Rainbow

Elly, tiels and bigger parrots do hull their seeds too. It is passerine birds such as pigeons, doves, quail, and finches that do not. Parrots have small ridges on their upper mandible that aid in crushing the seeds after they are hulled, presumably as a precursor to digestion, much like happens when we chew. (check this out on your own bird if you have never seen it) This puts the seed into a more easily digestible form to start with, before it even hits the digestive system. I also read an article that said that parrots that hull their seeds have a little different physiology as far as the makeup of the ventriculus (gizzard) than birds that do not hull their seeds. My current budgies have never had grit. The oldest one (5) has also raised two clutches of babies with no problems. She did have access to cuttlebone and a calcium perch, which could have provided her with initial grains, but as those are water-soluble the 'graininess' would not have lasted in the crop.

Thought I'd update with a new picture since the birds have a new cage. Dimensions are 34" x 22" x 43" and is perfect for 4 hens. Amazing how a mixed aviary 2.5 times the size of my current flock thrived in the smaller cages I had and yet only 4 hens can live in this one...males are definitely "buffers"! Anyway, I could fill this thing with so many perches and toys, but have found that the birds seem to prefer less in there. I think they just love being able to fly in it. I love being able to avoid putting anything above the food and water dishes so they remain poop-free! New Cage

LOL I ended up with 9 babies that started off with "lack of a nesting box"! My hen wanted to lay in the cushions of my sofa...and we know THAT would not have been a good idea at all! Just to say it is possible but not probable. Are your birds indoors in a cage or outdoors in an aviary? **lovely picture splat!**

Bea, will your vet ship to you? Shipping shouldn't be prohibitive on the small bags.

My birds eat...let's see.... Pellets: Harrison Mash ZuPreem Organic Kaytee Organic (I thought it best to get them used to different brands in case one or the other is not available) Cooked Diets: Beak Appetit Goldenfeast Seed Varieties: Sprouted and soaked seeds regular budgie mix (Volkman Seeds) Occasional millet treats Occassional LeFebers AviCakes Other: Sprouted wheatgrass Egg food most any veggie (carrots, kale, spinach, green/red peppers, carrot tops, romaine and redleaf lettuce (for bathing, LOL), they also will eat corn and peas if they are cooked. They have pellets, egg food, and a small amount of dry seed in the cage at all times (only an amount that will be slightly less than their total food intake for the day). They never eat all the pellets unless it is the Harrison's. They also get Beak Appetit, sprouts or soaked seeds, and vegetables daily. Thankfully they will pretty much eat anything I give them. Except fruit, they are not very keen on fruit at all. Once in a blue moon they might eat some. They have eaten apple, grapes, cantaloupe and honeydew melon, pineapple, blueberries, and banana. The sooner you start feeding a variety of foods, the better off your bird will be. It is easier to get them used to different foods presented in different ways when they are young as opposed to when they are older and set in their little budgie ways.

It looks like breeding condition to me. Scaly face will also cause smallish holes in the beak, and the skin around the beak and cere is usually affected too. I dug through the archives and found a few that show breeding condition somewhat closeup. Hopefully this helps you.

What a brave little soldier you have there! Thanks for the updates, I'm thinking of you all a lot.

A healthy budgie will not have a dirty vent. What do the feces look like? Are they well formed or loose? Does there seem to be excess liquid in them? Excess liquid is different from diarrhea - the solid portion of the stool is not there with diarrhea, but if the bird is urinating excessively the solid portion will still be formed. What color are the feces? Check here for posting photos. If you are still having troubles, let me know (pm me) and I will walk you through it.

Congratulations! I think 3rd is a great accomplishment for his very first outing. :ausb:

Once your bird gets into the routine of your sleep/wake schedule, there shouldn't be much problem. If your room is quiet during the day while you are out, your bird will nap to make up for any sleep missed. I think if you have a bedtime routine every night and follow it, your bird will sleep when it needs to. Wild birds sleep when it gets dark outside and wake when the sun comes up. Getting up at 5:40 am in the summer probably won't be an issue, as I hear the outdoor birds start to wake up around 4 am here! Believe me, my birds hear them, but they don't wake and move around until it starts to get light. I think you will find your bird would rather stay up and go to sleep when you do, for the company. You will be the substitute flock, so it will be natural for him to sleep when you do, play when you do, and eat when you do. If you are quiet in the morning, you can uncover him, change food, water, and cage paper without him waking too much. It may take awhile for him to become that comfortable with you, but it will eventually happen. I can do the morning routine with my birds in almost complete darkness, and they do not mind because they know it is me, and this happens every morning. I have had them all for years, so they are used to it. Most of the time they don't bother but to open one sleepy eye halfway, then go back to sleep. 10 - 12 hours of sleep is ideal for birds that live near the equator, as the days roughly equal the nights, and many many parrots native habitat is near the equator. That is where that number comes from. If you find that your bird seems sleepy much of the time, on edge, or begins screaming you may have to re-evaluate your routine, and tweak it to suit your needs. Your routine will be affected by how new your budgie is also. If you haven't had him or her long, it will be harder to tell whether your bird's actions are the result of a little bit of fear still, or whether there is a lack of sleep issue. If you've had your bird for a number of years and you are both very comfortable with each other, then it is easier to tell what a behavior change means.

