.

When looking in the "Birds for Sale" column, you should also read the "Birds Wanted" column as well. You should look out for advertisers with the same or similar phone numbers that appear in both columns. This could be an indication that they are bird farmers or bird mills. These people breed en masse, usually for the pet store market. They often need to replenish their stock of breeder birds that are literally being 'bred to death'. They are only in it for their own monetary gain. Be smart and beware.


How can you tell a Good Breeder?

In your first contact with a bird breeder, use your common sense and ask questions, lots of them. This will help you work out the good from the bad. When you go and visit to select your bird, there are a couple of things to look out for.

1. Do you get to see where the birds are kept, or are you just shown a small few birds in a cage and not allowed past the front door?

2. Does the handing over of your money seem to be the most urgent need by the seller?

3. If you get to see where the birds are kept, pay attention to the cleanliness or lack there of of the establishment.

4. Are rodents or signs of them in evidence?

5. Are there any dead birds in cages?

6. Do you see any sick and fluffed up looking birds?

7. Is their food and water clean and freely available?

8. Are there a variety of foods available such as seed, pellets, vegetables etc…?

9. Is the breeder free with helpful advice and does he care about the birds future with you?

10. Are you quizzed as a future owner of a bird he has bred?

11. Does the breeder offer follow up advice and phone calls for any worries you may have in the future?

12. Does the breeder give you a health guarantee or return policy?

13. Can he give you any referrals for a good avian vet and pet supply stores?

14. Does he sell unweaned babies?


How do I find a Good Breeder?

The best recommendation for a good bird breeder is through a bird club or mouth to mouth recommendations from past customers who have been dealt with fairly and honestly, from a breeder who cares about the future of the birds he has bred.


What about Pet Shops?

Breeders do sell to pet shops ....YES. But most pet shops pay a pittance for birds from a breeder. So, unless they have an arrangement with a great pet store, most good breeders would rather sell privately, to people he knows or people he can meet face to face, rather than send a consignment of birds to a pet shop.

You can also read Evaluation of a Pet Shop many of the same points can be used for Evaluation a Good Breeder.

Example of Cage Setups

There are many different ways to set-up your budgie's cage. Budgies need exercise from flying so you should purchase the widest cage your budget allows. The minimum cage size for a single budgie is 45 x 45 x 45 cm square (18 x 18 x 18 inches), but a cage 60cm wide (24 inches) is much better. If you have more than one budgie then your cage or aviary should be at least 80 - 100 cm wide. (31 - 40 inches)

Perches and toys should be placed so that there is free space in the middle of the cage for your budgie(s) to fly from side to side.

Visit these two discussions to show you examples of what our members cage There are many different ways to set-up your cage.  Example of Cages from our Members AND Cage Setups

It is important that you find an avian vet before your bird (s) become sick. When birds become sick they go downhill very quickly and if you don't have an avian vet that you know of you will go into panic mode. Be prepared! It may save your birds life.

USA/Canada:
http://aav.org/vet-lookup/
http://www.birdsnways.com/articles/abvpvets.htm 
http://www.lafeber.com/FindALocal/Vet/default.aspx

Australia:
http://www.vetafarm.com.au/avian_vets.asp

UK/Other:
http://www.theparrotsocietyuk.org/avian-vets.shtml
http://www.parrotpassionsuk.com/Advice/Uk_Avian_Vets.htm

Adopting a bird from a rescue can be a very rewarding experience. In the United States there are approximately 100 formal avian rescue groups. There are many more that are popping up because of so many birds being displaced. There are avian rescue organizations all over the world in pursuit of giving these birds a 2^nd chance in life.

In this article we are going to cover some facts on adopting rescued birds, and what to look for in a rescue

What is a rescue bird? They are birds that are no longer wanted by their owners or their owners were not able to keep them because of circumstances in their lives and they felt it would be best to relinquish their bird to a rescue organization. For many bird owners this is a touch decision. Many 2^nd chance birds have been abused, starved, lived in unhealthy conditions, too small of cages, haven’t had much human contact etc… Because of this they tend to be scared, timid, untamed and may have bad habits such as pacing, feather plucking, screaming etc… Before you adopt a 2^nd chance bird we ask you to consider the different factors and if a rescue bird is the right choice for you.

Is a rescue bird right for you?

• Can you provide a forever home? Do you have the time, the patience and the understanding that a rescued bird may need. Ask yourself can you honestly improve this life. Many people will rescue bird after bird because it pulls at their heart strings. You must be able to provide each individual bird the same type of care as you would if you had just one.

• Can you deal with the bird emotionally? We want to all believe that when we rescue a bird we will be able to “fix” it. This is not always true in many cases their scars are so deep or their diet was so poor they will have medical issues for a lifetime. So if you rescue a bird that is poorly know that you will be giving it a wonderful home but you may also have to deal with the emotional strain of sickness, not living long and the scars from the past.

• Can you provide avian vet care, many birds need to be vetted for the rest of their lives

• What are you looking for in a bird? Birds in general need a lot of time and attention when it comes to being tame. If you are looking for a super tame bird who sits on your shoulder, preens your hair, gives you kisses you may be looking to work with a baby bird. Many rescues do have baby budgies and even tame budgies. Before you adopt let them know what you are looking for in a bird. Be honest with them. Adopting a rescue bird is not as easy as ‘1, 2,3’. Some of the rescue birds may be tame some of these birds may never be tame. If you are looking to provide them with spacious living quarters and enjoy watching them interact let them know that too.

• If you are adding this bird to your flock, do you have a bigger cage to accommodate them, and an extra cage in case they don’t get along with your other birds?

• You must have a quarantine cage so you can keep them away from your flock for 30-90 days to ensure they are healthy.

• Can you afford to add another bird to your flock? More food, higher avian vet costs

• Do you have the time to add another bird to your flock? Are you prepared to clean up after this bird and are you prepared for more noise from your birds?

When you are looking into an avian rescue organization here is some criteria to follow:

• Proof of good health through veterinary reports, pictures and history of the bird

• All incoming birds are quarantined between 30 - 90 days

• Birds in their care are fed a variety diet such as seed, pellets, fresh vegetables, fruits etc…

• Birds are housed in clean, well lit cages which are big enough to allow them daily exercise

• Do they screen potential adopters – if you can just go and adopt a bird by the web with no adoption application be wary (don’t be offended if you are asked questions about your home, what type of cage you have, and a home visit may even be required etc.. Expect this and welcome it because you know they put the bird’s well being first and foremost.

• The organization will care about the bird’s individual need and not what is convenient for them. They will be concerned about flight, social, intellectual needs and daily biological rhythms.

• They require all their adoptees never breed their birds or be placed into a home where they will be bred. This doesn’t mean because you bred you can’t adopt a rescued bird it means that you will agree to keep the bird retired from breeding. Many of these birds have been breeders all their lives and need to live in retirement.

• The group will provide educational resources on proper care, treatment of birds, type of cages to purchase, provide avian vet references.

• The organization will do a follow home visit or do follow-up care to all adopters

• A group that adopts out birds usually have a legally binding contract to ensure the bird can be recovered if improper treatment is discovered

• A group will always be willing to take the bird back for any reason and this should be stated in their contract

• Rescues will have a non-profit status but it doesn’t mean they are ethical don’t be afraid to ask for a copy of its financial statement and information on the board of directors.

• Adoption fees vary from country to country. The adoptions fees are used for the cost of veterinary testing, treatment, food, caging, toys and other necessities. All this can be documented with receipts.

• Some avian rescue groups are even becoming accredited by the few animal rescue and sanctuary accrediting organizations, such as The Association of Sanctuaries (TAOS) and the American Sanctuary Associations (ASA). Check to see if your rescue group is accredited.

The Meaning of Rescue, Baggage by Evelyn Colbath

Now that I’m home, bathed, settled, and fed. All nicely tucked in my warm new bed, I’d like to open my baggage, lest I forget. There is so much to carry — So much to regret. Hmmm... Yes, there it is, right on the top, Let’s unpack Loneliness, Heartache and Loss, And there by my perch hides Fear and Shame. As I look on these things I tried so hard to leave — I still have to unpack my baggage called Pain. I loved them, the others, the ones who left me, But I wasn’t good enough — for they didn’t want me. Will you add to my baggage? Will you help me unpack? Or will you just look at my things — And take me right back? Do you have the time to help me unpack? To put away my baggage, to never repack? I pray that you do — I’m so tired you see, but I do come with baggage — Will YOU still want ME?

To learn more about rescuing birds, reporting pet stores that are not up to par, what you can do to help, a list of rescue organization in your area and more visit Avian Welfare

What do I need to know when selling a budgie?

It is very important when selling a budgie to be aware that the new owner will be responsible for the lifetime well being of the bird.  They must be able to provide a happy, healthy home and a good environment for life.  You should be prepared to take back the bird if, for any reason, the new owner is not able to provide such an environment and they have been unable to find it a suitable home.

You should ask questions of the new owner about what other animals they may have and what sort of environment the budgie will be in.  You should ask to see their cage, if possible, to make sure that it is suitable, and ask if they will be giving the budgie ‘out of cage time’.

You should also be helping to educate the prospective buyer.  You must stress the importance of quarantine if they already have birds.  Make sure that they are aware of common household hazards.  Are they aware that they should feed their new budgie a range of fresh foods as well as seed and pellets if available.

We have included here 2 PDF documents for your use when selling a budgerigar. 

The first is a Budgie Sale Agreement.  The buyer should fill out 2 forms, one for your records and one for the buyer, so they have a record of what they agreed to

Budgie Sale Agreement

This second document is a Budgerigar Care Leaflet.  It is designed to be printed out double sided and then folded into thirds.  First fold over the Quarantine information, then fold the cover sheet over that.

My New Budgerigar Care Leaflet

To read these documents you will need to use the Adobe Acrobat Reader which is available online to download free at www.adobe.com.

NB:  The Australian Budgerigar Breeders Club Inc. retains © copyright over both documents.  You may print them out and use them without modifications for your own personal needs.  You may also place a link to this page from your own website, but you may not place a copy of the documents on your web site without prior permission.  Thank you.

As we have had many newcomers who have been given bad advice with regard to cages for their birds, I will post some examples of cages...right and wrong cages.
A special note to mention is...that when purchasing your pet at the pet store, often times the staff at the pet store recommend a certain cage as being perfect for their budgie. Most often the perfect cage is really just the cage the store wants to clear out as they are truly unsuitable. or a cage that has a buy this cage and get a free budgie deal 

 When you are in a petstore and buying your first budgie it is often hard to make wise or informed decisions and you hope that pet store staff are giving you good advice. When you think aboout it most pet shop staff and just people and often young people who may or may not even own a bird.

Out of cage time comes into play as it frees the bird for flight time which really has to be a decent amount of time out of cage for healthy exercise.

Its always best to buy the biggest cage you can afford...wider rather than taller for a budgie. Pretty stands and pretty shapes aren't really a prime consideration as much as practical movement within the cage for the budgie or budgies that will live in it.
Always think budgie...like " If I was a budgie how much room would I have in that cage and what would my life be like in that cage ....prison or fun ? "

Bear in mind, as much as we would hate to live our life in a wardrobe / closet ...some of the cages on offer only give that kind of choice to a budgie.

Just as we have had many, many people on here asking why their birds arent breeding....no space....no fun times....no room to fly....does NOT make a happy healthy budgie nor will it feel like breeding for you.

Hope this has been of help.

Here is my idea of BAD CAGES

CAGE ONE no flight space, bars narrow at top creating hazzard

CAGE TWO to small. suits one canary

CAGE THREE same as cage one

CAGE FOUR decorative shape ...uselss as cage for budgies

CAGE FIVE too tall and narrow. suits canaries or finches

CAGE SIX weird shapes interfere with space and flight

CAGE SEVEN too small

CAGE EIGHT too small

CAGE NINE shaped top section useless. better with flat roof

CAGE TEN too small

CAGE ELEVEN too small

CAGE TWELVE  

GOOD CAGES

CAGE A Needs perches running front to back

CAGE B Needs perches running front to back

CAGE C

CAGE D

CAGE E

CAGE F

CAGE G  reposition perches front to back

Can anyone tell me why this birdcage isnt suitable for budgies ???  

Sometimes you may need to have a good hold on your budgie, such as for nail clipping, crop feeding, pulling a blood feather, assessing the body condition or catching an escapee.

Very important:

• Never restrict your budgie's chest. Birds do not have a diaphragm and rely completely on their chest muscles to move air through their lungs. If a bird cannot expand its chest, it cannot breathe.
• Never squeeze your budgie. Use minimal pressure, just enough to hold the budgie and never a bit more. If your budgie is really struggling and your gentle hold is not enough, DO NOT squeeze harder, it is best to let go and try again.

To catch the budgie in its cage, some people use a small handtowel and place it over the bird. This blocks its escape routes and calms it down (no sudden vision of a giant hand grabbing at it). The owner then transfers it into a free hand to hold it properly. Others find it easier to herd the bird into a corner/on the floor and to gently envelop the bird, without using a towel, which to them may be a terrifyingly large foreign object. Of course, it is much simpler if your budgie is tame. Use whatever you find quick/comfortable and you believe to be less stressful for your budgie.

There are three main ways to hold a budgie, based on how the head is held: two fingers, thumb and finger, thumb and two fingers.

Two-finger hold

This is generally used for quickly moving birds (like an escapee or from cage to cage). It is also good for initially catching your budgie before changing to a different hold. Of the three holds this one has the least head control, so the budgie may give you a good nip on the fingers. The wings may also be able to flap.

The head rests between the bones of your index and ring fingers, the rest of the body sits snugly in the palm of your hand. The thumb and ring finger can help push the legs back.

Thumb/finger head restraint

This gives you more control of the head, and is good for biters, crop feeding or examining the body in detail. With this hold you can lift the middle, ring and pinky fingers and gently extend one wing for examination.

The tips of the thumb and index finger are placed on the cheeks. Always place the head-controlling fingers gently onto a bony area of the head, not the flesh part of the neck. The body is in the palm of the hand. The inside of the thumb restrains one wing, the remaining fingers restrain the other. The pinky can be used to restrain the legs.

Thumb/two finger head restraint
A variation of the finger/thumb restraint. This hold is intended to gain maximum control of the head and is most useful for beak trimming or examining the head in detail.

The thumb and middle fingers rest on the cheeks. The index finger is placed on top of the crown and can be used to direct the motion of the head.

Tips -
-I have found that my budgies hate being upside-down. I believe it is uncomfortable on their lungs, as birds were not made to be upside-down especially if they are stressed from being held. For that reason, I hold them the right way up as much as I can, especially when I'm not immediately doing something.
-When I think my budgie is freaking out too much or kicking around making it difficult for me to get a hold, I often sit the her in one hand. I form a circle with my index finger and thumb, and gently place the her head into it from the palm side. She cannot go forward because of the ring I made with my fingers, and cannot back out because I gently push her towards the ring she tries.
-For biters, a towel or Q-tip can be used to distract them from your fingers
-For kickers, a pencil or a finger can be used as a perch for gripping
=================================

With thanks to my gorgeous assistant, Squee. Please excuse the piece of fluff in her beak, I didn't notice it at the time, and she was getting quite fed up with it all so I haven't retaken them.

Feel free to discuss and add by clicking here to see full post with replies

Hens can reach sexual maturity at 5-6 months, but it takes up to 18 months before they are physically and emotionally mature. They should not be bred as soon as they are able to, as they do not have sufficient vitamin, mineral, and calcium stores in their bodies for the demands placed upon them to create eggs, and their bones are still soft and not always able to withstand the rigors of egg production. Emotionally they often do not know what to do with the chicks, or even how to properly incubate the eggs at 6 months of age.

Cockbirds reach sexual maturity a little later, maybe 7-9 months, but like the hens are not completely mature until much older. The males also should not breed just as soon as they are physically able, a little waiting until they are more emotionally mature is suggeste.

