Trish

Benny boy took a bath today... I also caught him on video a little... http://s97.photobucket.com/albums/l231/aus...nt=mvi_1517.flv

A burglar broke into a house one night. He shone his flashlight around, looking for valuables; and when he picked up a CD player to place in his sack, a strange, disembodied voice echoed from the dark saying, "Jesus is watching you." He nearly jumped out of his skin, clicked his flashlight off, and froze. When he heard nothing more after a bit, he shook his head, promised himself a vacation after the next big score, then clicked the light on and began searching for more valuables. Just as he pulled the stereo out so he could disconnect the wires, clear as a bell he heard, "Jesus is watching you." Freaked out, he shone his light around frantically, looking for the source of the voice. Finally, in the corner of the room, his flashlight beam came to rest on a parrot. Did you say that?" he hissed at the parrot. "Yep," the parrot confessed, then squawked, "I'm just trying to warn you." The burglar relaxed. "Warn me, huh? Who in the world are you?" "Moses," replied the bird. "Moses?" the burglar laughed . "What kind of people would name a bird Moses?" "The kind of people that would name a Rottweiler Jesus."

Aren't they, I was so lucky for a first timer, only with great advice here from my friends!

Just got my camera back, a bit late though! Just took some updated photo's without the flash, I'm pretty sure now that we have 2 Albino hens and a T.C.B. cock: Chick 2 Chick 3 Chick 3 and T.C.B. The middle one is Chick 2 and is much leaner looking than chick 3 who is more densely feathered. T.C.B. Chick 2 ans T.C.B. Chick 3, here you can see the heavy feathering.

Second from left for me please!

If he was a she I would call him "Marilyn" as in Monroe...it's like he has thet windswept look standing over the subway grate! HA!

My worst nightmare...just awful.

All so beautiful! oxoxo

She is so pretty!

Does anyone want to take a unt on the sexes?

A long awaited photo update , I have given up on getting my good camera that is being repaired back in time. So these will have to do! Time to guess the sexes! T.C.B. Chick 1 T.C.B. Chick 1 and Albino Chick 2 Chick 2 Albino Chick 3, hasnt perched yet and is missing parents, still picking at food and water though. Dad mounted her and had to be taken out and mum started to attack Chick 1 so had to be removed also. Chick 3 again, nicely feathered too! A bit messy from my attempt at giving her handraising mix from a spoon!

Somehow I did too, here is the item number: 200301404371

This link should work: http://www.clipser.com/watch_video/31836

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Budgerigar-Budgie-A...1QQcmdZViewItem 10% Proceeds of the sales go to Animal Protection Society, a very cute t shirt for the budgie lover!

Ha ha Kaz, since I told Nigel Tonkin of the forum he came here and took a look! He says that budgerigars eating their own Faeces provides them with B12 supposedly. Now I wonder if he'll sign up? He sent me the following message: Hi Trish I just noticed this on the forum thingo in relation to budgerigars eating their faeces - supposed to be a form of vitamin B12 FYI "Budgies do this and even chicks in the nestbox do it. I have seen parents who are feeding chicks doing it too just before going in to feed their babies. My observations are they get something from it that is required. However if a budgie is sick, best to keep the cage scrupulously clean so they are not reinfecting themselves with something harmful". Cheers, Nigel T

Very low nutritional values.

Two days ago I had to remove mum from "her" cage as she was being very nasty to her chicks. The babies have been picking at food, luckily because I have only seen dad feed one of them just once. Just now dad tried to mount his daughter so he has now been removed also. I hope the chicks are o.k. I have been giving them fresh foods and seed and a shallow bowl of water that they cannot drown in. Now I will hope for the best!

Thank you again to Mr Nigel Tonkin BCSA President for forwarding this and for permission to repost it here. 1st AID IN BIRDS – NOTES ON KIM FRYER'S LECTURE Birds hide the symptoms, when ill, they try to look well. Hunters Rule – weakest easiest to catch. Hunted Rule – look strong, or be eaten. This relates to Budgies, they are great at not telling us that they are ill. Subtle Changes. – They try to hide these changes from us. Change in Droppings. Change in Normal routines Change in Behaviour Change in Posture. Look at Droppings. Green solid droppings – may be change with diet. White urates – Kidneys Watery – Kidney also – should be clear. Diarrhea increase in faeces – probably intestines Urates – increase – kidneys. Budgies produces about 20/30 droppings per day. All white droppings – kidneys – bird hasn't eaten for a while. Posture - a normally active bird is now · Quite sleepy · Fluffed ups to maintain body temp – birds temp is around 40° · Sitting on bottom of cage – again observe posture or may try to hide somewhere · Not eating or drinking – some will play with seed but not actually eat. · Eating frantically or constantly – no husked seed, mucous around beak and seed stuck to mucous. · Sneezing a lot, nasal discharge or discolouration above nostrils. · Rubbing eyes – recognizing conjunctivitis, red, swollen watery or crusty eyes. · Swelling around eyes – sinusitis – stuff coming out looks like cottage cheese. · Vomiting – they flick the mucous all over the head. · Harbored breathing – effort to keep eyes open – tail down – unusual movement of tail. · Their lungs are rigid but they have many air sacs. If they have a problem in Air Sacs it makes it hard for them to breathe. Same with a Mass (cancer) in abdomen. Wait and watch = death sentence. First Aid for Sick birds. 1. Warmth – blanket around a cage is not enough. Dr. Kim did an experiment with putting a thermometer inside a cage and wrapped a blanket around the cage. Temp at start was 17.1 in 8 minutes the temp had dropped to 16.5 Add a 40 watt light to the area. With the temp now at 16.5 heat was directed at the cage, right up close, in 8 minutes the temp had risen to 18.1 - try and achieve a temp of 40°. Heat is most important, put the heat towards the bird - it will move away if it is too hot. 2. Phone for appointment with a Avian Vet. Vets cannot diagnose over the phone, cannot see the bird. When taking the bird do not clean the cage, put some foil in the bottom of the cage to catch the droppings. Also take a collection of droppings from the aviary for the vet to see the aviary picture if you have an aviary 3. Fluids and food. If drinking add glucose or sugar to water, or using a syringe give drops to the beak. Polyaid plus – give via crop needle/dropper/syringe – energy source. If bird is used to fruit then you can give orange juice. Offer food of various types. Note: Birds must be strong enough to swallow before attempting to crop feed. Test first by putting some food/fluid in syringe then get the bird to eat from the end of the syringe and/or and put some to the beak. This also helps to get the crop needle down as it moistens the oesophagus and makes it easier to insert the crop needle. Bleeding birds Apply pressure. Amount of blood in a budgie is approx 10% of birds weight. i.e about 6mls. They make red blood cells faster than humans. Blood quill. 1-2 minutes pressure in a budgie. Wound on chest – apply pressure but be mindful of body (air sacs) Nails – dip in flour. Rub over softened bar of soap Stypic – from chemist. Broken bones – · Are painful · Every movement of he broken bone causes more damage to supporting muscles and tissue. · Fractures that are stabilized heal better and faster – see the Vet. Broken wing. Cut a length of non adhesive bandage. Strap wing in normal position against the body. (Over the bad wing and under the good wing in front of the legs. Broken leg. Look for bruise. Remove perch Soft pad on bottom of cage. Prevent climbing. Heals in 2 weeks fully strong in 4 weeks. With a broken lower leg a match stick or toothpick is a good stabilizer. Cut several layers of elastoplast and place the matchstick in position where the break is and put the elastoplast layered either side of the matchstick and break and extend about ½" either side of the matchstick. You can leave this on for about 2 weeks but watch the break and observe that the elastoplast does not get too tight, especially with young birds. SELF MEDICATING BIRDS Self medicating the birds can mask what is really going on. You give some antibiotics to your birds then take them to the Vet after them being on what you have been giving them, this changes the picture for the Vet and makes it virtually impossible to get the right diagnosis. DO NOT SELF MEDICATE THE BIRDS GIVE ALCOHOL OR COFFIEE – THAT IS FOR THE BREEDER NOT THE BIRDS USE FIRST AID AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR VETERINARY ADVICE- 1st Aid is to help you get the bird to the Vet alive. If the bird dies – do not freeze the bird. Wet the bird down, wrap in glad wrap and seal in plastic bag and put in Fridge and get the bird to the Vet ASAP. Putting the bird in the garbage bin is not a diagnosis – just endangers the rest of the flock. PLEASE KEEP YOUR AVIARY AND BIRD ROOM CLEAN – FREE FROM VERMIN – MICE – RATS AND COCKROACHES. YOU CANNOT EXPECT THE VET TO GIVE YOU THE MEDICATIONS FOR YOUR BIRDS WHEN THEY ARE SICK AND THEN YOU GO HOME, GIVE THE MEDICATION BUT DO NOT CLEAN YOUR AVIARY OR BIRD ROOM. DO NOT WASTE OF YOUR MONEY AND THE VETS TIME IF YOU DO NOT DO YOUR PART – KEEP THE AVIARY CLEAN IF THIS IS YOUR METHOD OF BREEDING – THEN GIVE UP. FINALLY THE BEST DISINFECTANT IS ELBOW GREASE.

