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Thanks Taboo, yes the day turned out better than expected. My first win in Intermediate, it was totally unexpected.

Nice aviary and size, good luck with your bidding.

They will get it if you don't keep control of it.

Wow, that would be great to have aviaries like that.

Hi all, today was the Riverina Diploma Show, I really didn't want to go but made myself, I only didn't want to go because we are trying to get me new birdroom finished and that is all that is on my mind at the moment. But loaded up my birds at went. Glad I did. I am now Intermediate so I wasn't expecting to win anything at all. But I won Best Adult cock in Intermediate and Best Adult Hen in Intermediate, my white Df sp got Reserve. The cock a Dom pied went on to win best bird in Intermediate and the hen a cinnamon dark green won Op Sex . The pied was in the main two for best Adult bird in show but a cinnamon won it in the end. BUT I WAS VERY HAPPY WITH MY WIN. In the young birds I didn't have many good ones there because I didn't know you could show purple ringers. But my spangle cock got Reserve cock in Intermediate. The judge said it was very close and that he was a lovely bird, he is the son of the white DF spangle cock. I got a lot 1st places and what blew me away was I won Best pair in Show with a pair of Lt Greens. I won a show cage and received 3 lovely Sashes. Sorry no photos but I will see what I can do tomorrow. I had a huge fright when I got home, because I the mice I had to put the birds straight into the aviary so I did a few cages at a time, well I put one cage back out side with the door still open. when I had finished I was walking out with the other empty cages and here was a light green hen on the ground. I thought what where did you come from, any way she started to fly but for some reason she could only fly a bit, yesterday she was flying full on, but I am glad she could hardly fly because I had to go back in to find the net which was on the other side of the aviary and I had to get past all the empty cages. I was packing myself. Anyway I got back out side and she was still there, she flew into the vege garden but I managed to catch her in the net. What happened was she was part of my light green pair that I won with and when I let them out, the cock flew out and I forgot the hen was in there and silly me took the cage outside and continued to empty the other cages. Boy was I lucky she couldn't fly well because she is flying now. I think I need to be more careful. Tomorrow I am going to start getting my purple ring bird ready for Our show THE KYABRAM DIPLOMA show next Saturday. I also won the raffle, a box of groceries and I gave them to my son and his family. So over all I had a good day. While I was away Greg put a couple of walls up in my new birdroom and it is looking good.

Yes I agree Nubbly, first instinct is always right, I have always found that and I go by it too. Nasty people though, not even their money but they would of kept it too if you hadn't of annoyed them.

Mine were going crazy in the early hours of this morning, I have totally moused proof the aviaries and have not seen any evidence of any in there for 4 or 5 days now, well since I finished, I would say they are still running over the wire and on the roof and that is what probably scared them. Luckily no one was hurt this morning. Last night I put 6 talon blocks under the bit of wood where they are coming from next door and this morning all eating , the whole couldn't believe it. They ate 3 the night before. Mine actually go silly when it is a full moon, which is about now.

I have great NEWS, Depending on Clearwing and his back and shoulder, if all good we are putting the walls up in my birdroom Saturday. OR at least Geoff is going to bring the walls down from Shepparton for me. I am so excited. I am NOT going back into my old bird room because of the rotten mice. BUT I am still trying to mice proof it. So far I mouse proofed the outside aviaries and the indoor aviary but not the birdrooms yet. So much to do. Anyway I have decided to pull down the new shelving I did last year and put in the new birdroom and that will save me heaps of money. I am thinking of giving Greg the newest part of my old bird room for a tool shop. it is 11ft long and 6 foot and it will give us somewhere to put the tools and saw etc. BUT that means I have no where to put my holding cages, I am going to try and get it all in the new one. So the old birdroom will be as you walk in there will be 4 large cages for holding etc (once mouse proof that is) and the where my breeding cages were which is in the same part will be my storage for seed bins. Then you walk into the inside aviary and that's it. Where as you would normally walk through the inside aviary into the other part birdroom room where I had my very large baby cage and breeding cages with a shelve above which is 11 ft long that my show cages sit on and then on the other wall are the 6 wire cages. Well this is the part I think Greg can have. So that means the door into there will be sealed over. Still thinking about it because if I can mouse proof it, it would make a lovely large indoor aviary. Any way first thing first walls yes yes yes. Today I bought a heap of timber to make my stands for the breeding cages. Geoff and I have decided that we will put the walls up and just leave it all unpainted until the end of the year when the breeding season has finished, then I can paint it do the floor etc the way I want it. Will be continued with photos, Oh we are putting a window in the door also because it is a bit dark in there this time of the year and it will get worse when winter arrives.

