Elly

Could you get a picture of Smudge's cere we can look at it and see if he has scaley face (which is a form of mites). Scratching is normal but I am not sure how much your budgie is doing this to deem if he has mites or not. Secondly, he is coming along great for just being home for one day you may want to read my article about taming your budgie in the FAQ section it has excellent points on bringing your new budgie home. Also budgies really don't like to be touched on their chest when another bird preens them they are preening the top or sides of the head. So instead of petting the chest area work on the head for scratches this is natural for them. We also have more articles in the FAQ section that will assist you too Welcome.

1. How do you keep them healthy? There are a number of excellent articles in our FAQ section that talks about where to put the budgie cage, how large it should be for 2 budgies, nutrition for your budgies and more. The best thing you can do to keep them healthy is keep them out of locations where their are toxic fumes like a kitchen (don't use tephon for cooking), make sure they have the largest cage you can afford, change their water & food daily, start them off immediately on a good seed/pellet/veggie/fruit diet and spend a lot of good quality time with them in and out of the cage. There is so much more so read the FAQ and I know others will give you even more ideas. OH always blow the empty seed shells off the top of the seed bowl many times it looks full but it is not, and teach them to forage for food it keeps their minds activity and you do have quieter budgies. 2. What medicines are used? Here in the states when you buy a budgie there are no medicines needed for a budgie when you purchase them they should be mite free, worm free and healthy. If your budgies (s) are ever sick they need to go to an avian vet so they can be checked over and given the correct medicine and dose if need be (just like kids or adults) you don't want to give unnecessary medicine especially if you don't know what you are doing. 3. How do you keep the cage hygenic? You clean the paper daily or every other day depending on how much your birds poop, I put the newspaper on the top of the grate bottom so I don't have to clean the grate it is so much easier, do a through cleaning of your cage & perches 1x a month and clean the food and water dishes daily before you refill. 4. How do you feed them and what do you feed them? Click here About Nutrition 5. How do we know when they are breeding? Budgies don't breed unless you give them to correct enviroment. I got 2 of the same sex so I didn't have to worry about an unwanted clutch because sometimes they do breed without it, along with the fact that I didn't want to worry about egg bound hens. If you are planning to breed budgies are not to be bred until they ar at least 12 months old so you have a lot of time to read here and get good information, read through the breeding journals on the ups and downs of breeding because if you want healthy babies throwing in a nest box and letting them go at it is not the best way, your birds need to be in optimal health, given the right circumstance etc ...PLUS you need to think about what will you do with the babies (budgies breeding if you breed correctly is not a profit making business). There are so many unwanted budgies out there in shelters, on craigslist, on pet finders so think carefully before you bring more into this world. PLUS important factor if you are getting your budgies together they will be most likely brother and sister so maybe think about getting 2 of the same sex instead and if you decide to breed you can purchase 2 other budgies of the opposite sex therefore you are not in breeding and if you decide not to breed you won't have any unwanted clutches. Budgies do not know they are brother and sister and will breed. 6. How do we get to train them to get in the cage and get them to talk? Click here for Taming Your Budgies (s), if you have 2 budgies straight from the store I highly doublt they will talk because they have each other. For your birds to talk you will need to get 1 bond with it, teach it how to to be strong talker before you introduce #2. If you want budgies because of talking do know that most don't talk, males are better at learning and females usually mimic whistles.

what are your budgies's diets?

this is what I do with Merlin, I put him away in a different room period. Other ways was I turned the cage around so they can't open it too. Covering doesn't help because they just peek under the cover. So to protect my baby I put him aways he doesn't need to socialize with terrors that are going to break his trust for humans.

Good descision on the same sex that is what I did I got 2 males so I didn't have to worry about eggs at all . Wonderful cage.

We have excellent resources here at BBC with the experience breeders, those who own large and small aviaries, along with the FAQ's so read up before you put in a breeding box it is so very important. Read through the breeding journals you will read the ups and downs of breeding. Many (not saying you) think it is as easy as throwing in a box and letting them go at it that is simply untrue.

beautiful

Karen you are right they are magnificant

WOW Kaz WOW is all I can say they are both gorgeous and MoJo is absolutely stunning.

Your birds are gorgeous and I agree on Sparkles being a clearwing

Very nice congrats

they are super cute

Did you check the Avian Vet Look-up in our FAQs

Welcome

If you can't get her into the AVIAN vet asap as Kaz said and you are near her please take her up on her offer.

First welcome to the forum we are glad you found us and you are asking question. Now for the reality :hap:, pet shops are not avian vets and can not diagnosis what is wrong with your bird. I am surprised (but then I am not) that they even treated your bird at all. You need to find an avian vet in your area ASAP CLICK HERE TO LOOK-UP AVIAN VET. An avian vet will be able to examine your bird, do tests to find out what is really wrong with your bird. What an avian vet will do is feel your bird's keel bone for weight loss, weigh your bird, do a poo stain, check to see if she is egg bound along with (maybe recommending) an x-ray. There are many that have large scale aviaries on this site, know what to look for because of their experience but when you are not as experience and you have a pet budgie I feel the best thing you can do for your budgie is take them to a qualified avian vet before the bird becomes sicker.

:hap: what a wonderful solution Kaz

I couldn't put it any better Maise gave you excellent advice, I was a little taken back on what the vet said you just don't get another budgie if you think the one you have has a viral infection you are just spreading it. There probably is something going on because budgies are rarely feather pickers or pluckers so a trip to get a second opinion with an avian vet is your best bet. Do you have a picture of your budgie and set-up?

very exciting :hap:

Thanks Aly, it was tough I had to do a lot of torture to get these certain members :hap: to work for me (I mean they were PAID sooooo much) (Laughing out loud), on a serious note though I would like to continue to grow this section so if you see anything you think would be helpful for the community let me know. . PS...Aly doesn't give herself enough credit she wrote up a lot of new FAQ ...and did A LOT of the editing.

they are beautiful, congrats :hap:

I am glad that the budgie is now pain free very difficult post this is all around :hap:

Being a good budgie "mom" you observe your babies and took the signs and went immediately the to vet kudos and hats off to you... I am glad Oliver is okay and continue on his road to recovery.

that is my conclusion

Here is a good article about having 1 or 2 budgies CLICK TO READ. You have received great advice