Here is a guideline to tell if you have a young budgie (scroll down for enlarged picture) detailing what to look for.  

Click in the link provided to help learn how to sec your budgie by it's cere (note all young budgies will have pink ceres so it can be difficult to sex them if you are not experience ) Sexing my budgie

Budgies make a variety of different noises but the squawking (or ACK ACK ACKing) is the one most complained about. While the noise certainly doesn't sound pleasant, it doesn't necessarily mean that your budgie is unhappy or angry. Most budgies will make this noise when they're excited, calling to another budgie, or just want to hear their own voice. This is almost never a behavioral issue and you should not attempt to punish your budgie. However, if your budgie seems to be making noise in order to get your attention and this bothers you, ignore it. Don't yell at your budgie or run over to cover him up. Eventually, your bird will find that making noise does not cause you to come running and he will stop.

This is exactly what you should be asking yourself any time your budgie bites. Why is it happening? Is your bird scared? Is she protecting her cage or favorite toy? Is she overly excited?

Once you figure out the cause of the biting, you can figure out how to stop it. Here are some of the more common reasons for biting and how to go about dealing with them:

Fear: If you try to catch an untame budgie in your hands or you have it backed into a corner, chances are it will bite you. This is often the last resort and a budgie that is afraid would much rather get away than bite but if it is left with no other option, you'll be bitten. If you have to catch and/or restrain your budgie it is best to wear gloves so that the bites aren't painful to you and the process is over quickly. The longer you chase your budgie the more afraid it will become. Biting out of fear should never be treated as a behavioral problem but as with all bites, do not react. If you react to biting your budgie will realize that it can cause you to recoil or be afraid by doing so.

Territorial Aggression: This is probably the second most common cause for biting (next to fear biting). Sometimes budgies become very protective over their territory and posessions. In most cases, this includes their cage. A territorial budgie will charge your hand if you try and reach inside the cage and will bite you. This is often accompanied by what I like to call "angry dolphin" noises. They are very high pitched and rapid and generally mean the bird is angry/unhappy about what's going on.

As always, ignore these bites. Budgie bites can hurt but if you react in anyway (pulling your hand back, screaming, cursing, etc.) you'll only be "rewarding" your budgie for its actions. For example, by pulling your hand away you are inadvertantly teaching the budgie that biting works in getting you out of the cage. By screaming or cursing you're still teaching the bird that biting gets a reaction and many birds actually enjoy causing you to screech or flail about! So, don't react to the bites (at least not on the outside).

The next step in trying to discourage territorial aggression is to keep the toys and perches of your bird's cage rotated regularly. Change things up often so that your budgie doesn't get as much of a chance to get used to the setup and lay claim to the cage.

If you notice that the budgie is protective of a particular toy, exchange it with a different one and see if that helps.

If you have the space you can even move the entire cage to a different area of the room so the bird gets a change of scenery.

Hormonal Periods & Molting: Sometimes budgies get cranky as they become young adults and/or when they're molting. This is a phase that will pass with time and again, the most important thing to remember is to ignore the biting.

If you notice your budgie displaying behaviors associated with mating and/or courtship (such as regurgitating food for you, another person, or a favorite toy or attempts to mate with those objects) he/she is probably going through a hormonal period. Rearranging the cage can help curb this behavior and it is also a good idea to reduce your bird to 8-10 hours of daylight if he/she was getting more than that. This is especially important if you have a female budgie who is trying to lay infertile/unwanted eggs as egg laying can lead to egg binding and egg peritonitis which can both be fatal.

If your budgie is behaving differently and you're unable to figure out why, it's a good idea to have him/her seen by your avian vet to rule out illness or injury.

Budgies regurgitate (bring food up from the crop) for their mates or friends as a sign of affection and a means of bonding. However, not all humans appreciate having their finger covered in undigested seed! Still, if your budgie does this you should feel honored and loved. It's best to ignore this behavior when it's done to us. If your budgie is becoming "obsessed" with a mirror, toy, or other object it might be wise to remove the favorite object and replace it with something else. Allowing this sort of behavior to continue can lead to a very frustrated, hormonal budgie which can in turn, lead to biting and other behavioral problems.

Additional reading to ensure your bird is actually regurgitation vs vomiting (which can indicate sickness) Reguritation vs Vomiting

It is normal for budgies to bicker amongst themselves, but if your birds are actually becoming violent they should be separated immediately. Generally, two males will get along better than two females. In a male/female pair, it's common for the female to become a little bossy and pushy with the male. These are things you should keep in mind when choosing your birds.

Giving each budgie its own food dish, providing plenty of interesting toys, and having a spacious cage can all help decrease the amount of bickering amongst your budgies.

Quarantine Program is the first thing you will need to do before your introduce any new birds to your existing birds (flock).

Here is a method that I have used and found to be useful when introducing a new bird to the existing flock.  This method is primary to be used if you are introducing in a small setting (such a inside cage or a small aviary).  Those who have large aviaries may have different methods since the situation is different.

When I introduce Pretty to Merlin it was a gradual process.   When quarantine was over these are the steps I took.

1. I first let them out together on top of the cage with complete supervision
2. I kept their cages side by side but not where they could beak fight or pick at each others toes.  So about 2 inches apart
3. I then let Merlin go in Pretty's cage during the day supervised only
4. I then let Merlin go in Pretty's cage during the day unsupervised only after I knew that everyone body was settled.
5. After I knew the daytime unsupervised time was OK, I then housed them together.

Now not everyone may do what I did but this is why I did this.

When I first introduced them Pretty thought Merlin was a girl (he was a boy) and kept trying to jump on his back plus he was very hyper flirting like mad.  Merlin kept refusing his actions of love :D and would do a lot of dolphin noises.

I moved on to the next step when Merlin was doing so much dolphin "mad" like budgie noises and Pretty settled down.

For me it took just a little under 2 weeks.  Everyone is different some members can put their budgies in straight away (after quarantine is over) but I could not.

Many people ask the question will my budgie talk?

The answer to that question is "maybe"

There are different factors in involved.  Lets review them.

Is your budgie the sole budgie?
Is your budgie a male?
Do you talk to your budgie all the time and repeat the same phrase over and over?

If you answered yes to the questions above then the chance of your budgie learning to talk is greatly increased.  Sole budgies see you as part of the flock so they may start to mimic you.  When your budgie starts to mimic your whistles and you hear a lot of gibberish going on that sounds like talking then listen hard because he/she may be trying to talk. 

In theory males are considered to mimic better.  It only makes sense as in the wild or even in captive breeding situation they are more vocal when flirting with the hens.  So if you have a male bird your chances are high but do know females have been known to pick up whistles and talk too.

When you repeat the phrase or the whistle over and over that you want your bird to learn it has a better chance of picking it up faster.  Talk to your bird when they are in a calm state such as first thing in the morning, in the afternoon during their mid-day nap or in the evening at bedtime.  You will find they are quieter, then will tilt their head to listen to you.  Budgies will usually pick up the whistles first and then if they are going to talk that will be the next step.

A question that comes into play is will my budgie stop talking if I get a 2nd budgie?  The answer to this question is maybe.  We have members that have budgies that talk and taught their others budgies to talk (that is rare situation though).  I found with my own personal experience that when I introduced Merlin to Pretty.  Pretty did stop talking entirely.  Though you have to weigh the reason why you are getting a 2nd budgie it could far out weight having your budgie talk.

In close, budgies will mimic their own kind vs human talk if given a choice.

Remember some birds may talk and some may not.  Don't purchase a budgie just because you want a talking bird you may be disappointed. 

If you are a breeder and are looking to sell tame babies or want a tame baby for yourself here are so tips from our breeders on the website.

Member Neat
If you can hand raise them and know how to crop feed, Then you can take it out of the box 1 week earlier. However I recommend waiting until it has fledged. You will notice to, the more time you spend with the chicks in the nest box the more they become use to you and the taming process is also alot quicker.

Member melbournebudgies:
I start handling all my chicks for taming from the time they open their eyes, before this I just handle them as necessary to check on them and make sure they are developing properly. I have raised some gorgeous tame babies this way and the parents do all the hard work I take one chick out at a time, normally just after they have had a feed so I know they won't miss anything important and handle them for ten minutes each.

No matter what techinque you use remember to always before you handle the chicks to wash your hands throughly before and after each handling.

The good points to look for are: -
1. A bright, healthy, alert bird with sleek feathering, sitting up proudly on the perch.
2. Are the other birds looking healthy?
3. Is the surroundings clean? Do the water containers look clean and fresh?  Does the bottom of the cage look clean?


Avoid: -
1. A bird that is fluffed up.
2. Laying down across the perch.
3. Sitting huddled on the bottom of the cage.
4. A bird that has dirty vent.
5. Rough feathering unless it is due to moulting   Read First Molt?
6. Any bird that is not bright and chirpy.
7. Never buy a bird that is kept in dirty surroundings.

Birds from clean and tidy aviaries have the best chance of being healthy.

It is normal for a female budgie to have a very crusty brown cere when in breeding condition.  However, if this is not the case, you may have a budgie with scaley face mites.

Symptoms: Beak deformity, encrustation of the cere, nasal obstruction, lameness of affected legs and feet

Description: Scaly face/scaly leg disease starts from the beak and spreads to other areas of the head and body.

Treatment: Ivermectin is the most common treatment for scaley face mites and can be obtained at your avian vet's office. It is always a good idea to have this condition seen by the avian vet so that it can be officially diagnosed and so that you can be instructed on the proper course of treatment. Scaley face is fairly common and normally takes only a couple of weeks to disappear after beginning proper treatment. Because it is contagious to other birds, it is wise to keep the affected bird away from all others and it may be necessary to treat your entire flock. Finding an Avian Vet

Budgie affected by scaley face mites.

This is the same budgie about
one month after treatment.

This is a serious condition and must be treated straight away!

Symptoms: Blood apparent on bird or spattering of blood in area surrounding bird or on perch.

Description: The bird's body does not contain much blood and serious bleeding could be fatal in a short period of time. They do have a good clotting ability and with most minor bleedings (a couple of drops of blood) no action is required. If the bleeding is serious, then you must get rapid control of the bird to properly treat as described below. If the bird moves around frantically, it will most likely loose more blood.

Treatments:

If bleeding is occurring from a nail:

• Minimize the bird's movement.
• Apply styptic powder (or gauze dipped in ferric chloride) to the nail and apply pressure for 30 seconds.
• If no clotting agent is available then apply digital pressure to the end of the nail for approximately 1 minute.

If bleeding is occurring from the beak:

• Minimize the birds movement
• Apply styptic powder (or gauze dipped in ferric chloride) to the nail and apply pressure for 30 seconds. Do not allow the bird to ingest the clotting agent.
• If no clotting agent is available then apply digital pressure to the site of bleeding for approximately 1 minute.

If bleeding is occurring from a quill:

• Minimize the birds movement
• Grasp the base of the quill with tweezers and remove it by quickly pulling in the direction of its growth.

If bleeding is occurring from the skin:

• Minimize the birds movement
• Carefully pluck feathers from the area of injury
• Clean wound with warm water or 1% hydrogen peroxide
• Apply antibiotic powder
• If stitches are required to close the wound, see your avian veterinarian
• Apply digital pressure to the site of bleeding for approximately 1 minute.

Birds can tolerate a 30% loss of the blood volume, 2% of their body weight, before they show subsequent distress. Birds are very efficient in stabilizing their blood pressure after blood loss. They are able to do this by moving fluid from inside tissues (interstial fluid) into vascular spaces (vessels) and arteriolar vasoconstriction (reduction in diameter of vessels).

If in doubt, contact your avian vet. Finding an Avian Vet

Also read: My budgie is bleeding/dying/eggbound/vomiting/etc

Birds are susceptible to an avian cold virus. If not treated the condition could develop into another condition, especially pneumonia.

They can not catch a cold from a human being but they can get sick from our salvia or salvia from other animals. So sharing food that you bit into or giving kisses directly on the beak is not recommended.

Symptoms: Nasal discharge, sneezing, listlessness, difficulty breathing, lack of appetite, eyes watery, feathers ruffled, tail pumping when breathing.

Treatment: Isolate the bird from the flock and place in a warm cage with temperature at 80 to 85 degrees F. Apply inhalant to keep nasal passages clear. Monitor that the bird is continuing to eat. Aureomycin will sometimes help but is not always effective.

Make an appointment with your Avian Vet.  Finding an Avian Vet

Respiratory infections are not always detected.  Budgies are masters at hiding their illness until it is too late.  Always observe your budgies habits on a daily basis such as eating, respiratory, activity level, you can check your budgie over with your eyes by looking at nasal passages, their dropping, eating behavior and more. 

Click here for more information Signs of a healthy budgie AND Signs of a sick budgie

Room By Room: Household Hazards To Your Bird
Bedroom: pillows, candles, vases full of water, jewellery, cosmetics fumes

Bathroom: aerosols, lid up on the toilet seat,

Laundry Room: ammonia, bleach, chlorine, cleaners (floor, drain, oven etc), spray starch.

Plants: amarylis, azalea, bird of paradise, blue bonnet, bulb flowers (iris, daffodil, etc), calla lily leaves, crabapple leaves only, eggplant all parts but fruit, elderberry, english ivy, holly, mistletoe, poison ivy/oak/sumac, rhododendrom, rhubarb, skunk cabbage, cherry tree all parts but the fruit.  There are many more you can contact your avian vet or visit our forums for more information.

SAFE Plants: bamboo, beech (American and European), blueberry, dogwood, grape vine, hibiscus, marigolds, mulberry, rose, willow, fern, fig plant (ficus species), grape ivy, herbs, pothos, swedish ivy, spider plant.

Kitchen: uncovered trash cans, open appliances, hot toasters or stove elements, covered pot's on the stove, unsafe foods, household chemicals, overheated non-stick cookware, glasses full of liquid, decorative ceramic ware treated with a lead glaze, sink full of hot water, aerosols, self cleaning ovens when being used to clean. Read about Dangers in the Kitchen.

Foods: alcoholic beverages, avocados, caffeine (coffee, tea, soda), chocolate, moldy foods, mushrooms, raw meat, raw onion, raw peanuts in shell, fruit seeds, salty foods.

Living Room: furniture cushions, toxic houseplants, fireplace matches, full ashtrays, leaded glass sun catchers or lampshades, vases full of water.

Home office: computer cords, pens, markers, staplers, pushpins, scissors, laminators, toner cartridges, lead

Garage/Basement: hot glue guns, paints, solvents, glues, hand or power tools, car cleaning and maintenance products, fertilizer, insecticides, other gardening products, antifreeze, auto products, moth balls, lighter fluid, kerosene, pesticides, propane.

One odourless but deadly fume that may occur in your home is carbon monoxide. To protect your health as well as your birds, scrupulously maintain your furnace, oven, stove, and other appliances that use fossil fuels such as natural gas. Contact your local utility company to find out if it offers free appliance checks for carbon monoxide. If you start to developing flu like symptoms or find yourself suffering from a constant headache or nausea, have a qualified technician check your appliances for possible carbon monoxide emissions.

Hidden Hazards: Fumes

Many fumes found in your home may be harmful to your bird's health. These include cleaning products, cigarettes, incense, potpourri, scented candles, and overheated non-stick cook-ware.

A good rule of thumb to follow is if you can smell it; don't use it around your bird.

Pet-Proofing your Home (for all pets) Checklist

• candles, heated potpourri pots
• cat litter box (other then cats)
• children (supervise all pet/child interactions)
• unsupervised dogs, cats or ferrets
• extreme heat or cold
• filled bathtubs or sinks
• open toilets (keep lids closed)
• frayed electrical wiring
• fireplaces & heaters
• hot pots, pans, utensils
• hot water
• hot electric/gas/wood stove
• medications including vitamins
• open doors & windows
• open washer & dryer (keep lids closed)
• open refrigerator
• wall mirrors
• rotating ceiling or window fans
• uncurtained windows

This is just a brief list, use your common sense to protect your pets from unwanted dangers.

