Chrysocome

WOW Dez, I love your ideas and will definitely give them a go! Please keep posting because I love new ideas, these are fantastic. I haven't taken any photos for a while because I have been so busy. I've started, uh, recycling bits and pieces from work (syringes caps, port and hub covers, needle caps - all sterile and get thrown away otherwise) and hiding food in them. There will be pictures when I get a chance.

Millet spray my birds go crazy over. I use it almost solely as a training treat and inside foraging toys, because they love it so much and are happy to work for it. It makes them work a bit for their food because they have to pick out the seeds, especially if you hang it in a hard to reach location or inside a toy (captive foraging). This helps by stimulating their brains and bodies a little - a wild bird would spend almost the entire day (over six hours) looking for food, whereas our indoor birds spend about twenty seconds to climb down to the seed dish and pick out their favourite seed. So I advise using it to make them work for their food. I don't hang much millet spray in the cage "for free" because they choose it over anything else in there (except sunflower! But they only get that occasionally!). Be aware that seeds are deficient in many essential nutrients and high in fat, so don't let them gorge all day on the millet spray. This is only one type of seed so the deficiencies will be even worse.

I'm not trying to defend all vets because like in every profession there are good ones and bad ones. Interestingly, my class has recently had tutorials on communication so I wanted to share some of what I've been taught. In your first consult, there are two impressions you (a vet) has to be aware of. You have to gauge from this complete stranger in the fifteen minutes you have together: how you should speak, and know that when you speak they will be judging you for it. However subconscious it may be. So it's about judging a person, knowing they will judge you by how you judge them! Of course in this situation we want the animal's health to come first. So I personally think talking down is much better than talking technical (at least talking down is actually communicating; an owner that doesn't understand may not treat the animal the best way in a medical sense). Not that I think it's a good thing to go either way. A good vet should be one that can listen and communicate on that perfect level, and has to tailor it for each individual. Honestly, I've often seen an owner's eyes just glaze over when the vet's talking. They keep nodding and agreeing, because sometimes it's a little hard to tell someone they don't understand something (not true for everyone I know, but it's something I find, and it seems to increase the higher up on the medical/scientific 'ladder' they are). Once you've nodded that one time even when you didn't completely understand it, it's difficult to ask someone to go back five minutes to explain that thing they didn't understand. Maybe it's because of, as you say, they think the vet might judge them as "too dumb". How do I know this happens? Because sometimes the owner will ask the student quietly about something when the vet's out of the room. It's a very frustrating thing for both owner and vet when there is a communication break down. Last week I started a consult with a medical professional. He spoke like a medico so I did as well. He was so sure it couldn't be a certain disease. He nodded and made noises of affirmation when I spoke. However, the actual vet took over my consult, and she explaied beautifully how he was incorrect. She tailored her speech to suit a medical person that had shown he didn't understand animal physiology as much. She didn't think he was "dumb" - of course not, and he even had the degree to prove he wasn't, but she had to change how she spoke because she knew his understanding was not on the same level as ours. Getting to that perfect balance of speech is the key to a good vet. As they say over and over in my communication tutes, you can be the best doctor in the world and do awesome microsurgery no one else has ever dared to do, but it means nothing if you can't communicate well with your client. It's another skill we have to think about and learn, alongside the theoretical and practical skills. One of the things we're currently learning is how to talk like a layperson again. It might perhaps sound a bit arrogant, but we've just spent five years learning scientific and medical terminology, where we have words for exact processes, and then try to translate it back into plain English again. Most vets try to speak as if to a layperson because let's face it: there are a huge range of people we see with differing experience, knowledge and ability to learn. I guess for those vets who aren't good at achieving the perfect level of communication, talking down happens quite a bit, because as I said they prefer that than to talk tehcnical (and then the animal doesn't get treated properly). I'm sorry to say that many a client has walked out of the consult having no idea what the disease is even called because it was long and technical. And another thing I've learnt: there is a general assumption that when a medical person has no idea what they're talking about, they hide it with big long words. We've also been learning about active listening and how to subtly pick up cues from the owner on whether or not the communication is working. It involves asking questions and rephrasing to gauge the level of understanding. I guess some people are better at doing this than others. Like others have said, it's a two way communication that cycles itself. What is given often reflects what is given back.