Thank you again to Mr Nigel Tonkin BCSA President for forwarding this and for permission to repost it here. The Genetics of Colour in the Budgerigar and other Parrots An original article by Peter Bergman of Sydney, Australia The facts about Violet Budgerigars Violet is the most eye-catching of all the budgerigar colours and it is one of the more challenging to breed. Mainstream thinking on Violets is that it requires the presence of the Dark factor plus the Violet factor in a blue series bird to produce a Visual Violet. While this is generally true, and serves to give beginners an introduction to Violets, it is not the whole story. After breeding Violets for ten years, which included a number of experimental pairings, it has become evident to me that there is more to Violet budgerigars than is generally known. Origins Violet budgerigars surfaced in several countries at about the same time not long after the introduction of the Dark factor and as blue budgerigars became increasingly common. According to Australian records Violets were developed in the early 1930s. A Mr. Burton of Sydney bred Violets prior to 1934 and Violets were exhibited that year by a Mr. Harold Pier. References to purple or violet coloured budgerigars in Germany and Britain go back to the mid 1920s. Interestingly most books state that Violets first appeared in the 1930s. Cobalts appeared for the first time in 1920 having been bred from Dark Greens. Dark Greens were first established at Blanchard's Aviaries in France in 1915 but it is unclear whether they arose from a fresh mutation or were imported in consignments of wild budgerigars. English importers had claimed that Dark Greens were to be found among batches of wild Greens estimated at about one in 10,000 to 20,000. A problem with this scenario is that Violet Light Greens look very much like Dark Greens and Violet Skyblues look very much like Cobalts and are easily confused. Judging from the broad distribution of the Violet factor early in its history it seems likely that Violet Light Greens had been bred alongside Dark Greens for some years in the 1920s, and perhaps earlier, but were not recognised as being genetically different to Dark Greens at the time. I suspect that the Violet factor like the Dark factor originally arose from wild caught birds and that some of the wild caught "Dark Greens" were in actual fact Violet Light Greens. The Violet SkyblueThe addition of the Violet factor (V) to the Skyblue (vvdd) produces our most basic Violet factor bird in the blue series, the Violet Skyblue (Vvdd). The term "Violet Skyblue" really only refers to the genetic make up of the bird rather than its colour. If I had to put a name to the actual shade of blue "cyan" is about as close as I could come. Violet Skyblues vary in their depth of colour a fair bit. At the pale extreme their body colour is nearly as pale as the deepest shades of Skyblue. Very pale Violet Skyblues tend to be patchier than richly coloured Skyblues and have a cyan rather than turquoise tint to their feathers. At the dark extreme the body colour is very much like a medium shade of Cobalt. Most Violet Skyblues fall somewhere in between the two extremes and resemble pale Cobalts. A point that should not be lost here is that dark Violet Skyblues are darker in body colour than the paler shades of Cobalt. The best guide to distinguishing Violet Skyblues from Cobalts are the tail and flight feathers. Cobalt tails are a solid navy blue. The darker the Cobalt body colour, the deeper the blue of the tail but even the palest Normal Cobalts have navy blue tails. In Violet Skyblues the tail feathers are turquoise at the quill end darkening to blue toward the tip. The depth of turquoise in the tail varies with the depth of body colour. The difference we see in the tails can also be seen in the flight feathers. The colour in the flight feathers of Cobalts is dark blue. In Violet Skyblues there is a glossier turquoise iridescence like that seen in Skyblues but slightly darker that the Skyblue. In general Violet Skyblues have a brighter appearance than Cobalts. When learning how to distinguish between Violet Skyblues and Cobalts, bright natural light is best. Direct sunlight is to be avoided. Artificial light can distort the colour of the bird making identification more difficult. Violet Skyblues appear darker under artificial light, particularly under fluorescent light. The turquoise iridescence can be more difficult to see under fluorescent light. The tail and flight feather method is most useful when dealing with Normals and Opalines but has its limitations when dealing with other varieties. One feature Cobalts usually have is ribbing. In Cobalts the breast and abdominal feathers have faint lateral striations resembling faint versions of the kind of markings found on the heads of Normals. The presence of ribbing can be useful in identifying Cobalts in certain varieties. In Dominant Pieds for example where the tail and flight feathers are white, ribbing on the breast feathers indicates the bird is a Cobalt and not a Violet Skyblue. The ability to identify Violet Skyblues and separate them from the Cobalts is the key to the proper understanding of Violet breeding. The failure to correctly distinguish between the two colours has led to all sorts of myth, rumour, and general misinformation about the Violet factor. The double factor Violet Skyblue and the question of DominanceThe Dark factor is said to be semi-dominant or incompletely dominant because double factor birds, Olives and Mauves, look different to single factor birds, Dark Greens and Cobalts. The Grey factor is said to be Dominant because Greys and Greygreens with two Grey factors do not look substantially different to Greys and Greygreens with only a single Grey factor. The Violet factor is said to be Dominant like the Grey factor. We know that if two Cobalts are paired together we can expect a percentage of Mauves. What colours do we get when two Violet Skyblues are paired together? Violet Skyblue (Vvdd) X Violet Skyblue (Vvdd) produce 25% Skyblue (vvdd) 50% Single factor Violet Skyblue (Vvdd) 25% Double factor Violet Skyblue (VVdd) Skyblues are familiar to everyone. Single factor (SF) Violet Skyblues have already been described. If the Violet factor is dominant like the Grey factor then Double factor (DF) Violet Skyblues should not look very different to SF Violet Skyblues. However they are different. Very different. We have now come to the crux of why Violet budgerigars are shrouded by so much mystery. In appearance DF Violet Skyblues (VVdd) are every bit as much Visual Violets as are Violet Cobalts (VvDd). There are several pieces of information the Violet Skyblue X Violet Skyblue pairing gives us: The Violet factor is not a simple dominant gene like the Grey factor. It is semi-dominant like the Dark factor. DF Violet Skyblues are Visual Violets in appearance and therefore look quite different to SF Violet Skyblues. It is possible to breed Visual Violets without using the Dark factor. Conventional wisdom tells us that Visual Violets are Cobalts plus an additional Violet factor. This has led to the false conclusion that all Visual Violets contain the Dark factor in their genetic make up. Visual Violets that are DF Violet Skyblues genetically give us the possibility of developing an aviary full of nothing but Visual Violets which in turn breed nothing but Visual Violets. DF Violet Skyblue (VVdd) X DF Violet Skyblue (VVdd) produce 100% DF Violet Skyblue (VVdd) Since there is little hope of maintaining exhibition quality by using this pairing generation after generation it would be mainly of interest to colour breeders. Double factor Violets do exist. Some fanciers say they have never come across a double factored Violet and have come to the conclusion that a double dose of the Violet factor is lethal. Lethality might occur in some Violet factor lines but I have bred with Violets from different sources and have never had trouble breeding double factor Violets. If a lethal trait can be demonstrated in certain Violet factor lines then the lethal trait is not due to the Violet factor itself but a separate recessive lethal gene closely linked to the Violet factor in those particular lines. Quite frankly, I think the whole question of a lethal factor can be traced to the fact that fanciers have been labouring under the false premises discussed in points 1 and 2. Namely that the Violet factor is a simple dominant gene, and that all Visual Violets have the Dark factor in their genetic make up. The fact that most people have trouble sorting out Violet Skyblues from Cobalts only adds to the problem. Heresy?I realise that much of what I have written goes against accepted budgerigar dogma. No one has to rely on my words alone. The same information has been under the noses of budgerigar breeders for nearly 40 years. Genetics for Budgerigar Breeders was first published in 1961. In preparation for their book Taylor and Warner investigated the question of the existence of double factor Violets and set about deliberately breeding DF Violet Skyblues. When DF Violet Skyblues were produced they were described as: "... indistinguishable from Visual Violets apart from the fact that their long tail feathers were edged with pale blue at the quill end." (p. 77) These birds were subsequently test mated. Although the number of young produced was relatively small, the results were consistent with what would have been expected from DF Violet Skyblues. For all the time and effort Taylor and Warner put into procuring birds, breeding with them, and test mating the youngsters, their words have gone unheeded. It is surprising that Taylor and Warners' findings have not been given more attention when one considers the status Genetics for Budgerigar Breeders has in the hobby. No doubt much of the blame has to be laid on the similarity in appearance between Violet Skyblues and Cobalts and the chronic problem fanciers have in sorting the two out. The fluorescent lighting usually installed in birdrooms probably exacerbates the problem. Another possible contributing factor to the confusion between Violet Skyblues and Cobalts comes from unexpected quarters. Over the last decade scientists have found differences in the ability of people to detect subtleties in shades of colour among individuals who are regarded as having clinically normal colour vision. These differences in ability are programmed into our DNA. The implication for some people is that the difficulty is sorting Violet Skyblues from Cobalts probably has more to do with their own genetic make up than it does with the genetic make up of the birds. An unexpected resultThe first time I bred a DF Violet Skyblue was by accident back in 1988. I bought a pair of birds which looked as though they were an especially good coloured Opaline Skyblue hen and a rather poorly coloured Normal Cobalt cock. They produced a total of ten young: 1 Normal Skyblue (poorly coloured) 1 Lacewing 7 Normal 'Cobalts' of varying depth of colour 1 Normal Visual Violet The Lacewing was not a surprise since I had been told the cock was split. The Visual Violet was a surprise however. To produce a Visual Violet the Opaline hen could not have been an ordinary Skyblue but a Violet Skyblue. At the same time I also had Normal Visual Violets paired to ordinary Normal Skyblues. They produced Skyblues, good coloured Cobalts, Visual Violets, and birds which resembled the poorly coloured 'Cobalt' cock in the pair above. I began to realise the poorly coloured 'Cobalts' with the turquoise sheen in their Skyblue-like tails were most probably Violet Skyblues. I also had a pair of Cobalts (navy-blue-tailed dark blues) breeding which produced Mauves. Mauves in the nest confirmed that navy-tails were indeed genuine Cobalts. However I