Chrysocome

I don't know much about breeding/laying behaviour but what the others have said makes sense to me. For your current setup, I'd watch the females rather than the males. In the budgie world it is usually the ladies who fight over the men, not the other way around.

What a lovely sendoff for a beloved friend. I'm so sorry for your loss (((hugs))) Fly free little Teapot.

Excellent news :yellowhead:

That is a bizarre diagnosis. It means literally to "eat air". I assume the vet found air in the crop causing it to bloat, leading to discomfort and hence the plucking. Poor girl :yellowhead: Did the vet mention any further treatment for symptoms rather than cause? Something to stop her trying to pluck, like an E collar? I'd try to make her as comfortable as possible, such as relieving the plucking even if you can't treat the aerophagia. My first guess would have been, as Kaz said, behavioural. The most common reasons a bird starts plucking are boredom and stress. The diagnostician in me is intrigued. Aerophagia itself is a symptom. What about underlying causes of the aerophagia? I don't know much about it in birds, but a bit of googling tells me that in other animals it's mainly due to diet, how they eat, and anxiety. Some of these can be treated. I think more investigation is needed rather than to just dismiss this as untreatable.

Thanks guys. Relaxed chest muscles :yellowhead: Phoebe - I was always concerned that they might start fighting as Squee matured but no, they'be always gotten along. Photos round two: Squee: I'm so great at this! Milly: You're not doing it right... Squee: Eh??? S: But.. but.. I..! M: *melts* S: No fair! Hmph! M: *in wonderland* S: Hah! Now we'll see who's better at it! M: Squee, don't be like that! Now my head is all itchy again! S: What? I can't hear you..

Here's what I was talking about. I made these last year and was planning to finally get my anatomy/physiology thread up and running this year. These are just examples: Basic anatomical terminology: These are my photos and I can easily update them for use on this site. The next one is my photo and work but the terminology came mostly from one book as well as some internet sites. There might be a breach of copyright here. So if I remade this image with terms straight off my head (plus it will have more now that it's been a year of study) it would be free for this site to use. Other images I was was making: feather names (especially wings), labelled skeleton, important muscles, respiratory system, digestive system, urogenital system.

I have an idea. How about I make one? I was already in the process of doing one about the organs and air sacs, it would be simple for me to extend it to surface anatomy etc.

I still feel ashamed about it, but I thank you for your reassurances, it has helped a lot. I changed to a seed mix with very few oats in it just before I left (poor Milly, she loves her oats ... and Squee hates them!). We had a good flight session today. They are basically free to come and go for all the time I'm at home, which is pretty long these days. The problem is that when they are out all the ever want to do is sit and preen each other and/or me! But I'm getting them to fly over for their vegetables, that's working well. No luck with buying some good scales yet, but I'll keep looking. I'll be keeping a weekly record of their weights. I'm also going to work on some foraging toys later in the week when I have time. I know it will take some time, but I will be patient yet persistent. I suppose this is a good learning experience for me, so I'm trying to look at it in that light too.

I know it's been a long time since I've posted photos of Milly and Squee. So during flight time today I went and took stacks of photos, many of which I wanted to share. So here they are as a series. My definition of serenity is two birds preening each other. Milly: Squee, I have this itch... Squee: Right here? M: That's the spot! :ygbudgie: Please excuse my chubby bubs, I am currently working on getting them back in shape. There are more photos to come... Be warned, this thread will become pretty image heavy!

:(Laughing out loud): I just thought I'd share some of my own photos of Olive. Full of spirit! Try to prevent me from escaping through the bottom bars eh? No mere paper is impervious to my beak! *chewchewchew* (That's Little upstairs ) How is she going?

