renee

A cautionary tale that will be heeded. :rofl:

I have a hen who developed very similar feather issues after raising her last clutch. She's got very good feather and they seem to clog together. I caught her up and brushed the affected feathers with a stiff toothbrush, no problems since.

Very wise words of advice!!!

Brilliant article. Thank you Kaz And Dave for transcribing!

Metal roofs absorb a lot of heat and because few aviaries that have holes in them ('cause water would get in when it rains) the heat builds up and can kill your birds. I know because a few years ago I lost many birds this way when my metal aviary was located in a full sun position. I learnt my lesson and moved the aviary under a tree and the shade protects them.

When I did my tiered perches I went out and bought different dowel sizes ranging from 1-4cm. Now I am more inclined to add natural branches as perches.

GB I love the sound of your plans. Pics asap please!

Cool! Sounds like you're on the right track!

You've bought some good birds there, well done! From now onwards you need to think about buying birds that have features that these birds don't have so that when you do your pairings they'll compliment each other.

Now that's really bad luck

Yeah, I remember you mentioning that. However, there are cheapo ones that you can pick up from Bunnings for just under $40 OR the sturdier ones that retail for about $120. We have both and the cheapo one is flimsy as ever but the dearer one is pretty stable, but you do need to double tether each corner. Does the fact that you're on a windy hill mean that you get the sea breezes? We get the "Freo Doctor" every afternoon from about 3pm onwards which is a life saver.

Well done Liv! They look really good. And if you're wondering, yes putting them together does send you round the bend. I can't tell you how many times my hubby threw the hammer over the back fence in exasperation!!!

In hot weather the bacteria grows in the water, in any 'open' water container. I wasn't having a dig at the cleanliness of your aviaries. I also rent, which is why the pergolas work for us - they can be easily erected and dismantled according to the season.

Call me cynical but I get the distinct impression that these vets that recommend pellets must be on some sort of commission from the company that makes them....

I worry MB that by providing a fountain you are vulnerable to bacteria growing in it and the budgies being affected. Even spraying them direct causes me to be concerned, although in the absence of any other solution it's all you can do. I have noticed that the pergola helps keep the aviary cooler by at least a couple of degrees and if you can, I'd suggest you erect one over you aviaries or set up a shade cloth about a foot higher than the roof so that air can circulate. Of course the sprinklers work a treat but you can replicate that effect by spraying the roofs of your aviaries with water.

I also would never feed pellets to my birds. I try to keep their diet as 'natural' as possible and pellets are just not my idea of a natural diet.

Congratulations MB!

It'd absolutely amazing Kaz! Congratulations!

Well, here's my confession - I see absolutely no point in day to day cooking .... I find it really boring.Before I came back to Australia I spent a lot of time on my parent's farm and loved riding, making home made jams and preserves. I also spent 4 years dancing Tango and got quite good at it- but I tried it here and it's just not the same. That is beautiful Chrissy ~ you are very gifted!

I wouldn't. They require different care and chooks and budgies are susceptible to different ailments.

Apart from looking after my hubby which is a full time job.... and caring for all my budgies, canaries, goldfish and Batman, my cat I like gardening- though I get my hubby to do the hard lifting messy jobs :hi: I really enjoy cooking for special occasions, 3-5 course meals I read a lot

I particularly like the length of his flights. You can see from the Front View that originally the aviary was in the shade of a huge tree. John had to have it cut down last year 'cause at the age of 100 years it started dropping its main branches. Despite the lack of shade the aviary is remarkably cooler than you'd expect due to the design for cross breezes.

Well very very hot and tired, but we're home - the birds have been seen and attended to, so it's time for an update. This morning we drove 2hrs south to Boyanup to visit John Payne, a respected and valuable member of our club, the South West Budgie Club (Mandurah). Thanks to some excellent directions we didn't get lost once and arrived safe and in one piece! John Payne His Aviary: Front view Side view Inside Flight Breeding Room After some deliberation we chose 2 cock birds The super Green Normal (06PJ242) The super Violet Opaline (06PJ354) I have focused on feather and mask. Comments welcome.

They have to be able to eat on their own. They fledge at about 4 weeks (that means come out of the nest box) but they still rely on their parents for about a further 10 days. So I'd say you should wait until they are at least 6 weeks.

The stuff i got is called Protexin.... Its not avian specific but its has 9 strains of pro biotic which is meant to cover most domestic animals, including caged birds. Gerald Binks in "The Challenge" says- Nearly all probiotics on the market contain Lactobacilli and/or Streptococci. They may contain a single strain or up to 8 strains . Do store your probiotics very carefully. They must be kept perfectly dry at all times and at a low temperature. The fridge door is an ideal place.