chirpy

this can be a sign of some sort of yeast infection. he could probably do with a visit to the vet, as yeast infections dont seem to clear up on their own to well. has he recently had a change of diet? is he scratching and preening more than usual?

my two just adore those mini sweetcorns! Teapot loves eating it, and snowy gets her pleasure from throwing it all over the room! (Laughing out loud)!

Hi, it sounds like you are trying to do your best for your birds, but PLEASE get your sister to purchase a big cage for the two birds you have given her, the biggest 'budgie-suitable' cage she can afford. No bird should be kept in a small cage unless it is an emergency nursing/hospital cage. To expect birds to live in small cages is akin to entrapping an olympic running champion in a straight jacket for the rest of his life. At the very least, a single bird should be able to fully stretch out its wings in any direction without then touching the sides of the cage, and it should have room to flutter from perch to perch, not just hop or scramble. This size should be at least half as big again if you are housing two birds. I know they can be pretty expensive to buy new, but scanning the local paper can often bring forth good opportunities to purchase a lovely cage at a very cheap price (but dont forget to sterilise cage well with AVIAN friendly disinfectant if you do this) Anne

If he looks so like the wild, free budgies, how about you call him Freedom, after his beautiful, lucky friends flying free in Gods skys? Anne xx

IMHO, the only humane way to destroy/mercykill/put down a budgie is to take it to the vet and have it done properly. I also believe that in most cases, if the budgie is a very yuong chick, nature will act accordingly. If its an older bird, and has been hurt, or suffered some sort of illness that has left it without a decent quality of life, then off to the vet it should go. I do know of methods to kill a bird (diy job) but would never use or share them.

(Laughing out loud) rainbow, id just popped back to sugest that! some landing platforms will fasten securely inside a cage. Hows things with lil rainbow birdy?

it probably is just old age. try and give him varius sized perches to stand on, so he can make a choice as to which is comfiest. NEVER give him those sanded perch covers! The person who invented those crappy things should be made to walk 10 miles with glass in his/her shoes! I would also if its possible, take the little thing to the vet, there may be something that you can give him to ease his discomfort. Does your bird like to bath? try a few drops of pure aloe vera in his bath water, that can be very soothing, and if its pure, is harmless if ingested.

How old is your budgy? (what a fab name you have!!!) it sounds to me like he is having his first hormone hit! moulting, getting randy, poor thing, (Laughing out loud)! Is he getting a little bit snappy aswel? it often seems to follow the other two! make sure he has top quality bird seed, try him with a bit of broccoli and other veggies (sometimes they prefer them lightly steamed to raw) Dont worry if he only young and not very adventurous with his food, its often the case. To me, it really does sound like a full on hit of hormones! let us know how he gets on Welcome to Adams wonderful site! Anne xx

Keep working on that talking he may amaze you one day! Teapot came out with a totally untaught phrase last night, one he'd just picked up (he says many, many things) he said '' ooh plop! teapot done plop! goodboyyyyyy teapot!!!'' heheh! the good boy teapot has been said for ages, but the plop thing had me in stitches laughing, cos its totally out of the blue! ( i do always say to him tho when he does that little action of squeezing his eyes shut, ''has teapot done a plop? have you done a plop on mummy/'' and i guess he's just learned it, (Laughing out loud)! ps if you want to email any pics to me i will post them for you until you get the hang of it xx chirpy001@hotmail.com

i believe 'tame' has many different levels, but with time, patience, and heartfelt comittment there is no reason why an adult budgie cant be tamed. Of course, there are some budgies who seem to cling on to their 'wild' ancestry, be it a baby, or an adult. some birds will simply tolerate you, others will welcome you with open wings. a lot of it is down to the birds nature, personality, regardless of age. Good luck in whichever path you choose, be it a baby, or an adult and always, always remember to show that bird gratitude that it has chosen to let its trust for you over ride its natural wild instincts. I believe it is truly an honour everytime Teapot my budgie flies to me, or shows joy at my appearence, or lets me pick him up at will. Anne

Its a wonderful feeling when they do that isnt it! It shows that in your little budgies eyes you signify warmth, safety, love, security. How blessed we are when a tiny little creature puts such great trust in us. xx

Heheh, cheers guys Teapot loves his little cup and saucer, the spoilt little featherball, (Laughing out loud)!

Paul, please dont beat yourself up. You did all you could, and more than an awful lot of people would have done. You stayed by her all through the night, stayed with her through her final journey. You said the vet just shook her head. As a qualified animal doctor, she knew nothing could be done for pip, and by letting her go you gave your little bird a great gift. I have nothing but admiration for you, what a lucky little bird she was to have you. Blessings to you both, Anne

Thankyou for those comments! \(' v ')/ Im so proud of my little Teababy, and just delighted that ive got the hang of posting pics again, (Laughing out loud)!

yum! steamed veg and apple juice! I can talk, but can YOU fly ???? crikey! thats a bit itchy! and mum, wheres my deoderant please? whiffy wingpits do nothing for my credibility you know!!!

okay, a basic guide froma novice. male = blue. female= pink. thats very much 'ish' a male can have a purplely cere, hint of blue, hint of pink. a female is pinky brown. no blue in sight. over all, if its got a hint of purplely blue, its a male, if its pinky-browny, no sign of blue, its a female. x

oh vidd, that is so sad. the loss of a bird can be so painfull, i really feel for you. Im really sorry to hear that. Anne xx

*adds to the healing vibes* xx

Hi vidd, im glad your budgie is seeming a little better please could you let us know what your vet says, and how she is progressing?

hi bhups, id get yur bird a few different toys to play with, let him have a choice. They get bored quite easily, but a variety of toys should awaken his interest budgielover, its just the lovliest smell isnt it x

mawag, cutting your budgies wingFEATHERS can be very dangerous to the bird if its not done propery. It can toatally cripple him, and jsut through a bad feather trim they can land up with profuse bleeding, go into shock, and die. A wing trim should ALWAYS be done professionally, because sometimes you can cut through a BLOODFEATHER, and the wings should never be so severely trimmed as to completely stop the bird from flying. At most, it should just slow the birds flight down a little, and make it slightly harder for the bird to gain to much height whilst flying.

often,(i believe) when a bird chirps, it is calling to you, seeking attention. so if he is quiet when you are with him, it could well just mean that he is content and satisfied

I bet they loved being able to spread their little wings and fly around as god intended! and how nice that they were so easy to settle down again! How come is been so long since you let your first bird free for a fly around? Are you going to let them fly regularly again now? i agree with you, i think you have two very smart budgies there!

what a beautifully worded story! I know what you mean, i often worry about teaot, and is he the happiest he could possibly be. He couldnt be more loved or cared for, but im still on the verge of getting him a playmate. its on hold at the moment, but he's a little bit poorly, but once he is fully well again, and when i have found the perfect friend for him, he will be getting a housemate. it may take ages, because until i find the little bird that my heart and soul believes is right for teapot, he will stay single. fortunately i work from home, so he gets loads of attention and fuss. but i do understand what you are saying :bluebudgie:

hi angel :bluebudgie: im not sure of the link you suggested for reply, so forgive me for doing it here. im a novice budgie owner, i just read, and listen, and study a lot, but have little experience. I have read, and found through experience though, that budgies arn't, in the main, keen on being petted. I dont know why this is, but they do often seem to shy away fron stroking etc. They seem to like to show their affection and trust simply by flying to you, sitting on you, and sometimes preening you. dont worry, dont push your little bird to be 'petted', just enjoy the lovely warmth, and feathery smells when your trusting little pal chooses YOU to rest and relax on