Oh Tango is just too cute! *puffy head* They are all so gorgeous. <3

Thanks Maesie (hugs) to you too. I will work super hard to get them in good shape again. I just shouldn't have let it happen in the first place! Ironically, I was tsking at how overweight some of the uni teaching budgies were today. Sigh Kaz, good idea about the perches, (Laughing out loud). Come to think of it, I've been looking around for a long time for bigger/better cages, that is now top of my priority list. I've thought about it some more. I'm going to introduce new foraging toys with food, as well as using treats to train them up a little more (fly to me etc). Just to make them work a little more for their food. Luckily they adore vegetables and will try anything I give them, so no fatty treats from now on!

As most of you know I went off to work experience on the other side of the city for three weeks. I came home on weekends and some Wednesdays to give my birds cuddle time and free flight, thinking it's only a few weeks, they can handle it, it should be okay. Well, three weeks was all it took! My babies are pathetically overweight I just gave them their first real exam since I got back (I've been so scared of making them sick after being at the bird hospital for so long). I can barely feel their keel bones, the fat just bulges over it! My (very low-tech) kitchen scale tells me they are somewhere between 40 and 50g but I'm not too sure how accurate that is. I'm so upset, embarassed and incredibly guilty right now, I can't believe it, but I should have known. I'm giving them extra flight time from now on (basically they'll be out all the time I'm home now) and buying an accurate scale to weigh them more often. Any tips would be greatly appreciated! I've been seeing so many sick birds belonging to others, I know all too well the risk I've put them in. So let me warn other budgie keepers - regular exercise and proper diet is utterly essential! It's so much easier to prevent than to try and cure. Overweight budgies are at risk of organ failure (especially liver), breathing problems, and cancer, among other things. :hap:

Oh Maesie... that is devastating news. I'm so so sorry :) I can't even imagine... My heart and thoughts are with you and your family. Best wishes for your grandfather. *HUGS*

:(Laughing out loud): I can't tell you how I feel right now. I have a huge grin and my heart is filled with happiness. She sure is a character! Such a sweet girl, and full of cheekiness - you can see it in her eyes. I'm sure she'll keep you occupied! I wonder how long that eucalyptus will last... I see you kept my ingenious name for her She was also called Houdini when she was here, and I'm sure you know why! I can't wait to see her with other budgies, flying around and just being happy to be alive. It was a pleasure to meet you. Thank you so much, I am so joyed to know that she will be loved and looked after! This one has a little place in my heart so please post lots of pictures Oh and Maesie - thanks again for offering to take her home. What you see here is why I didn't want to have her at my place for too long - one day she's already caused this much damage! I just couldn't supervise her with work and uni. But it's good to know that you are near me, as I'm sure I will meet plenty more budgies that need love and care

Silly Photobucket isn't letting me in! Will try again later. Bea, you're right, DNA sexing is safer. But surgical sexing isn't a huge deal. It's a tiny skin incision in a special area that means the actual abdomen isn't penetrated. Each bird took ten to fifteen minutes then they were back in their cages. As for anaesthetic problems, I will need to investigate the effects but none of them had any problems, and the vet staff didn't seem particularly concerned (as opposed to when we've done rabbit surgery, everyone is in there checking depth of anaesthesia constantly). I imagine DNA sexing it would take longer because you have to get the bird in, get the sample, wait for it to get to the lab, wait for them to the test then wait for them to send results. It sounded like these people wanted fast over safe. But I'll ask the vet. Anyway, yes, a drop of blood from the toenail is a much less invasive way to sex your birds.

Whew, what a day! I am coming up onto the end of my three weeks, and boy what an experience it has been! Again, I'll have to do a good summary when I finish on Friday. As for today. Springvale's breakdown of animals goes like this: 50% dogs, 25% cats, 10% birds, 5% other. Today in the hospital we had: -Four baby superb parrots -Three plumheads -Two sun conures (and a partridge in a pear tree?) -Two budgies -A scaly-breasted lorrikeet -A rainbow lorikeet -A magpie -A kestrel Plus two cats and a rabbit. What a bizarre day! And it was certainly very noisy out back there! Most of those birds were in to be surgically sexed. The vet did it by putting them on a mask for anaesthetic, making a little skin incision and using a scope to look inside the abdomen for reproductive organs. The maggie and kestrel are wildlife cases, we're just observing them before release. The kestrel gorgeous, I've never seen one that close! I'm getting pics up as soon as I can!

