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When I was a child (some years ago!!) my parents bred budgies and we had two french moulters. They were adorable and we loved them. One was a Lutino baby, we called him "sauerkraut" because of his scruffy yellow coat. He became our favourite baby, he was so ugly but looked so cute running around and was very agile climbing up the wires to the perches. I think what they lack in feathers they seem to make up in personality. We all loved "sauerkraut"! He didnt live as long as the average budgies do but he had a great little life and seemed totally happy!!

Hey mum!! Did I hear someone say its mother's day?... well.. here it is!! Breakfast in bed!!!

Thats so sad, its so depressing when your little friend snubs you. I agree though, perhaps you can win him back fairly quickly with millet or his favourite treat. I would also talk gently to him. I found when I was away for 10 days some time ago, and my daughter came around to care for him, I came back and Charley seemed a little afraid of me, or else angry with me for going away...when normally he is totally tame and adores me. I too felt a little sad (and hurt) at being snubbed but I made a point of talking softly to him a LOT and gave him little treats (he likes snow peas).. but I didnt push it too much. Didnt take him long to return to the lovable little man he's always been. I'm sure Barry will be back to his old self soon too. Good luck and I'm sure the experienced members will have some good advice for you!!

Maxie and Charley love loud rock music, heavy metal..e.g. guns 'n' roses, ACDC are favourites (yes, I'm a 59 year old hip grandmother who loves listening to my ACDC and Gunners!!) Charley also loves Roxette. Charleys' very favourite "noise" though is the footie.. he gets very excited when its a close game, the noise of the cheering crowd gets him going and of course the ref's whistles He likes both Aussie Rules and Rugby league equally! :hap: :hap:

I talk to him all the time and he picks new phrases up usually after the 3rd day. Sometimes I dont intentionally teach him something, as in "good morning Charley" when I take his cover off in the morning and "bye bye Charley" when I leave the room. As for "What are you doing?". I tend to say that to him when he's extra boisterous (flapping his wings or doing his "budgie yell").. he just said it back to me one day and keeps saying it all day long! I currently keep asking him "whats for dinner?" so expect that to come out of his little beak soon. I find by talking to him constantly (I live alone) as if he's a little human, he seems to be finding it easier and easier to pick up phrases. So far he hasnt "forgotten" any of his initial words and phrases (first came the wolf whistle .. then "hello sweetie") except for one word..."whoopsadaisy".. he's never particularly liked that word and said it only a few times, then decided it wasnt for him! He has favourite words.. "tummy" is his VERY favourite. He oftent throws a "tummy" in the middle of his other phrases.. just because he likes the sound of it!! My family think I'm crazy (and boring) the way I go on about how clever he is!! Luckily I have this forum where others are understanding!!

If you have time and feel inclined.. I wonder if you would like to watch my latest two very short videos of Charley as he chats away (to himself). Hope you enjoy them.. I've added subtitles to make it easier to understand him. http://s183.photobucket.com/albums/x112/tm...AY2008PART2.flv http://s183.photobucket.com/albums/x112/tm...y2008VIDEO1.flv

Here a picture of Charley trying to get every nook and cranny clean!! (including the blinds in the background!!). Even if he doesnt win.. I think he's a cutie and worth sharing!!

I find the same thing with photos of Charley. He is a lovely grey with the cinnamon markings on his wings (sorry I'm not familiar with official names for it!!!), in photos he comes up as almost pure white. On the other hand his blue cere comes out much more brilliant blue than in real life. As they say, I guess it's all in the lighting, natural light (sun) and no flash is undoubtedly the way to go.

What GORGEOUS birds!! beautiful colour!!! ...And Cookie seems to be congratulating her, thats really sporting of him!!! Congratulations. they are both beautiful!!

.. turns you into..

a sudden out..

