Turbs

Don't worry Kerrie. You did the right thing - some things are right no matter what the damn law says - if it goes awry, then get one of the current affair programs involved. I'd do exactly the same thing and wouldn't hestitate one millisecond. Those owners should be ashamed of themselves. I hope they feel sick to their stomach for a year thinking about what they've done. Even if it was an "accident", I would personally take a lot of convincing re this. What were they thinking. People like this shouldn't be allowed to keep any animals.

Oh no Kerrie. Sorry to hear this. Those poor little souls. I hope there's a logical explanation (!) or else that the ****** owners get prosecuted. What's the status on the 3 remaining budgies? Do they have some sort of illness or is it just the case of starvation/no water? Go and have a glass of wine for lunch to calm your nerves. Take care. Turbs.

No probs Shawna. Bush budgie is just a name that Aussies use to refer to the Wild Australian Budgie. They are very small - much smaller than both an "american" (mid sized budgie) and heaps smaller than an English show budgie (which are often whoppers). They are native to Australia (usually in desert outback areas around water sources) and are only found in green in the wild. For instance, a bush budgie is very slender and may be ~30-35g, an american mid sized budgie may be 40-50g and an english budgie could be 50-80g. They are also very fast flyers too - being so light! Bush budgies also have limited cross-breeding so are a little more pure wild budgie than the average suburban budgie. Otherwise, they are still lovable little budgies... Just like the mid and bigger sized ones!

I'm sorry to hear about your situation Buff Spangle and understand that it must be difficult and somewhat if a different dilemma. But you really do need to get your bird to a vet. I'm not meaning to be unkind, but this is one responsibly of all pet owners and I'm afraid this is a very strong opinion which I hold. Remember that cash flow is a point in time thing - there are always points in times in everyone's lives where money is better or worse, so it's really all about finding a solution at this point in time. Personally, I would talk to the vet on the phone before you go and explain your situation. Say that you've recently had a lot of bills and are having short term cash flow issues. Most vets are nice people - they value animals, so they may either offer you a payment plan or alternatively some other arrangement. If nothing exists, try something creative - eg. offer to clean their surgery or do some work for them. Can you offer them something (eg. a trade etc.)??? As an alternative, get a very small loan from one of those fast cash places. It won't cost that much. Birds will severe bacterial infections will usually die without treatment. Feathers is spot on with her advice. I wish there was something we could say to help you, but unfortunately many of the off-the-shelf antibiotics in pet shops aren't the same medicinal value as prescription medications that you would otherwise get from a vet. Apart from that, is it egg binding? Is it a respiratory infection (latter sounds likely with the green droppings)? Without a proper diagnosis it is difficult to say. It's too hit and miss. Birds do disguise illness, so what looks a recovery is doubtful. Unfortunately seen this too many times before. Best of luck with your decision and the recovery of your bird. Turbs.

Hi Beth and Hi everyone... Birdy is indeed becoming a sweet little guy. He's now eating carrot and put one a gram in his first week. I've also noticed he does the bush budgie swoop when flying - ie. flies in a straight line for a metre then changes direction quickly. Even when he's flying from A to B... Must be the bush budgie in him, as I haven't seen this in my other green budgies.... Here's a couple of new photos of Birdles. Birdy eating his pelllets - good boy birdy! Birdy eating wheatgrass Here's our other little precious girl - Turby. She is about 8yrs old and has a lot of trouble with arthritis, so we are constantly worried about her. She takes pain killers/anti-flammatories every day now. She's going along okay at the moment, but her leggies have their ups and downs. Here'a also a picture of her "disability cage" - ladders padded with foam and covered in towels to make it easier on her... B4N - Turbs.

Well done FGM. You're a great budgie mother. Turbs.

Hi John, First thing tomorrow, best get her to an avian vet. Here's a listing on the Vetafarm web site in NSW. http://www.vetafarm.com.au/avian_vets.asp?state=nsw It could be an anything - a respiratory infection or who knows what. Best of luck - Turbs.

Well - popped over the measuring tape and he's 17cm long from head to tail. Sounds huge, but he's actually quite small... He's starting preening me today. Love that little chook so much already!

I'll measure him tonight and get back to you... Just dusted him with some lice/mite stuff as he was scratching a little over the last day or so (so just precautionary) and the powder has to stay on for 1hr (I'm working at home this week writing a report)...! His dad and mumma are such tiny little birdies. His dad is the most gorgeous bush budgie I've seen and I'm hoping he'll turn out like him. You should have seen him on his swing last night. My birds have all always slept on their swings so I put him up and he looked so tiny in stature even though the average budgie's head will pretty much nearly hit the roof...!