was still puzzled. If the Opaline hen in question was a Violet Skyblue then the cock bird should in theory be a Cobalt. Yet he looked like the Violet Skyblues which were being produced by the Skyblue X Visual Violet pairings. Back to the books! I re-read the chapter on Violets in Genetics for Budgerigar Breeders and there I found the explanation for the mystery Visual Violet youngster. It was almost certainly a DF Violet Skyblue. My mystery Visual Violet even had the paler blue (turquoise) colour in the tail feathers described by Taylor and Warner. I had in fact read the chapter on Violets some months earlier. At the time I found Taylor and Warner's comments interesting but I put the chore of sorting out Violet Skyblues from Cobalts in the 'too hard' basket and promptly forgot all they had written about DF Violet Skyblues. The suspect DF Violet Skyblue was a Normal Visual Violet hen but not a particularly good coloured Violet. In side by side comparisons with very good coloured Cobalts the Violet colouring was quite obvious. She made even the darkest coloured Cobalts look bland. Yet in side by side comparisons with average coloured Violet Cobalts the DF Violet Skyblue lacked the same intensity of Violet. I would have to describe this bird as a bluey sort of a Violet. (For future reference I will nickname this bird 'Indigo' after the colour of light between blue and violet in the colour spectrum). The turquoise iridescent sheen was quite noticeable in the flight and tail feathers as Indigo flew from perch to perch. Many of Indigo's nest mates were at the paler end of the scale for their respective colours. I know now that Indigo herself was a rather poorly coloured example of a DF Violet Skyblue. ExperimentationIndigo was paired to a Normal Skyblue cock. She produced seven young in two rounds. All were Normal Violet Skyblues identifiable by the turquoise iridescence in their tails and flight feathers, and their paler brighter Cobalt-like body colour. On the whole the young looked very much like Indigo's Violet Skyblue siblings. Over the next couple of years I made several Violet Skyblue to Violet Skyblue pairings using birds from various sources. Violet Skyblues were not difficult to get. Thirty to forty percent of birds offered to me as 'Cobalts' turned out to be Violet Skyblues upon closer examination. When asked for Violet Skyblues nobody seemed to have any! Most people just don't know what they have. That includes a couple of fanciers experienced with Violets. Among the pairs to breed were three pairs of SF Violet Skyblues with a medium depth of colour and two darker pairs of SF Violet Skyblues with very good colour. The two darker pairs were deeper in body colour than many Cobalts. I did not consider breeding with poorly coloured pairs to be a worthwhile exercise. The cock and hen in each pair were matched for colour as closely as possible. One of the medium coloured pairs was Opaline, the rest were Normals. I wanted to see Skyblues, SF Violet Skyblues, and DF Violet Skyblues bred from each pair so I let them raise a third round where necessary to achieve this. Other pairs produced only clear eggs. All told the five pairs produced 53 young, 11 Skyblues, 28 SF Violet Skyblues, and 14 Visual Violets (DF Violet Skyblues genetically). No Cobalts (navy-blue-tailed dark blues) or Mauves were produced. In general the darker coloured pairs bred the better-coloured young. This question of good colour and poor colour is one that initially caused problems and one that I shall return to later. DF Violet Skyblues vs. Violet CobaltsThe same principle used to separate Violet Skyblues from Cobalts can be used to separate DF Violet Skyblues from Violet Cobalts. Violet Cobalt tails range from a deep bluey-violet to violet shade depending on the intensity of the body colour. DF Violet Skyblue tails are dark blue with residual pale blue or turquoise at the quill end. In the flight feathers turquoise iridescence can be seen in the DF Violet Skyblue but it is replaced with a darker bluey-violet colour in the Violet Cobalt. DF Violet Cobalts (VVDd) on average are a deeper richer violet colour than SF Violet Cobalts (VvDd) but are otherwise similar. This may seem to support the traditional view that the Violet factor is a simple dominant gene. However we have to assess the action of the Violet factor in the correct context. In single and double factor Violet Skyblues we see the effect of the Violet factor free of the influence of other colour factors. In the Violet Cobalt we see the effect of the Violet factor interacting with the Dark factor. Each colour factor should really be assessed by the way it performs by itself in basic blue and green birds, Skyblues and Light Greens, not in combination with other colour factors. We wouldn't assess the action of the Dark factor by using light, medium, and dark Greys as the standard for comparison. By the same token the Violet factor should not be assessed by using single and double factor Violet Cobalts as the standard for comparison. DF Violet Skyblue body colour can vary from a bluey-violet as in the bird nicknamed Indigo to an intense Violet on par with DF Violet Cobalts. DF Violet Skyblues tend to have a more satiny appearance than Violet Cobalts because they have the same feather structure as the Skyblue. The dark factor has a slight dulling effect. The Violet factor exerts its darkening effect by increasing the amount of melanin in the body colour feathers whereas the Dark factor modifies the structure of the feather barbs. For more information see Chapter 1 in Genetics for Budgerigar Breeders where the work of Dr. L. Auber has been reproduced. Dr. Auber noted an interesting anomaly in the feather barb of the Visual Violet fig. 7 page 12. The cloudy zone has the same depth as in a bird of light shade (Skyblue) not medium (Cobalt) as would normally be expected for a Violet Cobalt. He could offer no explanation for the anomaly at the time. The most likely explanation is that Dr. Auber's Visual Violet feather came from a DF Violet Skyblue not a Violet Cobalt. It effectively corroborates the idea that DF Violet Skyblues are Visual Violets. The 'anti-Violet Factor'The 'Anti-Violet Factor' is a nickname I have given to what may be more accurately thought of as the Body Colour Intensity Reducing Factor BCIRF which I encountered during my breeding experiments. Actually I cannot be sure whether it is a single gene or several minor modifiers which have a combined effect. All I can say is it appeared to be inherited in a dominant manner as though it were a single gene. When a BCIRF bird is bred with you can expect half the young to be BCIRF birds. I have seen it affect Skyblues, SF Violet Skyblues, DF Violet Skyblues, Cobalts, and Violet Cobalts, but it is in the Violet factor birds that it has its most damaging effect. Normal Skyblues and Cobalts with the BCIRF simply look like very pale Normal Skyblues and Cobalts. In the Skyblue the body colour falls into the range of what one might expect to see in a Skyblue Cinnamon. Except for the navy-blue tail and flight feathers BCIRF Cobalts look very much like medium SF Violet Skyblues in body colour. BCIRF SF Violet Skyblues have a body colour no deeper than good coloured ordinary Skyblues but are somewhat patchy and have a cyan tint. The tails are slightly washed out as well. Indigo was a BCIRF DF Violet Skyblue and had a bluey-violet body colour. The double dose of the Violet factor held the intensity of the body colour up better than a single dose of the Dark factor in the BCIRF Cobalt. In the SF Violet Cobalt is where the BCIRF really earns the nickname "Anti-Violet Factor" because SF Violet Cobalts with the BCIRF modifier look like good coloured ordinary Cobalts. It seems as though the BCIRF cancels out the effect of the Violet factor. There are traces of violet on various parts of the bird but no more so than is typically found in very good coloured ordinary Cobalts. The traces of Violet common in ordinary Cobalts are thought by some to indicate the presence of the Violet factor. However when paired to Skyblues these Cobalts only produce Skyblues and Cobalts. It is quite normal and natural for Cobalts to have traces of Violet in their feathers. All it tells us is that the distribution of melanin is slightly uneven in the bird. I first learned that a genetic Violet Cobalt (VvDd) could look like a good coloured ordinary Cobalt when I paired what appeared on the surface to be a Normal Cobalt cock to a Normal Skyblue hen. Typical Visual Violets and Violet Skyblues appeared in the nest along with the expected Skyblues and Cobalts, all birds were Normals. There was nothing unusual about the Skyblue hen, she wasn't even particularly good coloured. The "Cobalt" cock however had been bred from a good coloured Normal Cobalt cock of known background to a very poorly coloured Normal Violet Skyblue hen (Indigo's sister). The same pairing had also produced a Visual Violet in the nest confirming Indigo's sister really was a Violet Skyblue. Evidently one of the essential ingredients necessary to produce a Visual Violet is reasonably good overall colour. A Violet Cobalt (VvDd) bred from poorly coloured stock might not necessarily be good enough to qualify as a Visual Violet even though it is carrying the Violet factor in its genetic make up. This was further corroborated in the next generation. One of the young produced by the pairing was a bird which looked like a good coloured Normal Cobalt hen, a near perfect colour match to her father. She was paired to a Normal Skyblue cock and likewise produced typical Violet Skyblues and Visual Violets among her young. The views held by those fanciers who maintain that double factor Violets do not exist are understandable. Pairings which should in theory produce 100% Visual Violets do not always do so. Fanciers have been labouring under yet another false premise, namely that all Violet Cobalts are automatically Visual Violets. That idea should be amended to: Violet Cobalts are usually Visual Violets with the emphasis on usually. A DF Violet Mauve (VVDD) paired to a Skyblue (vvdd) for example will produce 100% Violet Cobalts (VvDd). However if the parents happen to be carrying genes for poor colour then not all of the young will necessarily be Visual Violets. Some of the young could come out looking like nothing more than good coloured ordinary Cobalts. If these non-Visual Violet Violet Cobalts are bred on with and paired to reasonably good coloured Skyblues we can expect Visual Violets to reappear in the next generation thereby revealing their true genetic identity. The BCIRF doesn't actually cancel out the effect of the Violet factor specifically. If it were possible to remove the Violet factor from a BCIRF Violet Cobalt (VvDd) we would be left with a poorly coloured Cobalt (vvDd). Alternately if we removed the Dark factor from a BCIRF Violet Cobalt (VvDd) we would be left with a poorly coloured Violet Skyblue (Vvdd). If we remove both colour factors we would be left with a poorly coloured Skyblue (vvdd). The common denominator is poor colour. In the BCIRF Violet Cobalt the Violet factor was able to raise the melanin levels in the feathers enough to convert a poorly coloured BCIRF Cobalt into a bird which looked like a very good coloured Cobalt. A single Violet factor was not enough to convert a poorly coloured BCIRF Cobalt into a Visual Violet. Evidently Violet factor Cobalts that are not Visual Violets crop up often enough to lead astray a substantial proportion of Violet breeders and cause them to conclude that double factor Violets do not exist. The linkage theoryFor several decades Violet breeders have noticed that not all Visual Violets produce the same percentage of Visual Violet youngsters when bred with. (Why shouldn't we be surprised