chirpy

Thats absolutely heart warming, look at the sweet, innocent trust from that tiny little baby. Wonderful!

Lovely pictures Bea, the babies are so adorable!

it can take aroun 6 - 12 months, depending on when he has his first moult. All the feathers may not return in their full glory afyer the first major moult, sometimes it can be the second moult that finally see's the bird in full flighted glory.

Bea, have you looked at the soles of his bifters to see if there is any sign of irritation? Maybe its just a comfort thing or something. Or, perhaps he prefers his iodine to taste a bit sweaty or cheesy! :(Laughing out loud):

:(Laughing out loud): you lot crack me up! Actually, they DO have their own tv and music system and their own cd's It is going inside, luckily I have a big house, and it will fit easily into the keet room (nice bright room with huge patio doors to let the sun in) Spoilt little budgies and cockatiels! Ive just placed a nice big order with Feathered pets on Ebay, but I did forget to order the clawnail polish. I shall go back and order it immediately :(Laughing out loud):

Keep a very close eye on her. She has had a nasty shock and it will have hurt her too. Watch her movements closely, check for limping, and keep an eye on how she holds her wings (are they in the natural position when at rest, not one hanging differently, lower or higher than the other) I would partially cover her cage, and keep her quiet and warm for a few hours. If she shows any symptoms of stress, Id get her checked out at the vet. She will probably be fine though, but watch her overall behaviour, eating and sleeping etc just to be sure. Anne

aww Cheeky, its not serious if it is that, and its just a suggestion anyway :rip:

FP, you are back! :rip: Yes, I must admit Im very pleased. I was VERY tempted by what you showed me, no doubt about it, but I know, Id still have wanted more space for them yet again, as I always do :(Laughing out loud): Only trouble is, where from here? :(Laughing out loud):

Pics will be forthcoming I promise :rip:

Hi Caren, try giving your budgie an extra calcium suppliment. This should help his beak repair and also strengthen it. ZolcalD is an excellent form of calcium (liquid) and seems to very palatable to most birds. A tiny drop in the drinking water daily is sufficient until the beak shows more signs of strength and repair. After that, a drop once or twice a week should be fine for about a month, then stop it. Even if it is not down to a slight calcium deficiency, the ZolcalD will help his beak repair itself. Anne

This is just a gut feeling, but ask your vet to test your budgie for diabetes mellitus. it is a condition that can affect budgerigars. there are many forms of diabetes, but this is one of the (although fairly rare in any form) more common ones in budgies. If it is this condition, it is usually NOT an insulin dependant form of diabetes. The bird can usually compensate naturally for the diabetes without developing notable signs of ill health. Under times of unusual stress however, the bird can display signs of illness. In time, this problem often rectifies itself with no adverse reactions or damage. I think its an avenue worth checking out even so. Is your vet deffinately an avian vet?

I just cant help it. They need more space for the odd time the little monkeys are actually caged. So, thanks to a link MichelleC sent me, I contacted a nice man. A very very nice man. And sometime next week the new 'cage will be made, delivered by the nice man himself, and erected for me in my keet room The cage specifics are (living/flying space) 6ft high, 6ft long, and 3 1/2ft deep. (182cm high, 182cm long, 107cm deep) There will be a full size walk in door for me, and also for the birds to fly in and out of, and a top opening section for the birds to use aswel. The framework will be quality untreated pine, and the wire will be good quality aviary mesh. The whole cost is just over 120 uk pounds inc delivery and erection of this aviary. I just cant wait! I did have a choice of a solid roof or mesh roof, but have decided on the mesh, as it will be much easier to hang toys, ropes, perches etc from. I dont spoil my birdies............. Do I ??????????????????

I wish you luck with your bird, and THANKYOU for being concerned enough over your pets well being to push for a trip tp the vets. If mum is reluctant, avoid arguing, try and reason and offer (and be sure to do!) extra things around the home to show gratitude for her putting herself out. Keep us informed, as we always like to know, and learn from the outcome of situations such as these. Anne

this is a feather duster budgie.

oooh Lin, me toooooooo! half cut? perfect! we should gab and put the world to drunken rights :(Laughing out loud):

Thats the point Im making Phoebe, how painlessly and quickly everything was done. Things have changed so uch for the better in recent years. Im feeling okay now thanks, just trying to get used to him not being here, just takes time. He was a lovely little bird.

I guess it seems steep to me, because I think of all money in English pounds! I forget about different currency values!

Lin, I was having problems with my email yesterday, Ive contacted my friend for you within the last 10 mins or so. Everyone, please note, when I said she was the only person I knew personally who could help, I didnt mean to disregard the wonderful people here! It sounds terrible reading back how I worded that! I simply meant someone I usually have daily person-to-person contact with! Ihope I didnt offend anyone here! Anne

Lin, email me at chirpy001@hotmail. I dont breed, but I have a friend who may be able to help you. Because of respect of privacy, I cant mail me asap, and there wi;ll be some x posting, but she is the only person I know personally worth listening to.

