Bad Hair Day

Ceramic heat globes are the answer, as used in a lot of chicken brooders and reptile housing. Screw type fitting, no light emitted and last a lot longer than a filament light globe (more expensive though) Have been using one for over two years now with no dramas.

Hello funkypanda, If you update your profile so people know where you live (have not been able to find a town or city named t on google maps) they may be better able to offer assistance in locating or supplying some breeding cages.

Have to agree with Finnie, Yellow face mutation is dominant. Because green birds already have a yellow face you generally don't see the yellow face mutation when expressed on the green series birds. Occasionally you may see a dis-coloured green through the chest area where the yellow from the face and mask has bled into the surrounding feathers, just the same as you see it on a blue series bird. That would make the cockbird a yellow face green.

Hello Emz, Try this link http://www.bctas.info/ you should be able to find plenty of local information and contacts. The Anthracite budgie is a very attractive bird from what i have seen on the internet, but unfortunately there are only a couple of breeders that have them worldwide and none of them are in Australia. The violets are around but not as plentiful as other blue series colours. Hope this helps

G'day Emz, Welcome to BBC. If you decide to pursue the exhibition side of the hobby there are a number of top breeders in Tassie, who are very approachable and would be quite willing to assist anybody starting out with exhibition budgerigars. I hope you don't let the perceived difficulty prevent you and your family from enjoying this branch of the hobby.

I believe Bravo to be a mauve spangle and Echo to be a cobalt clearflight pied or possibly a violet sky clearflight pied, (A bit difficult to pick in the photos)

How did you go trimming your birds nails?

According to Dr Rob Marshalls book, The Budgerigar. It is advisable to not allow the temperature to drop below 10 degrees c whilst attempting to breed to prevent all manner of problems and keep birds in tip top condition, which allows the birds to produce the healthiest chicks possible.

Sounds like a french moult feather that has not grown properly. If you are not confident about pulling the feather out and gently squeezing the puss out I would advise you take your bird to the vet for treatment. If it is a french moult feather it will more than likely return. (when removed french moult feathers have a rounded soft open end rather than a pointed hard closed end)

If you take your bird to Moe Veterinary Clinic on Lloyd Street they will be able to trim them for a nominal fee. The process of trimming birds toe nails is not particularly difficult if you are carefull and make sure you do not cut back to the blood vein. There are numerous internet sites with instructions that will walk you through the process step by step. Good luck.

Your Albino hen is actually a lacewing, this is the cinnamon markings with red eyes and cinnamon tail feathers on her. This would make the grey split lacewing, explaining the lacewing hen babies. Your lutino is split blue series, explaining the white lacewing baby. All the yellow babies from this pair will be split blue series from the cock bird. Ino (weather it be albino or lutino, same gene different colour series) is dominant to lacewing so the lutino cock bird baby will be split for lacewing as well as split blue series. As far as the spangle babies go, were the parent birds in a community aviary with other budgerigars prior to pairing? If so it has been my experience that the hen can be fertilised in the aviary prior to pairing. This would also explain why no spangles appeared in second clutch as they are from second fertilisation by the cock bird in the pairing.

Not a problem Finnie, you can actually watch the judges comments ect from the 2012 Geelong nationals now if you wish, along with place getter and general photos.

Hello Finnie, Try this link, www.anbc.iinet.net.au/ (cut and paste into your search engine) I know it is well after the event, but you can veiw all the photos and navigate to the anbc youtube channel to watch the judges in action.

Hello JustBeaky, Both parents are split blue. If the chick is in fact a recessive pied, that would indicate both parents are also split recessive pied. If it turns out to be dominant pied then it has come from the mother. Hope this helps.

If you make a candler you will have to remove eggs from nest to check them. That is why a small torch or similar is a good idea, you don't have to touch the eggs at all.