Rainbow

Sounds like the start of a respiratory infection, although something else to consider is if they are out of shape or not. They don't have to be fat to be out of shape. If they have not flown much and don't regularly get a good flapping workout any exertion will bring on that clicking noise. Another possibility is thyroid issues. I'm glad you've found an avian vet-they are worth their weight in gold. And I know how frustrating it is waiting for lab results! They seem to take forever to come back sometimes. Let us know what you find out.

She looks like a type2 yellowface skyblue to me. I don't see any spangle. To me it looks like the longest tailfeathers haven't grown out yet, or have fallen out for some reason as the yellow feathers on the tail look like the shorter ones and not the center ones. That coloring on those feathers for a type2 would be normal. She is a beautiful color. Any chance we could have a closer picture?

Right now I think if you work with each one individually, it will not take long before they are used to being handled. I would let them all out at the same time onlywith conditions. 1st, you need a lot of free time before you do it. Maybe hours. I say this because once they get out as a flock, they will enjoy flying. And if you cannot control them right now with the 'step up' command (which you can't) it will take quite some time for you to get them all back in the cage without resorting to chasing them and making them more afraid of you than they already are. Because once you get one to step on your finger, I would almost guarantee as soon as you take that first step in any direction, they will fly right off. Normally babies at that age are very trainable and will trust you much easier than a bird even a few months older. Start off with the usuals, i.e. sit by the cage, talk to them, hand feed them millet, etc. I don't think you should have too much trouble. Have fun!

The only type of tumor I have ever heard of that makes a male's cere brown is a testicular tumor. Normally you can see some blue places on the cere or underneath if you peel a layer, but I only see white underneath near the nares in your picture. The brown is also smooth in all pictures of it I have seen, and your bird has a "bumpy" cere like a female. There is usually something slightly 'off-looking' in a male with testicular cancer. But not being a vet I couldn't say for certain about your specific case. I would have guessed that your bird was female, as it doesn't really look abnormal. S/He doesn't look that old either. Do you know the bird's age? Anyway, I would certainly do whatever your vet has instructed, and I'm glad his behavior has perked up. Hopefully that means the meds are making him more comfortable, and the cancer doesn't grow any larger. What tipped you off to take him to the vet? Sure is a lovely color, what a sweetie!

They are beautiful. Obviously mom and dad are both split to blue. :ausb: That first one is also dilute, and very very pretty. Have you named them?

I like the name SMUDGE for the one in the box. Thankyou. It is a boy I think last time I looked Smudge .....cool :ausb: Aw, thanks. I'd love to see him in person, he is just too cute.

Can you maybe put that egg under another hen....???? :oliveb: :ausb: That baby is sooooo cute!!!!!

I want the one in the box! I want the one in the box! And I would name him or her Smudge.

Then just switch as best you can. It won't hurt them, and parrots (really any bird) are opportunistic feeders in the wild. Once one food runs out they switch to whatever else is in season or appears in front of them. Since yours already eat pellets, they may not even find the switch any big deal.

Nerwen, you know I love ALL your birds! I must say that they all look so healthy and happy!

You really need some kind of cuteness warnings on your posts, Karen... They are so cute I can't stand it!

Blinkie is funny.... (LOL, Bea, Skittles really likes to talk to Blinkie! I know I've said it before, but he's the only budgie she consistently responds to when I'm watching bird videos!)

Absolutely beautiful birds!!! But the albino looks male to me.....?

Exactly what I would recommend Karen.

I would hope that price includes an exam....seems very pricey to me. If you were close I'd do it for you for free. But you deserve a big smiley face by your name for wanting to see how to do it properly so you "don't butcher their wings". I'd ask what type of clip they will do at the vets. A cosmetic clip or a "full" clip I would not recommend. If they will clip a few and test fly, clip a few more and test fly, etc. that would be the way to go. You don't want them to clip 7-10 primaries and say "here you go!" That is too many. Do you by chance have a friend you trust that would be able to securely hold the bird while you clip?

Hi and welcome! Your birds are lovely. Ester might be a mauve instead of a grey, as she looks a blue/grey from the front to me. Her cheek patches aren't grey, and if she were a true grey I think they would be. I have a hen the same color as your Cloudy and his cere looks normal to me. The cere will get darker as his hormone levels get higher. I can't wait to see pictures of the babies - I'm sure they will be beautiful.