by that?) In order to account for that fact some breeders have proposed that the Violet factor and the Dark factor are located on the same chromosome. It means that we could expect to find two kinds of SF Violet Cobalts, Type I and Type II. In Type I the two colour factors would both be located on the very same chromosome (VD/vd). In Type II the two colour factors would be located on opposing chromosomes of the same chromosome pair (Vd/vD). I haven't taken a poll on this question but I would lay odds that the linkage theory is more popular with those breeders who maintain that double factor Violets do not exist. They more than anyone else need a way to account for the fact that not all Visual Violets breed as though they are SF Violet Cobalts (VvDd). Before anyone embarks on a breeding program to determine whether or not linkage exists between the Dark and the Violet factors my advice would be to first learn how to sort out Violet Skyblues from Cobalts. Then perhaps they would have a chance at learning how to sort out DF Violet Skyblues from Violet Cobalts. Only then would they be qualified to investigate the question of linkage. In the following few paragraphs I shall assume that linkage is present and use the appropriate notation, e.g. VD/vd rather than the normal VvDd. In order to investigate the linkage question properly it is necessary to discriminate between Type I and Type II Violet Cobalts. The surest way to know whether a bird is Type I or Type II is to know how it was bred. When the Dark factor and the Violet factor are inherited from the same parent the bird is Type I. Commonly used pairings in which the Violet Cobalts produced would be Type I (VD/vd) include: Pairing 1 Violet Cobalt (VvDd) X Skyblue (vd/vd) Pairing 2 Violet Mauve (VD/vD) X Skyblue (vd/vd) It doesn't matter whether the Violet Cobalt parent in Pairing 1 is itself Type I (VD/vd) or Type II (Vd/vD) since only the youngters are of interest. When the Dark factor is inherited from one parent and the Violet factor from the other parent the bird is Type II. Commonly used pairings in which the Violet Cobalts would be Type II (Vd/vD) include: Pairing 3 Violet Skyblue (Vd/vd) X Cobalt (vD/vd) Pairing 4 Violet Skyblue (Vd/vd) X Mauve (vD/vD) Violet mauves are not easy to distinguish from ordinary Mauves so breeders really have to know their birds when using Mauves. Once the putative Type I and Type II Violet Cobalts have been identified they should be paired to Skyblues. Pairing 5 Type I Violet Cobalt (VD/vd) X Skyblue (vd/vd) should produce greater than 25% Skyblues (vd/vd) less than 25% Violet Skyblues (Vd/vd) less than 25% Cobalts (vD/vd) greater than 25% Violet Cobalts (VD/vd) Pairing 6 Type II Violet Cobalt (Vd/vD) X Skyblue (vd/vd) should produce: less than 25% Skyblues (vd/vd) greater than 25% Violet Skyblues (Vd/vd) greater than 25% Cobalts (vD/vd) less than 25% Violet Cobalts (VD/vd) If there is linkage between the Violet and the Dark factors Pairings 5 and 6 illustrate the kind of results that are to be expected over a large number of matings. I usually pair Violet Cobalts to Skyblues and sometimes Violet Skyblues to Cobalts. In my experience Violet Cobalt youngsters which are supposedly Type II don't breed any differently to those which are supposedly Type I. In each case the Dark and Violet factors segregate out randomly in the next generation giving roughly equal numbers of each of the four colours. If linkage between the Violet and Dark factors can ever be demonstrated then the genes will be found to be so widely spaced that it has little if any practical impact on the percentage of Violet Cobalt youngsters bred in a given nest. One pairing where people would notice an odd result is when they unwittingly pair a DF Violet Skyblue (VVdd) to a Skyblue (vvdd). They naturally assume the Visual Violet to be a Violet Cobalt. Ordinarily a Violet Cobalt to Skyblue pairing should yield 25% Visual Violets if the bird is single factor, and 50% Visual Violets if the bird is double factor for Violet. Instead, all the young will be SF Violet Skyblues (Vvdd). To the untrained eye the palest ones might be mistaken for Skyblues and the darkest ones mistaken for Cobalts. Some might even be correctly identified as Violet Skyblues. The fancier will be left scratching his or her head wondering where all the Visual Violets have gone. Linkage would be an elegant way to account for the lack of Visual Violet young. DF Violet Skyblues appear to mimic the hypothetical Type II SF Violet Cobalts in this pairing adding fuel to the linkage theory. Suspect Visual Violets can always be paired to Mauves (vvDD). Violet Cobalts paired to Mauves will produce a percentage of Mauves in the nest. DF Violet Skyblues never produce Mauves. Linkage between the Dark factor and the Green/Blue gene has been widely accepted. If there is any linkage between the Dark and the Violet factors then it should be possible to demonstrate linkage between the Violet and the Green/Blue genes as well. This back door approach would avoid the hassle of sorting the Violet Skyblues from the Cobalts provided proper Violet Skyblues and Violet Light Greens were used at the start of the project. My own view is that linkage proponents are proposing yet another false premise in order to compensate for all the other false premises Violet breeders have been labouring under. Violet factor AlbinosViolet factor Albinos are usually described as having a rosy pink suffusion. To describe the suffusion as "rosy" is an overstatement. Several years ago a breeder I know paired an Albino cockbird to a Violet Skyblue hen. Among the young Albino hens bred were two with rumps which could be called pinkish. To my eyes the pink wasn't "rosy". It was a brownish shade, not unlike a paler version of the light brown colour seen on the rumps of Lacewings. True pink is diluted red. The rumps of the two Albino hens looked like a diluted reddish brown. Albinos are not totally melanin free as often stated. Their feathers contain small amounts of abnormal melanin. The Violet factor increases the amount of melanin produced in the body feathers. It appears that in Violet factor Albinos the Violet factor increases whatever trace amounts of abnormal melanin the Albino is capable of producing giving Albinos a slight pinkish or brownish-pink suffusion. Green series VioletsViolet factor birds in the Green series have generally been regarded as an annoying by-product of Violet breeding rather than as potentially valuable stock birds for future pairings. It has only been in the last few years that I have taken an interest in Green series Violet factor birds myself. The Violet Light Green is the Green series counterpart to the Violet Skyblue. If picking out Violet Skyblues is tricky then picking out the Violet Light Greens is even trickier. The variation in yellow ground colour from bird to bird is an additional variable that needs to be considered as one learns to recognise Violet Light Greens. The darker better coloured Violet Light Greens generally look like Dark Greens but, as with Violet Skyblues, lack ribbing in the body feathers. They have tail feathers which resemble those of Light Greens. Dark Greens have navy-blue coloured tails like Cobalts. Violet Light Greens lack the dark blue colour in their flight feathers evident in flight feathers of Dark Greens. Violet Light Greens also have a more satiny finish to their feathers than Dark Greens. One of the early names for the Dark Green was Satin Green. Could Satin Greens have been early Violet Light Greens? We will probably never know. If you are not sure whether a bird is a very good coloured Light Green or a poorly coloured Dark Green it is probably a Violet Light Green. Violet Dark Greens are the Green series counterpart to the Violet Cobalt. They stand out from Dark Greens and are nearly halfway between Dark Greens and Olives in colour. I have not got around to breeding a DF Violet Light Green yet but based on the appearance of blue series birds they should look very much like Violet Dark Greens. I expect their feathers to have a more satiny finish. Opaline Violet Light Greens are a bit paler than the Normals. Nest feather Opaline Violet Light Greens are sometimes hard to pick from Light Greens. Sometimes it is best to just wait until they go through their moult and darken up a bit before deciding what you have got. The darker Opaline Violet Light Greens have a sparkle in their feathers which make Opaline Dark Greens look quite dull by comparison. I would describe their colour as a bright emerald green. The higher melanin levels of the Violet factor birds makes the reflective qualities of the feathers more obvious to the eye. This effect should be even more conspicuous on Opaline DF Violet Light Greens. Breeding a family of SF and DF Violet Light Greens and SF and DF Violet Skyblues in the same way some people breed Dark Greens, Olives, Cobalts, and Mauves has possibilities. I have never heard of anyone breeding Violet factor birds in quite this way. It is territory largely unexplored. The beauty of it is that the birds would still belong in the realm of Normals in Opalines and not unusual composities of several varieties. The hobby has been caught up in the Light Green, Dark Green, Olive, Skyblue, Cobalt, Mauve, six colour mindset since the early days. The Violet factor produces a parallel series of six colours, Light Green, SF Violet Light Green, DF Violet Light Green, Skyblue, SF Violet Skyblue, DF Violet Skyblue. All we lack is convenient terminology to use when talking about these birds. SummarySF Violet Skyblues and Cobalts can both be loosely regarded as Dark Blues, the exception is badly coloured SF Violet Skyblues which might be mistaken for good coloured Skyblues. Cobalts have navy blue tails and navy blue in their flight feathers. Violet Skyblues have turquoise iridescence in their flight feathers and varying amounts of turquoise in their tails. These observations are confirmed by the way the birds breed: Cobalt X Cobalt 25% Skyblues 50% Cobalts (navy-tailed dark blues) 25% Mauves (no turquoise-tailed dark blues appear) Cobalt X SF Violet Skyblue 25% Skyblues 25% SF Violet Skyblues (turquoise-tailed dark blues) 25% Cobalts (navy-tailed dark blues) 25% Visual Violets (violet-tailed visual violets) SF Violet Skyblue X SF Violet Skyblue 25% Skyblues 50% SF Violet Skyblues (turquoise-tailed dark blues) 25% DF Violet Skyblues (Visual Violets. Dark blue tail with pale blue or turquoise detectable at quill end) (no navy-tailed dark blues appear) Violet breeders have been labouring under several false premises: The Violet factor is a simple dominant gene. Only Violet Cobalts are Visual Violets.Violet Cobalts are all Visual Violets. Some Violet breeders believe double factor Violets do not exist. Some believe there is linkage between the Dark and the Violet factors. The corrected information on Violets is as follows: The Violet factor is a semi-dominant gene, not dominant. DF Violet Skyblues are Visual Violets in addition to SF and DF Violet Cobalts. Violet Cobalts are not always Visual Violets. Badly coloured Violet Cobalts can look like nothing more than good coloured Cobalts. DF Violets do exist. It is all in knowing what to look for. When points 1 and 2 are taken into account evidence for linkage tends to evaporate. There are several aspects of Violet breeding I have not addressed. I have never bothered breeding more than a few Violet Mauves so I cannot discuss them in detail. I have also never bothered pairing Violets to Greys so I cannot supply detailed first hand information on Violet factor Greys. These are projects for the future. Copyright: Peter Bergman (Sydney, Australia) http://birdhobbyist.com/parrotcolour e-mail: CliveHesford@compuserve.com http://www.birdhobbyist.com/parrotcolour/index

