KathyW

You may have answered your own question Vonn. Perhaps he'd wanted to fly over your head as normal but did not have the energy to get that high? As for "why you", he's obviously marked you out as a favorite. A "substitute mum". When kids are not well, they like to be near their mums. He really needs to be coaxed into that cage. Try bribery. He needs to rest up till he's better, not exert all his energy trying to keep up with his normal antics. Poor little tyke! Cheers, KathyW.

We're trying to establish new gardens around the house and aviary on our 22 acre block. Many of the agapanthus and spider-lily bulbs lining the road down to my new aviary complex have either a budgie, finch or quail buried at the bottom. I only had one problem with some quails that had been dead for a week or so in summer in a heavily planted and grassed otherwise empty finch aviary. This old pair were always very good at hiding from me even when they were alive. They were a bit "on the nose" when I eventually found them and every plant that had one under it was dug up in mysterious circumstances. High on the list of suspects is a fox :-( I hope they gave the lousy blighter food poisoning! My only tip for garden burial would be make the hole fairly deep so any dogs that might come across it would not dig it up as that could be distressing for the bereaved "owner". And if it's in a pot - make sure it's a fairly substantial one. Cheers, KathyW.

okay, I'm confused. Both this photo posted by another member (Duth): ... and my own chick clearly indicated redness in the muscle BETWEEN the joints. The joints themselves do not seem to be affected. I've read the articles posted and linked and they clearly say "a dark red discoloration of the knee joint". That is not what I see in the photo and not what my chick had yesterday. However inflammation in the muscle would be consistent with muscle strain from over-use (trying to stand on a slippery surface). Or have I missed something here? She is an older bird I was about to retire off. This will probably be her last clutch now. Cheers, KathyW.

Very cute Nice pics too. KathW.

I haven't had one for such a long time I would have said "no". But yesterday while checking my chicks I noticed one about 2 weeks old that had developed one splayed leg. That leg between the knee joint and body was quite red! It was having trouble trying to use the leg on the slippery floor of the nest box. I'd used some pet litter as lining but obviously not enough and what was left had been scratched away to the corners. So I promptly removed the chicks and added another 2 cups of Coprice to the bottom, enough to have a good 10mm depth all over, and put the chicks back in. When I checked them yesterday evening they had both assumed a much more natural stance balanced properly on both feet. This morning (thankfully a lot milder than yesterday's >1C ) I removed the chicks to check the leg. I say "chicks" plural as when I picked out the larger of the two (who had the splayed leg yesterday) I could not find any sign of the redness or splayed leg! They both seem fine. The difference is absolutely amazing! Needless to say I will be keeping a close eye on both and have started adding some calcium supplement to their soft food as an added preventative. Had the redness and splay not disappeared I was going to try the foam pad "knobbling" referenced in the previous post as I think it is a brilliant solution. Hopefully I'll not need it. Cheers, KathyW.

I have a half-feral cat that does vermin-duty in my birdroom (mice, centipedes and occasionally, sadly, the odd gecko or lizard). She used to climb up the cage fronts as a kitten but some quick discipline (including aforementioned water-pistol) convinced her this was not a "good idea". Now she largely ignores the birds, although I would never allow a bird to fly free in the birdroom while she was there - that would be asking too much of her. I've often kept cats and birds at the same time, and never had a serious incident in over 30 years. It is easier with kittens than full grown cats, but they are smart and can be trained at almost any age. Just don't leave them unsupervised access to the cage unless it is very secure and very out of cat-reach. Good luck, KathyW.

A couple of questions on the ingredients: Ingredients: 3 cups of Oats Is that rolled oats? All the supermarkets here had were either rolled oats or "quick oats". 1/2 cup of Processed Bran All I could find that said "Processed Bran" was "Processed Wheat Bran" - bags of small hard pellets. Is that the right stuff? 1/2 cup of Wheat Germ 1/2 cup of Egg and Biscuit 4 Carrots 6 hard boiled Eggs 6 Endive leaves OR Bunch of Parsley Couldn't find endive at my favorite green grocer. Will have to grow my own when the ground thaws out ... Parsley will do till then Now to see how long it takes the birds to like it ... they can be slow on the uptake with new foods some times. Cheers, KathyW.

A bit hard to tell but it looks like a Callistemon (bottlebrush) from the leaves, trunk and branches I can see. A photo of flowers, flower buds or seed pods would sure help. KathyW.

In a large aviary it is usually not a problem (as long as you don't mix prey species with potential predators! . Finches especially can be more comfortable in "mixed" company with not too many of their own species in some cases. Many modern zoos and bird parks have huge mixed collections in planted and landscaped environments. The only issue is if you have a particularly aggressive individual, but that can happen even in un-mixed company. As long as there is enough space and cover (somewhere to get away from an aggressor) mixed species aviaries are fine IMHO. As long as Dee keeps an eye on things to make sure tempers don't get frayed they should be okay together in close quarters for a short time. Cheers, KathyW.

He's got a crush on her I had an Eastern Rosella once who had a crush on a Crimson Rosella, and another Crimson Rosella who had a crush on an old galah!! It's good that they get on and are not at each others throats - that would be more of a worry. Cheers, KathyW.

While checking my birds this morning, the coldest and frostiest we've had this winter (0.6 C) I noticed one of my birds in the breeding aviary having a little trouble flying. Concerned I stopped to look and on closer inspection it turned out to be the eldest of my new generation youngsters out for it's first flight! Damn but it picked a cold day to do it - at least it's sunny :-) Looks sweet-and-innocent eh? But there looks to be mischief in that eye and attitude ... and a beak that seems to need to chew on anything - wires, branches anything. For a first day out it's flying well, and is co-ordinated enough to actually land on branches occasionally. Staying on the branch seems challenging thou, but I guess that's a new concept for a little fledgling too. Initially I thought at first glance a boy. But looking closely at the photos, there's a hint of whitish-blue in the cere, and the head shape (and evil glint in the eye) makes me think feisty female. What do others think? Cheers, KathyW.

First name that comes to mind ... Elvis. Must be the hair resemblance ... KathyW.

We have a tame male Rosella with only one leg, and I've seen a wild female (Rosella) with only one leg too (not genetic .. just accidents). The wild one always hangs around with her mate. They cope and do so quite well. I'm sure Yumi will be fine. He's young, he should heal well. And he is such a cutie! I'll bet he will get even more pampered than he was before his accident. No matter how straight or crooked his leg heals I'm sure you'll love him the same and he will still be the same little Yumi inside :-) Cheers, KathyW.

Seems she really wants to breed. While I had my budgies in holding cages during the 2 year "construction" I had a number of occasions of hens laying eggs on the floor of the cages. I ended up having to put some in cabinets with breeding boxes as the eggs were often fertile and I'd come in of a morning to find a newly hatched chick on the floor of the cage! Let her have her love and a nesting box. I'm sure they will be delighted to see each other. A clutch or two might get it "out of her system" till next year ;-) Good luck, KathyW.

Sounds like Lukie needs another toy or distraction instead of you! Does Lukie have a cage at all? Somewhere he can call his "own"? Not to shut him away in, but somewhere he can go with a few favorite toys, a mirror, food and security. He sounds at the moment like he is craving attention, and his tactics are working. He needs a distraction. Possibly even a carefully introduced companion? You are right that you have to nip this in the bud before it a.) drives you crazy and b.) becomes a permanent behavioral problem with Lukie. Good luck, KathyW.

Pleased to hear Yumi is home where he belongs As for "his chin on the floor" I have one male budgie that behaves similarly. Chatty and active as anything (especially now he has a girl to impress), but every now and then he'll just lie along the (sloping natural branch) perch and rest his chin on it. First time I saw it I thought he was unwell, he was a new addition from a bird show sale. Now I think it's just his way. They can be characters ... Yumi might be tired from his experience with the a) butcher bird mugging, vet trip and treatment, c) trying to remove said treatment. The cast might also be heavy for a little bird with skinny legs. Would he be better off with the perches removed or just one perch down low for the time being? Good luck and best wishes, KathyW.

It just looks like an extended quill sheath that has not fallen or been cleaned off. You might be able to gently prize it off yourself, or stop the vaseline so the mum or chick can do it for you. Cheers, KathyW.