Well done on what you have done so far, but I would advise a bit of caution on getting too excited and moving too fast. Be patient and take your time in this time of shaping and growing up. (I remember how frustrating that can be! But what's a few months now, compared to the years you will spend together?). Sometimes we find that the birds will do something because they're too scared to resist or don't know any other way of not doing it. Then when they learn they can not do it, and nothing bad happens to them because of it, they will always refuse. My personal feeling is to let them choose when they are ready, not to force them. When you rush, one step can send you backwards and takes you twice as long to recover. A bond once broken is harder to regain the second time. I feel that the chasing and grabbing that might be necessary is too stressful for a bird if you're trying to win their trust. I think once they are happy with getting on your hand willingly, that would be the time I think about taking them out. Be sure to reward them every time they do something you like! That will encourage them to do it consistently (and not out of fear.) Give them a reason to, if it's food at first then attention/cuddles later. (Otherwise they'll think: why bother? And then refuse to do it.) This is my personal experience, I know others (and myself in the past) have done the traditional "deep end" style of training, where we throw them into a big scary world and then ask them to adapt. But I personally think it is best to build a bond based on trust and understanding, rather than force/dominance and making them do what you want.

Please see an avian vet. Deformed beaks can be due to liver disease (often due to dietary deficiencies but can be due to other things), mites, old or current injuries, or something they are born with. A blood test will tell you about the liver and other internal possibilities, and a scraping will tell you about mites (do their ceres look crusty?). Without correction of the problem, I am afraid that you will have to keep trimming (treat a symptom not the disease) for the rest of her life, the beak may continue to get worse, and it can get to the point where she cannot eat properly (it must also be very stressful having it done to her). The underlying disease may also manifest in other, nastier ways. I agree with the others, it is best to see an avian vet to get the tests and fix the underlying problem. Please let us know how she goes and keep us updated.

Yes they can but you need to be patient and persistent. Whistles seem to come naturally to them (as opposed to talking which as Elly said most will stop doing it when they are with another budgie). When I was younger, I had a budgie that picked up the sounds of my finches and canaries. He learnt their calls and then when I added another budgie she learnt it. When the original budgie flew away () and I added another two, they all eventually learnt it too! The three of them also learnt the noises of sparrows, blackbirds and mynahs. (My current two hens will also do those noises - it's so cute to hear a sparrow inside the house!). So I think if it's something they're constantly exposed to, they will learn it if they like it.

So sorry about your loss. I think you mean Escherichia, which is the full name for E coli, a bacteria. It may have come from your new additions. It is spread via ingestion of faecal material, so lowered hygiene/dampness would have helped it spread.

Very interesting, Allison. As a veterinary student, I have encountered the opinion that keeping a bird as a pet is cruel. Their particular concern was the caging of an animal. The word cage appears to have a lot of negative connotations. Again and again, I explain what I have seen in my own birds. My two budgies are allowed free flight around the room while I study. When they are out, they fly and play and forage. However, they will return the cage, often, for quite long periods. For them the cage is a refuge: While they are inside it, there is a promise that they can rest in a sheltered, relatively "small" (compared to the room) place without worrying about things in their surroundings (like people moving around and making noise), feed and sleep undisturbed without human expectations (like training, playing and performing). Yes, that same thing is offerred outside the cage, but it can't always be controlled (try as one might). Nothing frightening or overwhelming has ever happened in the cage. Even if a (silly) human has made a sudden movement or noise, the walls of the cage seems to provide them a sense of physical safety (outside, they take off and race around like mad). In other words, they feel safest and most secure there. They choose to go in and out (unless I have to leave the room). They are tame, so there is no need for capture and restraint. I explain this to those opposed to the cage and they are often surprised by it, particularly the part where the birds actually go back in for long periods, of their own accord. So I'm intrigued by what your study brings up. Living Space. I like it.

Shudder indeed! My pet hate is "could of" rather than "could have" (could've).

As for "a" and "an" - I think that the general rule is words that start with a vowel sound should have "an". Yes I know h is not a vowel but if you pronounce it a certain way it sounds like a vowel. "A historical event" would work if you pronounced the h sound. A horse. An heirloom. A hair. An hour. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_and_an So depending on where you're from you might say "a herb" or "an herb".

Hills, you're quite right. "Than" is for comparing, "then" is for time. I'm not sure whether schools these days are not teaching/enforcing some basic grammar, or if it's just less important to people now because of internet and phone shortcuts.

*nods* I too was brought up to use British English. I thought that we Aussies were supposed to be using British English? Sorry for multiple edits, my brain is failing after a big week of uni.

Haha, I don't insist on it myself. It's just a (British) grammatical rule that exists Something about the aesthetics of a word with "s's" in it. You are quite right about how we pronounce it that way. Here's a fun one. Weird is weird because it doesn't follow the rules: I before E, except after C.

