renee

Unfortunately, I don't have the room to buy any more birds until I get my large aviary up and running, but thank you for the offer. Renee is offering for you to bring the babies to her to be fostered...not trying to sell you budgies. Actually I am offering to "loan" you 2 experienced birds as currently my remaining pairs have chicks at the 2 1/2 week plus age.

The offer of an experienced foster pair is still open to you

The markings on a couple are darker - well done!

That is wonderful news Krosp - be interesting to see what the blood test turns up!

mmmm Can't see it in my mind ... Photos? OLD photo....................... Door and window to the right in photo will be covered. okay got it now! Does that mean the only access to flights will be via breeding room?

mmmm Can't see it in my mind ... Photos?

In my case, I was just trying an experiment....whilst my budgies will not eat budgie pellets in the past...they took to these bunny pellets with gusto I guess its extras....we dont feed our budgies lucerne or alfalfa or molasses....these pellets contain these ingredients and extras....also probiotics and brewers yeast. Well, they must be tasty, as more than half the container has been eaten for their breakfast. You may ask then...why bunny pellets instead of budgie pellets ? So far its a price thing and my stubborn nature to refuse budgie pellets as a food for my budgies I could be totally wrong here, but so far the experiment has had a positive result. Well you may be on to something here I have been frantically trying to find the reference in The Challenge to the benefits of feeding alfalfa and lucerene .... I am pretty certain that Gerald Binks recommends Hulled Oats and Lucerne as part of the budgies diet as they contain substances vital to vitality and fertility. ................................................................................ ................................................ okay, found the reference, NOT in The Challenge but in Rob Marshall's latest book The Budgerigar p84 in CH Nutrition for Exhibition Budgerigars- "Most cultivated seeds a re deficient in two essential amino acids lysine and methionine. These two proteins are known as the "breeding" amino acids because of their importance for breeding success. They are the most difficult to balance as they are not found in significance amounts in many cultivated seeds. Oats, wheat and triticale are good sources of lysine. Sunflower contains high levels of both lysine and methionine. For this reason oats, wheat and sunflower are often used in soft food recipes in order to provide good levels of lysine and methionine during the breeding season. Millets offer a good source of methionine but along with canary grass seed, not a reliable source of lysine." So, I guess I have to correct earlier comments and say the following ingredients are of great benefit: DEHYDRATED ALFALFA SUNCURED ALFALFA OAT/RICE HULLS SOYBEAN HULLS BEET PULP GRAIN SCREENINGS ENERGY BARLEY OATS OR OAT GROATS OAT MILL FEED CORN, HOMINY OR MILO WHEAT / WHEAT FLOUR GRAIN PRODUCTS RICE BRAN WHEAT BRAN WHEAT MIDDLINGS SOYBEAN MILL RUN /FEED WHEAT MILL RUN / FEED CANE MOLASSES PROTEIN COTTONSEED MEAL SAFFLOWER MEAL SOYBEAN MEAL WHEAT GERM MEAL PLANT PROTEIN PRODUCTS WHEAT PROTEIN DRIED WHEY ADDITIVES OILS (SOY OR CORN) PLANT STEROL (D2) ANIMAL STEROL (D3) VITAMIN/MIN. SUPPLMENTS PROBIOTICS/BREWER YEAST

These are only my thoughts on this topic Completely endorse all Kaz's comments. My only question is, I see why these rabbit/guinea pig pellets would do no harm BUT what is the specific nutritional benefit from feeding your budgies these? I mean if you are feeding your budgies a healthy seed & veggie diet why add these as well?

i know this.....It was a tongue in cheek post due to Renee poking fun at my cinnamon grey cock she says has a keyhole head...Read back a few Posts. Oh good-oh! So we agree that I really do need that stewarding practice next year

Funny....I just noticed even this guy has a keyhole look Renee actually quite a few on the photos of the birds at the Nationals did have that look. :rofl: This is not a keyhole effect! Keyhole is when you look at the bird from the front and they have no width at cere level (so in effect it's sillohette would look like a keyhole). The cinnamon grey bird has width behind the cere (width below his backskull so to speak) so he is not keyholed. What you are seeing is the lovely frontal and directional feather than makes them look like they have a little cotton ball stuck on their head. This is fine if the have the strength and width behind the cere to back it up. Good one Nubbly! Thank you for that pick up :rofl: When back scull is present the so called key hole effect is reduced and you are left with a lovely bird! Now I have to get some stewarding under my belt!!!!

Join the queue! There seems to be many people making a paly for our birds here Kaz. It is a shame that the third one did not make it, as you could have auctioned it off to the highest bidder. Oh well, not everyone can be as lucky as us to have such great birds. When can i expect delivery by the way? :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: Dave, I hate to point out the obvious but these chicks are going NOWHERE! They are potentially the best chicks Kaz has bred!

Yeah, REALLY good advice and much appreciated!

green ring is 2007

okay, well in the book The Challenge by Gerald Binks he states that cocks whose ceres change to brown are more often than not affected by testicular cancer and recommends the discerning beginner to steer clear of these birds, ie. DO NOT BUY! Recently I acquired a cock bird with a brown cere and a breeder whose opinion I trust and respect recommended a course of iodine supplement. So I pass on this advice to you all. IF however, this treatment does NOT work after say a few months, then by all means take the bird to the vet for a conclusive analysis.

Well Penny I believe that is a normal budgie diet and many on this forum have recommended something very similar in previous topics

It was great! I discovered that I knew more about calculating genetic outcomes than I previously thought And also discovered that I have already bred some Olives, cinnie Olives to boot! Now I was hoping to be able to do that in a couple of years time to complement my Lute line so am really happy about that! I think Nubbly took photos of the amazing display of Golden Faces and Yellow Faces that Kaz (courtesy of Libby) and RIP brought along. And RIP did a ripper of an explanation of genes with strands of pearls and sting!!!! Then an indepth description on a whiteboard she brought along especially for the genetically challenged! Nubbly's busy with away work this week so we will have to be patient till she returns online.

Well he doesn't look too fat to me .... in fact he looks the picture of health. Please post details of this new diet you have been recommended.

I love the vertical ladder! Can "ground dwellers" climb it to the perch? How wide is the distance between ladder perches?

By Jove, I think she's got it! :celebrate: Well .... I think I have reached the stage where it is as good as it is going to get!

Looking forward to your pics! :celebrate:

Your birds are soooo luvly Splat! Well done! I particularly like you young chickie, the possibly Olive or Dark Green ..... now that is a keeper! :celebrate:

Very true Splat! In my first breeding year I had quite a few yellow bellies and dead in shell but after an extended Doxy treatment (45 days) this almost completely cleared up. I now always do a 30 day + treatment of doxy ahead of my breeding season. Doxy if obtained via your vet is quite expensive but Triple C is a good alternative. :rofl:

Well there comes a stage when we are offered big $$$ for our birds by other more experienced breeders than ourselves. DON"T BE TEMPTED TO SELL! :rofl: Take their offer as a compliment and carry on. When perhaps 70%+ of the birds flying around in your aviary resembles that first ripper THEN sell - a couple!

And pray may I ask, what did the genetic calculator say you were going to get? :rofl:

Aaaaaahhhhhh The perils of auctions! Yes, commiserations Splat from another hopeless auction bidder! There have been quite a few who have 'benefited' from my impulse buys at auctions - c'est la vie! :rofl: If it is any consolation, with time and plenty of practice you do get better!