Dave_McMinn

They are getting even more beautiful as i am discovering new types. A lot of green-faced budgies appearing. Either they are a new variety, or they had a spinach bath. Thor Gabrielle Mozarella I am getting the little aviary ready so the new bubs will go into there probably Sunday. Give them the chance to fly and spread their wings before they go to the big aviary.

I have noticed a little change. More keeping warm, but they are just as noisy. This constant rain has got them all primed for breeding. Night time rain often results in night chirping.

Well, I rang the vet today and there has been no improvement overnight. he is stable. let's hoep that means that he has hit rock bottom and tomorrow he can start clawing hsi way back up

hen

Took Norm to my avian vet. He gave him a very thorough inspection but was at first, and I suppose still is, a little baffled with his ailment. Norm appears to have some form of abcess (not sure of spelling) near his crop that was discharging some fluid. The vet thought he might have some type of crop infection that is causing the formation of this abcess. They kept Norm there, putting in what they called the "Hot Room" and will give him some fluids and some antibiotics. He told me to call back in the morning at 11 to see how his progress was and we would play it day by day. I asked him what he thought long term. The vet said if the antibiotics did not take, then there is the possibility to perform crop surgery. Now, i love my birds, but if it came down to having him undergo surgery, when he is 1 year old, i would have to say no. Other might think I am heartless, but chances are, the surgery would kill him anyway. I really hope the antibiotics take, but I am prepared for the worst. I figured it was more than just a cold.

Some more pics taken, i am a little snap-happy at the moment. Tralia and Nibbler All 4 have fledged and there is only a small difference between Thor and Baldr. Thor Baldr Thor and Baldr Heimdall - clown prince. Stretching to get food and then look around - very cute!!! Kids Cage Preening Settling in Geo feeding At play Angel and Hugo More Gabrielle - sometimes she just wants to get away from all the attention I think. Family shots Gabrielle and Maika Maika

I have not seen him drink at all and he has runny poos. right colour now, just runny and sticking. not looking good. 5 pm will never come it seems

i shoudl try and make up a stand like you have Kaz. That looks good.

the first moult was my biggest worry. I will see if I can get one of those "ring tools" to put the rings on with

I love to give my budgies a mix of veges. I have given them spinach, carrots, snow peas, a dried soup mix, bok choy, pak choy, brocolli, and corn - I think that it is. Anyway, whilst some love to eat it, others think it is a great game to get it, espeically the spinach, and pull it out of the dish it is in and throw it on the floor. Once it is on the floor, the others will not touch it. Every week when I clean out the aviary, I sweep up a lot of seed husk (as expected) and a lot of wasted spinach. Spinach is getting a bit expensive these days and it upsets me to see it wasted like this. Any thoughts on overcoming this?

Well, despite the jocularity on here, Norm is still unwell. He is docile and he prefers to sit at the bottom of the cage. there is worming meds in hsi water, but I am not sure he has drunk any. he occasionally eats but not often. Still the poo balls. He is off the the avian vet this afternoon. 5pm appointment. Kim is good, back in the aviary.

Baldr has a bit darker wing patterns, that is the only way I an tell them apart. I am scared about putting the rings on. Do i use a pecial device? I am scared it will snap closed on their legs goign on, causing damage

Update time: Angel and Hugo Gabrielle emerges and seems a lot less timid these days. She is out more, but still runs and hides given the chance. Hugo seems a little confused. I think he wants to mate with her. She is having none of that. Maika is going well. Gwenivieve was getting harassed by Dad far too mcuh, so she has moved into what I am now calling the kids cage with Mozzarella and Geo. Tralia and Nibbler All the fledged yougsters are doing well. Some may move to the kids cage soon, and Baldr is going to come out over the next couple of days. He looks very very very similar to Thor. I took some family shots to prove they are 2 different birds - LOL.

I am pety sure it is not a LATINO as that is a person from a South American background. Like it was said, Lutino's have no green, nor do DF spangles. It is either a DF dominant pied or a recessive pied. How old is it? Does it have iris rings? Any pics when you get it would help.

Do you have any close up shots showing his stomach from the front? Shots of Sylvester as well? Interesting to get some ideas from others on here.

Honestly, I breed when the birds are ready, as in not moulting, etc. AND when it is convenient for me. If I know I have time away coming up, I will not breed as then I miss that time. For example, I am going to Perth later this year. I will not have pairs in breeding cages when I am gone.

Deb, I forget which one is which, but if people look at her yellow faced blue, note where the colour stops. It is almost like a pied line, with the top half being green from the yellow wash out, and the bottom half being blue. Deb has another one in the aviary with the same thing. It is like the bird was becoming fully, green due to the yellow faced 2, but then just stopped. Very strange. Almost like a horizontal half sider.

My forum blog continues with another update. Sebby and Cheese. Geo and Mozzarella are doing well. Looking after each other, they may be getting a new playmate soon. Angel and hugo Hugo is being patients with gabrielle but not as patient with Gwenevieve. Gabrielle still refuses to come out for long. Gwenievieve is doing well, and is almost ready to move out of this cage. I have named the little boy Maika'keakua, or Maika for short, which means White god in Hawaiian. Tralia and Nibbler. Nibbler is a great dad. Thor is growing and using his wings more, chasing Heimdall's tail and eating on his own. Heimdall is doing well. Sif is beautiful as always. Just waiting on Baldr.

Kim is a 1 year old budgie that is very curious. She was exploring the other day in the aviary, and somehow got stuck. That was only half the problem. Cheese and Sebby decided they would take advantage of this and proceeded to bite off the end of one of Kim's toes. Luckily I went into the aviary before any more damage cold be done. Kim has lost part of the rear toe on her left foot. It took a little while for the bleeding to stop. I could not bandage it, I tried, but she is just a nightmare to hold. Anyway, once the bleeding stopped, and she stopped picking at it, she was fine. Kim is back in the aviary now, planning her revenge I fear. Here is kim in a hospital cage, notice the blood. Kim's uninjured foot. Injured toe - note that the nail and a bit of toe are missing from these pics. http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p125/dm...ssing_toe_2.jpg http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p125/dm...ssing_toe_1.jpg The bigger problem is Norm. He was very fluffed up and lethargic inthe aviary, so much so taht although I had the net, I caught him flying through the air. I am not that fast to catch a budgie in an aviary unless it is unwell. Anyway, he has been under a lamp in the hospital cage for a few days now. I have given him some Sulphadim, both in his water and by beak. He seems to be pooing regualrly, and he is eating so that is good. He is not as fluffed up as he was, and that is a good sign. He loves the lamp, so that is good. The problem is that his poos are sticking, creating what I am now calling a poo-ball on hsi feather, which eventually falls or I pick it off him. Here is Norm fluffed up. The problem area (unecessary shot but always best to get a shot of the main problem area) This is the "poo-ball". He is in a covered cage, he is eating, he gets suphadim in his beak and in the water, I clean his bum regualrly and he has a warm lamp on him 24-7. I think he is getting better, it is jsut this sticking poo. Anything else I should do?

Tam is the name of one of the budgies, Bronwyn is off on the adventure. As for Edmund's colour, I have no idea Kaz. I am simply making it up as I go.

Friday I received a personal message from Bronwyn. Bronwyn is about to set off on a wonderful adventure and she has 2 budgies. She tried to rehome then with friends, then after coming online and finding this site, Bronwyn read some posts regarding the rehoming of other budgies and asked me if I could rehome her 2. Bronwyn described them as "One is 4 years old, she is Tam, her companion is a Edmund and he is 18 months old. She is light blue and white and he is a mottled mix of green, blue, yellow, grey. They are both very healthy and live out on the balcony in summer, inside in winter. They eat regular budgie seed and I also feed them fresh coriander and thai basil. " I agreed, letting Brownyn know they would be most welcome in my aviary. Anyway, checking my e-mail today, Bronwyn had sent me a picture. This picture. Now, i love spangles so this is even better. Tam is a sky blue spangle and Edmund is a grey-green opline spangle. How lucky am I? It is nice to be thought of so highly that Bronwyn sought me out to look after 2 birds that she obviously cares about very much. More pics to come later on.

Yes, mothers can be removed safely at this stage. Many hens will look to breed again, my do, so I end up having to remove them around this stage anyway. Dad will feed the chick.

Deb - they used to get some millet in their nestbox. They learnt to eat that before they husked seed I think. Elly - thankyou. I quite like that. Update (without pics for a change) Tralia and Nibbler All 4 have now been out. Baldr came out this morning, and was sitting near Thor. The look almost identical. Baldr is the exact same colour, both spangles, but Baldr has slightly darker pattern on hiw wings. If he loses this, I am in big trouble. Geo and Mozzarella Still going well. Mozz is getting much bigger now. He is bigger than Geo, definitely. Angel and Hugo All have been out, but Gabrielle only ventured out yesterday and then got stuck, so she may take a few more days. I was wrong before - 2 girls and one boy. Sebby and Cheese The 2 are back in the aviary and have paired up again. It is nice that they see each other as a couple. I was a bit annoyed with both of them. One bird, Mel or Kim - they are identical, I can never tell them apart, had gotten stuck and had a foot sticking out. Sebby and Cheese had both noticed and gone down to see, and decided they they woudl attack the outstretched foot. Lucky I spotted it when i did. they managed to bite the foot, and remove a nail, but other then that, she is fine. I have bought Mel/Kim inside and out her in a seperate cage with a lamp on. The bleeding has stopped and there is some antibiotics in her water to help prevent an infection. Not happy with Sebby and Cheese.

I am in South West Sydney. I breed a range of colours and sizes. I do not really specialise in one thing, but that may change in the future. I also take in birds that need a new home. So far, 10% of my birds are rehomed. If you need to rehome a bird, let me know and I will see what I can do. If you are looking for a bird, let me know. I might be giving some away.

Woo-hoo - PAGE 20!!!!!!! So fledging continues. Everyone has now been out except Baldr, but not all choose to stay out. Sebby and Cheese Well, I really should rename it Mozzarella and Geo's cage. Mozzarella is the name I have decide to give the little one, Mozz for short. Why, well his Dad is Cheese, so it only seems fair he should be a derivative of cheese. Since he looks like Dad (cheese) and not Mum (Sebby) he gets the Cheese derivative Mozzarella. Angel and Hugo's cage. All have come out, with Gabrielle coming out today, realising she cannot fly yet, and not knowing how to get back. There are ladders in there, but they seem too tricky. Much better to jump, bang into a wall, and then wonder why it did not work, before you do it again. Hard to get good pics as they are so skittish, so sorry if some are fuzzy. Family Little male I think, smooth pink cere Gabrielle - you would never know she was once Pale Ale Tralia and Nibbler - they all come out, except Baldr and all, except Thor, go back in. Heimdall Heimdall with Dad Nibbler watching Sif eating some corn Thor hiding then Thor watching Heimdall more pics to come soon, hopefully of Baldr