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Dave_McMinn

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Posts posted by Dave_McMinn

  1. Hi everyone,

     

    I was once an admin on here, but I have been away for a long time.

     

    I took a break from breeding but I am going to start up again soon.

     

    I just wanted to touch base again with some people.

     

    I have kept in touch with Karen and Libby but only through Facebook.

     

    Time to get back in touch with my inner budgie - LOL

     

    Dave

  2. Coaching Rugby League outside of school has this year put me behind schedule, but 17 pairs are finally down to breed, and it has been a good start.

     

    I will take pics later, but so far, there are quite a few eggs, with all hens save 1 checking out nesting boxes or pairs mating.

     

    Only one egg layed off a perch, and it was an experienced hen so that was even more annoying than anything else!!!

     

    Hopefully I can get some photos later today and I will tell you what birds are paired together.

  3. What is your aviary set up like? Post some pics so we can see. That will help us offer advice. Some general questions:

     

    - what is the floor like?

    - have you worked out how they are getting in?

    - what size wire is on the aviary?

    - what have you attempted to stop them?

  4. The 2012 October BRASEA auction was held last Sunday (yesterday) and it was wonderful to see Kaz and Fran come in from WA, and to also meet Matt Welchman.

     

    There were some great birds, with quite a few heading interstate, and some coming home to me.

     

    I will try to post some pics soon but hopefully anyone who was at that auction and bought birds can put some pics up.

     

    Birds were good but meeting old friends and making new ones is always better.

  5. Always hard to tell in a photo. The hens wings look like they hang down a bit for my liking, but you never know from a photo. It can be how she was sitting and moving when the camera snapped.

     

    Only you can tell us how good they are. Remember, be critical of your own birds.

     

    Thanks for sharing the pics.

  6. Do not pick at the "crusty bits" as skin will come off with them, causing the bird to bleed.

     

    It will scab and fall off over the next two weeks or so, depending on how bad it is.

     

    If there has been no improvement after two weeks, give another drop of ivermectin to the back of the head.

  7. I may be wrong here and people feel free to correct me if I am, but the easiest way to tell the difference between grey budgies and mauve budgie if you do nto know the parents are the cheek patches. Your birds have blue cheek patches, so they are mauve. Your big mature grey (you can see him just in one picture) has grey cheek patches, so he is grey, not mauve.

     

    I agree with the you on the others.

  8. Like was said earlier, you need to take it slow and steady with her. She will preen you, she might bite you at different times, but keep in mind she is learning. Quick movements will frighten her and will set back any training you are doing.

     

    If you are training her and she does bite, try not to react swiftly.

  9. The 4 to 1 ratio mentioned is understandable, however it is also important to note that bird establish little areas that they like in an aviary, then people go put breeding boxes in there, removing "liked" areas.

     

    I cannot breed as I would feel terrible if the worst happened. It will...eventually. It is in the birds nature. It may not happen the first or second time, but it will.

     

    We are not preaching about this, we are simply stating the case for what we have seen.

  10. Welcome to the forum.

     

    I agree with the removal of the mirrors. They might bicker as they might be fighting for their friend in the mirror. Each defending their friend. Removing the mirrors means that they will other, not their friend in the mirror, possibly leading to less bickering.

     

    Be careful when you put he cage outside. Other birds like noisy minors (grey native birds that always seem to travel in packs) will often swoop at cages/aviaries and try to attack the birds inside.

  11. Well done Willow.

     

    This is one of those things that we always wonder about isn't it? We see our pets, but what do they do when we are not looking? I like to believe they have their own little world, kind of like the toys in the Toy Story movies - LOL!!!

  12. Welcome to be forum.

     

    Definitely a little boy.

     

    Tori is bird in Japanese, whilst Kotori is little bird.

     

    If you want a Japanese name for him, Kotori sounds cool in my opinion.

  13. Do not put budgies in with most other birds. When I was a wee young thing, at my Dad's place, we inherited an aviary that had finches, 2 cockatiels and budgies. We kept losing finches and we did not know why. It was the budgies. They attacked them.

     

    If you want different species as well as budgies, then you need separate aviaries.

  14. The browness above the cere means she has a little respiratory infection. Think of is as having the flu. If it gets worse, then you might need to consider meds or a vet, but at the moment, it is nothing to worry about.

     

    As Kaz said, the cage size is fine. Turn the perches so they run across the cage, not length wise. This means the birds will need to fly from perch to perch. Better exercise and budgies require this.

     

    Do not breed a budgie until they are 12 months old. Yes, they breed earlier in the wild, but they are a lot smaller, lay smaller eggs, and will breed until they die in teh wild. Self preservation is not a skill budgies possess. Wait until she is old enough.

     

    Once you have set up your cage, post some pics on here. People will be willing to offer some advice and help you out with anything else you might need.

     

    Good luck

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