Charley's favourite is the plastic latticed ball with bell inside. He plays basketball by picking it up with his beak and throwing it up. He often ends up "basketing" it (into the water dish or in between the rungs of his ladder). Its funny to watch as he runs around the bottom of the cage as if he has imaginary team mates to pass it to!! then runs back the other way so "they" can pass it back to him! Besides the ball, the olympic rings win hands down! I sometimes rotate them with the similar string of latticed balls but he doesnt find them half as interesting. The rings he swings from, "throws" himself through the middle (luckily he fits!!) , hangs upside down and sometimes swings violently, hanging on for dear life! Its comical to watch him hanging upside down by one toe and seeing him contemplating on the best way to get down.."should I just let go??.. what do I DO???? HELP!!" .. as he swings back and forth wildly, squawking in delight (?).. or frustration perhaps? (I'm sure all budgie people can picture it!!) Charley rarely "not-plays"!! I would willingly bet that he is the most active, noisiest, talkative chappy in Budgiedom!! Maxie (Maxine!) on the other hand only occasionally puts a tentative foot on her toys and if lucky, I might hear a very soft "tweet" now and then. I rarely see, or hear her play. (she does have her wild loud screeching moments, so she's perfectly healthy!) Oh and I have also picked up from this forum the idea of a little container with little nick-nacks (sorry nick nack... nothing personal!!). e.g. a small thimble, not too small button, safety pin, curtain ring, small lids.. etc which he LOVES taking out of the container, I put them all back in, he takes them all out. He loves that little game and he always wins in the end!! (he wont give up before I do!!)

Isnt that just the BEST feeling? I fully understand the excitement and proud feeling.. and you'll find that feeling remains with you as he progresses. Its just so nice knowing your budgie trusts you enough to step onto your finger. I'll always remember the feeling when Charley first stepped onto mine. You want to shout it out to the world!! and arent we lucky that we can do that here... without the raised eyebrows of the "non budgie believers"!! Well done and enjoy your little "Buddie"!!!! There'll be so much more to come!!

That's the cutest!!!! and she looks at the camera as if to say "t'wasn't me!!!" The colour really suits her!! Lovely picture!

Thanks for sharing that with us Daz. I would not have known that it could kill!! Some months ago I gave mine half a corn cob each ... Charley hoes into is, but Maxie rarely does. I left it there for a day or so, began to smell something "strange" in the flat.. I kept changing their water, cleaning the fish tank, smell still there.. then I realised it was the corn! It had only been there about one or two days.. I never DREAMED it would go off so quickly!! Much less that it could kill!!! I'm sorry for your losses but perhaps by going public you have saved many others from making the same mistake!

Hahaha Vickykh.. I've just spend minutes trying to catch the little insect on the left side of my laptop screen .. till i realised its part of your "avatar"... hahahahaha.. how silly do I feel!!!!!

I'm with you.. I have one of each (boy/girl) but I dont know if its just mine, but girl is very reserved and ladylike... boy (Charley) is an acrobat, has conversations with me, totally tame and a tiny bit crazy!! I do prefer the boys for entertainment value!!! :devil: :(Laughing out loud):

Their cunningness amazes me!! Great that you captured it on video!! I have to have pegs on anything that opens on Charley's cage. I had him for a day when he had worked out how to open the doors and get out. Fortunately he hasnt worked out how to get the top open but trying to keeps him busy!

Brilliant photos!!! Love them. Especially where you're topping him up. He looks as though he's been "handwashed" and this is his final rinse!! He doesnt seem to mind the shower at all!! I agree that birds are sooo cute when bathing!! the way they try to get each and every nook and cranny of their little feathered bodies wet!! Very very cute!!!