Kali, Zupreem does carry a natural version, but they are hard to find. My birds eat Harrison's Mash, which is pulverized already. It is a fine powder, and they much prefer it to the SuperFine size. With molasses being high on the ingredient list of what you (armchairangel) feed now I think I would try to switch to something else only because molasses is sugar, and I don't see how a lot of sugar would be good. If your birds are used to all that sweetness it might be hard to change them over at first, but could be easier than you think since parrots do not have a whole lot of taste buds compared to us.

I don't know which is worse, the horrible heat you all are having down under or the awful cold we are having here. Right now it is -3 F actual temperature, the wind chill factor making it -30 F. Conversion temp for you all is -19.5 C actual temp, -34.5 C with the wind chill factored in. I hope all your budgies fare well with the heat, and that you are taking care of yourselves too. Extremes in temperature is hard on everyone, man and beast. Did you realize there is over a 100 degree difference in our weather? That is hard to imagine!!

That is supposed to be the 'rough estimate' of the total food a budgie needs each day. That amount should be lessened though, if your bird is eating other types of foods (as he should be.... ). I have 4, and I would guess it's maybe a teaspoon between them all? It's hard to say, could be a little more or a little less, depending upon the day. Their normal seed diet is a sprouting mix, which is soaked and beginning to sprout tails. They usually choose the sprouted seed over dry seeds.

I would scrub them inside and out with an old toothbrush to get in all the corners with a mild bleach solution and let air dry in the sun for a few days. I would not paint them.

Thank you Bubbles, I didn't explain well, and was wrong to boot. I thought the mask was the face area from cheeks to right below spots but just said spots since show budgies have such large ones they take up much of that area. I didn't realize the spots weren't included. :ausb:

The mask is the spots. In a show bird they should be further down the below the beak. Also, many times birds seem to sit with that hinged tail because they have trimmed wings. I don't know if it helps them balance a little better or what, but I've seen many pictures of birds that will sit like that trimmed and when their flights grow back in they carry more of a straight line from the back to the tail. Also if they are feeling a little under the weather they sometimes sit like that also. I'm not saying he is sick or anything, but something else to file away under "information"...He doesn't appear to have a hinged tail in all the photographs, so could be a transitory thing also. He is lovely to me.

Well, for one, a pet budgie can be of the smaller variety as well as the larger. And I really don't see anyone getting offended. Unless you are. (Are you? Truly? :mellow: ) I certainly am not, and hope you are not. Who is to say whether it is incorrect? Why don't we find something reliable in print that says it is? So far only opinions have been expressed. No hard facts one way or the other. It has turned into something of a debate though, so to keep to the spirit of a true debate, we need facts. In the meantime, (to paraphrase Bubbles - nice job) Considering this is an international forum and the little budgie has a very wide international fan base, not just on the continent of it's origin, and that no overwhelming facts have been presented stating that it is incorrect to call the smaller variety American and the larger type English I think etiquette would dictate for the sake of differentiation if someone wants to call a show budgie english and the small variety american it is perfectly okay in the context of this forum, as everyone knows to which type those terms refer. We aim to keep our information as easy to understand as possible. I don't think people need to be told they are wrong in future posts, a quick link to this thread will be all the information anyone needs about the topic, don't you think? Like Terri said, over here you do not see these birds advertised as American budgies. They are parakeets. A few enlightened shops may call them budgies. Not American budgies. But in every case when they have the larger type available for sale, they are listed as English budgies. It is just a distinguisher, not a claim of ownership. The only place I see the term "American budgie" is in books or online. Who started it or upon what continent it originated I do not know. But I will look, LOL, as you need facts for a true debate!

I think I would call your vet and ask their opinion. It isn't normal, so you know something is going on. Whether it is stress or illness-related I can't say. I think if you give them her symptoms, their onset, their current diet, appearance, etc. they will be able to let you know whether you should bring her in. I understand you have a long drive, so let them know that. I'm thinking you will need to have her seen. I'd bring both of them in for a visit if you are going to take one.

The debate regarding terminology to differentiate between budgerigar type has been moved to the General Questions about Budgies section If you are interested in that topic, please post replies there. This thread again only concerns Sailorwolf's budgie. Carry on.