Lovey, as a paying client, you can INSIST. xxx (if the vet decides to incur extra charges, believe me, its well worth the cost) Anne xx

Mickey, IMHO that vet is charging rather high for a consultation fee. Even if you dont have an avian vet in yourarea, I would ring around ALL local vets, explain that you have a potentially sick bird, explain that money is not easy to come by,and ask for the consultation fees up front. As for home treatment, I personally know of quite a few for various ailments (via advice off my avian vet) HOWEVER, please understand that I am NOT an avian or veterinary qualified person, and advice from a novice could lead to the death of your pet. I am not prepared to take that responsibility on. HOWEVER, I will advise briefly and loosely if you have no further success with vets. But it will not be medically quallified advice. As harsh as it may seem, I speak from the heart (and yes, at times i have had to do this) IF you cant afford vet fees, SELL SOMETHING YOU LOVE! Your tv in your bedroom, your bike, your vcr, your dvd player etc. Sell them cheap for a quick sale, but one way or another, pay for that animals treatment. I say this in all kindness, BUT to me, regardless of personal cost, the animal which never ASKED you to take it in, comes first and foremost. This is a general viewpoint of my own, and NOT a kick at you/not a kick at the poster (for all readers to note) Please keep us informed. Anne

Euthanasia Although no-one wants to be faced with this situation, as bird/animal owners, chances are that one day, you WILL be faced with dealing with this. The word euthanasia comes from Greek terms. ‘’eu’’ meaning ‘good’, and ‘’thanatos’’ meaning ‘death’. This is my view on what is a ‘good death’. The death should be as humane, as painless, and as trauma free as possible. The animal should experience little, or any if possible, anxiety pre-death. Loss of conciousness should be quick, and as pain free as possible. Usually, a well handled euthanasia is totally pain free. Here is how the proceedings went with my recent encounter with euthanasia with my cockatiel, Chip. 1) Extensive tests were run to evaluate the seriousness of his condition (it was already clear at this point that his condition was quite serious.) 2) I asked my vet to be totally honest with regarding the outcome of the tests, if Chips condition was to prove incurable, and his life quality was going to be poor and degenerative, to advise me if euthanasia was advisable. I knew deep down that I would probably recognise this situation myself, but allowing for emotion to blind me slightly over my pets welfare, I needed to be sure I would not let my pet down. 3) Agreeing/coming to terms with such a decision should it arise, is not easy. However, it is vital at this point that you put your pets welfare before your own emotional needs. HERE IS HOW TAKING MY BELOVED PET BIRD ON HIS FINAL JOURNEY WAS HANDLED . None of it was easy, it was extremely difficult and painful emotionally, to the point of being physically painful. BUT deep within my heart, I knew I was doing right by my pet. (this is simply the decision to let a beloved friend go, not the actual act of euthanasia that I speak of above) 1) I prepared his travel cage and made it as comfortable as I could, as I did with any trip to the vet.. 2) I kept my own emotions under strict control, and quietly and calmly removed him from his cage and placed him in his travel cage. 3) I was not kept waiting at the vets. They knew the reason I was there, and I was called in to the consulting room within minutes. 4) My vet quickly went over Chips condition, his prognosis, and reassured me that I was doing the right thing. I was asked if I wanted to be present during proceedings, which I did. There was NO pressure whatsoever put on me over this, 5) Chip was first of all given a whiff of general anaesthetic, and he very quickly and painlessly fell asleep, deeply asleep. It was calm, struggle free, and humane. Once he was fully anaesthetised, he was injected directly into his liver, via his stomach. This is the injection that actually causes the death of the animal. 6) All through the procedure, the vet chatted gently and calmly to me, explaining step by step what was happening. This kept me calm, which in turn will have reflected on my pets final emotions before he fell asleep under the anaesthesia. 7) I was then left in total peace and quiet (although the vet did not leave the room, he simply stayed silent) while I held my bird in my hands close to my heart as the final steps of his beautifully peaceful journey were completed. 8) After about a minute and a half, the vet gently suggested that he was going to check for breathing and heartbeat. Chip was not removed from my hands, and the vet was gentle and calm as he very carefully checked Chip for any signs of life. He acknowledged gently that Chip was now at peace. 9) A little bit of panic started to grow inside of me at this point, I needed to be sure that his euthanasia WAS successful. My vet patiently gave me another minute nursing Chip, and then quietly and calmly checked for signs of life again. He reassured me that Chips journey was, indeed, over. Chips passing was extremely calm, painless, and peaceful. I am sharing and reliving these moments for those of you who think ‘’I could never cope’’ ‘’It will be traumatic and disturbing and horrible’’ ‘’My pet will suffer’’. For those of you who may be facing this now, or may at sometime during the future face this difficult decision, I hope my experience has helped, or will help you feel more prepared should the time arise. The personal loss and grief can still be extreme, but I do have to say that the beautiful peacefulness of your pets passing becomes a great comfort. If your vet does not use anaesthesia as a prelude to euthanasia as a matter of course, you CAN insist upon it. This way, things are much easier on both your pet, and on you, especially with a small animal. Euthanasia is seen as a dark subject, and from my experience, rarely discussed openly in public forums. It is even quite difficult to find heartfelt personal experiences on the web. I hope my very recent experience of it has helped remove some of the darkness and horror that often seems to surround this subject. I hope it shows that those final steps in that final journey, can, indeed, have a peaceful beauty about them. Even as I am writing this, I am grieving the loss of my much loved friend. But, I am NOT grieving how he passed. I will be eternally grateful for that beautiful, painfree, fear free passing. Anne Kenyon.

Mickey, he could have some sort of obstruction in his airways, or an infection building. He really needs to be checked out by your avian vet, as birds have extremely delicate airways. Left unattended it could prove fatal. Budgies do sneeze from time to time, but frequently and regularly certainly needs checking out. Good luck!

Another name for the spikes is 'pin feathers'. During a molt, a bird often appreciates a gentle mistin of warm water with a small amount of pure aloe vera liquid mixed in. This is very soothing for the skin as molting can cause some itching and irritation as the pin feathers break through the skin.

Talking of odd perches.......