Chrysocome

I got Copic markers for my birthday last month and haven't really gotten to testing them out. So I sat down and scribbled a little something. I thought you folk here might appreciate it. Yes - they're supposed to be a bit messy. Here's a Milly And a Squee - not quite as happy with this one but it's here for completeness I've only just broken into the use of markers in my art, I've used digital as my chosen media for a long time. Here are some others I've done with markers- http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a14/Chrys...silverlove4.jpg http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r181/ch...yso-markers.jpg (PS - I love gryphons!) :fear

How: 3 years ago, I was searching for information on budgies, especially what food I could feed them, and BBC kept popping up. After a year of lurking, I joined in! Why: I wanted to know more about taking care of budgies, to read stories about members' pets and to share my own Now: I love the community - meeting new people and their budgies, talking with like-minded people. I also appreciate the wealth of knowledge that is here and seek to gain as much as I can to help me be a good bird vet. Who do I have now? When I first joined I had my gorgeous Milly. Squee has become part of the flock since then

I finally got my new camera after my old one carked it. I just took a few photos during flight time just to test it out. So apologies for the bad lighting. Unfortunately I had no idea how the iso settings worked so some of these are pretty terrible quality. I also could only take 10 photos, most of them were blurry. And they're both moulting! Badness all around. Here's a Milly And a Squee Squee goes floof This is the weirdest photo I've ever taken of these two! I'll be sure to take some more with my shiny new camera

They are SO CUTE Vickykh. I'm in love too :rip: I love the three of them sitting on top of the couch looking like they're plotting to take over the world :(Laughing out loud): Oh and when you use flash on budgies - especially blue ones - the brilliant light reflects off their feathers and they show up iridescent like that

(((hugs))) Mark. I'm so sorry. Fly free little one. :rip:

He is so cute He'd be lovely to have as an indoor bird. How far away is your aviary Liv? The sight/sound of the other birds might distress him a bit if he's by himself.

I have an aunt who recently joined our family after getting married to my uncle. She lived in Saigon, Vietnam for all her life and moved here to Australia after the wedding. She was awestruck that we live like kings - houses with multiple spacious rooms, massive tvs, fridges, microwaves and air conditioners all being commonplace. She came over to our house one day and saw the budgies. She was so delighted. She asked me, "How do you paint your birds like that? Or do you dye them?" I laughed until I realised she was dead serious! It baffled me for a bit until I realised - she had never seen a colourful bird before! She might have seen the few local birds that are left in the city - sparrows, maybe a mynah. I imagine what it would be like to have only seen brown and grey little birds from a distance, and then seeing the vibrant feast of colour that a budgie holds - and I appreciate them all the more! I might just have to take her to see some of our local rosellas and lorikeets

Feathers... ((((hugs)))) I really hope he'll be okay.

:budgiedance: Well that's plain dodgy then. I'm glad you brought it up Liv as I never thought of it this way. I used to just give it to the chickens, they had no problems gobbling it up. I've sprouted them before too, the budgies will eat it like that.

:glare: Could be. Might also be that they didn't realise our birds don't like eating it. Maybe some do though? I notice mine always leave the rapeseed and linseed, but it's on recommended seed lists. (And Squee hates oats, luckily for both of them Milly adores them). My Trill mix doesn't have those anymore - it looks like a new formulation and my budgies eat all of it.

Looks like sorghum http://img.alibaba.com/photo/50427055/Sell...ous_Sorghum.jpg My birds won't touch the stuff either, I think it's too hard on their beaks?

I did a quick search for pictures for you- Canary seed http://www.drsfostersmith.com/images/Categ...080_19095DZ.jpg French Millet http://www.drsfostersmith.com/images/Categ...089_19090DZ.jpg Japanese Millet http://www.pet-supply-store.co.uk/prodimages/6410.jpg and http://www.bjarnes-fugle.dk/images/Japansk%20hirse.jpg Red millet http://www.drsfostersmith.com/images/Categ...086_19097DZ.jpg Hulled oats (also called groats) http://www.drsfostersmith.com/images/Categ...092_19098DZ.jpg Panicum http://www.pet-supply-store.co.uk/prodimages/6408.jpg Niger http://img.alibaba.com/photo/10873697/Nige...s_99_Purity.jpg Safflower http://www.pet-supply-store.co.uk/prodimages/5522.jpg Linseed http://www.goodnessdirect.co.uk/detail/221301b.jpg Rape seed http://wildbirdfood.uk.com/acatalog/Dsc00897_.jpg I'm not sure about proportions as I get my seed pre-mixed. But I hope that helps.

