Denise

Just thought I'd stop by and say hello to everyone, but I see that many of the names I do not recognize. Not many oldies from my days one here - no Neat, JimmyBanks, deb, MB or AV? I wish I had more time to come on here and chat but this year has been out of control. Our 13 year old with Aspergers started high school and I'm called to his school several times a week to deal with him still after 3 terms he is not coping. The other 4 boys have had more than there fair share of troubles this year also so I don't get much time to myself. We've still got budgies but have down size them into a slightly smaller avairy and have been trying to sell the big avairy on ebay. Have sold it twice on there but the first buyer changed her mind after the auction ended and the second buyer I have not been able to contact. So it sits there doing nothing in our way. I haven't done any breeding this year after last year's catastrophe with red mites in the nest boxes, we lost a lot of babies and some adults too. I might give it another try next year, time permitting. Great to come on here and chat even if it's just for a little while

Does anybody know if there is anywhere online that sells Ivermectin. I have run out and spent the last hour ringing 35 vets within a 50 km radius of me and none of them will sell it over the counter. I don't see why I should have to take my bird to them to get it and pay a consultation fee when I know what it needs to treat scaley face...grrr

They are so gorgeous Love the blue colors.

Sorry to hear that you lost your little babies Sunnie I hope your last little one grows up strong and healthy

I haven't been able to buy Passwell's brand anywhere, I have a couple of other stores to try. I haven't heard of the other 2 brands but will look out for them, thanks.

Thanks Jimmy, he is a real little doll, very cuddly and placid. One of my favourites.

I am having problems with the hand rearing formulas that I have tried, they keep getting little bits caught in the end of the crop needle blocking it unless I sift the formula and then it means that I throw half of it away. Vetafarms Neocare is the best out of the 2 I have tried but I am having to sift that too. The other I tried was Avian Science Hand rearing formula for baby birds, this was really bad as it has bread crumbs in and they are to big to go through the crop needle so I have to sift that and waste about 2/3rd's of the packet.

I'm to old to remember! Are you looking forward to Christmas?

This photo is just so adorable If you are desperate to know the sexing I do what people do to pregnant women with a needle on a piece of cotton. You turn the budgie upside down making sure you keep the legs out of the way hold the needle on the cotton over the vent and if it swings back and forth then it's a boy and if it goes in circles then it's a girl. I have had 100% success rate with this method and yes I know how stupid it sounds but it works

Just an updated photo of 'Tess', she is 3 weeks old now.

Legs are splayed, have had a splint on them for 4 days. Limbs don't appear to be weak and he flaps his wings a lot?? I thought it might be lack of calcium but he is the only one in a clutch of 8 to be like this. I have been giving him a drop of calcivet with his morning feed. Finally got to take some different angle photos today. And one last frontal of 'Cherokee'

You would be sadly missed, each and everyone of us here on BBC add to the community of helpful, friendly and loving people that make it what it is.

It just hangs there, it doesn't move when he moves the top part of the wing. Can't feel any bones sticking out or abnormal looking from the underside it just doesn't sit right. It kept getting caught in it's splayed legs before I put a splint on them, maybe it has been caught on the leg or something? I'll try and take some different angle pictures on the weekend when I can grab someone else to hold him for me.

Yes Daz, this is what I thought and what I have discussed with him and he wants to study the anatomy of the budgie before he would feel comfortable giving it another go. We have been to town today looking for a book with budgie anatomy in but can't find one anywhere. Thanks to everyone for their kinds thoughts and wishes regarding this matter. Dylan has cheered up a little as he got a phone call telling him that he has got a job for over the school holidays, good money too which he liked the sound of.

How fantastic for you, you are very lucky I want a Digital SLR but I just can't justify the cost of it with 5 growing boys as hard as I try maybe one day?

Kasey is so adorable and Jadon looks absolutely thrilled with the puppy. Happy toilet training

Sounds like you're having a blast

This little albino chick has had a hard start and I am now hand feeding it as the foster mother wasn't looking after it. It was in a nest with 4 other chick that were a lot bigger than it and it seemed to be forgotten and was always squashed on the bottom. She is very skinny and you could easily feel her bones. Yesterday when I was changing the shavings in the box I noticed that as well as having splayed legs it looks as though it's wing is broken or just not right. Sorry it's not a very good photo but it's the wing on the right side, the little end bit. It seems to be twisted up the wrong way.

Yesterday I was held up in town and it was past feeding time for the 3 birds that I am hand feeding so my 15 year old thought he was doing the right thing and decided that he would feed them to help me out. He has never done it before but thought that I've seen Mum do this heaps of time and it looks easy enough to crop feed. Well as you guessed it he put the crop needle in the wrong hole and the chick started to fill up with air and swell. This is when he decided to ring me (wish he had done that first , but I know that he was trying to help). I rushed the chick to the vet but he said nothing could be done and that euthanaisia was best for it. My son is devastated and has hardly come out of his room since, I don't blame him and as I said to him everybody learns from their mistakes no matter how big or small they are.

What a great idea Deb, I hope the puppy and Jadon become best friends.

We have splashed out a little this Christmas as our boys have had a pretty rough year with me being imobilised for 2/3rds of it and they have had to do much more around the house and outside than usual (and I might add very rarely complained) so we are rewarding them with a Wii and a new trampoline (the old one is stuffed). I just have to get them a little something each so they have an individual present to open.

Welcome back

Nice Christmas pressies

I have one chick out of a nest of 5 that has been pushed aside and only ever has just air in it's crop. Twice yesterday and the day before I gave it a small amount of hand rearing mixture and burped most of the air out but the mother just keeps doing it. It's the only one out of the 5 she does it to. Should i just bring it in and hand raise it with the baby cockatiel I am hand raising or try to foster it to another hen? My other hens chicks are about 2 weeks older than this one. (This little one is only 6 days old, I'm not sure that a foster would take it being so much smaller than their own chicks)

How did you go at the show?