melbournebudgies

They're cuties!

Thanks Kaz, Do you use silverbeet?

Dave, I just bought some, it comes in a 1kg pack in the aisle where all the packet soups, noodles, etc are. It has in it split green peas, red lentils and barley, I have also bought an extra packet of the peas and a packet of chick peas to mix through it as it was mostly barley. My Woolleys was clearing all of these for $1 a pack. My shopping list also included: celery, carrots, apples, spinach, corn, bananas and continental parsley. Does anyone know whether bok choy is okay? Spinach is pretty expensive at the moment but they had large bok choy, the same size as the spinach for aboput half the price. Wasn't sure if it was okay though. Some of those things are for my other birds (Bananas and some of the carrots and apples will go to my ringnecks and lorikeet) but they should have a feast for the next couple of days

Fine then :sigh:. I'll buy an industrial sized pack and just keep putting it in there until the little buggers give in :(Laughing out loud):

How long do you persevere with a new food before you give up if they don't eat it initially? Most of my birds were adults when I got them and weren't really used to eating all the nice stuff I like to try them on so often these sorts of things go untouched.Meant to say there are no additives in it, it's just the legume mix

I was thinking about trying my budgies on the dried soup mix that you get from the supermarket, the one with split peas, lentils, barley, etc in it. Soaked (or possibly boiled haven't worked that part out yet). Does anyone know of any issues with this before I give it a go? Erin

Sit the baby in one hand. using you thumb and index finger of the other hand, slowly squeeze the crop. Start below or jus ton the bottom of the air bubble and work you way up. the little chick should open its mouth as the air is forced out. Be careful as you do not want to force the food back up. Thanks

I have never had a problem with air in the crop, just incase it happens how do you deal with this? Very exciting, I remember how difficult it was as a first time mum and I only had one to deal with!

It is also worth notifying local vets, animal rescues and pet shops because people that find a bird and can't look after it often drop it in one of these places.

You don't need to avoid handraised birds, just make sure they are well socialised with other birds and healthy. The main problem I see with handraised birds is when they are raised alone without other birds for companionship, this is when they may have socialisation problems- much the same as a puppy that hasn't met enough other dogs and is then scared of them or won't play with them when it gets older.Just going by the site that breeder seems pretty good, wants to make sure the babies are properly weaned, etc before they go to new homes. Just make sure when you go that the place is clean and check that the babies are raised together as a group which it looks as though they are.Erin

If you clip both their wings by half it will make them have to work harder but they will still be able to fly, if you just clip one wing they will fly in circles and tend to run into things because they don't have control. Given your door is open often I would suggest you should clip the wings fully or keep him in a room where there are two doors before he can make it to the outside world. Just my opinion though.

Kaz, chicken starter sometimes called chicken crumbles is easily got from any stockfeed place.

Bt what are you quarantining them from? If they are both birds that aren't around other birds then they have been quarantined

Liv how do you define quarantine? One only bird meeting another only bird seems like two quarantined birds to me... At any rate like I say she can go in my bedroom for the weekend. I would be concerned about this factor at a 'bird boarding house'

It's also important to consider what you will do with the babies once they get older, do you have good homes lined up for them or will you be keeping them, etc. Personally I won't take my babies to pet shops as I worry about the treatment and overcrowding and issues of disease which means I have to find homes for them privately.

Don't know where you are but I am near Heidelberg, if you are really stressing and don't want to leave her she is welcome to come here for a holiday. I have other birds inside at the moment but the babies should be gone by then which only leaves my lorikeet and I can put her in a seperate room if necessary, but she has been an only bird for a long time so she is pretty well quarantined.ErinShould add that for that length of time I would happily leave my birds with no worries but it's really up to you and what you feel is best for your baby.

:Hangs head in shame and changes subject in a hurry: So if I have a mineral block in the aviary should I also be supplementing in their water?

Be carefl closing off boxes, it may result in competition for the remaining box and you may end up with serious problems including a dead chick. If you want to leave the baby with mum for the moment it would be best to move them in to another cage or put the other pair in a seperate cage.

Mine have a shallow plastic container on the floor of the cage with grated carrot, a little grated celery, coated with egg and biscuit and sprinkled with a little seed to give them the idea.Just a thought bt he sounds to me like he might be trying to find a place to hide, have you tried ptting a little box on the floor of the cage and seeing if he goes in it. He might feel insecre in the big open cage without any other budgies for company. Cover the cage with a sheet and just leave the front open until he gains some confidence.

I'm thinking about getting a job with Weight Watchers, I'll just stand there and dole out disgusting information until people get skinny Trust me I can do better than that!

That would be right I only get one male in 10 chicks these days :hap: I'll do you a trade. I seem to get all boys and only the odd hen here Same here!

Well I just took a big armful of native branches(Bottlebrush, Eucalyptus, Tea-tree) out to the aviary and haung them all around the place as a treat for the birds, some had lovely little flower bds just opening. They all sat up on their branches watching me with interest and then as sson as I closed th aviary door they descended! I fully expect to go in tomorrow morning and the branches will be stripped bare

Females can sometimes be great talkers. My nan's female budgie yells at her male budgie friend "Noddy's a bloody wimp!" They can't work out where she got it from but I suspect my grandpa

Ewww... fried pigeon! Actually I have problem pigeans around my house...and I have been trying to decide what to make for dinner... I wonder what my kids would think! When my mum was in the markets in Hong Kong many years ago there were kittens wrapped in gladwrap with just their heads sticking out, that was pretty horrid.

Well he and the babies are greywing for starters, the colour's pretty like a very washed out skyblue, I haven't seen one that pale before.