Name: Glynnis Pets: 2 budgies, 5 chickens Favorite Color: Blue Astrological Sign: Pisces Age: 21 Weakness: I'm a little shy :hap: I can't help but compare myself to others. I can have a harsh competitive spirit and criticise myself a lot (like many others here) Not sure if this is a weakness as such but I simply cannot abide rudeness, or people who care for nothing but themselves Also: I can't stand bad spelling/grammar! Strength: Enthusiasm and passion for the things that interest me - especially science. I love learning new information and skills, and am ever questing for knowledge. And I can handle a lot of stress. Favorite T.V. Show: Firefly, and Invader Zim Favorite Animal: I have to pick one? Live: Melbourne, Australia How long have been a BBC member: Longer than I thought! Almost two years. And I was lurking around for about a year before that. Anything else: I'm in my third year of studying veterinary science at university, and am on my way to becoming an avian vet. I love drawing, making plushies and playing my guitar (when I get the time that is!) I'm mad about birds - but I guess that goes without saying around here!

I'm so sorry Mark :hap: Our thoughts are with you. (((hugs)))

That's funny, I caught Squee rubbing herself all over the broccoli today! I'd pegged a bunch to the cage wall and she was jumping on it, rubbing her belly and trying to get her back on it. It might have been because it was wet but it was so funny to watch, I had cooked it so bits of it kept coming off and it ended up all over her! Then it all came off when she gave herself a shake, but Milly wasn't impressed at all I wish I still had my camera! (Parents took it overseas on their trip). I personally don't like wearing gloves with budgies. Some of them don't associate it with your hand, or learn that they can bite you without it. So they're terrified of the big scary wooly thing, but when they see your bare pink fingers they know to go at it! With Squee I used the method where if she tried to bite, I would push back every time (gently but firmly). It would hurt at first with a budgie gnawing on you but they realise that you are a bigger and stronger 'budgie' and that you are dominant. She doesn't bite me hard any more - only play wrestling now.

Gah this is frustrating. My own gum tree is way too tall for me to pick branches off! I must go for a wander and try to find a tree that no one owns (neighbours might be a little annoyed if I start ripping branches off their tree). I've been using the branches that fall off the tree as perches (after a good scrub of course) but the leaves were no good. I'm sure it won't look too strange...

Am I the only one that calls baby biudgies 'budgets'? Although I try not to say it around my mum, it stresses her out!

Good point Karen! I didn't think about that- must make sure to test the needle first. Kaz - I just read that you and other forum members here use the 14G. My notes say 16 but if you've all used it succesfully then I will have to agree. With a bigger ball, 14 would be harder to get into the windpipe.

Excellent find! I agree, very useful and we've really needed something like this. I'd like to add some points and tips to what Daz said: -Measure roughly the distance to the crop from the beak, using the tube, before you put it in the mouth. This gives you an idea of how far you should be going/when to stop putting the needle in. -Aim for the back of the mouth to start with (not down where you think the oesophagus goes). The entrance to the windpipe is in the centre at the base of the tongue. Make you sure you roll over the tongue and don't aim straight down at it. -When you think you're in the crop, give it a gentle wiggle. You should be able to see the tip moving at the skin. You should be able to feel it easily with your finger. (The windpipe has cartilage rings on it and it is harder to feel the tip if it goes in there). -Use a 16 gauge needle. The volume of a budgie's crop is about 1-2mL so don't exceed this. -Eject the formula slowly- aside from keeping yourself calm, if you go too fast the liquid may come back out. I too would advise watching someone else do it and then have them watch you while you try it - like a vet or an experienced breeder. It can be scary the first time but it gets much easier when you have the feel for it.

Welcome to the forums. Her white cap, cere and iris rings tells us she is older than the shop people said. Lovely budgie, make sure you post lots of pics as we love them around here. Don't forget to quarantine your new bird before putting her with the others