Thank you again to Mr Nigel Tonkin BCSA President for forwarding this and for permission to repost it here. Coccidiosis Coccidiosis is a particularly serious disease for the fancier because it happens so quickly and can kill many birds of all ages within a matter of days. My first introduction to this 'Bug" was in our 1st season breeding when we had all these babies dieing, called my local Vet who put us onto Dr. Harry Cooper. Please remember I am talking about 1986 when there were not many Veterinarians who knew anything about birds. Dr. Harry being a breeder, Judge and Vet had researched this 'Bug". Coccidiosis is spread when one bird eats faecal material from an infected bird, which contains the infective stage of the coccidia (small egg-like bodies called oocysts). The oocysts in the droppings need moisture and warmth to mature. These oocysts can be seen in a 'faecal' smear and that is what he saw at this time so put us onto a Coccidistat called Amprol Plus. Mind you, this medication was sitting in our Services Section and our Branch Services manager did not inform us of this type of medication and what it was for. After this episode, when the position became available I took it over and made sure all our Branch members knew what all the products were and what they were used for and even though I don't have a Services Section any more, I still advise breeders about these basics. We were advised to have concrete floors, which we had, except for one small section, and that is why it all started. It was soon concreted over. The Coccidia like as it says above moist warm conditions and being summer at the time, it had both. Moisture from rain, and also from the humidity. We in the warmer climates have a lot of moisture from humidity, and if one observes carefully you will see the droppings swell at this time. As we know the Budgerigar likes to pick at the droppings, getting some of the nutrients it does not get from it's diet, one being Vitamin B12 so each day you will see them down there having a pick. All part of nature. As it happed to us, we had the sudden deaths of birds, and now a days if there is sign of rain then the preventative measures go in. The signs and symptoms of Coccidiosis. Sudden death of birds within a week of rain or high humidity. Watery droppings on aviary floor A sudden decrease in noise level and activity in birds – this is a universal sign of sickness not necessarily Coccidiosis. Birds fluffed up on perches, they are weak and they tremble. The "go light" probably from lack of food and water. Dark tacky green droppings sticks to the tail feathers and around the vent, and on the floor. Ill birds go to ground and pick around. One may also be able to smell that something is going on as the droppings get a characteristic smell – a sign that a secondary E.Coli infections is happening as well. Current treatment is: Baycox or Carlox for 2-3 days as per instructions on the bottle, then treat with an antibiotic for 7 days for the infection. e.g Baytril or Sulfa AVS. In Australia these drugs have to be dispensed via a Veterinarian. In some parts of the world they do not even have a Veterinarian let alone a Avian Veterinarian so this information is relayed to them in the hope that they may be able to buy the products on the open market. Preventative Program Treatment if one can get the products is a) Coccidistat like Baycox which is the preferable treatment. Treat birds every 4-6 weeks and in times on heavy rain then more frequently especially if using Coccivet. Coccivet – a Vetafarm product Lastly The one thing in the preventative program is concrete floors; this prevents the bug from breeding in the soil and remember intestinal worms and canker (trichomanosis) can also breed in the soil so you are preventing 3 things.

