splat

If they fully recover they tend to have an amunity to the virus. That is what i have been told. I culled a lot of mine last year. But the ones I kept I have bred perfectly healthy chicks with no french moult.

I agree with Rich on the opaline question. Not sure about the yellow face one though

Hello June and Welcome to the forum.

LOL well then I have some here Phill. So I put the abgrit all over my floor, I was using wood shavings but found them a pain in the butt because they fly everywhere, in the water in the food, clogged up against the door so I can't close it. So i only have bare cement floors now. How thick do you lay it Phill? I still have a fair bit left of that bag.

I had french moult last year and it went through my how birdroom. I stopped breeding and disinfected everything. I pressure washed all nest boxes and then dunked them all in VirkonS and the left them out in the sun to dry. I washed wooden cages and virkonS them too and then painted them all. But all my hard work paid off. GOod news news NO french moult this year, so far anyway and I am waiting on a couple of nest to finish.

Thanks Kaz will purchase one soon, and thanks Matt for the info on the lime. Sorry to here you lost another bird I really hope you can get on top of it.

Better safe than sorry I always think.

( pssst) don't tell Greg Splat , but GET A FEMALE DOG !! problem solved. lol and get rid of Jake. Greg was meant to get a female but his sister gave him the male, rats. She is trying to talk him into getting another one for a play mate for Jake, I said I do not think so as there is far to much poops to pick up now.

So is garden lime safe to spread out on top of cement floors in aviaries, won't hurt the birds. Kaz where do you get those flame burners from, do you have a picture of one for me please. I have double wire on the bottom half of aviary and a build up of feathers so I reckon the flame burner would go down well here.

I know what you mean Robyn, my aviaries are in the backyard not far from where Greg and I sit, so I can watch them all the time and I use to enjoy watching mine on the floor too but not anymore, I have to settle watching them on the perch. But my sheets of metal were put up to stop the dog peeing in the aviaries so the sacrifice was worth it. couldn't stand dog pee on my floors , yuk.

that's what I was thinking twisted. lol. When I go looking in the park , which by the way is totally against the law I scrunch and smell and then saw and hope no one sees me.

Good luck with it all Matt, i hope you don' loose to many. I have just finished treating my birds with coccivet, we have had so much rain here and it is so humid.

I would really put sheet metal all the way around the aviary like Kaz said because I heard a story the other day and it horrified me . It went like this........ breeder in the western suburbs of Melbourne I think. Well he couldn't work out why some of his birds were missing and we are talking good birds and this breeder I think is a Champion breeder also. Anyway this was going on for a while and I think in the end he sat out there and watched to see what was going on. And what he discovered was a large snake I think brown was climbing up the wire to the roof and sliding through the channels of the sheet metal roofing and eating his birds. I didn't relise they could do that but they have scales on there bad that grab hold of the wire and enables them to climb the wire. This rotten snake has being doing this for quite a while, had his meals worked out in advance because it was easy food. Poor little birds they never had a chance. Plus small snakes can slide through normal bird wire and that is why I have mouse and snake proof wire of my aviaries, but some aviaries only have it on the bottom but all aviaries have 3 foot high sheet metal all the way around.

There is a lot of things we can not bring into the country so I would guess we can't bring it in because if we could it would be available to us somewhere to buy. Quick gel is our equivalant and poly aid from veta farm is another first aide pick me up.

But like I said you can still be an active member without attending the meetings. Most clubs send out newsletters so you know what is going on and maybe your parents will take you to a show when you start breeding good birds, but we have some members in our club are members and they just do their own thing, come to meeting when able and breed to suit themselves and will show one day. But at least when you are a member you will get some kind of magazine a few times a year from the Queensland Budgerigar Society or at least we do here and that helps you find out what is going on in your state. And if you are a junior there are junior fees so it is cheaper. But the rings still all cost the same though.

With my rotten year this year loosing over ninety chicks I don't even have any chicks to cull for seed, sad. I always put down some feeders for crappy birds , so I can flog them for seed money but not this year, maybe a couple over all. Seems I only have about 40 babies I am keeping them to see how they moult out because most of my birds are late bloomers.