Skittles used to lay hers sometime in the night. I would always find the new one when I checked them first thing in the morning.

I strongly recommend two people to cut a budgies nails unless you are very experienced doing it. Both people will need a steady hand and a gentle touch, as the person holding the bird must be extremely careful how the bird is held so the chest is not compressed and at the same time the bird is kept absolutely still. The person weilding the clippers needs to be quick and have good eyesight as well, not only to prevent clipping the nail too short, but also to prevent clipping off a toe should the bird struggle as you are compressing those nail trimmers. You need to be able to cut quickly and also stop yourself from cutting quickly at the same time. Normally a budgie will keep the nails worn through everyday activities. If you do find they are very long and in need of trimming, only cut the "hook" off the nail. It won't be very much, and you will not get near the quick (the blood supply). My oldest bird is over 5, and I have only cut her nails twice. Blueberry is 3, and I don't think I've ever cut hers. If you are squeamish, have the veterinarian show you how to hold and where and when to trim the nails the first time. A good rule of thumb is to look at your bird when s/he is standing on a flat surface. If the end of the toe is still touching the surface, the nails are fine. If the end of the toe is raised up because of the length of the nail, then snipping the tip (the 'hook') off the nail might be a good idea.

You don't need to bathe your budgie. They keep themselves very clean by preening. If it will make you feel better, you can try running a thin drip of water in the sink, lightly spray misting them with a spray bottle (if you do this, buy a new bottle and don't use it for anything else but the budgies). Don't spray them directly, hold the bottle a little off to the side and spray up, so the droplets fall down on them like rain would. You can also hang lettuce in the cage, or as Elly said, put some in a shallow dish. If they are really in the mood for a bath, most budgies will use their water dishes. If your budgie decides he doesn't like any method of bathing you present to him, you don't need to worry about it. Sometimes it takes awhile for him to be unafraid of the dish, or the spray bottle, or the strange room, etc.

I used to see my birds mate all the time. Mostly you hear about them mating in the wee hours of the morning (dawn) - usually when they are covered up if they are indoor birds. It may depend upon the pair, as mine would mate all throughout the day. Each egg is fertilized (or not) as it is developing. The whole process takes less than 48 hours, hence the every-other-day laying schedule of budgerigars. I think the more they mate successfully the greater the chance of fertilized eggs, not so much just the frequency of mating. If your birds haven't raised young before, there is a learning curve. I think the frequency is partly that and partly nature's way of trying to ensure the clutch is fertile.

I have used Volkman's seeds for a long time - they are excellent. They are preserved with orange oil which smells soooo good when you open the bag! I like them because they do not use artificial preservatives. I would go with organic seeds if you can afford them. I also use organic (I alternate sometimes) and the birds really love them. As far as a probiotic, I use an avian specific one - AviCulture. I just sprinkle it on their cooked food every couple of days. It seems to have improved their health. Nothing I can specifically put my finger on, mind you, but they seem 'different' in a very good way since I started using it several months ago. I am not sure if you can get it over there. And yes, you can freeze seeds.

That's just great! I changed your photo to a link, it was too large for the boards. What do you have in the nest box? It looks like grass? You don't have to put anything in there at all - some hens like it bare. Some people say splay legs are a greater possibility if there is no bedding, but I never had a problem. Splay legs occur when the hen sits too tightly on the nest, which can happen no matter what you have in the nest box. Congratulations on the egg!!!!! woo-hoo!!!!! :beer:

What a fantastic setup! To have that much room and be able to devote it all to budgerigars! It looks so bright and clean and airy. How lucky you are to be so near another breeder. He must truly be in love with these little parrots. :budgiedance: It is so evident!

Leanne, it is a very good cage. It is powder-coated instead of painted so no chance of rust. There are two nest box doors, one of which I use as an alternative exit/entrance for the birds. The bowls are stainless steel and huge - I use them both for water. They are up high and with no perches above them the water stays clean! They swing out which is great for ease of changing. (Something I never thought much about until I had it.) There is a key lock in addition to the 2 latches on the door. I believe that is more to keep people out rather than the birds in...I have never locked the cage, but think in certain circumstances it might be a handy option. The dimensions are 34" x 22" x 43" (86 1/2 cm x 60 cm x 109 cm). The only drawback is that is it taller than me, and I can't get the all the girls when they are on top of the cage unless I pull up a chair, LOL! I have to be taller to herd Skittles toward the "side entrance".... :budgiedance: But there is so much room in the cage, I can have the food on one side with no perches above so it doesn't get fouled. They fly from side to side, perch to perch (no more hopping for them!), and have to be active to get to the food. I'd recommend it, but it DOES take up a good chunk of floor space.