Regurgitation looks just like when the cockbird is feeding either babies or hen. They are bringing it up into their throat to feed others. They arch their head and neck and then bob their heads up and down to bring the food up. Regurgitation is an up and down movement. This is a normal behavior.  Read more: Why does my budgie regurgitate for me (or another object)?

Vomiting  is a bit stronger like convulsive and the bird shakes it head side to side and splatters the vomit. Vomiting is a sideways shaking of the head.  If your bird if vomiting you need to call your Avian Vet immediately this is a sign of sickness.

The personal loss and grief can still be extreme, but I do have to say that the beautiful peacefulness of your pets passing becomes a great comfort.
If your vet does not use anaesthesia as a prelude to euthanasia as a matter of course, you CAN insist upon it. This way, things are much easier on both your pet, and on you, especially with a small animal.

Euthanasia is seen as a dark subject, and from my experience, rarely discussed openly in public forums. It is even quite difficult to find heartfelt personal experiences on the web.

I hope my very recent experience of it has helped remove some of the darkness and horror that often seems to surround this subject. I hope it shows that those final steps in that final journey, can, indeed, have a peaceful beauty about them.
Even as I am writing this, I am grieving the loss of my much loved friend. But, I am NOT grieving how he passed. I will be eternally grateful for that beautiful, painfree, fear free passing.

AKA BBC Member Chirpy

above picture - 4 week old chick

above picture -  10 day old chick

Quarantine is the best way in protecting your existing birds from the introduction of infectious disease. It is also to determine whether or not the new bird or birds are diseased and then to treat the problem. The quarantine cage is where all new birds are housed and ideally it should be in a completely different room where there is no airborne or physical contact.

Recommend days for quarantine are at least 30 days (1 month). Avian Vets recommend 90 days (3 months) for best results as many illness can lay dorminate.

It is strongly recommended you quarantine! If you don't, you could lose all your budgies!

Budgerigar Quarantine ProgramThe following list outlines the steps that should be taken to safely and effectively
quarantine new arrivals to protect your existing flock from potential infection. Most
steps can be applied to any species. The main difference is in the size of the
quarantine cages used.

Bird Quarantine Program

Bird Treatments
1. External Parasites (Lice and Mites)
Spray thoroughly with A.I.L. before putting in quarantine cage.

2. Internal Parasites (Worms)
Treat with Wormout Gel on day one of quarantine
- CROP NEEDLE DOSE:
Fill a 1mL syringe with Wormout Gel and deliver. Administer 0.05mL per 100g body weight, once.
Repeat every three months.
- IN WATER:
All aviary birds add one mL to 80mL of drinking water, for two days. Pigeons - use only half the
dose by adding one mL to 160mL of drinking water. Treat birds for 2 days. Remove all other water
supply. Each pump delivers 2mLs. Aviaries should be treated at least four times a year.

3. Protozoa (Canker/Coccidia): Treat Canker with Ronivet-S; mix 4g per 4L drinking water daily for 5 days. Treat Coccidia with Coccivet; mix 1.5mL per Litre drinking water for 5 days.

4. Psittacosis: Use Psittavet in water; mix 4g per 800mL of drinking water (mix fresh solution daily) daily
for 45 days.

5. Megabacteria: Treat with Megabac-S; mix fresh solution daily for 10 days.

6. Nutrition: Supply extra vitamins (Soluvet), minerals (Tracemin), probiotics (Probotic) and protein for
the entire quarantine period.

Quarantine Conditions

CAGES
Size
- Budgie/small parrot; Breeding cabinet (600mm x 450mm x 350mm)
- Finch/canary; Budgie breeding cabinet
- Medium/large parrot; 1200mm x 900mm x 900mm
- Cockatoo; 900mm x 900mm x 900mm.
Position
- Inside conditions; separate air space
- Outside conditions; At least 5 meters from other birds.
Preparation
- Cleaned and disinfected with Avi Safe
- Treated for insects with Avian Insect Liquidator (A.I.L.)
- Paper on bottom of cage.

Hygiene: Clean cages and feed birds in quarantine AFTER normal aviary maintenance
Wash hands with Avi Safe Scrub after attending to quarantine birds
Be careful not to carry droppings, feathers or other waste back into existing aviary
Wash and disinfect food and water containers with Avi Safe daily.

This is likely to get lengthy but I promise the information is worth reading. Though, if your budgie is actually bleeding, breathing heavily, has a strange lump, vomiting, shivering, staying puffy, not moving, hanging around the bottom of the cage (when doing so is out of his/her character), not eating, losing weight, being unusually quiet, not using a limb or not using one normally, or pretty much exhibiting any behavior that you find odd or different, at the very least call your avian veterinarian as soon as possible. Post here AFTER you've called a vet (and hopefully made an appointment that is soon). Time is almost always of the essence with these little birds. It may be no big deal but it could very well be an emergency. No one can advise you better than an avian veterinarian who has gone through nearly (or more than) a decade of schooling for what he/she does. We are not veterinarians or even experts on the health of budgies or any other bird. We can take a stab at the cause of your budgie's problem based only on our experiences and the experiences of those we know and/or have read about but in the end, we're not there to treat your bird. Our opinions are merely educated guesses and not nearly as educated as those of a true avian veterinarian.

If you don't know who the closest avian veterinarian is, try using some of these links to help. If they don't point you in the right direction, give your local small animal vet a call and ask them to refer you. Don't let them talk you into taking your bird into them as many of them see birds but aren't actual avian vets. You and your bird will be much better off going to someone who specializes in birds though in a dire emergency any vet is better than no vet at all.

USA/Canada:
http://aav.org/vet-lookup/
http://www.birdsnways.com/articles/abvpvets.htm

Australia:
http://www.vetafarm.com.au/avian_vets.asp

UK/Other:
http://www.theparrotsocietyuk.org/avian-vets.shtml
http://www.parrotpassionsuk.com/Advice/Uk_Avian_Vets.htm


Why hurry?
Budgies in the wild that show signs of illness, injury, or other weakness are the first to be picked off by predators. Because of this, they instinctively "hide" their troubles for as long as possible. If you've ever watched a budgie die (and I hope you've been spared the sight) you'll know that until the point where they can no longer move, they attempt to look as normal and alive as possible. It's extremely sad to watch, but it's what they're designed to do. As a result, a sick budgie will make itself appear healthy and by the time you actually notice that something is up, the bird is feeling extremely bad. Sometimes they show no signs until they're on the brink of death. This is why ANY change warrants a phone call to your avian vet at the very least. It costs nothing to make the call (well, depending on your phone plan) and your vet can let you know if he/she thinks the bird needs to be brought in and when. Making an appointment as soon as you notice something amiss is the best course of action but a phone call is better than wasting time trying to guess yourself. Which brings me to another good point: Googling the symptoms or asking people on the internet will usually end in the answer "It could be any number of things." This is because symptoms of illness in budgies are very general and can be pinned on many many different things. It's pointless to try and guess the illness based on symptoms and even if you could, you can't treat it without a vet.

What can I do at home?
Until you get your budgie to the vet, separate him from all your other birds. It's a good idea to keep a small spare cage around to use as a hospital cage. Put this in a warm, quiet room. If your budgie is looking very puffed, he/she is cold and trying to stay warm. You can put the cage in your bathroom letting the hot water run in the bath/shower so that he can get warmth from the steam. You can also place a heating pad under the cage. Set it on low and underneath a towel. Place the cage on top of the towel. Heat lamps can work as well but with any method, make sure the budgie isn't going to get uncomfortably hot. We're not trying to cook the budgie, just keep the chill away.

The perches in the hospital cage should be low. If your budgie is having trouble perching, place something soft (that won't snag his toenails) in the bottom of the cage. Food and water should also be offered at the bottom of the cage so that they're more easily accessed by a poorly budgie.

Won't the trip to the vet stress my budgie too much?
The trip will stress your bird but it won't kill him. On the other hand, the illness/injury afflicting him could very well kill him. Which would you rather be: Stressed for part of a day or dead? The only budgies I've heard of dying on the way to the vet are the ones that were dying before they even got started on the trip.

What if my budgie starts looking better?
You still need to make the trip to the vet. Many budgies start perking up only to die later anyway. At the very least, call your avian vet and explain the situation to him/her in detail so that they can make this judgement for you. Don't simply assume it was a "24 hour virus." Budgies are not people. They're not even mammals and this should be kept in mind when we think of their health and behavior relating to their health. As much as we'd like to relate to them in this way, we have no idea what they're feeling, especially with an animal that instinctively hides its bad feelngs.

What if I can't afford the vet and/or my parents won't take me??
At the very least, call your avian veterinarian for advice. But do keep in mind that to deny an animal health care is cruel and unfair. Before you bring a budgie home make sure that this is something you can provide for him/her. It is part of basic care and should not be considered an option. Too many budgies out there suffer because no one wants to pay the vet bill for a bird that costs so little to begin with. Your budgie depends on you for all its needs and medical care is one of the biggest.

Many vets are willing to work out payment plans for people who are unable to pay the entire vet bill at the time of the visit. Don't just assume that you won't be able to afford the visit. Be straightforward and honest with your vet about your budget from the beginning. Also, make sure that your vet knows how badly you want your bird treated and how much it means to you. A caring budgie owner is something they don't come in contact with nearly as often as they should. Sad, but true.

Lastly, if you don't have a job, can't get a loan from your parents, and your vet won't work out a payment plan, look around your room. Most of us has something worth a little money to sell. To love an animal is to do and give anything you can to keep it healthy and happy. To merely like an animal is to give it food, water, and a place to live that may or may not be up to par. I for one can't understand why a person would keep an animal for any reason other than loving it but I've seen many who do just that. If that's the case with you, it would be a good idea to reconsider owning a pet that your heart isn't completely into taking care of.

We want your budgie to get better and live a full life but in the end, that's up to you. If your budgie is sick or hurt, get it to a vet! At least CALL the vet before posting here. I know in a moment of panic you do all you can to figure out what is going on. But I promise you that it's faster to dial a phone number than it is to type up a frantic post on a bird forum. Especially if you put your avian vet on speed dial or tape the number to your phone. And you should...right now! Finding an Avian Vet

Also Read: My bird has hurt itself and is bleeding. What can I do?

Click here to search for an avian vet in the area. Some avian vets are not always listed so if you find an avian vet by you but not close you can call them and ask if they know of anyone closer to your area. This link can be used for all countries.

It is important that you find an avian vet before your bird (s) become sick. When birds become sick they go downhill very quickly and if you don't have an avian vet that you know of you will go into panic mode. Be prepared! It may save your birds life.

USA/Canada:
http://aav.org/vet-lookup/
http://www.birdsnways.com/articles/abvpvets.htm 
http://www.lafeber.com/FindALocal/Vet/default.aspx

Australia:
http://www.vetafarm.com.au/avian_vets.asp

UK/Other:
http://www.theparrotsocietyuk.org/avian-vets.shtml
http://www.parrotpassionsuk.com/Advice/Uk_Avian_Vets.htm

Can I trim my budgies nails? Yes, but it is important to be careful when trimming the nails. The quick is the blood and nerve supply that grows part way down the middle of each nail (birds have a very long quick). In light colored nails it is visible as the pink area in the nail. In dark or black nails the quick is completely hidden. When cut, the quick may bleed profusely. Birds do not have a very good clotting mechanism, so be careful. If you choose to attempt nail trims at home then you must have a clotting agent or styptic powder on hand. A pet store or your veterinarian may have a safe pet product available. Powdered clotting agents seem to work better than liquids.

Small bird nails may be trimmed with a human nail clipper.  The bird should be securely and safely restrained.  This is usually a 2 person job.  One person holds the bird and the other person does the trimming.  You can wrap your bird in a towel to secure him/her better. The nail may be trimmed a little at a time to help lessen the chance of bleeding. It takes good judgment and practice to trim nails properly. If bleeding occurs, remain calm, restrain the bird safely and securely and use finger pressure to pinch the toe just before the nail. This will provide a tourniquet action while a clotting agent or styptic powder is pushed into the cut end. Cornstarch or flour may be used in an emergency but is not an adequate substitute under normal situations.

Your veterinarian can trim the nails safely during regular health examinations and is prepared to deal with any bleeding should it occur. Finding an Avian Vet

Ways to keep your budgies nails healthy. Do not use sandpaper perch covers as they do not keep the nails short and could cause terrible sores on the bottom of the feet. Bumblefoot is a good read for everyone.

Natural washed branches from non-toxic trees make great perches. Trees such as elm, apple, plum, pear, magnolia, citrus trees, and poplar are just a few suggestions, Leave the bark on for texture and chewing. They should be of varying sizes and provide the opportunity for the bird to grip or grasp the perch, not just stand on with open feet. Birds are less likely to slip off, startle or fall from perches that they are able to grasp tightly. Varying sized perches provide better exercise for the bird’s feet.

The beak is a multipurpose instrument used for eating, preening, grasping, climbing (like a third foot), self-defense, touching, playing and communication. It is capable of great strength and gentle touch. The beak is also constantly growing but tends to stay a relatively constant length because the bird is always wearing it down as it eats climbs and plays.

After a bird eats you may see it wipe and clean its beak on an object in the cage such as a perch. This provides a wearing action for the beak. Your pet may also grind its upper and lower beak together, which further wears down the beak. This grinding of the beak often occurs when the bird is quiet or about to sleep, often in the later afternoon.

Providing your bird with pet-safe toys and chewing activities will not only help wear down the beak, but will provide hours of entertainment for your pet.  For Types of toys for my budgie? click.

As a general rule, if a beak appears too long there could be a problem and it should be seen by your veterinarian. It is not advisable to ever attempt to trim the beak at home. A veterinarian familiar with birds will trim or grind the beak properly during regular health examinations as needed.

For smaller birds such as a finch, budgie or cockatiel, cuttle bones, lava rock and mineral or iodized blocks may be helpful as a wearing surface for the beak,

Any changes in the rate of growth, color, texture or the way the beak or nail grows should be brought to the attention of your veterinarian immediately.  Avian Vet Look-up

Aloe Vera

I am not sure if there is any scientific evidence to back up this article but people who have used it seem pleased with their results, and there is Aloe Vera available in New Zealand for farmers to give to their dairy cattle. Most health shops sell capsules, hand cream etc., so there must be something going for it.

I have had two people contact me on the use of AloeVvera as a natural wormer and also a tonic and pick me up. The first person places a whole AloeVera leaf in his drinking water for four to five days every two months and says there is no algae forming while it is in the water. The other is from Les Gill and he uses Aloe Vera on his birds.

Keep your birds in top condition by growing and using Aloe Vera in your aviary's day to day management. Aloe Vera is a miracle cure for most diseases in birds.

It helps with digestive disorders caused by birds eating infected foods.
It is a wormer and laxative.
It is excellent on cuts and sores and will stop cuts bleeding and act as an antiseptic.
It can be used as a spray and acts as a conditioner.
It stops bacterial and fungal growth.
It gives your birds greater stamina.
It helps prevent egg binding.
It will help control a lot of other diseases.
The active ingredients in AloeVera are:

Alion, Baralon, Natalon, Chlorophyl, Emodin, Resins, Albumin, Essential oils, Gum Arabic, Silica, Phosphate, Lime, Iron.
The minerals it contains are

Vit. A, Vit B1, Vit B2, Vit B3, Vit C, Vit E, Vit B12,
The minerals it contains are

Calcium, Chloride, Chromium, Copper, Magnesium, Potassium, Sodium, and zinc
There are also 17 amino acids and 5 enzymes.

The enzymes are most beneficial to the birds whole system and will activate the functioning of any sluggish parts. This means an improvement in health and well-being, and a noticeable difference can be observed after 48 hours.

To use Aloe Vera make a gel juice by the following method.

