Norm 0 Posted May 8, 2007 Member ID: 3,235 Group: Site Members Followers: 0 Topic Count: 76 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 1,965 Content Per Day: 0.32 Reputation: 0 Achievement Points: 12,755 Solved Content: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 08/03/07 Status: Offline Last Seen: October 6, 2009 Birthday: 20/08/1940 Share Posted May 8, 2007 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 Link to comment
budgie_addict 0 Posted May 8, 2007 Member ID: 2,626 Group: Site Members Followers: 0 Topic Count: 27 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 206 Content Per Day: 0.01 Reputation: 0 Achievement Points: 1,460 Solved Content: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 17/08/06 Status: Offline Last Seen: March 2, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2007 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! Link to comment
Guest BUUZ BEE Posted May 8, 2007 Share Posted May 8, 2007 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! Link to comment
Kim6116 0 Posted May 8, 2007 Member ID: 2,572 Group: Site Members Followers: 0 Topic Count: 20 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 67 Content Per Day: 0.01 Reputation: 0 Achievement Points: 540 Solved Content: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 03/08/06 Status: Offline Last Seen: April 23, 2009 Birthday: 06/11/1966 Share Posted May 8, 2007 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? Link to comment
Bea 0 Posted May 8, 2007 Member ID: 860 Group: Site Members Followers: 0 Topic Count: 400 Topics Per Day: 0.06 Content Count: 4,240 Content Per Day: 0.62 Reputation: 0 Achievement Points: 39,695 Solved Content: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 07/03/05 Status: Offline Last Seen: August 22, 2009 Birthday: 12/09/1989 Share Posted May 8, 2007 My guys all love eucalyptus branches too! They shred it within a couple of hours, so i'd be wasting my time trying to keep them green longer. Link to comment
*Nerwen* 0 Posted May 8, 2007 Member ID: 5,064 Group: Site Members Followers: 0 Topic Count: 121 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 5,817 Content Per Day: 0.29 Reputation: 0 Achievement Points: 39,375 Solved Content: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 14/02/09 Status: Offline Last Seen: July 18, 2014 Birthday: 20/02/1982 Share Posted May 8, 2007 Me too Bea They go though a branch in a day! Link to comment
Neat 0 Posted May 9, 2007 Member ID: 3,275 Group: Site Members Followers: 0 Topic Count: 321 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 5,171 Content Per Day: 0.26 Reputation: 0 Achievement Points: 31,845 Solved Content: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 27/03/07 Status: Offline Last Seen: June 25, 2010 Birthday: 22/05/1980 Share Posted May 9, 2007 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???? Link to comment
**KAZ** 0 Posted May 9, 2007 Member ID: 1,976 Group: Site Members Followers: 2 Topic Count: 521 Topics Per Day: 0.03 Content Count: 25,294 Content Per Day: 1.28 Reputation: 0 Achievement Points: 152,977 Solved Content: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 24/01/06 Status: Offline Last Seen: January 6, 2015 Birthday: 07/01/1956 Share Posted May 9, 2007 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. Link to comment
Daz 0 Posted May 9, 2007 Member ID: 4,838 Group: Site Members Followers: 0 Topic Count: 247 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 4,882 Content Per Day: 0.25 Reputation: 0 Achievement Points: 36,650 Solved Content: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 19/11/08 Status: Offline Last Seen: July 2, 2022 Birthday: 02/02/1964 Share Posted May 9, 2007 (edited) 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. Edited May 9, 2007 by Daz Link to comment
Feathers 0 Posted May 9, 2007 Member ID: 2,977 Group: Site Members Followers: 0 Topic Count: 51 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 2,031 Content Per Day: 0.10 Reputation: 0 Achievement Points: 13,850 Solved Content: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 17/11/06 Status: Offline Last Seen: November 6, 2009 Birthday: 08/08/1965 Share Posted May 9, 2007 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. Link to comment
Norm 0 Posted May 9, 2007 Member ID: 3,235 Group: Site Members Followers: 0 Topic Count: 76 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 1,965 Content Per Day: 0.32 Reputation: 0 Achievement Points: 12,755 Solved Content: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 08/03/07 Status: Offline Last Seen: October 6, 2009 Birthday: 20/08/1940 Author Share Posted May 9, 2007 (edited) 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 May 9, 2007 by Norm Link to comment
the pie 0 Posted May 9, 2007 Member ID: 2,384 Group: Site Members Followers: 0 Topic Count: 76 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 1,172 Content Per Day: 0.18 Reputation: 0 Achievement Points: 7,460 Solved Content: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 04/06/06 Status: Offline Last Seen: May 27, 2012 Birthday: 25/08/1981 Share Posted May 9, 2007 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. Link to comment
