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Eucalyptus [gum Tree] Branches For Budgies:


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I have on occasions given my Budgies Eucalyptus branches to chew, but of late have read some articles on it & decided to give them on a more regular basis. I’m now planing to give them once a week, if possible. Sorry for you overseas guys, maybe it’s not so possible, because they are not available.

This week I hung about a metre length branch from their perch, in three aviaries with approximately 20 birds in each, there was a big difference for some reason in how they used them. They were all mostly young birds of less than 12 months of age. There were three different age groups, one cage almost finished their first moult, then a couple of months of age & young birds just put together from the breeding cages.

For some reason the middle age group stripped the branch & bark completely from it, it is now all on the floor in pieces, this happened already on the first day, the others even after three days are still hanging from the perch in one piece & only most of the bark has been chewed off. One interesting thing to me was that one bird, wasn’t looking so well, I thought, in one cage, she has spent most of her time on the branch chewing & actually looks better.

I used branches from the coastal bloodwood, I have a big property & it’s easy for me to get branches, but one thing I read, was that new shoots from stumps [where a tree has been cut down] were toxic, to protect them from being eaten, so even though they are the easiest to harvest, better not use them & get branches from trees.

I don’t know if you have seen this web page of a Sydney avian vet, Rob Marshall he produces lots of avian products, I haven’t used him, but he seems very popular, with others. On his feeding page he mentions the feeding of Eucalypts.

http://www.birdhealth.com.au/bird/budgie/feeding.html

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I too have just started giving my birds fresh eucalyptus branches.

 

To keep it fresh longer, I devised a vase like thingy out of plastic pipe, sealing off one end. The branch sits in the tube with water and I have found the leaves stay green longer. The pipe is only a little wider that the branches I choose, so it is not a danger for my birds.

 

My lot strip the stems and branch and gobble up the leaves! They love it!

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Guest BUUZ BEE

We have a gum tree at the house too, and they love it. I will have to try the vase thing, probably could make it with pvc pipe. What i found interesting was the new shoot thing!

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Hi Norm,

I also use eucalyptus branches and the birds love it. I had read on another site that the leaves are actually a medicine for them in the wild, so perhaps that is why your unwell bird looked better!

Thanks for posting that site, it was a great read. The only thing i found on there different to what i knew was that you should feed eucalyptus to breeding birds. Does anyone know why that is? As i said i use it all the time, and i have a breeding pair, should i stop giving it to them?

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My guys all love eucalyptus branches too! :wub: They shred it within a couple of hours, so i'd be wasting my time trying to keep them green longer. :wub:

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Me too Bea :wub: They go though a branch in a day!

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I am not too sure about the "new shoot" being toxic as I have been giving my birds the new one for about 2 months and they are well, Nothing different from any other time????

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My birds get eucalyptus branches about once or twice a week and peppermint tree branches twice a week. They go mad over them !! As I move through the aviaries sharig out the branches, others come to the front of their aviary wire or the front of breeder cages getting all excited and waiting for theirs. They seem to smell it in the air and get in a frenzy waiting for their piece. They like the peppermint tree a little better than the eucalyptus I think. And YES...its all good medicine for them. I notice a difference in them when they have this kind of thing on a regular basis. :wub:

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Today is wednesday, Gum tree branch day in the aviary. I pick the branches in the morning and spray with A.I.L. and then in the fternoon wash with clean water and hang in flights.

 

Saturday clean up mess and through out whats left.. if any. :D

Edited by Daz
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Mine love eucalypts and peppermint even more. The peppermint is always totally stripped.

 

Norm, Dr Marshall has clients right around Australia and most exhibition breeders use some of his products. He was in Perth last weekend holding a clinic for his Perth clients, but unfortunately I couldn't get there.

 

Feathers.

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Re the toxicity of new Eucalypt branches, from stumps & after bushfires, I can’t remember where I read it now, but maybe Budgies aren’t effected by it any way, I think some times in the past I fed it, before reading that, with no bad effects & since haven’t used it again just to be sure. Good to hear so many are using them & it seems to be beneficial.

Edited by Norm
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Hi Norm,

I also use eucalyptus branches and the birds love it. I had read on another site that the leaves are actually a medicine for them in the wild, so perhaps that is why your unwell bird looked better!

Thanks for posting that site, it was a great read. The only thing i found on there different to what i knew was that you should feed eucalyptus to breeding birds. Does anyone know why that is? As i said i use it all the time, and i have a breeding pair, should i stop giving it to them?