Fill a one litre jar with rain or filtered water, and place a 115 gram piece of Aloe Vera leaf in it. If using as a wormer of laxative leave the thick skin on, otherwise trim it off. (Remember, put water in jar first)
Place jar in refrigerator for 24 hours. The leaf will float at first and when ready will sink to the bottom of the jar.
Dilute the solution 50/50 with water and give to your birds daily.
The original solution can also be topped up and the Aloe Vera leaf will be effective for 14 days..
Remember you cannot overdose your birds on this.

Important points

Do not shake or stir the jar as the enzymes are very sensitive.
Keep refrigerated, enzymes are destroyed by heat.
Change water daily.
Solution can also be sprayed on birds for external parasites.
For cuts and sores use the gel that oozes from the leaves.

Natural Conditioning

• Symptoms Respiratory distress (heavy breathing, gasping, tail bobbing, yawning actions often accompanied by head swinging)
• Vomiting actions (nothing may be brought up)
• Lethargy
• A bird that does not normally like physical contact will often allow any contact
• without struggle, may even seek contact.
• Fitting (uncontrollable shaking etc)
• Inability to perch, falling
• Fluffed feathers

THESE SYMPTOMS ARE OFTEN FOLLOWED BY DEATH, AND IN MANY, BUT NOT ALL CASES, IS IRREVERSIBLE.

Treatment:  Immediately remove bird from area of fumes, or if this is not possible, ensure bird is secure in cage/aviary and open ALL doors and windows, and set in motion any extractor fans.

Get bird/s to vet as fast as is humanly possible, or get vet out to the birds. For best chance of success, the bird will usually need to be hospitalized in an avian hospital

AVIAN VET TREATMENT: Can be successful SOMETIMES. Could well include (and please suggest this to your vet if he/she seems unsure of what to do)

An injection directly into the birds system of antibiotics, accompanied by an injection of steroids.

The bird should then be placed in an incubator with a pure oxygen supply (This helps the birds body to rid itself of the toxins)The bird should be kept warm, and the air humidified.

Teflon poisoning, or any type of poisoning should never be allowed to happen, but the accidents do happen, that’s life. Being aware of the symptoms, and acting fast, can mean the difference between life and death.

Click here to locate an avian by you: Avian Vet Look-up

Supplies:

ü      Cotton bud sticks for wound cleaning and application of ointments and scalyface products

ü      Corn flower or styptic pencil – to clot blood (you can get a styptic pencil at your local pharmacy)

ü      Egg white –using egg white is a good way to 'splint' a leg, just brush it on and let it get hard. Easy to remove as well just add water.

ü      Iodine - bird safe for sterilizing

ü      Cotton Wool Balls/pads – to absorb body fluids and apply to wounds

ü      General vitamin supplement (ACEhigh,  Avimix, Soluvet plus)

ü      Syringes and crop needles for emergency feeding and medicine dosage

ü      Avian Insect Liquidator  - Or other mite and feather lice treatment

ü      Hand raising formula (for birds too sick to eat on their own, until you can get them to a vet) Eg. Poly-Aid, Passwell Hand Rearing Food or Budgie Starter

ü      Bandages: to wrap splints to legs or hold broken wings down onto the body.

ü      Plastic drinking straws - Split lengthwise they can be additional support when splinting  a tiny budgie leg.

ü      Saline - for washing wounds out (and cleaning eyes, but only if it is 0.9% [also called normal saline] solution otherwise it is too strong)

ü      Tooth Picks – cut off the point and use for splinting legs

ü      Icy Pole or Ice block sticks (toothpicks) – cut off sharp ends and to required size. Used for splinting wings etc

ü      Tea towel - for swaddling the budgie, this stops it thrashing around and hurting itself further (a bath towel would be too heavy for a budgie, but would be okay for other birds)

ü      Dish - for putting saline in.

ü      Scissors (Iris scissors are best) - cutting bandages etc.

ü      Sticky tape - for holding bandages together etc.

ü      Blunt nosed tweezers – to pull out remains of broken blood feathers etc  (To safely pull out a broken blood feather support the wing or limb carefully, locate the broken and bleeding feather. Using the forceps, get a good grip around the base of that feather and pull it out in the direction of growth. Use flour for any bleeding. Once the feather is pulled, generally the bleeding stops and further damage is avoided.)

ü        Needle nosed tweezers

ü      STERIS-strips - these are like stitches but you stick them on to keep a wound closed

ü      Little cardboard box for putting the budgie in when carrying it to the vet.

ü      Eye dropper - for feeding or for applying saline to the eye etc.

ü      Honey – a natural antiseptic

ü        Magnifying Glass – helps to see fine detail, mites, leg ring codes etc

ü      Liquid Calcium – for emergency treatment of rickets, and splay legs due to lack of calcium in parents and babies

ü        Baby Oil – for treatment of scaly face mites and scaly legs – apply carefully using cotton wool tip, avoiding nostrils

ü       Make Up Sponge – can be used for the treatment of splayed legs.

ü        Teabags –a natural way of cleaning eye irritations. Soak teabag in warm water and use for irritated eyes

You will need forceps (tweezers) to pull out the remains of broken blood feathers. Support the wing or limb carefully, locate the broken and bleeding feather. Using the forceps, get a good grip around the base of that feather and pull it out in the direction of growth. Use  white pepper for any bleeding. Once the feather is pulled, generally the bleeding stops and further damage is avoided. If you do not feel comfortable doing this please call your Avian Vet ASAP. A small amount of blood loss in budgies can be fatal.

Birds can tolerate a 30% loss of the blood volume, 2% of their body weight, before they show subsequent distress. Birds are very efficient in stabilizing their blood pressure after blood loss. They are able to do this by moving fluid from inside tissues (interstial fluid) into vascular spaces (vessels) and arteriolar vasoconstriction (reduction in diameter of vessels).

Locate your nearest avian vet click Avian Vet Look-up

Do I need a hospital cage:  You can make one up as an emergency thing by just using a warm lamp outside a small cage and covering 2-3 sides of the cage, in an emergency.  any of us with a quantity of budgies or intending to breed budgies make sure we have a hospital cage at the ready for sick birds or for baby budgies needing warmth.

What purpose does a hospital cage serve?  hospital cage is necessary for warmth for a sick budgie. Any sick budgie benefits greatly from being put in a warm cage prior to a possible vet visit.

What temperature should the hospital cage maintain: temperature for a hospital cage is between 27C- 30C

Testing Your Hosptial Cage:  It is a good idea to test out the cage before you need it so you understand how it work.  Run the whole thing with monitoring the temperature and leave it on for the whole day and check temps every half hour to see how the temperature either builds up, or not.

Here is the hospital cage my Dad made for me. Its not a thing of beauty but it works really well.

interior shot

The box is around 2 foot wide by 12 inches deep by 15 inches high. The top comes off for ease of access and is attached to the body of the hospital cage by latches on the sides. There are carrying handles as well.

There is a main perch that runs across the width of the cage. A lamp fitting fitted into the cage and accessed by the bird on the lefthand side. The electrical components are simply a lamp fitting from the elctrical plug right through to the bayonet section that holds the light bulb. There is an external switch.

You may recognise the electrical components from any old lamp you may have. The bayonet section with globe also is fitted with an old style metal shade which assists in directing warmth downwards.
The perch running across the width of the cage allows the bird to move under the heat source or move away from the heat source as needed.

The perch is a maximum 2 inches above ground level. I put paper in to line the base and change the paper 3-4 times a day for health reasons. I also often have a diagonal perch in there running front to back...from floor level to the food and water dispensers that would be clipped to the front of the cage.

The diagonal perch helps any sick birds who can neither perch not reach up to food dishes..it allows them to walk from ground level up to the main perch and access seed and water. The water is put on the right hand side of the cage and would be medicated with whatever is necessary for the sick bird at the time.

As there is a cage front and not perspex, it seems to maintain a constant temperature with no chance of over heating. In this cage I use a 25 watt globe.
As I said...it is no thing of beauty but it works really well, is easy to make and I could NOT do without it.

Thanks to my Dad.

One day if your budgie becomes sick it may be necessary to crop feed them if they stop eating.   Advising someone how to crop feed via words is difficult. It is a skill best shown by a professional breeder or your avian vet. Demonstrated not written instructions is better.  It would be very easy for an amateur to puncture a vital organ and cause a budgies death.

 Due to the bird flue there is a strict control current with the importation of Birds in general.

Information from the Department of Enviroment - Australia

More specific information can be aquired from the Department of Enviroment in Australia.

• Inside conditions; separate air space. (meaning a different room)
• Outside conditions; At least five meters from other birds.

10. PREPARATION· Clean and disinfect quarantine cages.

• Place paper on the bottom of cage and change regularly.
• Wash and disinfect all food and water containers.
• Be careful not to carry droppings, feathers, or any other waste back into your existing aviary.
• Wash hands after caring for quarantined birds.

Below are general illness seen in budgies.  This FAQ was created by Neat (a forum member), this is not to replace taking your bird to an avain vet but to assist you in understanding what could be causing your budgies illness or simple information.  

If your budgie is displaying any signs of illness keep your budgie warm and take them to an avian vet ASAP.  

Bacterial Infections:

Chlamydiosis: This is the most common BACTERIAL infection . Signs vary some with have sudden death, some look sick, wight loss conjunctivitis, loss of feathers around one if not both eyes, fluid from the nostrils, sneezing Heavy breathing tail bobbing, soiled vent and Diarrhoea (usually Lime colour).

Birds can carry this but will not show signs until stressed, While some shed the infections to other birds but not show signs themselves Known as CARRIERS – If you bird survives this infections it can still have a reapeat of it at a later time.

Treatment is a long one, commonly used is Doxycycline ( Psittavet or Doxyvet ) or Baytril which is subscribed by an avian vet ..It must be used for 6 weeks – If they are being treated in a smaller time frame they can look fine but will develop the signs again and relapse

Psittacosis: Psittacosis disease is a potential problem for bird owners!!!! The symptoms are like that of the cold and flu SO MAKE SURE YOU ADVISE YOUR DOCTOR THAT HAVE BIRDS becaise it can be transmitted from avian to human.

Birds with bacterial infections resembles birds with Psittacosis – There are a huge number of different types of bacteria that can cause diseases in birds – THE MOST SERIOUS ONES cause Septicemia (The build up of Poisons in the bloodstream)

Gram Negative Bacterial Infection: Birds like ourselves carry bacteria Good and Bad Called Gram Positive ( Good) Gram Negative ( bad). The negative one is usually the one that causes the problems with birds. – The avian vet will need to place the bird on a course of antibiotics and get swab samples sent away so they know what is the best antibiotic to use for that specific infections.

MEGA (Megabacteria) Megabacteria has been spoken of a lot in the last few years. Megabacteria is a secondary infection....it is a disease that surfaces once the bird has been ill with other things. Its is not a primary disease. It is a disease that may well be present in most bird rooms but will remain undetected unless it is diagnosed by an avian vet. Megabacteria is an organism that lives in the intestines of an infected bird.

Some Signs to Look For (This may be present in the aviary but only some of the birds will have problems)

• The bird in the first stages show no symptoms at all, but as the infection progresses the bird will look ill, fluffed up increase in appetite.
• It will also start to lose a lot of its body weight., over a 12 month period, Looks like it is eating But it isn’t, occasional vomiting,
• Poo may be enlarged and frothy with some seed or even blood in it.
• On examining the bird you will be able to feel the breast.

Lower Respiratory Infection: These are quite ill, They spend a lot of time fluffed up and hunched over, they will have issues breathing ( tail bobbing) mouth breathing loss of voice and appetite they are weak and fly very poorly….
Disease in this area of the body is usually associated with my Chlamydia, Mycoplasma ( is the cause of “ one eye cold” ) or Vitamin A deficiency or a range of bacteria. They can respond well with Tylan. In places with High humidity ASPERGILLOSIS (a fungi that grown in the air sac) may be a part of the problem…

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Non Infectious Diseases:  These problems are not caused from an Infectious Organism so they aren’t contagious, But a rather caused by a problem in their diet or environment, or family bloodlines

Tumors of the Kidneys , Ovary & gonads  Common sign that there is kidney problems is lameness in one leg. Caused by pressure of the tumor on the sciatic nerve. Budgies are prone to tumors in these areas. Birds, may look suddenly unwell, have watery poo and a swollen abdomen. The Hen’s ceres turns a dark blue (hens that are out of condition can have a light blue cere this is normal) and cocks turn brown.

Goitre Swelling of the thyroid gland at the base of the neck can be a goiter. It is commonly seen in budgies that are fed only seed which contains low Iodine. Iodine deficiency causes the gland to enlarge up to 5 times the normal size which places pressure on the windpipe and throat. Birds can’t breathe properly or empty their crops.

Signs to Look For: 

•  vomiting
• tailbobbing ( breathing issue) dry reaching and neck stretching …

Treatment:  : Add Iodine to drinking water once a week, place a clump of grass and soil in with them as this is their natural source of Iodine in the wild, as well as an iodine and mineral block should be in the cage and aviary.  Consult an avian vet to ensure this is what your bird has first.

Gout: Cause by uric build up in the joints. The common cause is advance kidney diease, old age, diet hig in protein.
They will look depressed and ill, lame in one or both legs, swollen joints and feet ( Vet can confim this with blood test)

Fat: (obesity) Having fat birds is a common problem now as we are develoing larger breeds which exercise less. If you have a large number of birds that are fat, have a look at their diet. Many birds that are over weight may have a thyroid gland problem ( found in some bloodlines)

In the United Stated and Canada you will find that worming your budgies is not a very common practice but in other countries such as Austrilia is is very commonly done.

Here is information you will need to know about worming your budgie (s)

If you are buying from a breeder or a pet store ask them if they worm their budgies before you decide to worm.

Here are what our breeders on the forum do:

Ivermectin spot on on the back of the neck for all my budgies and this covers a large number of parasites. I also worm them every three months and I do babies when they are about 6 weeks old  Member: Melbournebudgie

I do the same as Melbournebudgie,but I use the wormer in their water mostly. New incoming birds get the spot on treatment. Any with obvious signs of early scaly face get the spot on treatment. Babies get wormed whilst in the kindy cage anywhere between 6 weeks and 12 weeks. Member: Kaz

Megabacteria

Virtually unheard of as recently as 5-6 years ago, Megabacteria is being increasingly found in more and more species of birds. Although very easy to diagnose and treat, many avian veterinary exams do not include a wet mount of a fresh fecal, generally the ONLY way it can be seen. Like it or not, this is something ALL aviculturists may be facing in ALL species in the very near future.

The following article as well as the links to the left contain a tremendous amount of info regarding this organism, its origin, diagnosis, and treatments. Get familiar with it, it is likely you will seeing it or hearing about it again soon!

Information contributed by Kaz

Megabacteria
by Cerise Duran

Part I - My Experience

My beautiful 6 month old Pacific blue mutation parrotlet was found on the floor of his cage, puffed up and with his head tucked under his wing His appetite was good, but he was very lethargic. I put him into isolation, weighed him (he had a 10% weight loss), provided heat, seeds, soft foods and water.

My veterinarian was out of town, so he was taken to a non-avian doctor the next day. At my request, a CBC and blood chemistry panel were taken, as well as cultures. Blood results came in with a very low white count, apparently an indication of a bacterial infection, and culture results were negative. He was put on antibiotics, but there were no signs of improvement.

Aggressive "nursing care" pulled this bird through the next 4 days, until my veterinarian's return. Heat and hand feeding saved his life. When my avian veterinarian returned, he gave me a call, and asked to see the bird since there had been no improvement from the antibiotics treatment.

This bird had arrived with a second bird, and the two had been sharing the same cage. The cage mate showed no signs of ever slowing down. He was highly energetic, and never skipped a beat. One morning, I was surprised to see the cage mate spitting up undigested beets! Well, he made the trip, along with the blue, to my veterinarian's office.

Luckily for me, my avian veterinarian is well informed, well read, and stays up on all the new "things" going on in the world of avian medicine. He checked the bird's droppings under the microscope. I took a look at the microscope, and there it was - Megabacteria! Both birds had the bacteria, but only one of them showed noticeable symptoms!