Introduction Well it has been over a year since I first proposed to write about avian anatomy and physiology here on this board. Now that I am in my third year of study to be a veterinarian, I believe I have enough knowledge to write articles on birds from a medical and biological point of view. I will try to keep this going as long as I can - I am aiming to write at least an article a week but this will vary. Articles may be long or short and will cover a broad spectrum of avian biology. Feel free to discuss the topics and ask me questions – I will do my best to answer. I hope this is in the right section as it is about birds in general but I will refer specifically to budgies wherever I can. So let’s begin – from the inside out. The Avian Skeleton Birds have special requirements for their skeletons. They need a structure that will provide support for their powerful wing muscles and withstand the stresses of flight, yet will not weigh them down in the air. A characteristic feature of the avian skeleton is the presence of pneumatic bones, particularly in bird species that fly extensively. These are bones that are semi-hollow with criss-crossing struts and filled by air sacs – so the respiratory system is directly connected to the skeletal system. Examples of pneumatic bones are the humerus, femur and pelvis. Beaks are also characteristic of birds, and these structures are much lighter than the hefty mammalian jaw with teeth. These features help lighten the bird while retaining significant strength and size of the bones. However, it is not without consequence - pneumatic bones are more brittle, so they fracture more easily. Due to its association with air sacs, sometimes pockets of air will form under the skin around a fracture site (emphysema). Another difference in the bird skeleton to the mammalian skeleton is that there are ossifications (fusions) between many bones. In the spine they are grouped into notarium, synsacrum and pygostyle. The notarium is formed from the first 3-5 thoracic vertebrae, and helps provide rigidity in the back when a bird is flapping its wings. The synsacrum is formed from the lumbar and pelvic vertebrae, and helps absorb shock when landing. The pygostyle are the fused and flattened caudal vertebrae that support the tail. It is important to note that the vertebrae between notarium and synsacrum are not fused, presenting a point of weakness in the spine. This area is usually the site of trauma when a small bird is accidentally stepped on, leading to compression of the spinal cord and paralysis of the legs. *Diagram of the bird skeleton: http://www.birdwatching-bliss.com/images/bird_skeleton.jpg *Diagram of the fused bones: http://people.eku.edu/ritchisong/RITCHISO//birdskeleton5.gif Flying birds have a very large carina (keel) of the sternum (breast bone), which is the site of attachment for their powerful pectoral (breast) muscles. The pectoral girdle has three components, akin to the reptiles (mammals have two). These are clavicle (collarbone), scapula (shoulder blade) and coracoid. The clavicles meet to form the furcula (wishbone) and helps withstand pressure when the bird flaps its wings. Each rib has a projection called an uncinate process which overlaps the rib behind it, to prevent the ribcage from collapsing when the bird is flapping. The pelvic girdle is composed of synsacrum and fused bones of the pelvis. Like mammals, the pelvis is made of ischium, ilium and pubis. In birds the pubis part of the pelvis is open rather than forming a ring, assisting passage of a large egg. There is also considerable fusion in the bird’s forelimb and hindlimbs, forming carpometacarpus, tibiotarsus and tarsometatarsus (breaking down these names will give you the unfused bones in a mammal – carpus, metacarpus, tibia, tarsus, metatarsus). These fusions provide strength for feather attachments and wing/leg strength for flying, landing and takeoff. *Bird skeleton demonstrating the fused bones: http://academic.emporia.edu/sievertl/verstruc/birdbody2.JPG *Cat skeleton for comparison: http://www.csd.net/~abyman/images/catskllg.jpg In conclusion, birds have a highly adapted skeletal system for the stresses of flight. From head to tail they are designed for being in the air, takeoff and landing, tasks which involve incredible forces on the body. The avian skeleton is truly amazing in its high specialisation. Further reading Excellent site for diagrams, especially of the fused bones: http://people.eku.edu/ritchisong/RITCHISO//skeleton.html Good introductory site for each section: http://fsc.fernbank.edu/Birding/skeleton.htm Veterinary information on avian orthopaedics: http://www.exoticpetvet.net/avian/orthopedic.html

Oh Liv, thank you so much, it is wonderful he has a good loving home I know you will take good care of him! I'm totally with Kaz on this one - most likely to be rickets/some other osteopenia from malnutrition. He's such a lovely colour Please keep us updated. Tam - I know how you feel hey. I recently found Olive, with her strange face, a loving home at Bec Sta's. We can't keep them ourselves but they just manage to find their way into our hearts.

That's good to hear, sounds like improvement and you are doing the right thing. Give it time and take it slow, keep watching and keep us updated I had a thought about the tremors in the wings. It could be due to the trauma itself, but I notice that Milly does that sometimes, just before she launches into a massive bout of flapping madly while hanging onto the perch - her way of saying "Let me out! I wanna fly!" So perhaps it is a way of releasing some pent up energy.

Milly is short for Millet - I thought it was a cute name for a budgie. Also, for me, Milly conjures up an image of a petite, well-mannered young lady, and well that's just how Milly turned out! "Squee!" is the first thing I said when I saw the little bub! A sort of excited squeal from cute overload. It is also a bit of a tribute to the comic book Squee which was written by one of my favourite artists and writer of my favourite show. I am forever saying "Squee!" at her, a combination of calling to her and well just from the cute. My other budgies were basically tributes to tv shows - Nibbler (Futurama) and Buffy (I'm sure you can work this one out). Does anyone else come up with variations on their names very often? Like sometimes I use Squee-da and Squee-squee, or Millah and Millton. I'm not sure why!

Good luck mag, I wish you the best. The avian vet is the best place he can be right now. I have a question if you don't mind, who is the avian vet there? Last I heard the avian vets in Adelaide were very few - it would be very handy to know so I can point people there in future.