Kim6116

Hi, I'm in Newcastle, so not really that close to you, but, I am lucky in some ways that i have neighbours that love me to prune their trees for them! So i guess you could try that way. Other than that, you might notice the council roaming around cutting branches from trees that are too close to power lines or street signs. If i see them i ask if i could have a branch or 2 and they have never said no to me. Hope this helps a little. Kim

Congrats - so glad he/she hatched - but keep an eye on the little one - i have had the same situation this week. The bigger ones can i guess scream the loudest for food and the size difference (and it amazing how big it is) makes it harder for the small one. I have had to hand feed my youngest once a day to top him up. I know you will do the right thing - just a thought - hope all goes well

His feet seem strong - when he is inside with us - he can "step up" onto our fingers with no worries. I'll get some photos of him today and post them Yeah he is fine eating seed and fresh vegies - especially corn - although i have put seed in a shallow container now - he didnt seem to climb up on the bigger container. He does move around the bottom of the cage - but i have never seen him try to climb the bars or anything. He is just in with his siblings now as everyone has been eating for at least a week.

Hey guys, I have a somewhat odd question ..... i have a pair who up on their second (and last for the time being) clutch. First clutch she laid 6 eggs and 6 beautiful chicks hatched. this clutch she laid 7 eggs, 2 were infertfile, one was born dead in the shell and we have again 4 beautiful bubs. Oddly all chicks from her first clutch were almost identical - this clutch she has one blue and white and 3 green and yellow - but differing colouring of green. Anyway - the youngest is now 8 weeks old and he wont fly - or even attempt to get on the perch in the breeding cabinet. He eats, but would much rather his brothers and sisters feed him (and they do!) He is fine in every single way - fully feathered etc. He is very very timid and even when we bring him inside he never attempts to do anything but snuggle. Do you think he is just a snuggler who has never needed to fly to the perch and his brothers and sisters are coming to him to feed him etc. - or should i perhaps make a trip to the vet to make sure the little guy is okay? Appreciate the help

Hey Kaz I cant wait to see what these 2 produce - i have a pair with exactly the same colourings - though she laid 2 eggs last year, both were infertile and so far she hasnt come back into breeding condition (i seriously think she is too busy eating to do anything else!) Best of luck!

Congratulations! Can i ask what the cock bird looks like that you have paired her with? My Ringo looks exactly like her, but he would be old enough to breed for another 6 months and right now i dont know who to pair him with - as he seems to be quite the "tart" of the aviary!.

They are just absolutely adorable - Congrats

Thanks Neat - all went well and even the rain held off!!! The new aviary has been held up for a week - so they are all back in their old aviary waiting for their new mansion to arrive! Will post some pics when it is all set up.

thanks so much for the help everyone

lol i had that blonde moment too and said couldnt you just cement over the join and made a little step for them - he laughed at me so i am guessing that isnt an option! I dont think the tar on the join is the same exact as tar on the road - its more a rubbery kinda tar (yep blonde too) lol but thanks for trying to help - you made me laugh because your answer was the same as mine - as least we are having more fun right!

Hey guys, Just wondering if someone can help with an aviary extension drama. We are extending our aviary another 2 metres and the concretor was supposed to be here in 8 days, but has changed his schedule and is coming 11am tomorrow! So i need to join the existing concrete slab with the new one and am unsure how to do that. He has some sort of filler but he tells me it is made from tar and so i dont think that would be good if the birds pecked at it. So i am wondering if anyone else has done an extension to their concrete slab and what they have used to join the two together that is safe for the birds if they have a chew. Sorry for the question at such a late notice- but i thought i had a week to sort it out. Thanks heaps Kim

That was a great article Kaz, thank you for posting that for me. This afternoon I had success - it was kinda like a military operation with hubby and me both there! I fed them then hid and hubby stood there, when she came out i guess she thought he was the person feeding them and ate happily away. I snuck back around the corner and although the noise of the nest box opening made her look, she then looked straight at hubby and went back to feeding!!! So i have cleaned their feet - which really didnt need cleaning surprisingly, all the other chicks i have had have been grubby critters! I really want to do the nest box, but i think i will tackle that one tomorrow after our success today. I have 2 nest boxes per breeding cabinet, so rather than take the chicks, clean the box and replace them, i always have the second box ready to go - take the chicks, clean/check them, put them straight back (well okay not straight back - cuddles come first) and then clean the 1st nesting box properly ready for the next day. I worry about having them out for too long in case the hen stresses and have found my nerves and theirs are better this way. I took a couple of pics - though not very good (i was in a rush!) he/she is the eldest and seems to be getting dark colours coming through and the second eldest: who seems more like dad from the yellow I have checked and re-checked their legs and feet - and they are fine - the photo was more me putting them down and clicking - they just didnt get a chance to pose properly! thanks so much Kaz for the information - you are a wonder!

Hi everyone, I adopted 2 birds from a not so great home. To cut a long long story short .... she had an egg when i got her, which i took from her, but she continued laying on the quarantine cage floor. On advice from another breeder, i put a nesting box in and we now have 4 chicks, with one egg to go and another egg she kicked out this morning. The eldest chick hatched on 8th April and the youngest today (wow what a size difference between those 2!). Anyway, my problem is that i cant get into the nest box to check/clean the chicks feet. I tap on the box and speak to her while i try to pick one up and she attacks me. I feed the parents and wait until she comes in to eat and quietly go to the nest box while she is eating. As soon as she hears the box open she goes straight back in and attacks me! this has never happened to me before, but i think its probably because my other hens all know me and are somewhat tame (they will fly onto me in the aviary and i can hand feed them) whereas to this one i am still a stranger. I would really love some advice about what to do. Should i leave them be, wear some sort of glove so her attacking me doesnt hurt so much, block the entrance so she cant get in or something completely different. I really really want to clean the nest box and the chicks feet, but dont want to do anything that will make her reject them. Thanks for the help in advance

Thanks everyone for the advice - i will watch the three of them in the aviary until then and see if she bonds or favours one or the other

Hey guys, I have a question that i am confused about as i have been given 2 very different opinions and really want to do the right thing ..... i have a female who will be ready to breed in September (yes some time away, but i want to have my head around it) and 2 males that i am undecided which one to put with her ..... can i put them both in the breeding cabinet with her and let her chose which she likes best? I have know that 2 hens and 1 cock is bad ... but am unsure about the reverse, especially given that they are all very quite birds? Help would be appreciated, thanks Kim

Congratulations Bec, I hope all goes well for you and that you have many successes! Can't wait to hear some more news. As for the perches, I am only in my second season of breeding, and so there are many others here who can help you more than me ..... but i was told by a breeder i bought one of my budgies from that he has one of the perches square rather than round, as it helps the female to grip better while mating. My hubby made me some square ones for my breeding cabinets and they do seem to only use those when they are mating .... i'm sure thats not the case with all, but just food for thought. Good luck again!

Thanks Kaz - i always do quarantine - as much as i fall instantly in love with the bird, the ones i have are a whole lot deeper in my heart and i would never jeopardise them. I have also done a little thing during their quarantine period where i spend a lot of time with the new bird and although they are not tame, they are used to me and will sit on my finger for a short period and so by the time they get into the aviary they arent scared of me coming in and daily feeds become like currumbin bird sanctuary! they all sit on feed dishes and my head, shoulders etc. and i love it! I have 13 in the aviary and they are all named and all know me and as much as i am in awe of the people who have many birds and marvel at how much work they do - i only ever want to have birds that i know and that know me. I dont mean that to sound bad to anyone .... its just what i have decided to do.

I cant check her iris right now - its pouring rain here again - my washing will be coming out the laundry door soon! I am really trying to get my head around all this and i know that you guys are trying so hard to help me and i am just hopeless! so until i check her iris and get back to you - i will just call her white! Please dont take that the wrong way - its me thats the problem getting this. On another subject about the iris ..... Tinkie - who's picture is up there ....... i found her in my back yard in August, 2006. She wasnt fully feathered yet so i have no idea how she got there ... and strangely my german shepherd dog was keeping her warm under her paw (seriously she wasnt trying to hurt her or anything!). So i know that she has to be at least 18 months old and she is mum to Diva and Chantra - but her eyes have never changed - she never did get the iris rings. Is that weird or do some just do that? Because Comet and Toto who are pete's brothers also dont have it - but i thought they might not because they are inside birds and are babied constantly ...... any thoughts? ya know just so i can be confuddled more???!!!! (again my fault not yours)

Thanks for the nice comments everyone. Libby, to be honest, i am not really looking for a specific colour from her (except maybe to stay away from green because i have more green or shades thereof than any other colour right now). I just think she is so gorgeous and thought it would be a shame for her all whiteness to not pass down. Umm this maybe a really stupid comment and i have deleted this sentence and then re typed so many times (Laughing out loud) but by albino do you mean the eyes? cause if you do, i think it may have been the flash - her eyes arent as dark as the rest of the flock, but i dont think they are red. Should i assume that any other colour would be dominate over her? I suppose thats a really hard question to answer given that i dont know here ancestry, but thanks for the all help ....

Hi everyone, Below is Angel (who was always called Casper as i was told she was a he). There is a bird show near me on Saturday and was wanting to get her a boyfriend, but i have no clue what colour to get. Do i stick with all white like her, or if i put her with another colour, could i end up with all white still - or is that impossible? I am so hopeless with this stuff, no matter how much i read it just doesnt stick in. thanks for the help ......

okay thanks everyone - Angel it is!! Perfect timing too as i have just read there is a bird show in the area on Saturday so i might go try to find her a boyfriend!!! Should i try to get another all white like her or could i end up with all white no matter what i get? I am hopeless at this subject.... i will learn one day though - i hope

Here are some pics of my guys. Could i ask a question of the first one. I was told that he was a boy, but with the brown cere i am not so sure. Although i was also told with white birds it is different..... So here is Casper or Angel depending on the sex - a couple pics to make it easier. Zeus Diva Chantra Freeway Taj His son Pete: Sita Tinkie (who is mum to Diva and Chantra) Athena Pippa Matilda Aussie Sorry there are so many - love them all

Hi everyone, Just a quick update - everyone is much happier this morning and the pecking has stopped! If (no..... wishful thinking .... when things happen) i will start a thread in the breeding journals. Here are some pics of the happy (or happier than yesterday) couples: Couple 1 - First Taj: and Athena Aussie and Matilda Tinkie Freeway Pete Sita Together:

okay thanks Daz, by fighting do you mean really aggressive to each other, or just the odd peck if the cock went to "kiss" the hen? Things have settled down really well tonight i think. I now have one pair kissing each other, one pair preening each other (this is the pair that have thrown the shavings from the nest box) one pair tolerating each other and the other just still ignoring the other. I am thinking maybe i should seperate the pair tolerating each other til morning and then try the training cage tomorrow? or do you think they will be okay now that the pecking has stopped?

Thanks for the advice everyone. I have put 4 pairs in just before lunch today. We had a combination of completely ignoring each other or having a peck at each other! I have kept a close eye on the pecking in case it got more than a "get away from me" peck and that seems to be dying down now. The ignoring is still happening with 2 pairs though. One of the hens has been in the nest box and thrown most of the shavings out - so i am guessing thats a good sign. Will keep you updated and tomorrow will take some pics of the pairs to post. Thanks again for the advice.