Medication was prescribed for the two birds, and viola! In 48 hours, the blue made a complete turn around! His energy returned, and he began to regain the weight he had lost. The two birds went on to make an unremarkable recovery, and the blue has since produced several clutches of babies.

Once the emergency was under control, I needed to deal with the "flock". So, I collected "sample" birds from every cage I had and made the trip back to my veterinarian. These birds were individually checked for Mega. Guess what! It was found in 25% of my cages.

The original two affected birds were the only ones to come from that particular source, and they came from a line of imported European birds. A European import fallow hen from a second source tested positive for Mega. One cage-full of babies, from parents that tested negative, had positive tests for the organism, while another group of babies from the same parents tested negative. The one oddity in the cage of babies that tested positive was a single bird from a third source that shared the cage with them. That bird came from an aviary with birds that had been imported from Europe. I notified all three aviary owners of the problem.

The imported fallow hen had been "looking suspicious" ever since laying her first clutch, and had become rather inactive. I decided to have my veterinarian give her a second exam. He found that this hen had "fat rolls" above her legs. She sat on heperch all day and did nothing while her mate fed her. She laid no more eggs that year, and looked scruffy most of the time. She was chosen as one of the "sample birds" that went in for testing for Megabacteria, and this would be her third trip in. Yes, she had Megabacteria! She was treated, became active once again, lost the fat rolls, and laid and raised 3 successful clutches in 1997. She is active to this day, and has never developed those fat rolls again.

I have described: A) the acute symptoms that appeared in my blue - a bird that looked very much like it would not live to see the 'morrow, the fallow hen that was infected but only looked "suspicious", and C) all the rest of the birds that were infected and displayed absolutely no symptoms! Other than these described symptoms, no others showed up with my birds.

Part II - What is Megabacteria?

Megabacteria is a recognized problem in both Europe and Australia. It's been seen primarily in canaries and budgies, and in particular "show" budgies, although other species have been affected. For the Europeans and Australians, Megabacteria is recognized as a common pathogen. For aviculturists and pet owners in the US, this is viewed by many as an exotic pathogen, and as such should be eliminated from our aviaries and pet birds.

In a publication by Lucio J. Filippich of The University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia, he states that: "Megabacteria are large, gram positive, rod-shaped organisms that are being increasingly found worldwide in the proventriculus or droppings of several pet bird species, especially budgerigars and canaries."

He goes on to say that Megabacteria has been reported to have been found in wild-caught European goldfinches as well as in wild-caught Australian sulfur-crested cockatoos. He states that budgerigar breeding colonies in Australia show a 64% infestation rate.

He describes symptoms of budgerigars in the acute stage to include severe drowsiness, lethargy, fluffed feathers - ending with death within 12 - 24 hours. Regurgitated blood can stain the feathers around the beak and neck. This same bleeding may result in droppings that are black or reddish-black. The chronic stage is more common, and is usually seen in budgerigars over one year of age, or just after the first breeding season. These birds become depressed, lose condition, fluff up and lose weight in spite of their apparent good appetites. Although the birds are often at the food dish, they only grind or mouth their foods, swallowing very little. Birds may regurgitate blood tinged food. They may "mouth gag" or "neck stretch" in an attempt to regurgitate. Their droppings may contain undigested seed particles, or even undigested whole seeds. These budgies will continue to lose weight over weeks or even months, then they either die or slowly recover. He cautions that what may appear to be a recovered bird will usually relapse later when stressed, naming molting or breeding as examples of stress. He also advises that these birds are of no value in a breeding program.

Dr. Speer says that the birds exhibit all the classic signs of having a severe stomach ache. Their fluffed appearance, tucked heads, sitting on the bottom of the cage, closed eyes and pained expressions all look like "us" when we have a stomach ache.

Diagnosis and treatment are relatively reliable and safe. Your avian veterinarian will have to test, diagnose, and prescribe the medication for you. The test in live birds is a simple direct fecal (a fresh dropping) wet-mount slide checked at 400 power or higher. Staining (including Gram's staining) is not necessary. Dr. Speer takes a great deal of time examining the slide, and he has found as few as one or two organisms in the last field checked. In less careful hands, these could have been missed.

Culturing for this bacteria, using conventional culture medium, is not effective. This bacteria can be cultured with great difficulty, but it has special medium requirements, which are not commonly available.

In necropsy examination, the lining of the proventriculus and ventriculus are swabbed for direct examination under a microscope. The organism produces a slimy coating on the mucosal surface of the proventriculus and ventriculus. This slimy coating will be thick with the organism, and diagnosis should be eminent. On some occasions, the bacteria can cause perforation of the proventriculus, which will lead to internal bleeding and death. This swab of the mucosal surface must be done on fresh tissues, not on tissues that have been subjected to preservatives such as formalin. Therefore, it will usually be the veterinarian or pathologist who originally opens the carcass that will have to run this test. It is not uncommon for the organisms, and hence the diagnosis, to be washed off in formalin-fixed tissues, unless fresh wet mounts have been prepared prior to tissue fixation.

Megabacteria is resistant to antibacterial antibiotics. One recognized effective treatment is with the antifungal drug, Amphotericin B. Filippich states that Amphotericin B works on certain components of the cell membranes of fungi. This same action does not apply to Megabacteria, since Megabacteria is lacking in that particular component based on electron microscopy studies. Just how it affects Mega is not known at this time. Mega is, at this time, assumed to be a bacterial organism, although there has been no absolute conclusion.

Treatment prescribed for my birds was the antifungal, Amphotericin B (Fungizone)

Part III - Management

I decided to treat the entire flock of about 50 birds ..... which is when I discovered that it would cost me well over $700.00! The pharmacist at the local hospital conducted a search and found that there was an oral suspension form. Well, you might know how I reacted when she told me that I could buy enough oral medication to treat the entire flock twice for around $30!

The oral form of this medication still is not commonly available in drugstores. Many pharmacists don't even know about it yet. If you ask for their help, they can do a search on their computers and will find that the medication is available.

The oral form was well tolerated by all the birds, they even seemed to like its taste. Every bird had to be caught and treated individually every morning and every night for 10 days. As part of the recommended treatment, about halfway through the ten day period, every cage was thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. Perches and nest boxes, toys and barrier sheets, everything was either discarded or disinfected.

For prevention and containment, test the birds that you currently own (sample birds will probably be adequate for breeders with larger aviaries), then treat accordingly. If you find Mega in even one bird, you should treat your entire flock. Follow your avian veterinarian's advice for treatment, then retest your birds. For breeders, the use of a microscope for screening will be your best tool in elimination efforts.

Use Dr. Speer's "closed aviary concept". Have all new birds examined by your avian veterinarian, including appropriate tests, and maintain quarantine for a minimum of 60 days. Every new bird purchased should be considered a potential carrier. There are many types of birds that are regularly being imported from Europe, resulting in multiple opportunities for cross contamination. Over the course of 2 years, I acquired birds from 5 different breeders and had the organism found in birds from each and every one of them. I now have all new birds tested. The test is noninvasive, inexpensive, and accurate in the hands of a careful diagnostician. If even one bacterial rod is found, the bird should be considered to be infected and subsequently treated. If even one bird tests positive in an aviary, the entire aviary should be considered suspect, and efforts should be made to treat the entire flock. Retesting should confirm the presence or absence of the organism.

Keep your cages clean and use closed water bottles (the hamster style bottles, which may help to reduce the spread of many diseases within an aviary). Clean your cage thoroughly before housing a new bird in it. Do not cross contaminate by sharing used dishes or water bottles between cages. Always thoroughly clean and disinfect all feeding equipment.

Part IV - Afterthoughts

I feel very strongly that birds should not be dying from Megabacteria, were it not for the fact that too few of us are aware of the problem. The same goes for our avian vets. This is quite simply because the organism has not been recognized as a problem in this country until recently, although there have been a number of reported cases for several years now. Have your birds properly screened for this organism, and make the effort to eradicate it. If it is identified in single birds or in your flock, avoid water-based treatments. The probability of only a reduction, not an elimination, of this organism is greater with water-based treatment approaches. This will result in infected or carrier status birds still being sold from your flock, which will potentially go on to infect others, develop disease or damage your reputation in the future.

Although my experience has been with parrotlets, this problem is not limited to parrotlets. Birds of several kinds are still being imported from Europe, and you can bet that infected birds are still coming in. Be sure to check your birds. You may have this "unseen killer" in your aviary

Questions and Answers

(1) How would using water bottles instead of bowls help? Does it have to do with the problem of "parrot soup" and pooping in water dishes?

Answer: For the single bird owner, it may not be much of an issue. In an aviary, however, it's a different story. This bacteria may be spread via particles of fecal debris floating in the air from flapping wings and vacuum cleaners, or being directly dropped from cage to cage. Although there has been no specific research done pertaining to how Megabacteria is spread, this mode has been proven in the spread of other diseases. It makes sense that contaminated debris (such as dried or even fresh droppings) falling into the water dish of another bird will cause the spread of this bacteria, because the water dish is an ideal medium for the growth of many bacteria.


(2) I know someone who had a case of Megabacteria in their birds which was diagnosed by a reliable avian vet. The birds were put on a treatment of a very diluted solution of hydrochloric acid for several weeks and that seemed to do the trick. By the way, that is the same treatment given in Avian Medicine: Principles and Applications by Ritchie, Harrison & Harrison.

Answer: I understand that this treatment has been used in the past. I also understand that this particular treatment has not been found to be consistently effective, according to Filippich, Dr. Speer and other vets in this country. Perhaps the Avian Medicine text is out dated as regards this particular bacteria and its treatment. That's not a slam, it's just that research changes things. What is accepted as good medicine today is often proven wrong or improved upon tomorrow! I would suggest that any veterinarians who are faced with treating this bacteria for the first time, those who are using the method of changing the pH level, and those who are considering using the water-based treatment from Australia should first consult with Dr. Brian Speer. His consultation number is 925-625-1878 and e-mail address for consultation is AVNVET@aol.com. Consultation costs are very reasonable, considering the potential loss of birds, production and reputations that are at stake.

Also, I caught a note from Dr. Branson Ritchie on another list stating that the only recognized effective treatment for this bacteria is Amphotericin B. You might recall that he co-authored Avian Medicine: Principles and Applications with the Harrison's.


3) Not knowing that much about Megabacteria, is this an organism that can lay dormant in a bird and for some unknown reason at any time it could start shedding it? If that is the case how would we test for it? If the bird is not shedding at the time the test would be inconclusive, just like for polyoma.

Answer: At this time, no real understanding of the nature of this beast is in hand. There are verified cases of false negative results. The current recommendation is that the bird is considered clean after three consecutive tests are performed, with negative results in all three tests.


The following are answers from Dr. Brian Speer:

(4) How long after a bird is dead can Megabacteria still be isolated from the mucosal linings?

Answer: We have been able to identify Mega on fresh wet mount of intestinal or proventricular mucosal scrapings in post mortems - even some fairly old carcasses - 2-3 days since death.

As I believe you know, histopathology usually will not demonstrate the organisms reliably, as they tend to wash off in the formalin during fixation, and gram stains (in my opinion) are fraught with the same problems.

(Since that time, Mega was found in a 5 day old carcass.)


(5) If Mega is a bacteria why are we treating it with an anti fungal antibiotic?

Answer: Technically, we do not know WHAT Mega is. It morphologically resembles a bacterium, but therapeutically responds to an antifungal which should have no effect on bacteria. We know that it is a beta-hemolytic organism that can be grown (with great difficulty) on blood agar media.


(6) For human purposes, Amphotericin B is a last resort drug and must be used for 30 days to be effective. Why only 10 days for a bird?

Answer: Ten days has been shown to be clinically effective. Human treatments are based on IV use for severe systemic fungal disease - which Megabacteriosis is not.


(7) After a 10 day treatment can it be considered cured? Since there are false negatives, and lack of expertise in the department of detecting low numbers of rods, how can we ever be sure it is gone.

Answer: By monitoring for confirmation of it's absence over time, we may be able to claim a cure. In general, I feel much better when there have been no organisms seen on a series of three independent checks in birds, as long as the environment and traffic flow are secure.


(8) If we can never be sure it is gone and since no one can say what the incubation period is then would it be practical to treat on a regular basis, say annually.

Answer: This is the approach adopted by the Australian train of thought - with the concurrent statement that there is an incidence of up to 60% subclinically infected birds there. Routine treatment will reduce numbers, but still allow subclinical infection and spread of the agent. The Australian data has clearly shown that.


(9) What harm or good would it be to treat all of the for sale birds again just two weeks prior to shipping.

Answer: There is no harm known with Amphotericin B treatment other than the cost and labor involved. But, a collection that is free of the organism (a fair but longer term goal) will not necessitate this approach. Also realize that this may make detection of the presence of the organism in your birds leaving (the true sentinels for your management program) much more challenging, therefore, may lead you to more of a false sense of security as to your standing pertinent to this organism's presence in your flock.


(10) Can a sun lamp or UV lighting protect or clean in an indoor aviary situation?

Answer: We have no factual data to support or deny this thought. UV light should not hurt, but we do not know if it will help.


(11) Would you recommend new cages considering all the little welds and wired together spots on cages being able to harbor the Mega?

Answer: No. In general, good quality cleanliness is the key. A "Germ free" environment is both impractical as well as technically impossible.


(12) Someone said feeding citrus fruit could help prevent Mega. Is there any truth to that statement?

Answer: Not much. Some canaries tend to have less disease when eating or drinking acidified food / water. Parrotlets are not canaries, and this approach is not an acceptable TREATMENT, it only reduces numbers of organisms present.


13) How about other species being affected with Mega?

Off of the top of my head, Mega has been seen in many psittaciformes -- but predominately in the smaller species; it has been seen in several small passeriformes (particularly canaries, finches, etc.). It has been reported in the ostrich and a few other ground feeding species.


Brian Speer, DVM
Diplomate, ABVP, Certified in avian practice

NOTE: we are not here to self diagnosis your bird (s) this is an information article only and we always suggest seeing an avian vet for diagnosis and treatment.

Contributed by Liv

About 2 weeks ago during random checks of my birds, I discovered tiny feather mites on the flight feathers of most of my aviary birds

They look like tiny bits of dirt in the feather (a flight feather tip from one of my birds)

Zoomed they look like this (not my photo)


It is unknown when the mites got introduced to my flock, but it was sometime during autumn as my inside birds (who came inside in autumn) are clean from the mites.

A little bit about the feather mite

Feather Mites: These tiny arachnids are so extremely small that to the naked eye they appear to be tiny dirt particles on the bird's body, wing, and tail feathers. On the Purple Martin, "colonies" of them can be seen on the long wing and tail feathers between the feather barbs, but you'll have to have the bird in your hand to see them.

These tiny (0.5 mm long) feather mites get their nourishment by chewing on the feathers. Although these parasites are typically harmless, they can severely damage an individual's plumage during heavy infestations.

Other species of feather mites, known as quill mites, pass their entire life cycle within the hollow confines of the wing feather quills. These types feed on host tissue fluids by piercing the quill wall with their sharp mouth parts.

Treatment

AVIAN INSECT LIQUIDATOR
A.I.L. is an effective water based insecticide and insect growth regulator that gives three way protection for all avian species.
3 Way Protection. When used directly on the bird, A.I.L. penetrates deep into feathers to kill lice and mites. When sprayed around the environment A.I.L. kills insects on contact and the residual action guards against re-infestation for up to six weeks. Also, the growth regulation effect of A.I.L. prevents insect eggs from hatching and newly hatched insects from reaching maturity.

Directions
Use a 5% solution (1 part concentrate: 19 parts water – 20 parts total) NOT FOR USE WITH REPTILES OR FISH. Hold trigger pack 30-40 cm from bird/s and spray directly on to birds/s. use 4-5 pumps per bird. Cages, aviaries, perches and nest boxes should also be sprayed thoroughly with the diluted product. Repeat in 6 weeks or as necessary.