My favourite, uh, grammatical thing is group plurals. Where group is a way of making plurals singular eg "A group" Example: Singular: person Singular plural: persons Group: people Group plural: peoples Hair is also fun: Singular: hair Singular plural: hairs Group: hair Group plural: hair If you think about it: adding an 's' to hair can make it smaller - hair, hairs. I love the English language! I also learnt something new the other day: In the US they don't use t form verbs. What I mean is, when we say: Learnt, spoilt, leapt, spilt, earnt They say... Learned, spoiled, leaped, spilled, earned! I always wondered about this! That would mean for us, learnt = verb, and learned = adjective (a learned person). But... burnt = adjective, burned = verb Complicated, isn't it! And one more fun grammatical rule I just remembered: Practice = noun, practise = verb In my medical practice, we let students practise on models

Yikes! Let me clear something up. Some definitions: Singular = one, plural = more than one Possessive = belonging to Singular: Budgie Singular possessive: Budgie's feet Plural: Budgies Plural possessive: Budgies' feet Stick with this rule: any noun ending in 's' should have the apostrophe after the s when you you're talking about a belonging. Eg: The horse, the horse's feet The horses, the horses' feet Also: Jess' book not Jess's book. You should not have a word that ends with "s's" I hope that makes it easier to understand, or have I complicated it? Lol! And some common ones: They're = they are Their = belongs to them There = a place You're = you are Your = belongs to you

Welcome! I believe I can answer your questions. Meet my birds, two adult hens: Milly ...And Squee. If you click on these links you will see Squee: Take a ball out of my hand and put it in a cup in my other hand. Fly to my hand and touch the target, then eat out of my hand Here's Milly again The short answer is yes females certainly can be good tame pets ! ) Just because you have a boy there is no guarantee, in fact there is no guarantee that ANY bird will get tame. BUT, in all cases no matter age or sex: with time, patience, dedication and understanding it can be done. About behaviour. All budgies get a bit cranky at puberty and when they're moulting. As for the general idea that hens are moody, well.... Here they are together And here they are with me So it's not necessarily an unbreakable rule! I hope this helps you

By a strange coincidence, I am now writing my primary medicine report on psittacine diets. After a little bit of reading, perusing research and veterinary articles, I am not convinced that pellets should be avoided, nor that they are absolutely essential. I have looked at pros and cons on both sides. I think pellets have some great benefits, but don't think they should pushed on every single owner. As Kaz said, a large number of vets have seen too many cases of health issues caused by seed ONLY diets, and maybe some misunderstanding/miscommunication where the owner is "feeding vegetables" but they are actually feeding one that is not very beneficial (eg lettuce), the same two or three kinds all the time, or just not at a high enough proportion of the diet. So the birds end up getting an abundance of certain nutrients and continue to miss out on others even when fed veggies. So one way to ensure more balanced nutrition, instead of trying to get the bird (which may be have eaten seed all its life) to try many different veggies (often they will favour just a few types or they are only offerred a few types), is getting them to eat pellets. This means they will at least get enough of the (many) nutrients that seed is missing. The other thing is that it stops selective feeding. I know and trust many of you who say that your birds seem to know what nutrients they need and eat based on that. In my experience, the average pet bird will leap at the opportunity to eat sunflower all day, and we have seen that some will choose seed over veggies (not mine though!). Having a uniform pellet will stop them picking out the seeds that taste best . I think, just like wing clipping, it is going to vary with birds/owners. Once again, I totally agree that a bird can thrive if the effort is made to provide a VARIETY of veggies on a DAILY basis. The base diet may be seed or pellets, depending on the veggie regime. But: with just a few veggie types, you cannot be quite sure which basic nutrients they are getting. Side note: In a study where they tracked budgies in the wild, the birds were recorded to eat from between 21 to 39 different plant species. More information about pellets I have found, if anyone is interested. Pellets are made by the process of extrusion, where ingredients are forced at high pressure and heat through a valve into a uniform material. Research shows it increases the palatability, digestibility and shelf life of the ingredients. They may add vitamin supplements in this process. As for reputed brands n Australia, the avian vets I have worked with consistently recommended Harrisons (formulated by a very reputed avian specialist vet), Dr Mac's (zoo and wildlife nutritionist, also masters in herbal medicine), Roudybush (reputed avian nutritionist and researcher) and Passwells (which is Wombaroo, which makes the milk replacers and other food for nursing sick/orphaned native animals). The first two are marketed for their use of organic ingredients, NO preservatives and NO added colours. I'm still writing my report, so I may update with more stuff I find later.