Here's now a couple more photos from 6am this morning of Birdles, the green little bush budgie boy... His latest achievement is that he's now eating broccoli and carrot (although the carrots a bit hard for him yet) and he's flying to me when I call him. Great progress for under 6 days at home. Here's rodeo Birdy with the green ring around him (didn't worry him a bit) http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u232/Tu...photos/Play.jpg Here he is in his new big temporary cage (before moving in with Turbs) http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u232/Tu...tos/In-cage.jpg Here'a one of the shots from the morning flap - flies down to my finger... http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u232/Tu...otos/Blinds.jpg He's also into head scratches. What a dear little boy that Birdy is. Turbs. Moderator’s Message to user Images changed to links due to size, all images should be under board limit of 450 pixels by 450 pixels. Thanks!

I've done some budgie research over the years too. If you inject the female budgies with testosterone, apparently they also warble just as much as the males.

Hi everyone, I thought it's about time I introduced myself (Sarah - aka "Turbs" after Turby the budgie) and sent a picture of my new little budgie - Birdy, the bush budgie. He is named after my old rescue budgie - Birdy - who sadly died from a long term illness in Dec. Bless his little heart. Yes, he's a real little baby bush budgie. Really small little guy. Not an english or even an american sized budgie. Left the nest on Australia day and born on Xmas day 2006. So easy to remember! He's full of personality. Small little guy - only 29 grams. I know that people wanted to see a bush budgie (when I mailed a recent topic on them), but I didn't have him at the time. I was able to track his development from egg in the nest due to a kind local breeder (she only lives 2min away). I love the little "bush" budgies, as the first budgie I ever had (at the tender age of 5) was a tame bush budgie I called Lolly. Was a great pet and have never had any problems taming him. The Brisbane breeder also has 5 others still in the nest - he was first out and his dad (a gorgeous bush budgie) was just the most doting little budgie father I've seen. Seemed to feed most of the kids all day long... After Birdy's quarantine, he'll be a friend for my girl budgie called Turby. Turb is 8yrs old and has lots of trouble with her leggies. Constantly on pain killers/anti-inflammatories for arthritis, but she is such a little treasure. So she spends most of her time in a coconut shell nest (or being cuddled). I think she and Birdy will get along great. Although I do worry about Turbs health at the moment - it seems that the pain killers may be impacting her little kidneys, but at least she has an excellent avian vet and is under the best of care. I've started to put Birdy on pellets after trying to do this with Turbs for over 4yrs (no luck). And amazing, so far he's actually eating them! When I got him he had just developed a little "people fear", but is calming down nicely. Haven't clipped his wings. He's flying around and now flies over to me when he wants to get down from the wooden blinds. Hopped on my finger from day 1 - he's a smart little boy. Great progress for only 4 days! He really is a lovely little guy and I've had budgies since I was 5 (now 32)!. Birdy also likes head scratches and also standing on the back of my laptop lid. He'll go to his vet check very soon. So let's hope all is okay with him. So here's the picture - haven't tried posting pictures yet, so hope it works. http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u232/Tu...On-teatowel.jpg Bye for now. Turbs

Good idea re the vet. Avian vets often diagnose liver problems when they see a long bird's beak. My late budgie also had this issue. Sometimes nutritional improvement can help (eg. converting to pellets), although I would hazard a guess myself that there is arguably also a genetic component. Re trimming, if you're not confident, get the avian vet to trim the beak. Otherwise can cause a mass bleed. I've used human nail clippers (extra small) - they are quite fine, but again it depends on how confident you are doing it. Best of luck with your birdy.

Also agree! Little girl.

I thought kumera was just another type of sweet potatoe. To my knowledge, they are okay, but I think it was any green potatoes of any sort were a problem (and no leafy bits from sprouting potatoes).

Great to hear Sonrisa's coming along nicely now - thanks to you anyway!

Hi Scooters Mummy, Good news - but best keep an eye on the little guy. Take care. Turbs.

Sounds yummy. A nice alternative to traditional egg in egg and biscuit is to cook a scrambled egg for your bird in the microwave... This is what I do: - beat up the egg in a small bow - put in for 30 seconds - break up with a fork - then another 20 seconds or so - break up with a fork - then maybe another 10 just so it's not runny My bird Turb loves it. Doesn't eat it all day (cause it's wet, take it out in a couple of hours), but enjoys it more than most things. She also loves it served warm - turns her nose up if it's cold. Just like we would I guess... You can also rub real scrambled egg into a pellet mix or any other mix such as rice crumbs (like bread crumbs - but yeast free). Can get the latter from health food stores. They love it!