Guaranteed Analysis
Permethrin 25g/L
Piperonyl Butoxide 125g/L
Methoprene 0.4g/L


I found AIL too hard to get here in SA so i used Coopex to treat my birds which contains the same amount of Permethrin as AIL when a 25g sachet is made into a 10L solution. I treated all my aviary birds, cleaned out the entire aviary and treated all the perches and surfaces - it was very comforting to see happy birds and dead bugs everywhere

Next time you are looking at your birds, check for little speaks of "dirt" in the flight feathers - you may need to treat for feather mites too.

Chlamydia psittaci


C. psittaci's ability to mystify us does not end with classification. It can cause disease in humans, other mammals and birds. It can kill a bird in 48 hours or it can survive in birds causing no outward sign of illness, for as long as 10 years. It can be explosively contagious or barely contagious.

It can be destroyed by antibiotics easily or with incredible difficulty. It can be easy to diagnose or extremely frustrating. It can kill baby birds and cause no disease in their parents. It can live outside the body, as well as within. It can be easy to control or almost impossible. It causes massive flock outbreaks one year and none the next.

Individual Susceptibility
The incubation period of psittacosis, as well as the degree of clinical illness, adds to our bewilderment. Just how a bird manifests its exposure to the disease depends on host susceptibility and the virulence (strength) of the strain.

Host susceptibility. Some birds, because of their genetic resistance, are less likely to become ill and, consequently, are more likely to develop into carriers. These include pigeons (one study suggests 70 to 90 percent of all wild pigeons are carriers), doves, budgerigars, cockatiels, cockatoos, herons, gulls, hawks, and approximately 100 additional sylvatic species. Other species, such as rosellas, lorikeets, neophemas, mynahs, canaries and some parrots have low natural resistance and are highly susceptible.

Posted this topic so anyone wondering what moulting is all about....here are some examples.

















Moulting is a budgie replacing its feathers which it will do about 3-4 times a year. Its a time when you will see a lot of feathers about the aviary and cage. These photos show new feathers coming in. What you see as spiky looking heads on budgies is the new feather shafts with the sheath around the feather. Budgies also lose their tail feathers and flight feathers at this time.

Its a time where they will be low on general energy, they may be cranky, and some budgies have a HARD MOULT and can get quite ill due to not eating well at this time. These are times where you budgie needs the best of vitamins and food. There are supplements for moulting like MOULTING AID. If your budgie goes through a hard moult and looks to be ill or very depressed pay very close attention at this time. SOME budgies have been known to get so ill during a hard moult that they dont eat and they get sick and a small number of them can die at this time.

If you notice your budgie looking sick during its moult, put it in a hospital cage for awhile with a warm lamp and spoil it rotten. Budgie will moult at other times and it can happen with a change in its diet.....if you suddenly chnage its seed type or drastically chnage the food you are feeding it, a budgie will go into a moult. Do not breed a budgie while its moulting as its a time when it is at a low ebb and needs all its energy for feather replacement and breeding is a stressfult time as well. Keep some white pepper on hand in your medical kit as during this time a budgie can break a newly emerging blood feather ( causing bleeding ) and white pepper is one of the best things to apply to stop bleeding. 

Pellets contain many different types of grains and seeds. Pellets prevent the bird from picking out its favourite seeds and leaving the rest, and provide more nutrition than a seed mix. No diet is a complete diet and this includes pellets. While pellets are very healthy and an important part of your bird's diet, you should also be offering your budgie a variety of fresh foods and a small portion of seeds. All-pellet diets have been linked to renal failure in budgies as well as some other small parrot species. All-seed diets lead to malnutrition. Just remember that these are just a part of a complete diet and variety is key! For more information on ratios read Budgie Food/Diet 

Brands of Pellets (availability depending where you live): Harrison's (purchase from vet or directly from retailer only), Roudybush, Lafeber's, Kaytee, ZuPreem, Pretty Bird. 

How to convert to a new diet: This will be a gradual process and will take a few days or up to several months to switch over.  Don't get discouraged if one brand is not accepted, birds are much like children and have similar likes and dislikes as far as taste and texture.  Below are some helpful hints on how to covern your pet over.

• Try crushing pellets to a sand like texture and place over the current diet. Your pet will have to sift through the new diet before finding the old diet and will start developing a "taste for the pellets.
• Mix the crushed pellets into any soft foods/tablefoods that your pet enjoys
• After you see some interest in the new diet actual pellets can be introduced
• Always try to keep trace of weight during diet changes. If you can't do this at home then watch for any major decreases in droppings, which may indicate the bird is not eating well.  If you see this you may have to revert back a step for a short-time.
• NEVER TRY TO CONVERT "COLD TURKEY" BY TRYING TO FORCE THE NEW DIET.  Most birds don't know that pellets are food and my refuse to eat them and could potentially starve themselves.

PELLETIZED GRAIN Vs. A WELL-BALANCED SEED DIET

A budgie who has always eaten seed will often have trouble recognizing other items as food. Here are some ways that you might be able to introduce your budgie to healthier foods.

Use their foraging instinct to your advantage.
If your birds are tame and can safely be allowed out of the cage, chop of veggies on a favorite spot such as a newspaper-covered table or a playgym. Allow the birds to "find" their food so that they feel they're foraging. This is how I converted some of my birds to pellets. Make sure the room is safe for your budgies before letting them out.

Use baby food!
Buy cans of baby food (vegetable types like carrots or green beans) and mix it with their seeds. This is a pretty good way to get some nutrition into them when they're still refusing to eat fresh foods. The ingredients in baby food are usually just a vegetable and water.  My birds really like this.

Chop the fresh food up into tiny bits If you chop up the food into little bits, they may be more likely to pick at it. Put it into different food cups if you have a large cage and their foraging instinct might lead them to the new food dishes and cause them to nibble at what's inside. Add seed or sprinkle millet and mix it up. They will first eat the seed/millet but will get a taste of the other food and you will be surprised that with patience they will start to eat the new foods.

Hang leafy greens from the top of the cage near a favorite spot.
This is what most people try first. Just make sure to remove any uneaten portions after about two hours.

Make birdie bread Bird bread gives you the opportunity to put many different healthy foods into one "package." Here's one recipe that I found:

2 6 oz jars baby food sweet potatoes
2 jars baby food tropical fruit
1-1 1/2 cups pellets or 4 tbss hand feeding formula
3 eggs and eggshells (crushed)

I recycle pellets left in our birds' bowls (We use uncolored pellets). Mix eggs and baby food. Use a little in a small blender/processor to crush the egg shells (calcium source). Mix in remaining ingredients. Put in paper cupcakes or muffin tins- 4 tsps each. Microwave 1-2 mins until firm. Or bake in toaster oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes till firm. Makes 12 servings. Serve warm, but not too hot.

Keep persisting and they will eventually start eating a healthier diet.  Also, check into some of the other healthy foods that you can buy such as beak appetit or wheatgrass.

Try to offer the healthier veggies such as kale, carrot, spinach, broccoli as well as legumes such as chickpeas, lentils, and beans.

Check out this link about converting them to pellets it will also give you suggests about new food Pellet Diet

As with anything new be patience it may take months for your bird to finally try something new.  NEVER CONVERT OVER COLD TURKEY  Your budgie will starve itself.  Don't have the mentality that the bird will finally get hungry and eat it doesn't work that way with birds.  They see it as something that can harm them so they won't try.  Always convert slowly.

Remember to never feed your birds the food listed in this link Unsafe Foods.

Alcohol
Chocolate
Avocado
Apple seeds
Are TOXIC to budgies and should NEVER be fed.
Onion
Asparagus
Cabbage
Aubergine (eggplant)
Rhubarb (including leaves)
Dairy products
Raw potato
Crisps (Chips) or other high salt human foods
Human Breakfast cereals containing Zinc
Strawberries (or any highly perishable fruit) unless 100% organic

AVOID -  Dried fruit preserved with sulfites may not be the best choice for your bird. People sometimes have acute hypersensitivity reactions to sulfites, so an animal as small as a bird may have an even greater sensitivity to them. In many cases, we have to rely on guidelines we use for ourselves until someone discovers that the ingredient affects birds as well.

Should also be avoided as they may cause harm to your budgie.Some fruits and vegetables are sprayed and treated with high amounts of pesticides and should be avoided if possible. Organic produce is best to feed your budgies, and always remember to wash any fresh fruits or vegetables very thoroughly before feeding. check out our FAQ system for more information.

You can use bird seed, alfafa, suflower, pea, the list is endless.
Pop some seeds in a jar (don't fill too full, they will swell). Cover ja with a stocking, and put an elastic band around the mouth of jar to hold the stocking on. Fill jar with water.Leave for an hour. Empty out water. Put jar in a dark spot (on an angle so any more water can drain out.) Rinse with water twice a day. Should sprout within a couple of days.
You must rinse with water at least twice a day, otherwise they will go 'sour' and smellyIt is also advised to add a product, such as aviclens, to stop the build up of bacteria. (Vetafarm's Aviclens is available from some pet stores in Australia) contributed by BBC member Daz

______________________________________________________________

To sprout seed, simply cover with a mixture of bleach and water and keep in a warm place for 24 hours. Then pour it into a flour sieve and rinse under the tap. Finish the rinse with warm water and place back in a warm area for a further 24 hours. At the end of this period the seed will just be beginning to "chit". Put the soaked seed in a container which will hold at least two-thirds more volume. Add at least twice the volume of water as there is of seed and add enough bleach to make a very strong solution. Using a mixing spoon, stir the seed into the chlorine (bleach) mixture ensuring that every seed comes into contact with the chlorine solution. Chlorine (bleach) is a contact bactericide and fungicide, i.e. it kills immediately on contact and does not need any dwell time. But you do need to mix thoroughly to ensure "contact" has been effected. Once you are satisfied that the seed is well chlorinated, tip it into the flour sieve and rinse thoroughly under a hot or cold tap, allow to drain and then use. Now let us cover the bits that worry people which I have never explained well.

The bleach to use is the common cheap bleach, not the thickened variety. Bleach is just a solution of salt and water through which chlorine gas has been passed. As soon as it comes into contact with air the gas evaporates leaving behind just salt. Inadequate rinsing just leaves behind more salt, that is all. Many people do not chlorinate adequately because they believe that the bleach may harm the seed or the birds. You may as well not bother at all if you do not use a strong bleach solution. The bleach cannot penetrate the seed as the molecules of bleach are bigger than the pores in the husk of the seed. Seeds have pores in the husk the same as our skin. Because the pores in our skin are smaller than the molecules of your blood, your blood does not leak out. Similarly you do not wash away or become bloated when you get caught in a shower of rain. Seed is a little different in that the water molecules are small enough to pass through the pores and provide the trigger and means of germination while filtering out the large bleach molecules. This means that you could soak the seed in neat bleach without it being able to penetrate the seed and maybe harm the birds. All you would be doing is using more bleach than necessary and wasting it.

From Cage & Aviary: Dec. 9, 1995 - Submited by Kaz

Most types of fruit and vegetable are safe but you should always search online or in a book before you feed something to your budgie. Some vegetables that are commonly fed are lettuce, carrot, broccoli, sprouts, snow peas, spinach and celery. Lettuce and celery shouldn't be fed too often as they are mostly water and can cause diarrhoea. Some safe vegetables are rock melon, banana, mandarin, orange and apple. Be sure never to feed your budgie apple seeds or avocado as these are toxic to them.

Visit Unsafe Foods and Budgie Food/Diet

Different bird owners do give their birds cod liver oil here are examples of what others do on our forums and why.

Member Name: Daz I mix 5ml per 500gms of seed. I leave it 24 hours before feeding it to the birds

Member Name: macka  It's a good addive,but needs to be used with care. I use it in the breeding boxes,to feed the chicks. I mix 10mls to 1 kilo of seed & leave it stand over night & feed the next day. If you put to much oil in the seed,it will turn sour. With just 5 budgies I wouldn't feed it more then 2 times a week. It can make the budgies to fat. I myself wouldn't feed it to my flighted bird for that reason.

Member Name:  Paul29  don't use cod liver oil.....however I do use olive oil and I use it everyday of the year....I have found that the seed we get here in Perth is always very dry....the olive oil puts back the moisture with more protein and helps hens with there egg laying.....

Member Name: Kaz  put a few drops of codliver oil and wheatgerm oil into the softfood I prepare for my budgies. In talking with a show breeder once he told me to use cod liver oil and wheatgerm oil ....as a seasoned show breeder had taught him. He swore by the difference it made to the birds.

Member Name: feathers My breeding room birds get seed soaked in cod liver oil and wheatgerm oil. The cod liver oil supplies vitamin D which is required for calcium uptake in birds. This is why it is so commonly used for breeding birds. My breeding room uses 500ml of seed per day, to which I add 4 ml cod liver oil and 1 ml wheatgerm oil, which is left to soak for 24 hours.

Member Name: splat  use 5ml of cod liver oil to my breeding birds because like feathers said it is a Vit D plus A few breeders have told me that while using cod liver oil you will rarely get a bird egg bound. The egg bound thing is my main reason for using it.  When my son had his horse while living in Bendigo I would also give the horse cod liver oil for the Vitamins plus I think it helped his coat nice and shiny the horse always looked very healthy as do my birds

One of the problems with some owners converting to an all pellet diet is that it provides too high a dose of calcium. Testing has found that a Pellets only & Poultry food diet causes an increase in calcium deposits in the kidneys which  then causes renal failure & death. When switched to a mixed seed diet the deaths stopped.

As is always recommended in the FAQ's on this site, all budgies need a healthy diet which includes 30% seed, 30% pellets, 30% fresh foods and 10% treats such as honey sticks, millet etc. Their water should be changed daily to avoid build up of bacteria and they should always have access to a cuttlefish bone (or calcium bell or block) and an iodine block. This gives budgerigars access to all of their daily needs.

A hen requires vitamin D in order to be able to effectively uptake any source of calcium. Vitamin D is absorbed naturally through the sun or by use, mainly in breeding rooms, of cod liver oil soaked seed.

However too much calcium or vitamin D can cause toxicity problems. A hen can get the calcium she requires from any source that you supply, cuttlefish, egg shells or liquid calcium as long as they also have the required level of vitamin D..

All budgies need a healthy diet which includes 30% seed, 30% pellets, 30% fresh foods and 10% treats such as honey sticks, millet etc. Their water should be changed daily to avoid build up of bacteria and they should always have access to a cuttlefish bone (or calcium bell or block) and an iodine block. This gives budgerigars access to all of their daily needs.

When breeding however it has been found to be beneficial to add extra calcium for the hens needs. Many breeders will give soaked seed (seed mixed with a little cod liver oil - left to soak for 24 hours) and liquid calcium.  Please note that soaked seed is not necessary outside of breeding.

Soaked seed:  For every 500ml or 500gm of quality budgie seed add 5ml of cod liver oil and allow to soak for 24 hours prior to feeding to the breeding room.

Grit is one of those topics that have different view, gather your information and make an educated decision.

Member Neat View Grit is a grey subject all budgie owners and breeders use it - ..... YES just read on before y'all jump the gun at me. But there are actually two types of grit: soluble and insoluble. Soluble grit include cuttle bone, oyster shell, limestone, and gypsum. 

Soluble grit is dissolved by acids as it passes through the bird's digestive system, therefore there is little danger of it piling up in the digestive system or causing blockages, cause it dissolves.... it does little to aid in the digestion of whole seeds. It does, however, serve as a source of calcium and other minerals.

Insoluble grit is mainly in the form of silica, ranging in size from sand to small pebbles. Insoluble grit remains in the gut / gizzard and is thought to aid in the breakdown of food.  Yep Bet you didn't know that

Birds have a muscular part of the stomach called the gizzard, which grinds and crushes food. The smaller part, are then more easily broken down by digestive enzymes as they go through the digestive tract.