Oh Riebie hun, I was just thinking about you as I was looking through old posts! So pleased to see you and your flock are well, they are cute and sweet as ever! I love them all, as always. I can't pick a favourite Sorry to hear about Sunny's condition, hope he continues to do well on his meds.

Happy to hear it If he's really taken to the grass and leaves, try the veggies in the same bundle to see if he'll take a nibble at it that way. As for side effects, you might notice a change in his droppings, because he is getting more moisture from the grass. I am thinking the normal gut bacteria might change a bit as well, adding to the change in droppings. Try to avoid getting plants from right near the side of the road, car fumes etc might linger in those and they might have been sprayed as maesie said. Make sure you wash everything thoroughly before feeding. Be careful with the wool, he might get his toes caught in it or get himself tangled in it (if he panics, he could strangle himself). Later on, once he's really taken to the gum branches, try using them to enrich his environment. Replace your perches with the eucalypt branches, leaves and bark and all, with different levels so he has plenty to climb around on, chew and keep himself entertained. If you're a bit handy, drill some holes into the branches and hide bits of food in it. Anything to keep them busy is a good thing. Bottle brush branches are good too, and try different gums as they differ widely in appearance, smell, and I assume taste and nutrients.

Agreed with the above. I think light plays a role too - in the wild they would respond to changing day lengths which would indicate changing seasons. Indoors, the length of time they experience light versus dark would vary much more than in the wild (their bodies get confused). Milly and Squee seem to go through three or four big moults a year (less now since I moved them to their own room with natural lighting, and where they are less affected by my dad coming home after doing shift work). Other members here have birds that seem to constantly drop a feather or two. It really depends on a range of things.

Last two weeks of semester 7, and last four days of lectures, ever. Starting to really feel the pressure! I promised some photos from that reptile day. There are less photos (and posts) these days because I am in the clinic rather than using teaching animals and I don't want (and am not allowed) to take photos of pets. I have decided not to post some reptile pictures I had originally planned to, because some of those animals were euthanased. It was a cool day though, that day I saw two tiger snakes, a green python, a frillneck, a tortoise and a spitting cobra. The vet had to wear special head protection so he wouldn't lose his eyes to that last one! How many vets does it take to stop a 600kg giant tortoise from going wherever the heck it wants? Occasionally just one. Here's an alpaca just because. This semester I have even more responsibility over cases, giving treatments, doing procedures and helping decide what to do next. I've just finished an anaesthesia/surgery rotation, the first week was 'removal week' for me - I anaesthetised animals for an eye removal, a tail removal and a lump removal. I did a cat spay, and helped the very amazing orthopaedic surgeon work on a torn cruciate ligament (other than fixing that, he cut out a wedge of bone with an electric saw and stuck the rest back together to improve the walking function of the leg and therefore greatly improving quality of life - surgery never ceases to amaze me!) I post nice pictures and tell fun stories, but not all of vet school is puppies and cuddles. My most vivid, and shaking, memory this year is of my equine hospital rotation. My uni took in the burns victims from the Black Saturday fires, I was rostered on right at the peak of the damage. Life in the equine ward is already very stressful, to say the least, without this disaster on top. I was already quite emotionally wounded from hearing what happened to the people and their lives, but seeing all those horses ripped a big hole in me. Other than the usual exhaustion of having to be awake at least every four hours for seven days, the hospital was overflowing and every horse needed a lot of treatment. I wondered at the tales they could tell if they were able to speak. The owners helped where they could and the things they had experienced made me tremble. I fought tears as I watched animals fighting to keep going, the owners that loved them (and sometiems that animal was the last thing they had left), and at the kindness of people that donated money, treatments, equipment and food (for the animals, and for us exhausted staff!). At the same time we had to keep it together for the animals' and owners' sakes. The week left me depressed, heartsick and exhausted (mentally, physically, emotionally). It took me some time to recover from that shock, but now I'm stronger for it. Gee, I look tired. Sailor: Mixed would be great. I'm happy anywhere as long as it's not pure largies. I can't believe that not long ago we were both posting about having just started uni, and look where we are now! Reason for edit: The more I study, the more appalling my English becomes.

Thank you all for the kind words. AV - I'll make sure to let you know where I end up It will probably be a small animal practice in Melbourne somewhere, so I'll mainly see dogs and cats. Most new grads get 'hand balled' all the bird/wildlife cases but I'll eagerly pounce on any bird that walks (/flaps) in the door! (Not literally, my boss might have something to say about that angry owner I squashed). I told Corrie that I knew you and Elmo I look forward to meeting (er, physically) you both. Krosp - I am visting the bird clinics in Chermside and Macgregor. I tried Toowoomba, but the vet was busy and it's a bit too far anyway. I'm interested in seeing how the different climate, diseases and lifestyle changes the practice, as well as get more experience with a different range of species.

A little word of caution with 'off-label' use of drugs (using drugs beyond what they were registered for ie doing something other than what the label says) - it is not always safe to just go by what the dose says for another species, because different animals distribute, metabolise and excrete drugs in different ways - even the same species. A classic example is the difference between Clydesdale (1000kg) and Thoroughbred (500kg) horses. Clydesdales often need less of a drug for their size because at certain volumes drug doses are based on body volume or surface area, not weight. Another would be that goats are exquisitely sensitive to local anaesthetic drugs where sheep and cows are not, just because of some innate difference between them. Drugs are registered for a certain species after they have had extensive testing, and must pass certain safety tests, including determining a safe dose amount, concentration, route and interval, and determining the range of doses where the drug works but before the toxic effects are unacceptable. In food producing animals they must determine how long it stays in tissues including meat and milk. When a vet uses a drug 'off label' they take complete responsibility for anything going wrong, and base the new dosing information on experience, other evidence/research (which usually shows that it has been used that way extensively, or is actually based on documented evidence, but still never undergone a true registration trial because the drug company doesn't see a financial gain in paying for it) as well as understanding how the drug is changed in the body. Some play it safe and dose to effect if there isn't extensive evidence to fall back on. I trust what the experienced breeders here use, but when you use any drug off label, especially a new one that no one else has used before, please bear in mind that you are taking some amount of risk. [More rambling information about legal stuff and drug registration if anyone is interested. Apologies for long posts, but I am eager to share what I have been taught in my course. With regard to off label use, even the route is important when the active ingredient is the same. An example is a specific mastitis treatment for cows - there is a similar drug used for pinkeye and the only difference between the two is one chemical, which makes it absorb in the eye better. One is registered for use in the eye, the other for the teats, but neither is registered for both. Some people use the eye treatment in the teat because it has the same active drug, but costs less: the individual owner pays less and more owners are willing to buy it (vet makes more money) - bonus on all sides right? But it is not registered because for use in the teat because there was no testing of that extra chemical and how long it hangs around in milk (and they never will register it, because they make more money off having two different products. The drug company makes a loss if they pay to register it and then have people use the less costly drug formulation in the end). Some vets prescribe it but they take on board all (very severe) consequences if that chemical causes harm to a human that drinks the milk. Make more money and happy customer versus lose your license and reputation, and risk seriously harming an animal or human - this is what they must weigh up all the time when using drugs in ways other than their registered use.]

I guess not all vets are out to take as much money as they can after all. The only times a vet is obligated by law to treat an animal is when the animal's life is in immediate danger unless they do something, or the animal is in severe pain/suffering. That treatment may be to give first aid, medicine, surgery or euthanasia depending on the circumstances. In my own opinion, if the vet doesn't want to give you a drug which he/she could be lose their registration over, insulting them was probably not the best way to go about it. By law, anytime a vet gives an unregistered drug or it falls under the class of drugs that must be kept locked away (namely dangerous drugs or drugs of addiction), they must have what is called a 'bona fide relationship' with the client- a bond or trust. I don't know you or your vet and I am not trying to judge anything. But that is the main reason why most vets insist on having a consult (or more) to give certain types of drugs. The policy varies from practice to practice. If anything at all goes wrong and the pet (or any human!) comes to harm, even if it was the owner's fault not theirs, they are liable to go before the vet board and may lose their license to practice as a vet just because they supplied it. I agree with DrNat. Take your energy, time and money to someone who is happy to serve you and wants to do it to your satisfaction (within reason and law of course).

I think it's entirely possible - although you will need some dedication! I got my Squee to put a ball in a cup, and I've seen budgies trained to fetch and ride skateboards, so why not? It definitely has been done in other birds. I agree training them to go in an area is a good idea, my lecturer said that some birds trained to go on command can get kidney damage by holding on until the owner let them go! This is my clicker training thread: http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/index....showtopic=23963 Interestingly, my conure Oz naturally goes down to the edge of the table to go. A nuisance to get it off the carpet (much more wet than budgie poo), but at least he has never gone on me!