Oh no I'm so sorry about the news. (By coincidence, I just learnt how to diagnose trichmoniasis today.) I really hope she turns around and shows some improvement. *hugs*

Hi Kim I met you at the vet's (I'm Glynnis). I'm so very sorry about the news, you did the right thing and I wish so much it could have turned out better. I followed her case and talked to her constantly in the hospital so she wasn't alone. She was so very friendly, and I know you both love each other very much. Thank you for following the advice of these wonderful people here, and I hope you have peace of mind now despite the sad news. Hope Lucy enjoyed the feast, and the ones to come. I know the rest of her life will be happy and comfortable with you. *hugs*

Angelic Vampyre - I'll probably be there that day, in the morning. Hopefully I'll run into you Bea - that is freaking fantastic! Good look with finding birdy experience. And hey, I get basically zero holidays from all this work! Zebra - Sure am! For both cases. I'll be sure to post them here. Well, I'm packing tonight and heading off tomorrow for Springvale! There shall be many pictures and I'll try to keep you all updated on what I get up to

Thanks all for the warm wishes. Bec Sta: I'm at Melbourne Uni, so I guess that's convenient for you hey? I'm sure you've got enough info about the course already, but if you have any questions feel free to ask! I know a bit about the other vet unis in Australia too. Angelic Vampyre: It's so obvious but it totally escaped me! Of course there would be someone here who has Springavale as their vet! Well, I'll be there from the 21st Jan to the 8th, and I'd really love to meet your flock! :rip:

Thank you scottie, maesie, lonebudgie, Kaz. I'm certainly excited about it all. Sailor- thanks. I love hearing about your adventures and your course, how it differs from ours. We seem to have it the other way - 8 weeks farms and 12 weeks at a clinic. I know all about being poor - saving up for this has been a killer for me, and I'll have to get a few loans. I have to put off getting a car and my braces for another year. But let me know if you plan to go to any other conventions. Otherwise I hope we run into each other at some time in our careers, and roam around being world famous bird vets or something I can dream!

I just read this, it makes me so mad! They have the rights to follow up complaints just in case there is some mistreatment going on, but jeez, it sounded like he was just looking for any old excuse to claim neglect! A good look at the arrangements should have been enough. To handle each of your little ones was just unncessecary stress - for everyone! And the way they treated you - just because he had a little power he felt like he could just shove you around and do whatever he wanted. A little civility would have made everything smoother, and much less stressful for you. I'm upset and these aren't my own babies. I'm so sorry you went through that! I hate it when neighbours don't have the guts to talk to you about an issue. If I'm causing someone annoyance, all they have to do is ask and I'll do my best. How am I supposed to know I'm upsetting you if you don't even tell me? Grr.

Gorgeous! I love the colours!

I'm so excited, I've been dancing around my house for the past twenty minutes. I get to do three weeks at Springvale Animal Hospital! It's one of the three clinics in Melbourne that specifically take birds (and reptiles), as well as the furry pets. I will be staying at a friend's house and bussing there and back (one hour trip), but I don't care - burdies!! They have a specially designed avian surgery, with tiny scopes and other equipment. The head vet isn't a specialist yet, but it is one of his special interests. Yay! After all this stress about finding a place to start off work experience (I've been calling and calling with no luck - I was in tears yesterday!), what better news can there be? Background information: My requirements for work experience are, by July 2009, I must have completed 12 weeks of experience. This includes 4 weeks regional, 4 weeks rural, and 4 weeks government work. It means I get basically zero holiday time, but I'll be learning and hopefully enjoying what I do. In other news, I'm going to go on a trip with the vet school to South Africa in December! It will set me back something like 7 grand, but it will be worth it - lions, elephants, giraffes! All from a vet's perspective. I'm so excited about this year