bobbyness 0 Posted May 10, 2007 Member ID: 2,574 Group: Site Members Followers: 0 Topic Count: 8 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 60 Content Per Day: 0.01 Reputation: 0 Achievement Points: 415 Solved Content: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 03/08/06 Status: Offline Last Seen: July 31, 2007 Birthday: 10/11/1963 Share Posted May 10, 2007 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. Link to comment
Norm 0 Posted May 11, 2007 Member ID: 3,235 Group: Site Members Followers: 0 Topic Count: 76 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 1,965 Content Per Day: 0.32 Reputation: 0 Achievement Points: 12,755 Solved Content: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 08/03/07 Status: Offline Last Seen: October 6, 2009 Birthday: 20/08/1940 Author Share Posted May 11, 2007 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. Link to comment
**KAZ** 0 Posted May 12, 2007 Member ID: 1,976 Group: Site Members Followers: 2 Topic Count: 521 Topics Per Day: 0.03 Content Count: 25,294 Content Per Day: 1.28 Reputation: 0 Achievement Points: 152,977 Solved Content: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 24/01/06 Status: Offline Last Seen: January 6, 2015 Birthday: 07/01/1956 Share Posted May 12, 2007 (edited) 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 May 12, 2007 by Kaz Link to comment
Feathers 0 Posted May 12, 2007 Member ID: 2,977 Group: Site Members Followers: 0 Topic Count: 51 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 2,031 Content Per Day: 0.10 Reputation: 0 Achievement Points: 13,850 Solved Content: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 17/11/06 Status: Offline Last Seen: November 6, 2009 Birthday: 08/08/1965 Share Posted May 12, 2007 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. Link to comment
*Nerwen* 0 Posted May 12, 2007 Member ID: 5,064 Group: Site Members Followers: 0 Topic Count: 121 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 5,817 Content Per Day: 0.29 Reputation: 0 Achievement Points: 39,375 Solved Content: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 14/02/09 Status: Offline Last Seen: July 18, 2014 Birthday: 20/02/1982 Share Posted May 12, 2007 (edited) 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 May 12, 2007 by Nerwen Link to comment
VippiN 0 Posted May 14, 2007 Member ID: 2,346 Group: Site Members Followers: 0 Topic Count: 20 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 78 Content Per Day: 0.00 Reputation: 0 Achievement Points: 630 Solved Content: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 20/05/06 Status: Offline Last Seen: July 20, 2011 Share Posted May 14, 2007 Hey everyone, I might've found a peppermint tree, but i'm not sure. Pics: Link to comment
Boris' Slave 0 Posted May 14, 2007 Member ID: 2,138 Group: Site Members Followers: 0 Topic Count: 164 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 1,481 Content Per Day: 0.07 Reputation: 0 Achievement Points: 13,140 Solved Content: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 14/03/06 Status: Offline Last Seen: October 12, 2011 Birthday: 10/02/1973 Share Posted May 14, 2007 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! Link to comment
Vonn 0 Posted May 15, 2007 Member ID: 1,775 Group: Site Members Followers: 0 Topic Count: 15 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 102 Content Per Day: 0.01 Reputation: 0 Achievement Points: 660 Solved Content: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 19/11/05 Status: Offline Last Seen: December 7, 2007 Share Posted May 15, 2007 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 Link to comment
Feathers 0 Posted May 15, 2007 Member ID: 2,977 Group: Site Members Followers: 0 Topic Count: 51 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 2,031 Content Per Day: 0.10 Reputation: 0 Achievement Points: 13,850 Solved Content: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 17/11/06 Status: Offline Last Seen: November 6, 2009 Birthday: 08/08/1965 Share Posted May 15, 2007 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. Link to comment
Guest mandy1 Posted May 15, 2007 Share Posted May 15, 2007 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 yet. Mandy Link to comment
VippiN 0 Posted May 15, 2007 Member ID: 2,346 Group: Site Members Followers: 0 Topic Count: 20 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 78 Content Per Day: 0.00 Reputation: 0 Achievement Points: 630 Solved Content: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 20/05/06 Status: Offline Last Seen: July 20, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2007 Any help regarding the pictures I put up in page one? Link to comment
**KAZ** 0 Posted May 15, 2007 Member ID: 1,976 Group: Site Members Followers: 2 Topic Count: 521 Topics Per Day: 0.03 Content Count: 25,294 Content Per Day: 1.28 Reputation: 0 Achievement Points: 152,977 Solved Content: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 24/01/06 Status: Offline Last Seen: January 6, 2015 Birthday: 07/01/1956 Share Posted May 15, 2007 (edited) 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 May 15, 2007 by Kaz Link to comment
Vonn 0 Posted May 15, 2007 Member ID: 1,775 Group: Site Members Followers: 0 Topic Count: 15 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 102 Content Per Day: 0.01 Reputation: 0 Achievement Points: 660 Solved Content: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 19/11/05 Status: Offline Last Seen: December 7, 2007 Share Posted May 15, 2007 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 Link to comment
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