Michelle

Oh well no problem there, they have all that! Last time I gave her lot of calcium supplements (that powder thing... Calcilux?), I also gave them that homemade egg stuff, and that thing called.... forti pate? I dunno if you guys heard of that. But they're crazy about it! I think I'll look into adding the nest when I clean up Bud's cage tomorrow. And make the layout of the cage a bit smarter than what I did last year. (Reaching for the babies was a QUEST) But... Summer's coming, and gosh it must get hot in there! I'll have to see.

Untreated pine? I'm sure I could find that anywhere! That sounds like a plan. As for going out in the woods and getting my own... Lots of woods around here, there's a big satisfying one behind my house and all around the mountain but I have a couple problems with that. First, I'm pretty bad at IDing trees. I see a tree and I either call it a maple or a fir. ._. And most of the time they probably aren't. Second, I have a feeling that most of them are just pine, oak and maple trees. And I'll be darned if I can even tell them apart or guess what VARIANT they are! I have a big tree in my backyard... It's a maple tree, but what kind I have no idea... So if I wanna pick from the woods I'll have to learn how to know what tree is which from the safe wood list! (Oh, I think I have a stick of some nature around my house. I had bought it for the birds at the pet store. I'll be sure to add it up in the design. ) Oh and @Neat... NEAT designs in the Google. I'll have fun!

Yah... Healthy. I wonder, my hen always had runny poop all her life. The vet also dismissed it saying there's nothing wrong with her... But when she was breeding her poop was suddenly more normal. ...Is that... is that weird or something?

Where would you find "bird safe" wood? I'm not quite sure I could find that at a hardware store...

My budgies's playgym is starting to be in need of massive repairs. There's that big pole that is rickety, and I can't screw it back correctly.I need to have it changed before it goes TIMBER and freaks out the birdies. I also thought about maybe re-designing it into something craaaaaaaazyyyy. I just need to figure out what and look around for ideas. But first I wanna ask you guys a couple questions... That gym... I bought it off some guy. He sold me a cage with it, which I sold back to my best friend since it was a cage for Cockatiels. Now she uses it for her rats. The gym is custom made for the guy's deceased cockatiel, and seems to be made out of regular round sticks you buy at any hardware shop. The thing is assembled with hot glue at some parts... And metal mesh to make a swing. So what I wonder is, is hot glue a bad idea? And can I buy round wood at the hardware shop without questioning myself about the type of tree that was in there?

they're all so pretty!!! I really like #3.

I like keeping a tight schedule with all my pets. It's bed time at 10 and up at 7 (Dog included) And it's not rare that when bed time comes my birds are already in their respective cages starting to nap (Though they can also be around playing.) I think all animals need a steady lights out schedule.

Hey! I been thinking about asking Bud if she wanted to make me a few new buggers, but I'm wondering when the right time is? I figured it would be around now for her, considering my first ones were born in mid june... but I figured it could be too late too considering she had them laid by now. And with the summer coming... How can I tell when the time is right to put the nest back in the cage?

My Pat's been moulting since FOREVER! He's really a long moulter. In fact, all my budgies take ages to moult. So no worries there, just... enjoy vacuuming I guess. Eep.

Awr! They're so cute.

Oh yea! Seen that one ages ago. Sven is soooo cool His owner got so many videos, you guys should see 'em all. That bird ROCKS.

I think you should figure out a way to make it permanent! It's so pretty!

Oooh! I just seen this! I love threads like that. Name: Michelle Pets: 3 Budgies (Bud (f), Pat (m), Godzilla (m, devil offspring of Bud and Pat), Comet (American Cocker Spaniel) Astrological Sign: If Astrology wasn't a big lie of nonsense, it would be Cancer. But according to them I'm Aquarius. Still doesn't mean anything and it's NOT a science. Age: 24 Strength: logical, skeptic and atheist Weakness: I'm a bit of a big mouth. Favorite Animal: Budgies! Dogs! I can't make up my mind! Favorite T.V. Show: Mythbusters, Penn and Teller: BS Live: Canada How long have been a BBC member: A while. Anything else: I'm an artist and video game fan. Astronomy fan. Yay for the STARS! Big fan of James Randi, Penn and Teller, PZ Myers and Phil Plait.