Some people put old rings on their birds to if they are not a member of a club.

Hello Rich and welcome to the Forum. Your DF spangle must be masking ino, yes it is a surprise sometime, My lutino cock is masking grey wing.

No you can't show unless you are member of a club in your state plus a member of Your state like Budgerigar society of Queensland. You can join that club that is 3 hours away just to get your rings and just be a member, but if you want to show sounds like the shows will be a distance from you also.

Thanks Macka

Thanks Macka, do you mean the seed mix that you put in the aviary or the storage bins. If seed mix that goes in aviary and birdroom, how much is a spoon full to how much seed do you make up. Which one do you buy Macka and from where.

Renee I found several places , the cheapest is ebay, and you can buy 3 different size bags. 5 kilo bag $19.99 and $20.00 postage 3 kilo bag $15.00 and $12.00 postage 2 kilo bag $10.00 and $12.00 postage http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/330626055236?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2648#ht_3582wt_949 and the the garden doctor but I have lost the link but theirs is expensive. Green harvest is $30.50 for 5 kilos and $9.95 postage http://greenharvest.com.au/pestcontrol/diatomaceous_earth_prod.html#PD105 Pet and garden is $29.00 for 5 kilos and $21.00 http://www.petandgarden.com.au/browse/details.asp?ProdID=132281 Here is a bit more info from another site. food grade diatomaceous earth is accepted by organic agricultural standards and is registered to control various insect pests of stored products such as farm-stored feed grain, farm-stored seed grain, grain for human consumption, grain bins and silos, food processing and warehousing facilities. It can be applied as a dust or spray. For treatment of building structures only, apply mainly to structural cracks, crevices and inaccessible areas. Absorbacide will leave a visible residue on treated surfaces & should not be used where such residues are unacceptable. Click here for a PRODUCT BROCHURE Uses : Internationally Diatomaceous Earth has a wide range of uses in organic agriculture and household pest control and is included in products which are registered, marketed and certified for the control of cockroaches, silverfish, ants, fleas, flies, ticks, lice, earwigs, aphids, white fly, beetles, loopers, mites, snails, slugs, leaf hoppers. Please note that Absorbacide it is not registered for these uses in Australia. In Australia its range of registered uses is limited. Current research and product development is focused on: Bed bugs, Poultry pests: Red mite, Darkling beetle and Lice Internal Parasites of stock: poultry, goats and sheep. In a trial Absorbacide wasused effectively to organically control red mite and reduce lice numbers in laying chickens. ► Mite and lice Absorbacidetrial results ► Absorbacide PDF product brochure Manufacturers Information This is our insecticide product. A natural product registered with the Australian Veterinary and Pesticides Authority for use against insect pests of stored grain and registered as an allowable input for organic farmers by the BFA. Absorba-Cide kills insects by absorbing oils and waxes from the insect cuticle thus facilitating moisture loss and death by dehydration. In addition, the shards of silica in the material abrade the animal leading to its physical disintegration. Resistance is not likely since it is the physical and not chemical properties of Absorba-Cide that make it an effective insecticide. and another sites info DIATOMACEOUS EARTH (DE) Diatomaceous Earth (DE) is a form of silica that can kill insects by desiccation, by absorbing their waxy, oily, outer layer. When this thin, waterproof layer is damaged, the insect or insect egg loses water and dies. DE also has microscopically razor sharp edges, which works as an abrasive sandpaper to kill the insects. This killing action is a mechanical not pesticidal one. If kept dry, DE has an indefinite shelf life and remains effective for as long as it is present. DE, also called ‘sharp sand’, is sourced from the fossilised remains of freshwater single-celled plants. Uses: Internationally DE has a wide range of uses in organic agriculture and household pest control and is included in products which are registered, marketed and certified for the control of cockroaches, silverfish, ants, fleas, flies, ticks, lice, earwigs, aphids, white fly, beetles, loopers, mites, snails, slugs, leaf hoppers. Anecdotal information on the web includes its use for head lice and biodynamic tree paste. Please note it is not registered for these uses in Australia. In Australia its range of registered uses is limited. Current research and product development is focused on: · Bed bugs · Poultry pests: Red mite, Darkling beetle and Lice · Internal Parasites of stock: poultry, goats and sheep Green Harvest uses it to protect stored vegetable seed organically. PLEASE NOTE Australia is very strict regarding registration, labelling and marketing of pest control and health related products. The information available via internet searches needs to be balanced with the fact that currently only Absorbacide has gone through all the regulatory channels in Australia as a pure DE product. More information..... ABSORBACIDE™ BFA organic This food grade diatomaceous earth is accepted by organic agricultural standards and is registered to control various insect pests of stored products such as farm-stored feed grain, farm-stored seed grain, grain for human consumption, grain bins and silos, food processing and warehousing facilities. Minor Use Permit application pending for Bed Bug and Hive Beetle. It can be applied as a dust or spray. For treatment of building structures only, apply mainly to structural cracks, crevices and inaccessible areas. Absorbacide will leave a visible residue on treated surfaces and should not be used where such residues are unacceptable. Material Safety Data Sheet More information on Absorbacide What sort of blocks Matt. Try it on the floor and see what happens, I actually haven't seen any here, but I am probably with age. lol UK breeders use it in their nest boxes too. I am going to spread it every where too.