Thank you again to Mr Nigel Tonkin BCSA President for forwarding this and for permission to repost it here. HAMILTON & DISTRICT BUDGERIGAR SOCIETY INC. METABOLIC DISORDERS, VITAMINS & MINERALS METABOLISM See also signs of illness. Metabolism may be described simply as the utilization of food and its effects within the body. These include the building up (anabolism) and breaking down (katabolism) of the chemical substances from which the body is made. The processes vary from species to species depending upon inherited bio-chemical characteristics and also upon individual variations, which include age and activity as well as environmental factors such as diet and exposure to heat or cold. This group covers those diseases where the chemistry of the body has been disturbed. Sometimes we can explain how and where the mechanism has gone wrong, but we can rarely explain why. There is no obvious cause---such as an invasion by bacteria or other infectious agent. In a proportion of cases it is possible to trace the trouble back to a derangement of the hormone production of the ductless glands. As explained these hormones or so-called chemical messengers modify the rate and type of activity of many of the basic chemical reactions necessary for the life of each body cell and of the body as a whole. When hormones are produced in too small or excessive amounts, the body's complicated reactions cease to work properly. Some of these disorders happen for no apparent reason, while others come about as the result of too much stress being placed on a particular system of the body. At first the organism takes the strain and gets along normally for a while. Eventually, however, illness in some form results. The stress may be starvation, unsuitable food, exhaustion, inactivity, fear or exposure to extremes of temperature. Sometimes a gland may be directly damaged by injury, or it may be replaced by tumor cells. The change of tissue cells from normal to those of a cancerous type could even be said to be a metabolic disorder; but since this tends to complicate an understanding of metabolic disorders, tumors are dealt with elsewhere. Carbohydrates: The relationship of carbohydrates to disease is threefold. Carbohydrates (which include starches, sugars and cellulose) may be actually deficient in the diet. This is extremely rare in the average range of avian diets except when the bird is starved, fed grossly abnormal foods, or is completely off nourishment for some reason. Carbohydrates may be inadequately metabolized due to lack of certain vitamins, an excess of indigestible fibrous food, mechanical interference with digestion, or pancreatic disease affecting digestive processes. Thirdly, they may cause disease by virtue of their quantity being excessive in the diet in relation to other essential foods. Defects in carbohydrate metabolism are common even when the proportion and types of these foods are correct. Normal utilization depends first on absorption from the gut. If gut movement or secretions are abnormal, including those in the stomach and from the pancreas, regurgitation or diarrhea are liable to result. The causes are numerous and include vitamin deficiencies, infections, foreign bodies, exhaustion of the adrenal cortical tissue and some types of poisoning. In old age, spontaneous carbohydrate digestive disturbances arise especially when good quality protein is low in the diet. Excessive dietary intake of carbohydrates is not necessarily associated with overeating. Highly efficient digestion and absorption, with an impairment of the "overflow" mechanism of surplus food can lead to the accumulation of excessive amounts of body fat. Normally this is deposited in special fat depots designed for the purpose, under the skin, lining the body cavity, and so forth. In certain glandular dysfunction's and other disorders due to almost unknown causes, fat may be deposited practically anywhere in the body, such as in the connective tissues which hold the various organs together. This fatty infiltration is most noticeable in the highly active organs such as the liver, heart and kidneys, which it severely hampers. Carbohydrates are the main and most readily available forms of energy. They are the so-called storage foods or starches, which form a large part of the normal diet and are found in high proportions in such foods as cereals, grains and fruit. Meat also has quite a high carbohydrate content. All carbohydrates contain atoms of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, combined together in chains or rings with various side branches. The structural units from which carbohydrates are formed are known as sugars. The simple 6-carbon sugars are called monosaccharides; the more complex ones such as lactose and sucrose are known as disaccharides, while the starches and cellulose with numerous molecules are termed polysaccharides. Glycogen is manufactured by the liver, active organs and muscles and from simple carbohydrates or sugars. The glycogen is stored and can be mobilized by various nervous and chemical mechanisms at extremely short notice when a sudden flood of energy is needed. Fats and Oils: A lack of fats and especially oils tends to hinder the absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins A and E, and results in their deficiency even when they are present in the food. If fats in the diet are low, the carbohydrate and protein constituents also are not efficiently used. Although recognizable illness may not show itself, the bird tends to overeat, converting carbohydrate to body fat which has a damaging effect on tissues, particularly the arteries, and makes the bird sluggish. A high fat diet may upset the digestion, and tends to reduce the appetite; unless excessive, this produces a lean but active bird with a glossy plumage. Mineral oils such as liquid paraffin are not absorbed and in lubricating the alimentary tract they also remove valuable fat-soluble vitamins, these becoming excreted in the feces. Vitamins such as A and E are oxidized and damaged by substances in rancid oils. The oily seeds like linseed do not suffer from this rancidity, while still intact and fresh; but heat-treated pellets, dead stale gentles, and above all stale cod-liver oil are important causes of ill health from vitamin destruction. The chemicals which cause fat rancidity are themselves poisonous to birds. Fats are a concentrated source of energy, but they are largely replaceable in this function by carbohydrates; some oils or unsaturated fats are, however, more chemically active and appear to be essential for growing chicks, if not for adult birds. Most seeds and nuts contain these "oily fats" and are therefore preferable to animal fats, except fish oils. Fats and oils (unstable fats) consist of organic acids called fatty acids. They are also mainly composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Fats are long term reserves of concentrated stored energy which also furnish heat insulation and some protection against injury. In addition, they help to maintain the health of skin and plumage and aid in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. When food is short, fats are utilized by the body. Fat is also a source of certain unsaturated fatty acids which are essential ingredients of the diet. An excessively high level of fat in the diet slows the emptying of the stomach and consequently the digestion of all food in the digestive tract. It is therefore wasteful and interferes with the utilization of other vital nourishment. Proteins: Proteins are long chains of smaller compounds, called amino-acids which contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen plus nitrogen and occasionally sulphur. They are used in the formation of body tissue needed for growth, to replace proteins broken down in bodily functions, and to furnish the proteins required in making eggs. Proteins are also present in high proportion in most organs and tissues of the body, particularly feathers, skin and appendages, the heart, liver, kidney and eggs. Protein is the third and last storehouse of energy. In starvation or prolonged disease, after most of the fat storage depots have been depleted, the body starts to use this only remaining material. Muscle wastage then becomes noticeable, particularly over the breast and limbs in birds. The protein breaks up by discarding its nitrogen-containing element and becomes a carbohydrate-like substance which can be readily utilized. Much of the nitrogen is excreted in urine. The resultant loss of weight in birds is spoken of as "going light". In certain circumstances, for example when there is an imbalance of protein in the diet (especially of such psittacine birds as budgerigars and parrots), the metabolism becomes deranged and waste by-products accumulate in the body, producing gouty deposits near the joints of the limbs and in the internal organs. There are about twenty different types of amino-acids. Some of these can be manufactured by the bird, and therefore are called non-essential amino-acids. The other group, the essential amino-acids, cannot be manufactured by the bird and must be supplied in the food. Plant proteins tend to be deficient in certain essential amino-acids and therefore it is often desirable to add special protein supplements to the diet of seed-eating birds kept in captivity. In the wild state, such birds would eat a wide variety of invertebrates and also feed them to their young, thereby obtaining animal protein and the essential amino-acids. The precise requirements of the different amino-acids for birds are unknown, even for poultry, and differ according to species. Tyrosine and lysine appear necessary for feather pigmentation, while the former is also used in the formation of the thyroid hormone, thyroxine. Even when analysis of a foodstuff may show a reasonable proportion of protein, say 12-16 per cent, it does not necessarily mean that the protein it contains is of value to birds. Much vegetable protein is of poor quality because it contains insufficient amounts of the essential amino-acids. In fact, seeds commonly fed to cage birds, such as the millets and maize, are low in total protein and are also deficient in methionine, cysteine, tyrosine, and certain other amino-acids. Turkish hemp, niger seed, teazle, and some other so-called "tonic foods" are better in this respect. When poor quality protein foods are fed, health suffers according to the tissue most starved of amino-acid nourishment. Since glandular tissues, muscle and skin have high requirements of those amino-acids