Hi James, I am using them for my wire door for my new birdroom. And to extend the height of my table and also maybe for a new indoor aviary. I get mine from Bunnings because thta's the only place I know around here.

Sounds good Matt, look forward to the photos.

I was thinking the same thing Dean, K&M you must have very quite budgies because everyone I know have had their budgies smashing into walls at night one time or another, it only takes the smallest thing to set them off. As Dean said more than likely you loose you best birds from broken necks etc. Maddy I don't know about where you live but we are having a huge mice problem here and maybe a mouse might of scared the **** out of her. With my birds they only need a shadow to set them off at night. Last year I had a cat visit my aviaries and my birds went stupid some of my best birds broke their wing including my shield winning violet. But at least he is still alive and he has sired heaps of young, so at least he can still do the job.lol.

They look to be nice birds, should go well with what you already have.

Today I got 5 in the bird room, every trap was filled, Out near the outside aviary I got 4 in my plate water bucket, they ate all the bait so I missed out on get any extra, the little guts, The other buckets none again , so I am going to change them over to plate ones today. Good news though, there is NO sign of them in the out side aviaries so I managed to mouse proof them and I am very proud of myself, but they are all around them at night all over the aviaries on the roof just everywhere. More work today out in the old bird room, out of wire though but I can still do some things to block them out.

I use an all wire cage held together with cable ties, it has a large door at the front and I made a perch on a stand to go in it, I put coloured card at the back, being white birds dark blue would be good. I use a small an aperture as possible F22 and F32, this will help to maximise depth of field and allow a greater working distance between the subject and the camera. I stand about three to six feet away. This type of working distance will allow the bird to relax more, aiding you to get a better shot. I focus on the cere of the bird, as this will make the whole image look in focus. Bounced flash or diffused flash is better than direct flash as this will help to avoid the harsh shadow from an on camera flash, just a piece of tissue over the on camera flash it’s self can make all the difference. I use an Nikon D70 SLR with a 28-200ml zoom lens which gives me the distance to stand back. I do use auto for quick snap shots, I put the camera on portrait or auto and put a tissue over the flash, I have a problem also because my metz flash is for a film camera so I can't use it on my SLR and I have 4 flashes and none are any good for the SLR so I am forced to use the in built flash which is so annoying. BUT most the time when a bird is washed out is because you are to close with the flash or you have the camera setting wrong and to much light is getting in.

Getting there Kaz but taking all my time though. I have a show next weekend and the weekend after but I can't see myself having the time to get them ready. I have been spraying them but not as much as I would normally do but they are not really show caged trained, have being to scared to leave them in any small cage for long periods and plus I have been far to busy. I normally have them in flight cages by now so they are quite for the show and the build themselves up but can't do that either and finding the time to despot them, just not enough time in the day. I am actually more excited about putting them down to see what I get this year than showing actually. So I guess I will decide in the next couple of days what I will do.

Hi Grali, I would say you would be best to go to your nearest club and introduce yourself because they are always looking for new members. Anyway, there will be someone there who will have what you are looking for.

Is she fluffed up, anyway I would put her next to a heat lamp and keep her warm, and if you have any sulpha for birds or tripleC or a broadspectum antibotic, I would give her some but heat is the most important thing when a budgie is sick.

Hi and Welcome to the forum. To your question, I would say about 10 or so, maybe a few more.

The DRAMA continues!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This morning I found 7 mice in my plate water bucket trap couldn't believe it. I only got one in the bird room. Today I moused proof most of the indoor aviary and half the first part of the bird room. Can't do much more until Wednesday now, out of wire.

Couldn't believe it today i got 5 mice in my plate water bucket trap. Yesterday i got 2 in it. My tin water bucket traps in the bird have yet to trap a mouse. But the plate one works like a dream. The outside aviary is totally finished and I am now waiting for Greg to get off his lazy but and move my breeding cabinets so I can start work out there but looks like it won't happen today. He got out of bed and straight on the couch and hasn't moved since and it is now 1.55pm. And he isn't even sick today, unbelievable.

Look hens to me too

Lovely chicks Maddy, and I love them names. I leave my chicks with parents or one parent as long as possible, until they are totally eating on there own and some times they stay there until 7 to 8 weeks. As long as the parents are good parents and are not aggressive towards the young. I have some parents that you couldn't do that with but the most of them do. I also agree with kaz and GB, I keep putting mine back and back and back lol

I think I have good news, I think I have bet the little suckers, after sealing every little nook and cranny, and screwing wire to certain parts and stuffing bits of poly bats and glue in certain places, I believe I have done it. YES!!!! YES!!!!YES!!!! YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There is NO smell anymore, and I haven't found a mouse in the aviaries at all in the mornings. GREAT. Today I finished the 3rd aviary and tomorrow I will be doing the new perch set up and then the birds in the indoor part are coming out away from those rotten mice out there. Because I noticed yesterday that they are getting in there now. I caught 5 in the snap traps in the birdroom this morning, none in the other part though but evidence that they have been in the aviary part though. I caught 2 in the plate bucket trap out near the out side aviaries. Last night I made up some flour and cement and put on top of the out side aviaries and one down the side where they are coming from my next door neigbours place, I have seen them go in the whole under the fence, and last night just before dark I saw them come from the same place and jump over to the aviary. I noticed that they were in the flour mixture because there were little foot prints everywhere in it. Today I put some out in the birdroom and plus another tin bucket trap, SO have my fingers crossed I get some tomorrow. Tomorrow after I do the perches in the 3rd aviary Greg is going to help me move some breeding cages so I can block off some areas out there, I had a look today and I think I can do it, the aviary looks harder BUT where there is a will there is a way. God I hope can block them out.

UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think I did it. Checked the aviary this morning and I had one in the trap in the escape part and a live one in the aviary I have not yet done, it was in the corner just sitting there so I got the courage up and banged it with a piece of wood. I went into the other 2 aviaries where the birds are and I couldn't see any signs of them, NO SMELL either. Doesn't mean much BUT Maybe I did did it. Yesterday i found a couple little spots in the wire where they could squeeze through so put a few more screws in, I put clear PVC about 7 inches deep along the very top on the wire next to the roof because they could be coming down from there, which I think they are. I also put wire up the top of the middle one. Today I am working on the one that is empty because I am sure that is where the ones that I caught last night are coming from. I caught nothing in my buckets as yet. Out in the old birdroom I caught 5 in the traps and nothing in the bucket. Greg got 5 in the shed. Jake found 2 in the yard but I took them off him in case they were baited, luckily he only licks them and doesn't eat them yet. Once I finish this last aviary I am going to work out there but that is a huge job. I caught 3 in the house last night, not enough traps to catch them all, little suckers, sick of it

Hey I have A Diploma in Graphic Design lol, "photoshop princess" lol. I preferred the photography side of it in the end. I went back and did Visual Photography, but I am rusty at everything now. I had the film cameras worked out to the tea but the digital once have so much to remember when you are trying to with manual. So i opt for auto, lazy me. But I have been trying manual lately on the photos are turning out quite good. Back to your photos, if you are not using a flash, check your settings on the camera because it looks like you are letting to much light in.