Some wild birds eat grit, which passes to the gizzard where it helps in this grinding process. It aids in removing the outer fibrous shell around some seeds (e.g.; sunflower seeds), if the shell was not removed with the beak prior to the seed being swallowed

So technically we all use Grit by the good grit

Member Kaz View:  dont use standard grit, but I do supply to the breeder cages finger drawers of MURPHY'S MINERALS and F-VITE and whole egg powder...all seperately for them to take as they need it.

F VITE is a combination grit, protein, energy, vitamin and mineral supplement, which is especially beneficial for breeding and young molting birds, but is used all year round. Parents actually look for it when feeding young, because it is rich in the trace elements so vital for growing babies. Babies fed by parents, which are given F-Vite grow quickly, are robust and pink. There is no need for any other kind of grit, cuttlebone or mineral powders during the breeding season.

Budgies come in a rainbow of colours. Wild budgies are all green and yellow. They were discovered in the 19th century by English explorers who took some of them back, when they returned to England. It was there that they discovered that different colours of budgies appeared when they were being bred. You don't see these colours in the wild due to "survival of the fittest". Any different colour budgies simply would survive due to being outcast and easily picked off by predators.

Now we have a large variety of pet and exhibition budgies, in many different colours and mutations.

Click here to see all the different mutations of our BBC members' budgies. You may also add your budgie picture to the list.  Members Budgies - Variety Of Mutations Options

If you are new to the world of budgie genetics you may be confused with all the short cuts that are used in the posts and their meaning. Here is your guide to many of those terms used:

DF (df, d-f) Double Factor
SF (sf, s-f) Single Factor
YF (yf, y-f) Yellowface
DEC Dark Eyed Clear
Ino Lutino or Albino
Rec. Recessive
GF Golden Face
OP Opaline
GW Greywing

Some new folks to the genetics world here may be confused with all the shorts cuts used in the posts around here and their meaning. Here is your guide to understand.

DF (df, d-f) Double Factor
SF (sf, s-f) Single Factor
YF (yf, y-f) Yellowface
DEC Dark Eyed Clear
Ino Lutino or Albino
Rec. Recessive
GF Golden Face
BES Black Eyed Self
dom Dominant Pied
TCB Texas Clear Body

Click for more Different \"colors\" mutations of budgies

How can I tell the difference between an Olive (bird with 2 dark factors) vs a GreyGreen (a green series bird with the added factor grey)?

Olives have dark blue/purple cheek patches and black-blue tails. Olive is a bird with 2 ark factors.  Dark factors are inherited from the parents based on how many dark factors they are carrying.

Grey-greens have silver grey patches and black tails.  Grey-green is when a green bird inherits a grey gene from it's parents. In blue birds, a bird that gets a grey gene would be grey.

What is the difference between a Lutino/Ino and a Dark Eyed Clear (DEC) or a Double Factor Spangle?

These three birds can all be the same colour with the same amount of suffusion. The main difference is their eyes and the colour of the adult male's cere. There are other very subtle differences.

Lutinos (or albinos) have red eyes with an iris ring and the males cere will stay pink all his life.

Dark eyed clears have dark eyes with no iris ring. (As small babies in the nest their eyes are plum coloured). The male's cere will stay pink all it's life

Double factor spangle adults have black eyes with an iris ring and the adult male's cere is the normal blue colour.

Black Eyed Self (coming soon)

contributed by member: Neville

Visual Violet


Cheek Patches


Body Colour


Tail Feather

Note: The aim is to have a violet bodycolour with as much red tinge as possible.
The exhibition bird is the Violet Cobalt.
A Violet Skyblue can look like a Normal Cobalt.
The violet form can be mixed with all other varieties.


Information from PHT BudgerigarsThe above colorations are a little too purple for a "real" budgie here is an example of a violet that is visually being shown on a Cobalt Bird. Violet is an added factor so it can be on any series (blue or green) and any be in combination of dark factors (sky, cobalt, mauve OR light green, green or olive)

Ann aka Rainbow's Berry (Opaline, Dominant Pied Cobalt Violet)

Standard Requirement, for a Danish Pied (Recessive Pied), this is a recessive gene.

Light Green
Green
Olive

Tail Color

The wings of the Danish Pied should have polka dots on white or yellow ground, random in pattern an distribution and covering approximately 10% to 20%.

The hens normally have more markings on the wings than the cocks.

There are no demand for spots, and odd dark feathers in primary wing flights are not faults.

Note if you pair a Danish Pied to a Dutch Pied (clearflight) you will get Dark-eyed Clear White or Dark-eyed Clear Yellow.

Information from PHT Budgerigars
.

Standard Requirement, for Australian Dominant Pied

Skyblue
Cobalt

Cheek Patch Patterns

Body Color

Tail feathers
For Greens: Clear buttercup yellow, dark blue or a mixture of both
For Blues: Clear white, dark blue or a mixture of both

For Greygreen: Clear buttercup yellow, black or a mixture of both
For Grey: Clear white, black or a mixture of both

The Australian Pied shall have six spots.
The head patch is optional.
Odd dark feathers in primary wing flights are not faults.


Information from PHT Budgerigars

Standard Requirement, for a Clearwing
Light Green
Green Bird
Olive

Body Color

  Tail

Note that the Clear Wings has violet cheek patches, dark blue tail feathers and full body colour.

A Spangle with no markings on the wings can be mistaken with a Clear Wing, but the latter differ in cheek patches and tail feathers.

As the non Australian Clear Wings has markings on the wings to some extent, they can be mistaken with Grey Wings, but still - note the cheek patches, tail feathers and the body colour.


Information from PHT Budgerigars

 Skyblue (50% dilutation throughout the body and wings are grey)

Full-Body Greywing (body color is bright and wings are grey)

 Grey

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Cheek Patches

   Tail Feathers

Tail Feathers Note that the Grey Wings has only 50% of normal body colour depth.

You can have a Grey wing with full bodycolour, this is a cross between Grey Wing and Clear Wing.

You can't have a Grey Wing split for Clear Wing then!

You can also have a Cinnamon Grey Wing, and as you normally don't see any cinnamon markings, but a Grey Wing with even more diluted wingmarking, it is very easy to take it for a Yellow or a White.

(These descriptions below are Normal Split/to the recessive gene)

NORMAL 100% melanine in body, cheekpatches, wings and tail
NORMAL/ grey wing 100% melanine in body, cheekpatches, wings and tail
NORMAL/ clear wing 100% melanine in body, cheekpatches, wings and tail
NORMAL/ diluted 100% melanine in body, cheekpatches, wings and tail

These descriptions below are the recessive gene (they can not be split)

GREY WING 50% melanine in body, cheekpatches, wings and tail
GREY WING WITH FULL BODYCOLOUR 100% melanine in body, cheekpatches and tail, 50% melanine in wings
CLEAR WING/ diluted 100% melanine in body, cheekpatches and tail, 5-10% melanine in wings
CLEAR WING 100% melanine in body, cheekpatches and tail, 5-10% melanine in wings
DILUTED 5-10% melanine in body, cheekpatches, wings and tail

Information from PHT Budgerigars 

Contributed by Daz

Normal Green

Dark GreenOlive

 Cheek Patch

 Body Colour

Tail Feather

Note: There should be no Green colour in the Wings.

To understand the Dark Factors that create the 3 different color of greens read this article Dark Factors: Green Series

Skyblue (No Dark Factors)               Cobalt (1 dark factor)                 Mauve (2 dark factors)

Cheek Patches

Body Color

Tail Feather

Note: There should be no blue in the wings

Information from PHT Budgerigars

Dark factors affects the base colour of the bird no matter it’s mutation.  Not all birds carry dark factors.
In budgerigars that are lacking color showing (as in albino and lutino) the dark factor mayl exist but will be hidden visually.

Here we will review only the Blue Series, we also have another FAQ dedicated to the Green Series

Which is abbreviated with the letters: dd, Dd or DD. Or with the numbers 0, 1, 2

dd / 0 = No dark factors appear as sky blue or light green
Dd / 1 = Single dark factor appears as cobalt or dark green
DD / 2 = Double dark factors appear as mauve or olive

Blue Series
All three variations have white and black stripes that wave their way over the wings and back. The differences lie in body and tail colors.

SKYBLUE - No Dark Factor - dd

A blue (white-based) budgie with no dark factor is called sky blue.
The body color of the Skyblue is bright. The tail feathers of the Skyblue are bluish black

Below is a Dominant Opaline Skyblue Hen

COBALT Single dark factor - Dd A blue (white-based) budgie with 1 dark factor is called a Cobalt.
The Cobalt's body comes in a deep cobalt blue and is much darker than the Skyblue. The tail of the Cobalt is also darker than that of the skyblue.

Below is a Cobalt Greywing

MAUVES Double dark factors DD Are a deep Blue Gray color. The Mauve variation has a mauve colored body and an even darker tail than that of the Skyblue or Cobalt

Dark factors affects the base colour of the bird no matter it's mutation. Not all birds carry dark factors.
In budgerigars that are lacking color showing (as in albino and lutino) the dark factor mayl exist but will be hidden visually.

Here we will review only the Green Series, we also have another FAQ dedicated to the Green Series

Which is abbreviated with the letters: dd, Dd or DD. Or with the numbers 0, 1, 2

dd / 0 = No dark factors appear as sky blue or light green
Dd / 1 = Single dark factor appears as cobalt or dark green
DD / 2 = Double dark factors appear as mauve or olive

Green Series
All three varieties possess purple cheek patches and yellow masks. Like the Blue Budgie they all possess throat spots consisting of three black spots on both sides of the throat. All three varieties have light yellow wings and green bodies. The differences lie in the coloring of the body plumage.

LIGHT GREEN - No Dark Factor - dd The body color of the Light Green is bright. The tail feathers of the Light Green are bluish black  Pictured below - Light Green Dominant Pied Opaline Hen

DARK GREEN Single dark factor - Dd A Green (Yellow-based) budgie with 1 dark factor is called a Dark Green. The Dark Green body comes in a deep Green and is much darker than the Light Green. The tail of the Dark Green is also darker than that of the Light Green Pictured Below - Normal Dark Green Cock

OLIVE GREEN Double dark factors DD The Olive body comes in a deep Olive Green and is much darker than the Dark Green. Olives have dark blue/purple cheek patches and black-blue tails. Pictured below: Normal Olive Hen

Review Green Show Standards read this article Standard Requirement, For A Lt Green, Dk Green Or Olive Bird.

Many times it is difficult to determine whether your bird is greywing, dilute, clearflight, or clearwing (whitewing).

In the dilute, dilution of color can be anywhere from 5%-95%. All the feathers on the bird will have the same level of dilution. The bird will look 'washed out' all over. It can be difficult to tell a dilute from a greywing for this reason, as the more dilution that occurs, the "greyer" the flights get. Since greywings are of 50% intensity to normal, if the bird has very light grey wings as well as a very light body color, most likely the bird is dilute and not greywing.

The clearwing/whitewing is a bird of normal intensity except the wing feathers (all of them, not just the flights) are white. Light grey is permissible, as the pure white is difficult to achieve. Hence, the opportunity for confusion with greywing unless you know the characteristics. The body color is sometimes slightly diluted, but not more than 10% of normal. The spots and stripes are very light grey. The tail is not white, but rather is somewhat neutral suffused with the body color. Clearwing and whitewing can be interchangeable terms.

With the greywing, the flight feathers are diluted at about 50% intensity from normal, and the body of the bird is diluted at the same percentage. The flight feathers will have a light edging of the face color. The tail is grey with a bluish tinge. A full-bodied greywing will have the 50% dilution of the wings, flights, spots, and barring but will have as close to normal intensity of body color as possible. I think Blossom here is a good example of a full-bodied greywing. Notice the strip of blue on her flights is also diluted from the normal, and you can make out the light edging around her flights. Her tail is greyish-blue, with the grey being more at the center of the feather and the blue suffusion extends out and down. Her spots are also diluted at the same percentage as her wings. However her body color is close to normal. You can compare the color of the wings and tail with Skittles in the second picture to get an idea of what 50% looks like.

***She also has a few other mutations besides being full-bodied greywing. Does anyone want to guess what they are?***

When breeding for a specific trait, you need to know that there are 4 factors that could reside that the same place on the chromosome that are responsible for these mutations. Greywing, Clearwing and Dilute factors are all recessive to the normal gene. Meaning if mated with a normal, the resulting babies will be split. The Greywing factor is semi-dominant over the Clearwing factor and is dominant over the Dilute factor. The Clearwing factor is dominant over the Dilute factor. Dilutes cannot be split for Clearwing or Greywing.

Sometimes people get the terms clearflight and clearwing confused. The clearflight (also known as continental clearflight or Dutch Dominant Pied) is a pied, and the flights and tail will be white. If the tail is not white, the bird is not a clearflight. Body color everywhere else will be of normal intensity, unless there is a dilute gene present also. As the gene for piedness resides in a different place than the gene for dilute, you can have a dilute pied. Blossom the greywing was the product of two pieds - Skittles the variegated pied (above in the second picture) and an opaline clearflight dilute pied.

Contributed by Ann aka rainbow

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Genetics:  Greywing is dominant over dilute and Greywing and Clearwing together create Full Body Greywing which is a bird with a bright colored body but greywings. 

Greywing can be split for dilute                                             
Clearwing can be split for dilute
Greywing & Clearwing are co-dominant

Greywing and Clearwing are dominant over dilute
So example if you bred a Normal split to greywing and normal split to dilute budgie you would get 75% Normal 25% Greywing NO dilutes

Normal can be split for dilute OR greywing OR clearwing

A dilute can not be split at all because dilute is recessive to both of the genes above so a dilute budgie is dilute period no split.

So for example: If you bred a Greywing split to Dilute x Clearwing split to Dilute this would be the offspring possible %
25% Full-body-color greywing (remember the greywing and the clearwing combined create this combination because greywing and clearwing are co-dominant which means they don't dominante each other)
25% Greywing
25% Clearwing
25% Dilute

A show bird (also known as an exhibition budgerigar or English Budgerigar) is a bird that has been bred to 'show' or be judged in budgerigar shows.

It is not just a bird that is bred and placed in a show cage for a judge to see. To qualify as a 'show bird' it must want to show. Budgerigars have the ability to throw the feathers on their forehead (frontal feathers) forward and up. This is called the "blow". This is part of showing. Much like a Peacock that shows off his tail to a Peahen. The shape and stance is also very much on show. When a budgerigar 'shows' it really does look like it has attitude.

A breeder who wishes to show their birds will put their best budgies into show cages to train them and it is from this training that a breeder will decide which of his birds will join his 'show team'.

In Australia, breeders are divided into three classes: Novice, Intermediate and Open (or Champion)

To progress through these classes you must consistantly win at shows with the budgerigars that you exhibit.

Most clubs put on regular shows, and at these shows you are awarded points, depending on how well your birds do. When you achieve enough points within a certain period you move to the next level.

The higher the level, of course, the better your standard of birds are and the more they would cost for others to buy.

If you look through Exhibition Breeders web sites you might see that they call themselves "Champion Breeders". This means their birds win at the Champion level.

At a State and National level you cannot show a bird that you haven't bred. However, some clubs will allow Beginner breeders to show birds they have bought for the first 12 months. This is to give new breeders experience at showing birds while they build their own stud of owner bred budgerigars.

Please copy and paste back in.
The answer is: It depends on the Budgerigar Club that you join.

In State and National budgerigar shows in Australia, any birds you show must have been bred (and ringed) by the exhibitor that is showing those birds.

However many clubs do allow Novice breeders to show birds that they have bought for the first twelve months only. This allows the exhibitor to get experience at showing birds whilst they are breeding and ringing their own budgies.

For all intermediate and champion breeders it is different. In these classes the birds must have been owner bred. These are birds that you have taken the time, care and atention to take the hatched eggs through to the 'Nest Feather' (fledgling) stage. You then have the right to put your own coded breeders rings on these budgies. To obtain your own rings you must belong to a registered Budgerigar or Bird Club. Ring on Budgie Leg

There is no limit at the present time here in Australia. To show birds it costs $0.50 per entry. Some breeders show 20 - 30 birds at each show (or more).

