jwancia

Pictures will help heaps!

Thats what i did with my newest! I wanted a pet type blue pied and ended up with a big english violet baby!

My nest box has the concave under the box hole. Whats going to happen to that? Thats how I brought it.

Budgies are quite social little animals. Its not often that they fight with each other. Especially if its just 3 males.

Chris. I have also been through the same thing. When it comes to buying budgies, getting one off a reputable breeder is a great choice. But sometimes its not that easy either. If you are familiar with budgies it will be easy to pick a quality bird no matter where you get it from. I have gotten budgies from 4 different pet stores- but I visited heaps and heaps of breeders and stores to find a great bird. And I hate to admit it my recent one is from Pets shop. Just cause a bird has ended up at a Pet store doesnt mean its any less of a bird! Just be careful of its health etc. I myself live in wantirna south and work at a store in narre warren, there are heaps of stores around and a few breeders. I had trouble finding a bird, but thats cause I am super picky. lol There is a store called fish n feather in kilsyth that you should have a check out Good Luck and keep us posted

I tell you what! Pet shops frustrate me soooo much! So many of them dont hire staff that know what they are talking about. GRRRRRRRRRR

Im a big advocate for clicker training and positive reinforcement. www.clickertraining.com is great!

I love flecking! I think it just looks so pretty. What a cute little (or big, lol) budgie! CONGRATULATIONS and WELCOME!

Just noticed one of his spots in his right side looks like a love heart!

I love that name KAZ, very regal and lady like. Maybe Pearl?

I agree kaz! I sell that stuff and I recomend people trim it, and trim any freys immediately. Same with any lose fabric from those cuddle bunny things. Also with the tinsel and balls and things; Id be worried about the sort of paint they used in the string and stuff, and tinsel has wire through the middle that may be toxic. BM made a good call with the native assie trees. The birds love them and they cost you nothing!

I got ripped off on price for my bushies. $100 for the pair! But they are genuine bushies. When you look at a bushie and even compare them to pet types they are heaps smaller and leaner as well. Quite slim. More to come... GTG to work hehehe

I know it wasnt aimed at me personally, but im sure you understand what my point was.

Starburst looks like a bushie! Very cute

Paswells seems to be the most easy to obtain pellets in melb. Im not sure what it is like is brisbane. The easiest way is to go into pet stores and ask them if they stock pellets suitable for budgies. If not see if they can order them in for you. Now not all birds are equal so preferably get a specialised budgie pellet (like Dr.Macs) rather than a generalised bird pellet. It took me nearly a year to wean my bird onto pellets. He wouldnt have a bar of it. I dont remeber how i did it in the end. There are heaps of ways to try getting them onto pellets. Such as making a mash with seeds, pretend to eat them yourself etc etc. Be creative!

Oh I am so sorry to hear that. Im sure snowflake will love being at your grandmas farm for ever and ever! Huggs!

I have to dissagree with : The budgie owners amongst us who go to "the ends of the earth" in providing wide variety of foods, both seeds and natural foods are the ones trying to replicate a natural and wild diet with all forms of vitamins, proteins and the enrichment of flavours and textures to keep them happy and interested. Pellets can be seen as a simple remedy for those that either cannot provide the wider variety, or dont want to bother to try. I for example; do absoluetly everything and anything for my birds. They are my children. I give them vegies soft foods, blah blah yada yada. And yet I still see the merit behind pellets. They are scienfically formulted for budgies and their inherant disorders. Saying that pellet users are less attentive, educated or motivated to care for their birds is a harsh generalisation! I personally am slightly taken aback by the gesture.

And that worked for you? Does merlin now want to come to you? So once he wants to be with us, then I guess we can start step up training and stuff???

Okay, some bits were a tad confusing. But what you are saying is to get him out and let him do his own thing? Is this just while bonding?

No No, I never hold him! He sits on my finger. MB mentioned holding. When you say letting him out, how do I do that if his wings are clipped and all he wants to do is go back into his cage? Either way i am going to leave him in his cage for the weekend (if i can resist it!) and just talk to him and let him settle in.

Ive been using millet spray. I guess ill just try backing off him for a while.

A budgie should be limited to something like a teaspoon or so of seed a day. The rest should be healthy stuff. How many people limit their birds seed intake. Im not an animal nutrionist (although I did animal nutrition at uni), so I dont feel I am qualiafied to get the intake of vitamins and minerals in my birds diet. If I cant provide a diet that does that (ie pellets) then I am caring well for my animals.

It took me nearly a year to get my baby fully onto pellets. But I have to agree with the vets (and many have said it)- pellets are not as evil as people make them out to be. The bit about budgies not acsessing seed all the time in the wild is true. Budgies should live 10-12 years in captivity on a good diet. But many only live 5-6. High fat diets cause problems.

Okays. having trouble. Seems like the longer I have him out on my finger the more he wants to get back to his cage and away from me. The same thing happened with rookie. You say time= bonding but I just feel like I am ******* him off. What do I do in these crucial first days. I dont want him getting any worse. What do I do?