Shawna, my thoughts, prayers, and tears are with you, Lucas, and everyone in your family affected by this. I'm so glad Lucas is getting stronger and his outlook is better as the days pass. You have some difficult times coming up...try to be strong. I'm sure I can speak for everyone and tell you please know all of us are behind you and keeping you and yours in mind so much.

Hi KeetCrazy. It is normal for the male to be "all over her" whenever your hen comes out of the box. They will probably keep mating while she is laying eggs, until she has her full clutch. The first egg is usually laid between 7 and 10 days after they first begin mating. Then they are laid on an every-other-day schedule until the clutch is full - usually 4-6 eggs (sometimes more, sometimes less). There is a good chance some or all will not hatch. If this is their first attempt at becoming parents, be aware there is a big "learning curve" for the birds. The older they are the more likely their success rate will be higher. By older I mean 16 months- 2 years old. Younger birds can and will raise families, but the odds that they will be mature enough in all aspects to be successful is not as great. To increase your chances of success, try not to look into the box very much at first. To check on the eggs (or babies later on) wait until the hen leaves to defacate. (She will not poop in the nest box. If she does, something is not right and she is probably stressed.) A quick lift of the top of the nest box is all you really need - just long enough to make sure the eggs are not cracked. You will need to be quick, because as soon as the birds see you coming towards the cage, the hen will retreat back into the box. :budgiedance: The more you check, the more stressed your birds will get, and being new at this parenting thing may not react in the best way. You don't want the hen to abandon the nest, or either parent to start plucking the babies or not feed them properly once they hatch. Stress will manifest itself in many ways. You will eventually handle the babies in the nest box, but I think especially for first-time parents the least amount of intereference from you, the better the chances they will be relaxed enough for mother nature to kick in. Allow the birds their usual out-of-cage time. The hen probably won't take advantage of it, but the male should. Flying around will allow him a chance to burn off excess stress, and he will be stressed soon enough what with feeding the hen so much. I wouldn't worry too much that one of your pairs didn't go to nest as soon as the other did. The longer the bond takes in forming, the stronger it seems to be sometimes, and you need a very strong pairbond for the birds to properly take care of their young. Keep us updated on your progress!

I'll bet Ken is beside himself. Guilt is a horrible feeling. How fortunate for all you knew to remove those branches and start some kind of treatment. I hope they all continue to improve...fingers and feathers are crossed over here!

Thanks Kaz. I was thinking it might have been big enough to house them all when I had 11, but there were males then, and I think males must be some sort of buffer between the hens because my birds rarely used to bicker until all the males were gone. How funny - the cage could fit a mixed aviary of 11, but barely contains 4 hens....LOL what a riot!!!

Some of you may remember I was having some trouble with excessive bickering at night when it was bedtime. I solved that by getting a new cage. It is a really nice sized home for all of my hens. :hap: Who, undoubtedly, need their 'personal space'. I'm sure I'll end up changing things around as we figure out the best use of the space, but for now, here's what it looks like. The pictures ended up making the cage look smaller than it is, but it takes up the whole corner, and it is taller than I am. They can actually fly in and out of the door without their wings touching - you can tell a little in the last picture. I took some screw-on perches that are supposed to go on the outside of cages and hung them upside down. Of course, they love these spots. I tried to make it so that most all of the perches at the top of the cage, no matter where they were, were all at the same height. I did this so they could all spread out to go to sleep if they wanted to. Well, guess where they all want to sleep? Yup. You guessed it. Sky will not allow any other bird anywhere on the perch she is sleeping on. The other three will allow one bird to share...so that leaves one bird the odd one out. Sky is sharing in this picture because the lights are still on, LOL. When I turn them off if she's still there, Skittles will be forced off. They all still bicker when the lights go out, but not as much as when they were in the smaller cage. During the day, when I am home I leave the door open, and one of the nest box doors on the side, so they can come and go as they please. Funny thing is, they just fly around in the cage and don't come out much! I'm guessing they like it. They have all been much more active, talking more, flying and flapping around, and giving lots of tail-wags. I am thrilled. So I have helped them overall by giving them more room (did I mention they LOVE it?) but the original problem still exists, albeit on a lesser scale. I think if I can find one more of those types of perches and hang it up, they might all finally be happy.... I just don't remember where I got them - and I haven't seen any in the stores! **sigh**

Kaz, I just saw this. I am so very sorry about all the losses you have had. What a blessing you were able to nurse so many back to health. ((((hugs))))

I have not had this problem. When my birds were breeding, the male was very tame, the female only slightly. They raised young successfully, and with them being tame it actually made handling and taming the babies very easy. The actions of the tame male actually helped gain the female's trust, even during breeding. But I know my experience is not mirrored all the time. Is it possible in their previous attempts that conditions were just not right for the successful raising of young? It is not as easy as people sometimes think. It seems the younger the male is when he is set up for breeding, the more problems can occur. It takes practice for successful mating, and a certain level of maturity to keep up with feeding the hen and eventually the young. I don't think males under a year and a half are completely ready in all aspects to produce and raise young successfully, but that is my personal opinion and is not shared by everyone.