Oh no - bad news. Sorry to hear this and hope he's okay. My vet told me of a story where a bird was bitten by a cat and within 24hrs he was really sick. The treatment was antibiotics and hospitalisation. It's apparently due to the bacteria in the cat saliva. The owners nearly lost the bird, but he pulled through fortunately. Not sure about what happens in relation to a cat scratch (sounds like a scratch), but it did make me this of this story, so thought I better mention. So best take him straight away to the vet and mention the cat incident if you suspect any bite. If you're absolutely sure he hasn't been bitten, there may be no need to worry (although a vet check would be a good idea if you are able to). Could you dab some natural "antiseptic" stuff - maybe even saltwater on his wounds to make sure they are bacteria free? Betadine is good too, but it will stain his feathers, so not a great idea unless you don't mind a red budgie. Although you could dab bits on with a cotton bud to limit the mess. Maybe even a few times a day in the first 48hrs. Just a thought. I wouldn't think creams will work with the feathers. The oil in creams may ruin them. Although best to be sure that the blood has clotted. You don't want to start a bleed again in a place like the wing... You can buy a styptic pencil from chemists to stop this. Have used on my birds in the past for a slight toenail overcut... (just dab it on the end and blood clots like magic) Best of luck with little scootie. Turbs.

Love the framed picture of blinks in the background. What a spunky boy he is... Happy birthday blinky! Just gorgeous. Turbs *editted to remove large quote*

That's a brilliant idea (the trick!). The kids at kindy will no doubt love seeing the babies today (and tomorrow and next week). Mummy is very alert hearing them cry. Well done FGM.

Yes - could be nervousness. Although given your budgie was sick previously, it could be a pain response. Worth getting a re-check with the vet. My budgie sometimes shivers when her arthrtic leggies are a big sore. Keep a keen eye on it at any rate. Best of luck from Turbs.

Although bear in mind that budgie digestive systems are not supposed to be able to handle lactose (which is in milk). So not sure whether this may be even a greater effect in babies... Although I have heard some breeders give milk (but in small amounts of course due to their lactose issue). Good advice about the mixture thickness Nerwen. Yes - how old are they. Also just thought whether they may take to millet sprays? Presume they are now a bit older and nearish to weaning, given all the comments about blood on their feathers? Good idea re taking them to work. Why not!

Oh dear - you poor thing. It's a worry isn't it. Especially in going to work - the babies do need regular food and could be in big trouble without it...Re rearing mixes, I'd stick with the Wombaroo rearing mix. Re feeding the bubs, just add enough water to the point where it's just runny enough to go through a syringe. A late nice chemist will have syringes if you need one. Re mixing: - put a bit of the Wombaroo in a cup (eg. a few tablespoons) - add a very small amount of hot water from the kettle (eg. 40ml) - then mix it up with cold water until it's just smooth enough to get through a syringe The hot water gets rid of the lumps. Watch the temp though. I recall reading that 38-40 degrees is the right temperature but test to make sure this is right. If no syringe, try the uri geller spoon bending thing. Put an old spoon on the side of some wood (grab a old one) and bang it with a hammer into shape. If they're not feeding, can you possibly crop needle them some food? Turbs from the southside of Brissy!

Hi HoppySpadge - Brown staining could be any number of things...? Though I presume he has been vomiting. This could be anything from trichomoniasis (a protozoan bug), a yeast infection (like a fungus growing in his crop), to megabacteria (a big type of long yeast-like bug), to any number of other conditions (eg. is it poisoning from him chewing sth - eg. zinc from galvanized cage wire???). Maybe it's a type of bacterial infection (although unless something has gone septic inside him, sounds unlikely). However, he may need antibiotics if it also looks like he's getting a secondary infection (eg. the sneezing sounds like a secondary respiratory infection building up, but I wouldn't think he would vomit from this)... In short, make sure the vet gives Pippin a crop examination (takes liquid out of his crop and views under microscope) and a droppings check under the microscope. Don't accept anything less - ie. the vet just gives you medicine thinking that it's disease A or B. Under the microscope, you can see many of the above pathogens. If the microscope work shows "all clear", then a blood test may also be appropriate (unfortunately via the jugular vein usually). But remember that the benefits of this outweight the minor discomforts to the Pippin. You're doing the right thing... If you get medicine, it is probably most likely that you'll need to give him drops of some type or another (or put medicine in his water - depends on the medicine really). If unsure, I'm certain everyone here will give some tips on the "how to's". If they offer some medicine that requires a huge dose dumped down his crop (and you think that he can't manage), even consider leaving him in vet hospital for the next 3 days. If he hasn't been eating, ask them to crop tube him some food before you go. The main thing is getting it into him. Also make sure you are seeing an Avian Vet. Others - despite good intentions, usually don't have much of a clue about birds. Also best to invest in a digital gram scale and weigh him each day of his sickness. If after medicine, he's not looking better after 24-48hrs (eg. and he's losing weight = he's going downhill), ring the Avian vet again and let them know. Never assume that "I guess that's all they can do". A good avian vet is quite resourceful and can also perhaps come up with an alternative or additional treatment. Remember that birds hide illness, so if he's showing it well and truly now. He's likely to be quite a sick little guy. Good on you for taking him to the vet. You've done the right thing. You'll hopefully also feel a bit better after you know he's getting good medical treatment. Hope to hear how he's doing down the track - thoughts with you and Pippin... Turbs.