While it is HIGHLY unlikely for birds to catch diseases from humans, it has happened. A quick Google search found a Macaw infected with tuberculosis from close contact with infected humans, and references to the possibility of Newcastle Disease being carried by humans to birds. Also last year while researching H5N1 articles (Avian Influenza) concern was raised about the potential for infected humans to pass the virus on to birds already infected with a non-lethal strain thus potentially creating a human-to-human transmissible strain yadda yadda. It never happened, in fact in lab tests all of the deliberately infected eggs failed to develop anything. But the fear-factor makes for good media ... It is however quite possible to "carry" infections in contaminated clothing, hair, shoes, cages etc. So if you're ever in contact with a potential bird disease, especially if it's air or dust borne, be careful to de-contaminate yourself before going back to your own birds. Back to your own story, it may well be that the conditions causing your cold may be conducive to cold-causing viruses for your bird too. My doctor enlightened me as it applies a lot to humans - around 20 degrees C is ideal temperature for viruses (and bacteria I guess) to multiply. This is why colds are most common in milder weather rather than in the extremes of heat or cold. In the middle of winter and summer it is either too cold or too hot for viruses to multiply in sufficient numbers. In our airconditioned homes and offices it is a nice comfortable 20ish degrees all year ...

Budgies can look a bit scrappy when they're breeding. Spending all their time looking after demanding little ones and not after themselves :-) (I think most mums can relate to that) As long as she is behaving normally, eating okay and the chicks are being regularly fed, leave her alone to get on with mothering.Too much well intentioned interference may do more harm than good and stress her out further. Cheers, KathyW.

I had a hen with what sounds like this identical problem 2 years ago. It looked to me like an addled egg without the shell. She was cage breeding at the time too. I cannot recall exactly what happened but either the egg was re-absorbed or she eventually laid it with a very thick, rough, knobbly shell. Never seen anything like it (that egg) before or since. There was one other incident with an old non-breeding hen in an aviary. I seem to recall she died, but I'm not sure whether that was cause or effect. One common thing with both cases was cold weather. But that might be co-incidence. Good luck with your hen, keep her warm if you can. KathyW.

She's georgous! Love that buttercup yellow. Good luck with her :-) Cheers, KathyW.

Is it as part of his/her usual chatter? Could be mimicking something in the local area. (We have a wild magpie here that neighs like a horse and hisses, squeals and pops like a ham radio!) Otherwise could he/she be unwell? How does the bird itself seem otherwise? Cheers, KathyW.

I've read some interesting posts here, and a lot of emotive ones too. I believe that while we should be free to express our diverse opinions, none of us should belittle those who do not share the same point of view. My own opinion, which you are free to dismiss if you wish, is that these delightful little living creatures exist and therefore deserve a chance, however brief, to live. I saw one at a pet shop 20 years ago and was enchanted. Yes they are a mutation, but that is how species evolve and diversification occurs. Perhaps there is some beneficial aspect of this mutation we are not aware of? I read they have a very high protein requirement. Has anyone with a "Moppet" tried a high protein diet as used for insectivorous birds? Mealworms? Or perhaps even offering a diet that includes meat? Heck even dog biscuits! Mutations are interesting. Some work, some don't. "Why" is sometimes only obvious with hindsight. But unless we give them the same chance that nature does, we'll never know. Some say it is cruel. Perhaps it is. Nature is like that and it has served this planet well for longer than mankind has been around. It is my opinion that we ignore or deny the laws of nature at our own peril. Regards, KathyW.

Butcher Birds are not the only threat to our feather'd friends. I used to have an old aviary at our previous place, open flight, with branches and corrugated sheet iron (for weather shelter) close to the top mesh. The birds used to love running around on the top of the corrugated sheets. Unfortunately the local Goshawks loved them doing that too. It was not until I found the remains of a budgie and talked to the chap over the back fence who kept canaries at the time, that I found out that Goshawks are clever and determined enough to mesmerise their intended prey, skewer them with their talons through the mesh, even cage fronts, and tear them apart through the bars / mesh with their strong beaks. I felt just awful for the poor budgie, all I found was a wing, the head and a gutted torso. I know it's the natural order of things for our wild native birds, but I don't have to like it! Needless to say NONE of my new aviaries has any perch of any sort close to the top of the cage. Which is just as well as the Goshawks hunt around here as well ... Oh, and Magpies will take a cornered budgie too ... but that's another story. All my best wishes for your little Yumi's recovery. Cheers, KathyW.

If it's scaley face it's usually whitish in colour and looks a bit warty, with little holes all through it (some graphic photos here). If it's not warty, it could be normal - some hens seem to develop more prominent ceres especially when in breeding condition. If it's too prominent it could be something called "hyperkeratosis" (more info here.) If it's scaley face it is easily treated. If it's not scaley, and she is otherwise well, at 6 years old I'd leave her be - "if it ain't broke, don't 'fix' it!" or you may cause more harm than good. Getting a photo of her up would help thou. Cheers, KathyW.