Isn't it? I wasn't expecting it myself, it's not like them to just start playing with new things like that. And alltogether at that.

My birds are just like me... They're video game addicts! Apparently, a Wiimote's love is worth fighting over. Next I'll try to get Bud's love for my DS on video.

You misunderstood there - when the dog is in his cage (Crate... but let's face it, it's a cage.) the birds are most likely in their cage too (unless I'm outside with the dog and no one else is home. Then the birds ARE in their cage. I mean, I can't just take them along for a walk now can I.). The only times the dog is locked up when the birds aren't are for simple reasons like... I'm brooming the kitchen or vacuuming. Or if he's a bit overly muddy, I let him dry in his cage first. And of course he's in his cage when we're not home. Same with the birds. I never leave any of them unsupervised. When my mom and I aren't home they're all in their cages. But when we get home all four just want to get out of there. They're content inside their cages... temporarily. The birds are in two cages and they wanna see each other (and hopefully me too?) and also go play in their playground, and the dog wants to go do his stuff outside, eat, drink and play. As for the rest... I feel like a broken record repeating myself over and over again. I'll sum it up. I hope it's clear and it quenches your worries a bit. I feel a bit angry and annoyed but I appreciate your concerns anyway. -They're in separate rooms. -I know it was a close call. Bird had untrimmed wings though. Due to my curiosity at the messy look of the growing feathers. -With trimmed wings that situation is a near physical impossibility. -With trimmed wings they can reach the hole in the wall but they take long enough for me to notice. -That picture I posted was an exception cuz it was terribly cute. But the dog would not leap on the wall. The birds would not go down to the dog unless something happened in the living room. -I was behind the camera. I think that's called close supervision. -You DO make me sound like a bad owner. Sorry. -Um I wonder... no one mentioned anything about the last line of my first post. I'm irresponsible about the danger of my dog but not my dehydratation means? Not that I wanna start a debate on that too.

Well... To put it simply, I didn't know until I had my dog and had already fallen in love with him. I wanted a dog for years. I bugged my parents to allow me to get one since so long, and I had finally gotten the okay. I had been in contact with plenty dogs before, but you know, it was just gigantic poodles and schnauzers. They don't cause allergic reactions in me, they're the (falsely called) "Hypoallergic" types. If they licked me I would itch a bit and go "Uh, well that's odd." but nothing more. And on the day I brought him home, during the car trip... That's when I found out I was allergic. Cockers are big shedders unlike the other dogs I been in contact with so I got a near instant reaction. I DID visit him before buying him, but we were outside AND he was so tiny. Being in an enclosed area was different. For about two weeks it was *** then it started calming down, I got used to it somehow. Four months later (we have a slow healthcare system) I passed some tests and they confirmed it. But I'm also allergic to acarians. From the stats, I'm more allergic to these annoyances than to dogs. I been having sinus troubles and such way before I got the dog... I didn't know why. Finally they found out it's the dust mites. And by then I had gotten pretty much used to my dog. Things were pretty much back to my usual sinus problems. The allergist did warn me I could develop asthma someday. But that went for dust mites too, not just the dog. There's WAY more dust mites in my house and at at my work place, the dog is just an addition that requires more vacuuming. So I'm pretty much in a "oh well." position right now. Either I go paranoid and empty my bedroom from anything but the bare essential like they told me to do (I wouldn't even have the right to DRESS UP in my room for sake. Yep. DRESS UP.), and maybe live in a plastic bubble... Or I could just you know... Have a life and keep my pets. (He warned me that I should also get rid of my budgies too. HA! FAT CHANCE!) S'what everyone around me told me to do. You DO end up getting used to it. Since I was already used to feeling that way... sinus troubles and waking up coughing... I decided to keep my dog. The only new reaction I get is that I sometimes get itchy areas if he's in direct contact with my skin for too long. But it's gotten pretty rare lately. Lots of allergic people still live with their pets. I mean, I have sister who has asthma and is heavily allergic to cats... and she lives with two cats. Two big furry, heavy shedding cats. She's a good example of my situation IMO.