However, you can only enter in one class e.g. Novice. You can enter as many divisions as you like and show more than one bird in each division.

In Australia these divisions are determined by the Australian National Budgerigar Council. These are some of the divisions:

Normal Green (except grey green)
Normal Grey Green
Normal Blue (Except grey)
Normal Grey
Black Eyed Self
Lutino
Albino
Greywing
Cinnamonwing
Clearbody
Lacewing
Clearwing
Recessive Pied
Saddleback
Crested
Yellow Faced Blue
Fallow
Dominant Pied

There are several more divisions - as outlined in the ANBC publication "The Standard", which is available through local budgerigar clubs

In Australia there is a scale of points which is used when judging an exhibition (or show) budgerigar. This is a guide to the relative importance of exhibition features.

TYPE: General conformation, including size, balance, deportment, condition, head size and shape, and depth and width of mask - earn up to 60 points

COLOUR: Quality of colour in body, ground areas and markings - earn up to 25 points

MARKINGS: Pattern and clear definition or absence as required by variety standards - earn up to 15 points

When judging a budgerigar the bird is compared to the 'Ideal Model" of the time. A picture of which and the Description of Perfection is published in Australia by the Australian National Budgerigar Council (ANBC) in its publication "The Standard".

The Description of Perfection includes points such as:

• The bird is to taper gracefully and be well proportioned according to the pictorial of the time, standing well off the perch, at an angle of approximately 30 degrees from vertical
• The ideal length is 240mm measured from the crown to the tip of the tail
• The ideal tail length is 35% of the bird
• Legs and Feet: To be clean, with two front and two rear toes and claws gripping the perch

Each Country and Budgerigar Association will have their own Points Scale, Picture and Description of Perfection.

All birds of good quality, that are close to the "ideal budgerigar" are valued. However good quality "normals" are always in demand for breeding. Normals include Normal Greens, Blues and Grey birds without other mutations such as a pied gene.

A normal blue or green is required more for breeding as it will assist in producing better quality chicks. That is why top breeders reccomend pairing a spangle (or other mutation) to a good normal.

Many breeders 'specialise' in a particular variety, such as inos or spangle etc, and these varieties occassionally need to be bred with a good normal in order to increase their size and other qualities required in a show bird.

Budgerigar Shows, of course, have the full arrange of mutations.

Show birds are feed the same basic feed as any other budgie but the breeders usually demand a better quality seed that has a higher nutritional value.Good seeds are often individually mixed using ingredients such as canary seed and different millets. Breeder use different ratios of these seeds based on what they believe is best for their stock. Breeders also use various additives that they give to the birds as well as feeding soft foods and vegetables

Different breeders also have different water management programs where by the birds are given supplements such as Probotic, Vitamins, Calcium, and other mixes that are a closely keep secret. I, personally, use Apple Cider Vinegar to stop Megabacteria. Others use oranges to assist feather quality and shine.

Newly hatched chicks are fed a high protein mix to assist their growth.

Contributed by BBC member Daz from AU



Many breeders mix their own quality seed this works on two fronts.

1.the breeder knows what is in the mix and what the ratio #'s are
2.in the United Kingdom you don't pay VAT (value added tax) on single seeds but you do on mixes. This makes mixing your own seed blends more affordable.

There are major seed makers the biggest two, in the UK, will be Bucktons (sponsors of the Budgie Society) and Johnsons and Jeff's Bucktons. They have approximately 20 different mixes that you can buy, from simple 50/50 to champion blend etc.

For extras nutrients, I personally, would say soaked groats which are a pretty popular extra then the usual vegetables. Carrots being a favorite with boiled egg.
I also use vitamins and other supplements.

Contributed by BBC member hath in UK

Show budgies are housed with the other birds in flights or aviaries. It is only when the show time comes that they are then prepared for the big show. Dressing or grooming your bird for show day

Show bird usually have a more relaxed charactor than the average bird. The chicks are handled often to inspect the growth and look of the birds. The hens rarely bite and not as bad if they do.  So when it is time for showing them they are used to the procedures.

They are placed in stock cages a week before the show to protect them and make it easier to handle.

All the birds are feed well. What is the diet of a show bird?

The top show bird is well looked after as well as is the birds that he/she came from.

Yellowface Type 2: is another fault. Where the yellow bleeds from the face mask into the chest of the bird and can spread with molting. The body colouring of many varieties must be solid.

Questions about Showing Yellowfaces

1. Are their any points taken away for showing Yellow face birds? Yes any suffusion (bleed) of green into the body gets penalized.
2. What do I look for to make sure they are a good yellow face budgie?
If your wanting to start with show birds then the same points as a normal bird. This would be my thoughts although I'm only just starting with show birds.
3. Are their any good pairings for yellowface? (Faults to good things or colors or other mutations)just watch for suffusion in the birds (the type 2 yellowfaces) Crossed wings: wings that cross over each other instead of following a straight line.

Toes: three toes pointing forward instead of two means diqualification.

Tail feathers: birds missing both primary tailfeathers- disqualified

Cere: an all brown cere on a cockbird is reason for disqualification, evidence of mites or scaly face, or an underlying illness.

This is a generalization.

It is rare for cash prizes to be awarded. Mostly it is trophies and certificates. Some Clubs or organisations do give cash prices at the top level.

I personally haven't seen one at the present. Here are some trophies I won from the last show I entered.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a26/darrylw/PR-054.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a26/darrylw/PR-053.jpg

Everyone is different this is what I personally for my budgies .

• I spend 1/2 hour every morning feeding restocking the seed. checking the nests and bird.
• I spend 1/2 hour every night changing the water, rechecking the seed and rechecking the nests and birds.
• I spend 3 hours on a Saturday cleaning the cages and flights, rechecking the seed and rechecking the nests and birds.
• I go to the Club meeting 1 1/2 hours once a month. And try to get to as many shows as I can.

The above is the minimum I'd have to spend. I spend a lot more just standing and watching the birds. :-)

Some breeders will name there birds. Jo Mannes has names such as Hurculies and Apollo. Very powerful names. You do not need to use a number to enter the bird. Here you tell the organisers how many birds you have in each division and they will give you a sticker with a code number on them.

The number tells the number of show bird not the ring number. EG my bird could be Class 22 No. 623.  Class 22 is Opaline Hen. And the bird is no 623 in the show. The Bird I entered was PR-6 389 but that is not shown anywhere.

Legring numbers are for your own identification and have nothing to do with shows. A bird has to have one to be shown but it isnt used in a show.

If you cross bred these two different types of budgies could you create a better quality show budgie?

It depends on the bird. you will see that most pet birds here have very small heads and small spots. This is not wanted in a show bird.  I have seen people with pet birds that have good features and might help a beginner like myself get started.

A reminder to all, breeders do not buy champion birds.  What we buy is stock birds.

Stock birds are where the next winning bird on the bench comes from. They are usually the sisters, brothers, cousins, etc..... of the birds that won his/her division or show.

You will hear the term "Buying Blood". It is considered that the genetic make up of the winning bird could also lie in its family. So hopefully, if you buy the offspring or related bird to the champion you might breed a champion too

For more information visit our forum. Stock Bird Information

Posture is called the stance. Perfect posture is to line the eye of the bird in a vertical line with the perch.

• How have they set up their breeding rooms?
• What are they feeding their birds in the flights?
• What do they look for in a bird to see if they are coming into breeding condition?
• How do they set up their birds? Some put the hen in first for a few days before introducing the cock.
• What do they feed the breeding pair?
• How do they set up the nest box and what type and size is it.
• What do they feed the pair when the chicks hatch?

.....and so forth.
Don't stop at the first Aviary. Visit as many as you can. Everyone has a different way to do things.
Be advised by them and act on it.

Go to shows and try to get a job stewarding.
Stewarding is bringing the birds from the holding area to the "Bench" for the judge. If you are lucking the judge will tell you what he is looking at and why he picked one bird over another. You will learn to tell the difference between Double factor spangles, Lutinos and Dark eyed clears. You will learn to recognise the difference between grey wings and cinnamons. You will also see why some birds are penalised.

After a few shows and visits to aviaries and attending club meetings, 6 months or so has pasted, you can start to think about either the birds you have and/or the birds you are going to buy. You start to think about the aviary you have and/or going to build. Some members might give you birds to start you off and even help with your first pairing.

2nd Year Now comes the crunch. 12 months has past since you though that it might be good to breed and show birds. You are now alone in your aviary with your birds breeding with chicks. With the experience you have had and back up of the members in your club you should have the confidence to take the chicks from the egg to the perch, to the nursery and in to the stock cage. You must remember that this takes time. The chicks will be in the nursery from the time they are capable of feeding themselves until 60 days old.

It is at this stage that the new breeder evaluated the birds. This is when the first heart aches start. He looks at his new chicks and compares them to the birds in the top breeder’s aviaries or the show bench or the book he is reading by the top breeders. Guest what. They are a bit small. They don't seem to have that puffy head, the spots are small, the head is pointy the bird won't stand on the perch straight enough... etc.
The breeder now is despondent. What happened..? Well nothing went wrong. You have just set the foundation to what could be a great stud. You have to wait. This is a chick still a nest feather, an ugly duck. What you first called a pink blob is now feathered and not the Miss or Mister World of the budgie world.
Unfortunately this is the time when most new breeders sell their chicks. Thinking that they won't amount to much and that it was a waste of time breeding them. Don't do it!

The next thing to do is to make sure you look after these birds. Remember what the top breeders do and move them to the stock cages and leave them until they are 90 days old. They should now b undressing there baby clothes and moulting into their kids outfits. After their moult it is time to move them into their own flight and leave them to mature. Come back in 6 months time to see how they have matured and you should now see the effects of time and your good management. You might be surprised.

At 12 months old they still have not reached their peak, it won't be until they are 18 months that you will see the best in them.

3rd Year Ok next stage. If you have a large Aviary and can have many birds, great but for many, culling starts at 12 months. By now you should have been to many shows and seen the quality of what is being shown. You should have spent 3/4 of the time looking at the novice section to see what they have brought on to the bench. Hopefully you will be arrogant enough to think to yourself. "I have a better one at home; I could have beaten that one." This is when your "Eye for detail" starts to develop.
You should know what birds are best to keep and what should be culled. (Culled meaning to remove by selling or given away). Where do you start? Those 3 pair that you might have started with had 4 chicks each in two clutches each. You now have 24 chicks. This is where the help from good Club members will be essential. I would try to end up with 1: 2 cocks to hens. Now you might say that I only had two cocks in all that breeding, well unless they are bad I might keep them. If they are bad I would think about out crossing a good cock or two.

Now you should start thinking about pairing for the next season. Look at relationships and don't forget the original birds you started with.

It should be from the next pairings that you should start to see an improvement. So long as you have paired them correctly. This is where the help from good Club members will be essential. Now you can start to think about your Show team. You might have a few chicks from the previous season that has improved enough to be tried on the bench. You might have some Nest feathers, (Chicks that haven't gone through their first moult) that might be good enough for the bench. Put them up. Showing birds in Australia is cheap. It costs 50 cents per bird. If the birds are not good enough to win the judge is usually happy to discuss the down falls. This is a learning stage.

4th year you might have had a few places or even a few wins. You have had your ups and downs. You have had deaths and successes. You know that you have a long way to go but your birds are improving and you involvement with the club has been paying off through hard work and assistance given. You gone to many shows and can see what is needed in your birds to advance. You now have a good team and you start to get constant wins and the points gathered start to elivate you to intermediate status.

5th Year This is the year you need to work hard and hopefully be elevated to Intermediate Class and then you can start to think about the top. By the end of the year, you start to compare your birds to the photos that brought you into this fancy those 5 years ago and think it I am now getting close……..


As I said I am in my second year and have had great assistance by the members of my club. I have shown in my first show and came second with one bird. I am now preparing a team of 6 to go to the next show. This is with the help of a club member. He thinks I have a very good shot at two firsts. I might win I might not place. I know one thing, I will be leaving the show with more knowledge than when I started and it will be another stepping block on to more successes in the future.

Novice to Intermediate is 3 years and you must get 8 points at one club showing.. By that I mean in three years if you go to PRBS Show which is held twice a year and gain 2 points at each show, in three years you would have 12 points at that Club show and would go up to intermediate.  If you are blitzing the shows with great birds, it is in the interest of everyone that you go up.

It's great to breed that winner get it ready for the show and then find out on the day that you entered him in the wrong section.

Happens at every show.

So how do you know where to show that Spangle Opaline Cinnamonwing Shyblue Hen.

... In the Blue class?
... in the Cinnamon class?
... in the Opaline Class?
... In the Spangle class? Yes

So can I show an Opaline Cinnamon in the Opaline Class ... yes! (for the nationals)

Some Association have there own rules on this one. In SQ (South Queensland) there is a different section for Opaline Cinnamons it's the Opaline ASV.

You can now download the Australian Standard from the ANBC Site. The Standard - Updated
It doesn't have the pictorials which is only in the hard copy.
It does come with the current upgrades that all Club Members should have.

To decide were to put that bird, there is a matrix that we use.

Primary Colours

1. Normal Green Series which include Light Green, Dark Green, Olive and Grey Green
2. Normal Blue Series which include Sky, Cobalt, Mauve and Grey
3. Black Eyed Self
4. Red Eyed Self which is the Albino and Lutino .
5. Clearwing
6. Greywing
7. Cinnamonwing
8. Spangle Double Factor.

No Combinations of these Sections (1 - 8) are recognised.

9. Opaline but can have a combination of these sections. 3, 5, 6, 7
10. Clearbody But can have combinations of this section 9
11. Lacewing """" sections 9
12. Fallow """"""" sections 6, 9
13. Yellowface Blue """"" sections 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
14. Spangle """""" Sections 6, 7, 9, 12, 13
15. Dominant Pied """" Section 6, 7, 9, 12, 13, 14
16. Danish Recessive Pied """" Sections 6, 7, 9, 12, `13, 14
17 Any Other Standard Variety
18 Crested """"" 1, to 17 as above.


So I would place a Yellowface Opaline Skyblue hen ..... in section 13 Yellowface.

As said some regions have there own slight changes to the Sections and you have to be sure that you know them before entering. It is very disapointing geting wrong class with an outstanding bird...

Registered club breeders place metal rings on their baby budgies (chicks) between 8 and 10 days old (while their toes are still pliable so the ring can slide on without causing the budgie pain). Budgies will not be accepted into shows and exhibitions without a ring. The rings (also knows as bands) allow the breeder to track the budgie or if the budgie escapes and a person finds it, it can be traced back to the breeder. It also shows the year the budgie was born with the last two digits of the year and the ring colour. It is recommended that you leave the ring on the budgie's leg. However, if problems arise for whatever reason, only allow a breeder or avian vet to remove the band with the appropriate tools.

There are two types in Australia. There is a club ring and a coded ring.

Coded rings are made specifically for a particular breeder. e.g: IBS XX -6 350. IBS is the state or club initials (in this case Ipswich Budgerigar Society; XX is the code or initials of the actual breeder; 06 (or -6) is the year the chick was hatched - 2006; and 350 is the number of the chick.

Club rings are used for or by a particular club. e.g: PR -5 394. PR would be the club code or initials (in this case Pine Rivers Budgerigar Club; -5 is the year the chick hatched - 2005; and 394 is the number of the chick.

Coded rings  PR 1W -8 021. PR is Pine Rivers Budgerigar Society, 1W is Darryl Wells, -8 is the year 2008 and 021 is the chick/bird number.

Each ring is registered with the state and the Australian National Budgerigar Council and it always remains with that bird (unless it has to be removed due to injury or illness).Note not all birds are ringed so if your bird does not have a ring it is OK.Contributed by BBC member: Daz from AU & Adam BBC owner