 

The reason for not feeding breeding birds things like this while breedingis that they will fill up on this which means the babies wont be getting a nutritional feed- eucalyptus leaves have alot of fibre in them but not alot of goodness. This is the reason Koalas sleep so much as digesting the food takes as much energy as they actually get from the leaves.

Saying that the actual oils are good medicine and the bark contains Lysine- which is why they have shredded the branch- and does do the birds alot of good.

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i was given a very small ecualptus tree its in a pot at the moment.but i think it will go in the ground for my lot ,it maybe a good idea to do and to cut branches off for my birds im sure they will love it i grow an apple tree for them and a willow tree. i would like to grow a peppermint tree can anyone pm or email or post a picture of this tree and i will see if i can get one in the uk.

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I looked in my book & the common name Peppermint refers to quite a few Eucalypts, there is what was a very popular tree in the Sydney area that was sold as Peppermint, some years ago, maybe the tree some are referring to is like this, but I know of some that planted them & they became much bigger than they thought & were problems inbuilt up areas. What you need is someone who uses Peppermints to give you the actual botanical name e.g. Eucalyptus such & such…. to be sure. Probably any Peppermint in the Eucalyptus family would be okay, but be careful Peppermint maybe be a common name of some other trees not even of the Eucalypt family & may not be safe.

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This is the topic where we talked about the peppermint tree the budgies like

 

http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/index....peppermint+tree

 

the tree is the

Peppermint Tree, Australian Willow Myrtle

Scientific Name: Agonis flexuosa

 

it was used extensively in street plantings, on roadside verges, around parks and schools and planted in great abundance by councils many years ago. It can be found most places.

 

http://www.lacity.org/BOSS/streettree/AgonisFlexuosa.htm

Edited by Kaz
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My exhibition budgies got a large cut off peppermint tree branch, with lots of interesting twigs sticking out everywhere on it for their playground today. It has been sitting in my back yard for a while, so no leaves on it, but the budgies are all going crazy on it anyway. They are having great fun stripping the bark off it. ;)

 

 

Feathers.

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My guys got some branches from my front yard yesterday(sorry forgot the name of the plant but it's native and safe) I made sure it was wet before putting it in and they had a ball chewing it, bathing on it and climbing all over it. By that after noon they were bare and the floor littered with leaves. :budgiedance:

Edited by Nerwen
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Hey everyone, I might've found a peppermint tree, but i'm not sure. Pics:

 

tree1.jpg

tree2.jpg

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I gave my guys some eucalypt yesterday and so many jumped on it at once that they pulled it down! :(Laughing out loud): it frighten the stuffing out of them!

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Hi

 

I live in the UK and would love to try and grow a eucalyptus tree in a pot for my bird. Is this possible in the UK and what is the best type of eucalyptus to pot? I would need the the botanical name.

 

I was thinking of asking friends in Australia to cut a few small branches of a eucalyptus tree and post it to me, but I suppose it would not be permitted? I know there is a company in Australia that does post branches (with bolts) but they are quite expensive. Not sure how they get through customs?

 

Luv

 

Vonn

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Hi Vonn, check with your local nurserys to see if there are Australian eucalypts available in the UK. I would be surprised if there weren't as the early explorers had botanists in their midst and a lot of samples were taken back to the 'motherland'. Most eucalyps are very fast growing and are very large trees, whilst small and in a pot you would need fairly easy draining soil as most of them dislike soggy roots and, in fact, do well in drought conditions once established.

 

 

Feathers.

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Guest mandy1

I had a Eucalyptus tree in my garden in England. I was planted in heavy clay soil and it grew very well (got a bit out of hand actually). If you cannot find one in the garden centres buy a copy of the Gardeners World magazine and in the classified section at the back there are loads of tree nurseries you can buy all sorts of native Australian trees.

 

When you have finished with it send it to me I miss Alan Titchmarsh (the middle aged womans crumpet).

 

Not that I would know, not being middle aged :P yet.

 

Mandy

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Any help regarding the pictures I put up in page one?

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Any help regarding the pictures I put up in page one?

 

It doesnt look like the peppermint trees I am used to. Crush the leaves and smell them. The peppermint trees I am used to seems smaller and like a weeping willow. Your tree looks tall. Maybe better photos or take a branch into a gardening centre and check if it is Peppermint tree.

Edited by Kaz
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Hi feathers and Mandy - thanks for the replies. I will go to our garden centre and see what they have and if not I will get the magazine. Mandy, there are hotter guys around than Alan Tichmarsh - if you are going to drool, I'd go for a total hunk!! HA HA!

 

Thanks for the growing tips, feathers - very helpful.

 

Luv

 

Vonn xx

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