I have been doing some research on how the best way to control red mite. I don't have red mite yet but i have seen little critters in the nest boxes that look more and the size of weavles . Anyway I plan on using this great product. It can been put in the nest box and under the concave and also in the nesting material because it is completely safe for the birds. If the eat any they will ingest I think 14 minerals Diatomaceous Earth Natural Pest Control DIATOMACEOUS EARTH - FRESH WATER SOURCE THE PEST CONTROL - NATURAL ALTERNATIVE TO CHEMICALS FOR RIDDING YOUR HOME, GARDEN AND LIVESTOCK OF PESTS PROTECT YOUR FAMILY FROM INSECTS THE NATURAL WAY WHAT IS DIATOMACEOUS EARTH (AMORPHOUS NON-CRYSTALLINE SILICON DIOXIDE)? we supply the finest quality of Diatomaceous Earth which is composed of the skeletal remains of millions of fossilized microscopic diatoms that once flourished as a form of golden brown aquatic algae or plankton that lived in oceans and lakes as a food source for all kinds of aquatic creatures. As far back as the beginning of the Cenozoic Era some 65 million years ago, diatoms have existed and contributed to the buildup of sediment on the ocean floor. Fossilizing over eons of time into soft powdery rock many feet thick, geological forces pushed these deposits up to the Earth's surface. 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Thanks Julie. All of the good ones are opaline or op cinn at this stage but I don'y care. It was all about trying to breed some quality this season. The opaline grey green just above could be something really special. Still yet to see it stand properly as it is still a bub but all six of it's siblings have good wing and stance so I am hopeful. Easily the best bird I have ever bred and by a long way. Some of these good ones can be sooks when they fledge as you know so let's hope he is okay. He seems like a spirited little fella. You can tell he is young Dan because of the way he is sitting on the perch. He looks great though really glad you are getting some quality birds. I to don't care what I get as long as they are good. lol. Last night we had a meeting and one of our members brought some babies along and this guy is a beginners and wow did he have some crackers, one in particular a grey hen , boy I wish she was mine, a big solid hen with beautiful wings and heaps of feather and a die for head with plenty of lift and blow, I reckon she would give my sky a beating. And he also had a lovely yellow face sky I think or cobalt can't remember and nearly just as good. Just the directional feather is to die for.

Well that is what I thought, I thought impossible , well actually I am over the moon because I have a chick that I really wanted badly. actually when the 3 chicks hatched from the nest they were very very small, so really it all makes sense. Thank you all that replied, really appreciated the great advice. and I am over the moon because my family or line continues after having such a rotten year loosing over 90 deaths of little chicks. and my white boy.