which contain sulphur, prolonged periods on a diet deficient in this way lead to hepatic and renal disease, poor breeding, scurfy skins, faded plumage and muscle weakness. Excessive protein in the diet of grain-eating birds increases the requirements of vitamin B12, which may produce signs of vitamin B deficiency, especially in nestlings. Scavenging and meat- or fish- eating birds normally flourish on a diet containing 25-30 per cent good quality protein. Not only does their diet contain considerable amounts of B12, but their constitution is adapted to this high protein diet. The protein requirements of birds in general appear to be higher than those of mammals. The high requirements of breeding hens and nestling chicks are met by the parent providing much animal protein in the form of invertebrates such as insects or in the case of pigeons the special fluid known as crop-milk and a similar proventricular secretion in budgerigars. In captivity, a common source is egg food. A long-term result of both very high or very low amounts of protein in the diet is the deposition of gouty deposits through the body. This may be the result of stress and exhaustion of normal kidney tissue, toxicity of the amino-acid glycine, or damage to the kidneys by lack of the raw materials for their repair. VITAMINS The term vitamin is applied to widely differing groups of chemical compounds which are essential to nutrition but do not necessarily bear any structural or functional relationship to each other. It is important to remember that nature provides an adequate amount of all vitamins--provided that a wide variety of fresh foods is eaten. When foods are stored for long periods, especially in damp containers, and are fed day after day with no variety, relative deficiencies of one or other vitamins can and do occur. Diets which are low in vitamins are often low in some of the essential amino- acids which make up good quality protein, and such complicating factors make the diagnosis of vitamin deficiencies difficult. Disease also increases the demand for vitamins and may interfere with their absorption or utilization. Freshly gathered natural foods such as leaves, fruit, or seeding grasses are a better and more balanced vitamin and mineral tonic than many commercial products. Proprietary vitamin supplements should normally be necessary only for sick birds and those unable or unwilling to eat normal food. Single vitamin deficiencies rarely occur naturally and are the province of the experimental worker in avian diets who may create them to order, for research purposes. Unlike carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, vitamins are catalysts and are able to aid chemical processes and remain unchanged at their completion. In cage birds, vitamin requirements vary with species, and owing to their differing natural diets some birds are more likely to be affected than others. Vitamin Deficiencies: With one or two notable exceptions, there has been very little experimental work on vitamin deficiencies or imbalances in cage birds. Most of our knowledge is derived from information on the effects of deficiencies in the fowl, turkey, duck, or pigeon applied to similar symptoms in cage birds. This may not always lead to a clear understanding of such diseases, especially as single deficiencies or excesses rarely occur naturally. Vitamin A: Vitamin A is essential for growth, maintenance of a healthy skin and mucous membranes, and for good vision. A deficiency of the vitamin has an adverse effect on the epithelial lining membranes of the respiratory, alimentary and reproductive tracts and allows infections to gain ready entry to the body. It has sometimes been called the "anti-infective vitamin". It does not really protect or combat organisms trying to invade, but does assist the membranes to function normally, that is to act as a barrier to disease. Vitamin A is stored in the liver and is found only in animal tissue. Its precursor carotene is found in all green plants and yellow seeds and is converted by the body into vitamin A. Deficiencies: A deficiency of vitamin A has an adverse effect on the epithelial lining membranes of the respiratory, alimentary and reproductive tracts and allows infections to gain ready entry to the body, especially to the skin and mucous membranes. It has sometimes been called the "anti infection" vitamin. It does not really protect or combat organisms trying to invade, but does assist the membranes to function normally, that is to act as a barrier to disease. Mucous membrane lines the mouth, nostrils, pharynx and the alimentary, respiratory, urinary and genital tracts. The tubular glands branching off from these tracts may become blocked by damaged cells and exudate, whilst the tubules of the kidney are also affected. It is not therefore surprising that lesions caused by vitamin A deficiency may be widespread. The clinical signs most commonly seen in young pigeons and some other birds, consist of rattling, respiratory sounds, and mucoid or purulent discharges from the eyes, nostrils, mouth, and even the vent. The discharges are partly made up of abnormally thickened, ***** membrane and portions of dead cells thrown off the mucous membranes. If the inside of the mouth is examined, ulcers and cheesy, necrotic or diptheritic membranes can be seen, the latter occurring as soft, whitish, loose deposits which partially block the nostrils, throat or glottis. Beneath the eyelids and in the sinus below the eyes a thick, cheesy deposit sometimes builds up and causes a bulge in the overlying skin; these exudates are partly produced by bacteria which flourish in the damaged membranes. Other features of vitamin A deficiency are dullness of the plumage, weakness and poor appetite, and unsteadiness which suggests that even nerve function may be impaired. When a breeding female is deficient, the eggs she produces show a high incidence of dead-in-the-shell and weakly chicks. Post-mortem findings include pale kidneys and sometimes gouty deposits on several organs. Lack of vitamin A is most likely to be confused with trichomoniasis, candidiasis (moniliasis), pox, and possibly aspergillosis, since all these show similar exudates in the upper respiratory and alimentary tracts. Treatment can be carried out by injections or oral dosing of vitamin A or by providing foods containing a high proportion of the vitamin. But since infections sometimes also play a part in severe deficiency, the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics may also be necessary. It is often preferable to destroy affected young birds because normal growth and development is seldom completed and they remain stunted and disease-prone. A clinical hypervitaminosis A (excess of vitamin A), does not appear to occur as a problem in birds. Vitamin D: A deficiency of this vitamin (see also Calcium and Phosphorus deficiency), which gives rise to bone problems in the young, should be suspected when chicks of any species develop weak legs with swollen joints. Affected birds are also stunted, and limb fractures may occur without any marked violence or accident having taken place. Deficient adult hens lay thin or soft-shelled eggs and the clutch size may be reduced. Leg weakness in adult birds, softening of the beaks and claws, fractures or bending of the bones, including caved-in ribs, denote vitamin D deficiency which is called osteomalacia, or adult rickets. Small knob-like swellings can also sometimes be felt on the ribs at the junction of the vertebral and sternal parts. Deficiencies of vitamin D2 and especially D3 in birds prevent absorption of calcium and phosphorus, both of which are essential in order to strengthen the bones and support the body. A marked excess of vitamin D3 which can be reproduced by repeated administration of the vitamin in large amounts, rarely occurs. When it does, however, it is liable to cause kidney damage. Calcium salts become deposited in the walls of the kidney tubules and in the walls of blood vessels, especially the major arteries as they leave the heart. This syndrome has been seen in aged parrots and cockatoos although it is not possible to relate its occurrence to excess vitamin D3 in the diet. Treatment by administration of vitamin D3 in deficient birds is best carried out by injection, which is quicker than by giving it in the diet. Vitamin D is required for the normal production and maintenance of bone, the absorption of calcium and phosphorus for making egg shells and also for maintaining the quality of beak and claws. The amount needed varies. Vitamin D promotes the retention of minerals by increasing absorption or decreasing their excretion. Sun-ripened seeds and leaves, eggs and fish liver oils are rich sources of vitamin D2. Vitamin D3 is the form available for birds, being found mainly in eggs and fish liver oils. Vitamin D is synthesized in the skin, especially the un-feathered parts, by the action of direct sunlight. It is also believed that the secretion of the preen gland is converted into the vitamin by the action of sunlight when it is spread on the feathers. Vitamin E: Vitamin E consists of a group of fat-soluble, unstable, organic compounds known as tocopherols, and is believed to have several far-reaching effects in the body, although even in man, domestic animals, and poultry, its functions are not dearly understood. In most birds it is probably needed for normal development of skeletal muscle, nerve cells of the brain, maintenance of protein levels in the blood, the health of male germ cell-producing tissue of the testes, and especially for the development and growth of embryos. The tocopherols are found in the germ oils of many seeds and in fresh green foods. The effects of the vitamin, however, are very easily negated through oxidation by unsaturated fatty acids in rancid oils and minerals. If cod liver oil is mixed with seed and stored this may happen. Administration of liquid paraffin or other oil prevents the absorption of vitamin E. No reports of softening of the brain due to lack of this vitamin have been made in cage birds. It is also known as encephalomalacia and results in "crazy chick disease" in poultry. In foodstuffs, vitamin E protects oils and vitamin A against destruction by oxidation or rancidity, but in doing so is itself destroyed. There is therefore a constant danger of a deficiency of this vitamin when foods are fortified with cod liver oil. Deficiency of vitamin E seems to show itself differently in different species and includes wastage of muscle fibres, the encephalomalacia referred to