Hi Faepirate.. welcome. I live in a flat and got Maxie for Mothers day last year. I too worried about my landlord. I hadnt asked FIRST!! My kids said tell them you're looking after it for someone but in the end I confessed the truth (always safer). I HAD TO!! The landlord's father came to fix my tap!! YIKES!! I stood sort of in front of the cage, trying to hide it while desperately hoping Maxie wouldnt give the game away by chirping. Of course .. she DID!! I nearly died! "father landlord" looked up... "thought I heard a bird!" I laughed... "hahahahahaha.... you did" (as my heart was racing!!). I hastily added that I have this little feathered companion so that I have someone to come home to (I live alone). I was so nervous telling him, but he obviously wasnt concerned. Next weekend the landlord (lady) came and dropped in for a coffee. Again the nervous wait for Maxie to chirp. In the end I came clean and said "do you like my little feathered companion over there? isnt she cute?" luckily she was okay with it but said she would "discuss it" with the real estate and let me know if it was okay to have her. I sweated.. didnt hear back at all so presumed it was okay. Then I got Charley.. oops.. hope TWO budgies is okay (I have one in each room as Charley talks and is totally in love with me and I dont want to lose that by having him in love with Maxie instead). Held my breath the next time "flat inspection" was done by the real estate. Lease says "DEFINITELY NO PETS".. however, nothing was said. (so I got a fish tank with 30 fish!! hahaha but that's another story!!) Flat inspection went well, no mention of my 32 pets!! If I'm going out for a length of time I leave the radio on for them (same radio station in each room.. I guess that was important!!!???). They love it. I am also away at work from 6am till 5pm but I know Charley amuses himself, he never stops playing and talking. I spend time with them every evening and a LOT of time on the weekends. Maxie is very quiet but I'm sure she is happy (she looks happy!). They cant see each other but never have so they dont seem to worry, just accept that there's another of their kind in the "other room" (I guess). Once I went away overnight and left a small light on and the radio on (softly) for the entire time. I know they would have appreciated that. Only problem was I couldnt of course cover them up that night so presume they "stayed up" partying all night!! Dont know how helpful this all is to you. But enjoy your budgies when you get them. I LOVE the cage by the way, and best of luck with the landlord. I'm sure they'll be understanding like mine!!

FABULOUS job Maesie!!And what fun it would have been to furnish it once it was built!! Its so realistic with the way you've set up the rooms (and garage). I can imagine ME sitting down playing with .. even now!! (and I'm a grandma!!) Well done!!!!

They must recognise faces and voices. Charley sounds so much like me, by imitating my voice that I'm sure when I speak he thinks "heck!! she sounds just like me!!!" As to recognising that the hand belongs to the voice/face, I'm not sure. He still sometimes gets an initial fright if I am a bit too sudden in producing the hand.. even though he is totally tame and seemingly fearless. Just for that second its like "whaaa!!! what's THAT!!!" :fear .. then when I talk to him softly he's okay with it. Interested to see what the others think.....

I'm trying to establish how often budgies moult. Maxie's cage is full of cute little downey "underwear" feathers .. she's approx 12 months old. I find most of the answers to my questions on this forum of course...however for the "fun" of it decided to google as well. I came up with this rather amusing "article" on moulting and thought I would share it with you. Its obviously a DIRECT translation from another language and I found it in places quite amusing the way it translates!! ... "Concerning a normal moult it from date to date happens that the bird loses awfully frequent feathers at the same time. The bird’s ability to cast or weigh anchor then for a abridged date is reduced. Older birds who are competent in flying can adjust skilfully. Young birds who be subjected to their highest moult are beside and bulky minor trained than their older fellows. Therefore crashes can happen. Allowing a budgie of any aeon loses acutely frequent primary feathers (wing feathers) at the same time and has difficulties to ascend you should greater not hazard any blow and leave the bird in its coop up for the next few days. When the original feathers are abundant adequate to assurance a save flight and navigation the bird should live befall let absent of the immure afresh. In accepted it doesn’t capture longer than two weeks until the feathers grow countenance. In orderliness to support a bird while it is undergoing the everyday moult, you should let it be in the land of Nod at the time that much when it wants. The older the bird is, the moodier and fresh shaky it becomes during the moult. Their body needs a lot of animation in harmony to form up the modern feathers. Therefore it is important to cater blooming fresh refreshment like fruits or vegetable....". Rather than bother the forum with a probably far too common question, I will now search the forum for info on moulting but did just want to share the above with you first!!

WELCOME DEREK!! We always come back!!! "You can take the man out of budgies.. but you cant take the budgies out of man!!"... (is that how it goes????..) well... something like that anyway!!

Absolutely GORGEOUS photos Kaz!! Mojo is beautiful!! ..and I just adore the picture of the two babies snuggling up together!! :budgiedance: