Feathers

Goos job, Julie. I hope it works fantastically. If you find it is getting too warm when you test it try it with a wire front instead of the perspex. That is how I have mine now and the chick can sit over the lamp where it is warm or move to a cooler section if need be. You'll be taking orders soon. Feathers.

Hi Steph, I have cleaned one of my eggs, but that was because it was heavily soiled by a damaged, broken egg. I washed it by using a little warm water and a very light rub. It has hatched a very big healthy chick. I wouldn't have done it if it wasn't too badly soiled. Feathers.

Hi Tracey, you have a lovely flock. Feathers.

Great photos, I love the mauve/grey nest. Feathers.

Another pair has starting laying today. It just seems they took forever to get started and now it is all smooth sailing. Feathers.

Hi Thk, welcome to the BBC forum. Every budgie is different when it comes to hand training and it depends on the age of the budgie and sex too. Some can take a good couple of months. Feathers.

I only did a few of my eggs too before I stopped bothering. I keep a chart for each pair on a board in the room and note all their breeding details, eggs, hatchlings etc on there. I too use a flexi torch. Feathers

Hi Sharyn, welcome to the BBC forum, lovely to have another West Aussie on board. I was saddened to read about Harry and hope that you have a brighter future with Billy. Feathers.

I think I would too, they are a bit spoilt! Feel free, the best fitout stuff for my aviary came from discount stores, I have used some dog rope toys as well as skipping ropes. You need to take an inventive 14 year old with you as they have brilliant ideas. He told me he was just tricking! Yep, this is a crop from the back of one of the photos that I took. Look how little Spesh, the yellow face grey at the very back, looks compared to a smallish size exhibition female next to him Feathers.

Keely is making a habit of it, and is totaly unperturbed when I lift the nest box door. At least she looks like less of a seal in this photo: All pairs doing well, except maybe for poor Jade, who has only 1 chick left after one died overnight. I think 2 more pairs will start laying by the end of the week. Feathers.

Hi all, as requested by Paulh, here are some photos of my aviary and caged birds, except for those in breeding cages. First up are some aviary photos. As I now have more exhibition budgies, than I have pet budgies, I am in the process of changing which side of the aviary they reside in, so the exhibition birds get the largest side. So at the moment there are both types in each side. One of their favourite toys, the ring swing. (Paul, the yellow face boy (Karitz) is one of yours) Nothing but the best for my budgies, Maxwell Williams treats dishes Bonnie (from Paulh) preens Sora The two Black Eye Self's hang out in the corner Toy Corner looking through to the other side of the aviary The best $2 ever spent in the aviary, skipping rope perches 3 exhibition birds hang out together and pet budgie Kyan reckons he is just as good! (Stunning Yellow Face Grey, in my humble opinion) I currently have 12 birds in quarantine - housed in my two large indoor cages (together for this photo) 5 good greens (mainly normals) and 7 blues And finally, my two special needs budgies, Pascale and Adelene (my apologies for the photo quality) they get LOTS of cuddles I hope you enjoy them, Feathers.

okay, but as you pointed out with the BES post, it is helpful to have all the information in one post, so putting in full descriptions isn't a problem. I'll get to work in the next day or two. Feathers.

I recently won a hospital cage at a bird auction. It is an under floor bulb design. It came with a perspex sheet behind the wire and a 40 watt bulb, but I found that it was getting way too warm and it would cook a bird in there. With a 25 watt bulb, which is fitted at one end, and the perspex sheet removed leaving just the wire front it was much better. I haven't had to use it yet, thank goodness, but in use I would use as small pad of newspaper covered with a soft cotton fabric. Food and water dishes on the floor. Feathers.

Gee, sorry Elly, did we miss something? Do you want a FAQ on half siders or on rare mutations in general? Feathers. p. I was a good girl and added info to the Black Eyed Self post that you requested

It's all the rain we are having at the moment. It has bought them all into breeding condition. My budgies are very noisy lately. Feathers.

She was quite happy for me to lift the nestbox door, she just wasn't going to vacate it, no matter what I did Feathers

Paul, your bubs are looking fantastic I agree, your ino's are looking lovely. Feathers.

I currently have two pairs with hatchings and two pairs with eggs. Tealah and her boy Bean have 4 eggs, the first of which is due to hatch around the end of the month. Keely and her boy Daddy now have five eggs, the last laid yesterday. Here is a picture of Keely in the nestbox this morning. Both exhibition pairs I have put together at the moment are showing an interest in their nestboxes. One hen in particular has been spending most of her day in hers. There is also another pet pair together that I keep seeing mate, so they shouldn't be far off their first egg either. Feathers.

They don't need as much room as you might think, do they? I often see my birds squeezing into the water feeder I have in the aviaries if they want a wash between me giving the a bath to play in. Feathers.

Thanks, Phoebe. I hope you are feeling better (I read in Shawna's thread that you have been unwell). Feathers.

As the Black Eyed Self (BES) mutation is often confused with the Dark Eyed Clear (DEC) it was suggested that I update this post with the differences between the two. I know I initially thought they were the same thing. I spent 14 hours researching the DEC before I realised mine were completely different. Description of a Dark Eyed Clear General body colour of back, rump, breast, flanks and underparts to be a solid and even shade throughout. MARKINGS: To be absent from all areas EYES: Dark with the absense of a white iris ring. YELLOW (Buttercup): White cheek patches and a tail feather approachig body colour WHITE: White cheekpatches and tail feathers that are white. From this description, compared with that of the BES, you can see that the BES has an iris ring, but the DEC doesn't. Also the BES has faint body markings, but the DEC should have no markings at all. Feathers.

Steel is a winner in my eyes too Feathers.

Hi Cinder. When they start to moult, you will see little fluffy feathers everywhere! As their feathers are so important, so they can fly and evade predators, they have to be kept in top condition. This is why they preen so often. When they go through a moult they replace all the feathers on their bodies, but you don't notice as it doesn't happen all at once. You will notice a lot of pin feathers on the top of their heads though. As for the toenails. I have never clipped my budgies nails. It would only be needed if they grew abnormally long. Feathers.

Hi Michelle, we have one exhibition breeder who is using a lot of aloe with his birds after finding out it was really good for them, for a variety of reasons. This is a FAQ on our site about it: http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/faqs/i...=141&artlang=en Feathers.

Such a crack up when you see at shows, where they are supposed to be nicely behaved little budgies Feathers.