Right it sounds like ganging. Sorry but what I get is that feeling that you guys think I'm not responsible. It frustrates me a bit. Seriously, don't you think I already considered every angle? :\ No. I can't lock my dog elsewhere while my birds are loose. He does have a cage but I only lock him in there when it's sleep time, or when I'm not home . I'm not gonna start rationing free time, I think that's cruel. When I'm home, my pets are loose. Otherwise it's torture on them. As soon as I get home my birds start calling out to me and jumping at the doors, and so does my dog. In fact, from the reaction of my birds... I think it's more likely for them to get hurt if I keep them locked than if I let them loose. Comet too. I can't put him in another room than the kitchen. The basement is a no-no, it's a scary warzone. The bathroom would just be cruel, dad's computer room is a hazard, my parents' bedroom is an awful idea - they have a waterbed. And my room... I'm allergic. The only thing we consider new is to put a bamboo beads curtain where the hole in the wall is. And that I considered long ago. The problem is that it's not my house; it's my parents. I have to convince THEM first, I been trying to ever since I got Bud (a year and half ago!) and I won a lot of points with what happened this weekend. With just Bud they wouldn't let me since there was practically no hazard (but I was worried of the stove.). I tried again once I got the dog but they would just let me put the barrier and that's because of my allergies only. Now my mom finally agrees to come shop with me for possibilities. Since Godzilla (whom is HER bird, she says... She won't even let me get him a girlfriend.) was the one that got cornered she got so scared I don't see how she can say no now.

Thing is that you guys suggest that my birds aren't safe. I consider they ARE safe right now, as safe as I can offer them (which is a lot I think.). I think I'm being pretty responsible and aware of my birds's safety. My birds ARE supervised. Why do you think we ran after the dog this weekend? And why do you think I was there to take a picture? If they ever do get snapped by my dog... It'll be a fluke. A bad accident. It happens. Rarely but it can (And chances are it WON'T happen but I don't deny the possibility.) Just as they can happen to fly out the door because someone walked in. And I never seen my birds fly "in danger's face". They're animals, true, it can happen but hey. What you guys are saying is that I should lock down my birds all the time because I have a dog. That's silly. You have memories of a dog snapping a budgie (6 feet in the air? I have a cocker here. When in training he could barely leap over one fence.) I have memories of my grandma's incredibly old budgie. 15 years old at least. It's a great longevity. But: It never. Ever. Ever. Ever. Ever was taken out of the cage. Ever. Not even once. I think death to her cats and dog would've been better.

...Sigh. They're not stupid. They saw the dog was right there. And do you think I would've taken that picture if I thought it wasn't safe? If the dog would scare them... They would fly back in the living room. Not in the kitchen where the dog is. Don't you guys think you worry a bit too much?

Well guys... Let me explain a few things. It's all about the house's design. Well, I got Bud for over a year and half now. I got her in september 2006. I bought Pat in January 2007 and Godzilla was born June 12th 2007. And last I got Comet (my dog) in September 2007. And well, I wouldn't have gotten a dog if I wasn't sure there was a way for me to trick things to be 90% safe. I know their habits, and I know where they can flop around when they are with clipped wings: not nearly high enough to land somewhere totally dangerous. What happened this weekend was just a case of "OH YEA!!! THE WINGS! I forgot." It was stupid of me to let them go with their wings like that. Also, the way the living room is designed... There's a gigantic hole in the wall which gives directly to the kitchen. Right next to their cages. Now you'd think that's a problem, but it's actually not. Not when their wings are clipped. Picture right there looks scary but its nearly not as bad as it seems actually. First... They NEVER. EVER. EVER. go through that hole for some reason. Even when they have their wings. It happened a few times that they did, but they prefer taking the door. And through the door is the barrier to the kitchen. With their wings clipped they can't possibly cross there. So they either just stare at the barrier, wait for me to come along, or hop down the hall. Second, when we see them there we usually remove them on sight. But they even have trouble reaching there... Look at Pat's wings on the picture there. He has plenty lift to fly up to there and that's how he got there. With trimmed wings we see them trek their way to there. They have to climb up the couch or jump on Godzilla's cage and climb there. They then have to jump on the top of the couch. Then, jump on whatever book there is on the top of the couch. And finally reach the hole in the wall. Sometimes they manage to jump directly from the top of the couch to the hole in the wall but they usually prefer the easy way around. So by the time they get up there we're pretty aware of their scheming. Third... What's not apparent in the picture is the stairs down there. Right in front of the dog. And beyond the stairs is the table. So either they land on the table, either they glide down the stairs... So the dog would really have to see them flop down there, or they take a turn and end up right where the dog is standing there. Never happened with trimmed wings either. I don't know why but the idea of dropping down stairs from a big hole in the wall is absolutely unappealing... When they go in the stairs, it's from the long way around the door, the barrier, around the table, and down the stairs. In other words... Yes. With clipped wings they can reach in the kitchen from the hole in the wall but they'd rather not and well, they rarely go there. There's no way they can reach from the door because the barrier is too high. Unless something scary happens and they're right there. But the reason they had such long flight feathers was because I was letting them grow - I was wondering why they looked so messy. I usually never do. But with trimmed wings it really takes one long trek of bad luck. And that never happened. They do get some lift when they're used to it, but not nearly enough to go in the kitchen. PS: Yea, right behind the dog on the picture is the door to the outside. So you can see why their wings are trimmed anyway. And I'd never restrict my birds to their cage. That, in my opinion, is far worse than anything else.

Radar and Swift's kid looks so adorable. You have nice little families there.

Sometimes my birdies are really crazy rascals. And they make me sweat a lot! Two times. Count that... TWO times this weekend my birds were chased around by my dog. Usually they don't even think of going in the kitchen. Unless something freaks them out. I guess they were overly edgy! Now usually this wasn't such a freak out because my dog's restricted to the kitchen. Also, the stairs to the basement are in the kitchen and the dog used to be dead scared of the stairs. He'd run after the birds but as soon as they jumped in the basement he would stop giving chase. But no more. Nope, now he LOOOOOOOVES 'em stairs. So friday Godzilla decided to fly in the kitchen. Comet saw the nice flying toy and took chase. And well, so did I of course. But they're both MUCH faster than me. So by the time I get to the basement, Comet has Godzilla cornered in the basement's bathroom! Eep! But he didn't have time to touch him. That was close. And saturday now it was Bud and Pat that trekked in the kitchen. It was the night though, and they're pretty smart... So they hid in a corner of the stairs, let the dog run by, and then I grabbed them and brought them back to the living room. Phew!!!! ...And then I clipped all three's wings. Finally. Oh hum. ...Crazy dog doesn't understand what "no" means. <_< He's just so stubborn. Oh and yesterday? I was playing Mario Kart Wii, and the next thing I know there's a bird in my glass of water trying to drown. HEY!!!

I love budgies but I think that if I had so many I'd go insane. I mean, taking care of my little budgie family makes me pretty busy... they're already such scroundels.

Yea, I usually clip their wings. I haven't done it recently (I will tonight actually, when my mom gets home to gimme a hand.). S'why I just noticed that. Since, you know... I rarely let them grow that much! Guess that's just it... I never notice since they never grow much... Well, glad to know it's not a problem, thanks. Just was wondering.