above, exudation or dropsy of the tissues, and enlarged hocks. Adult birds do not often appear to suffer severe damage to the testes and reproductive powers as do some mammals, but this possibility should be borne in mind when confronted by problems of infertility and breeding. Although hens deficient in vitamin E continue to lay eggs, the embryonic development is impaired and embryos are liable to die early in the incubation period. Crippling hock enlargements are quite commonly seen in some cage-bird chicks, but whether any of these cases are due to deficiencies of vitamin E is uncertain. Provision of fresh natural foods, such as the germ of wheat and other grains and some green foods, is preferable to dosing with the vitamin when a deficiency is suspected. Vitamin K Vitamin K is necessary for clotting of the blood. It is present in most green leaves and grass. Bacteria of the lower intestine synthesize some vitamin K, but this is probably significant only in species where considerable fermentation occurs, e.g., in those seed-eaters which have well- developed caeca and colorecta. Deficiency rarely occurs but could result from indiscriminate use of antibiotics, especially if mixed in the food or water, when they are more likely to cause changes in the intestinal, bacterial flora and thus affect the synthesis of the vitamin. Vitamin B Complex: The Vitamin B Complex is a large group which contains several important and separate vitamins. Most play an important role in metabolism. VITAMIN BI, THIAMINE OR ANEURINE, is a water-soluble compound, unstable in heat. It is important to all cells of the body, including nerve cells, since it is involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates; without it death soon occurs, preceded by severe nervous disorders. Cereal grains and their by-products usually contain a sufficiency of this vitamin, but certain seeds such as mustard, hot rape, and fresh fish, contain substances which destroy the vitamin. VITAMIN B2, OR RIBOFLAVIN, is a heat-stable and water-soluble compound. It takes part in several chemical processes in the tissues involving the building up, normal function, and breakdown of cells, and the metabolism of oxygen and other gases carried by the blood. It is contained in most green foods, yeast, liver and milk. VITAMIN B6, OR PYRIDOXINE, is a stable member of the vitamin B complex and is necessary in various chemical reactions concerned with the metabolism of proteins and fat. Requirements vary greatly between species, and even breeds, of birds. Since the vitamin is widespread in avian food- stuffs, it is unlikely that deficiencies of pyridoxine will occur. VITAMIN B12, OR CYANOCO-BALAMIN, OR COBALAMIN, is water soluble. It has numerous functions in the metabolism of many food substances and chemicals of the body and is not produced by plants or animals above the most primitive forms of life, e.g., single-celled organisms and bacteria. Having the metal cobalt in its make up, it can be compared with the pigment chlorophyll of plants, which contains magnesium, and with the hemoglobin of vertebrates, which contains iron. The vitamin is absent from green plants and seeds but is found in meat, milk products and yeast. Although it is synthesized by intestinal micro-organisms a dietary source is also necessary. Deficiency is particularly likely to arise when the bulk of gut bacteria are killed by excessive administration of sulfonamides, antibiotics, or other antibacterial drugs. Deficiency has deleterious effects on skin, feather and horn, and also retards growth, causes poor appetite, and reduces hatch-ability of eggs. The vitamin is often used as a tonic, to stimulate numerous body processes. Its part in feathering is related to the intake of methionine, choline, and folic acid, since methionine, for example, is an important sulphur-containing amino-acid essential for the production of several tissue proteins including those of feathers. Pantothenic acid, which is easily destroyed by heat, plays an important part in the metabolism of the three main food constituents, carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Other functions include the production of acetyl choline, vitally important in the conduction of nerve impulses and in their translation into muscle movements and other functions under nervous control. There is evidence that in some birds the requirements for this vitamin depend to a large extent on the amount of vitamin B12 in the diet. Although seeds such as wheat and oats provide an adequate supply of pantothenic acid, the richest natural sources are yeast and liver. Nicotinic acid and niacin are closely related compounds which are involved in the metabolism of the three main food constituents, but at a different stage from pantothenic acid. Some seeds such as maize (known in the U.S.A. as corn) and oats are relatively poor sources of these substances. Tryptophane is usually adequate in the diet. Folic acid, which is fairly stable, plays a restricted but important part in the synthesis of certain body proteins and is also stated to be an anti-anemia factor. Seeds and grains are not generally rich in the vitamin, but yeast and liver will supply any deficiency in the normal diet. Choline, like pantothenic acid, is essential for the formation of acetyl choline and is also involved in fat metabolism. The richest sources are yeast, liver, fish meal and fish solubles. The amount required in the diet is dependent on the vitamin B12 intake. Biotin or vitamin H is stated to prevent perosis and poor hatch-ability, although no definite metabolic role has yet been established for the compound in birds. It is a complex sulphur- containing substance and occurs in many foodstuffs including yeast and milk by-products. Unheated egg white contains a protein which can react with biotin in the intestinal tract and thereby render it unavailable to the bird, thus producing a deficiency of the vitamin. The vitamins in this group are so closely interdependent in their functions that it is customary to deal with them together. It is likely that if one is lacking, the others are also. Deficiencies of this complex can only be suspected with reasonable certainty when the symptoms are similar to those proved to be caused by deficiency in other birds and mammals, and when also the birds respond to treatment by restoring the suspected vitamin deficiency in the diet. Leg and wing weakness, clenched feet, "slipped-toe", curled toes and other evidence of neuromuscular disorders suggest aneurine (thiamine) or possibly riboflavin deficiency, especially in chicks; although there are many more likely alternative causes, such as arthritis or injury, and in adult budgerigars pressure from a renal tumor on the sciatic nerve. Other nervous signs such as tilting back of the head, weakness of the neck, violent tremors, convulsions, in-coordinated movements sometimes leading to coma and death, may signify a shortage of aneurine or pyridoxine or perhaps a folic acid deficiency. In adults, such signs are often attributable to circulatory or respiratory disease, head injuries and brain tumors, or the terminal stages of some infectious diseases. Poor feathering, including stunted feather growth or loss of pigment in the feathers may be due to riboflavin, pantothenic acid, or folic acid deficiency; such causes, however, as French molt, protein deficiency, thyroid or pituitary disease must not be overlooked. Dermatitis of the scaly parts of the legs and scabs on the head near the beak and on the eyelids are sometimes due to deficiencies of riboflavin, pantothenic acid, and biotin, as well as acute lack of vitamin A or oil. Deformities of the skeleton, especially the long bones of the limbs and beaks, and swollen hocks, make investigation into the diets of affected chicks and breeding hens worthwhile. Possible deficiencies include pantothenic acid, nicotinic acid, biotin, folic acid, and choline as well as vitamin D3 and minerals such as calcium and phosphorus. These are so closely interdependent in their actions that they will be considered together. Both minerals are essential to the diet and need to be present in the correct ratio. The ideal ratio varies somewhat, not only according to the age of the bird and whether or not eggs are being produced, but also possibly according to the species. Generally speaking, however, the proportions of phosphorus to calcium should be between 1.5:1 and 3:1, provided that sufficient vitamin D is also supplied to assure absorption of the minerals. Most of the calcium in avian foods is absorbed. No common food is rich in this mineral, but green foods, especially clover, and animal foods supply a proportion of the requirements. The remainder comes from the soluble or shell grit, which is eaten in noticeably greater amounts by breeding birds. Phosphorus is abundant in the common cereal foods fed to birds, but a large part is in an unavailable form. Animal foods such as gentles contain much less, although it is mostly absorbable. MINERALS The bodies of all warm-blooded animals include metallic elements in addition to the organic chemicals, which always contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and water. These elements, in combination with their salts, are referred to as "ash" in analyses and represent the un-burnable parts of the body. This ash consists of a high proportion of dehydrated tissues and contains calcium (as the phosphate and carbonate), sodium (as the chloride), magnesium, potassium, and much smaller amounts of iron, copper, sulphur, iodine, manganese, fluorine, zinc, cobalt, molybdenum, and selenium. Such minerals are called trace elements, and although minute and measured in parts per million as opposed to percentages of the total body weight, are nevertheless essential to normal development and health. Minerals enter into the composition of bone and give the skeleton rigidity and strength to support the soft tissues. They also combine with protein and other substances and help to form the body tissues. Other tasks include a role in the functioning of protoplasm, the transport of oxygen and the maintenance of degrees of acidity and alkalinity. Calcium Calcium is most likely to be deficient in the diet of young birds and provision of calcium in the form of soluble grit is essential. Certain disorders of the kidneys and gut, however, may lead to a deficiency owing to inadequate absorption. Osteomalacia is the result of deficiencies or abnormal ratios of calcium to phosphorus in the diets of chicks and adults respectively. Brittle and easily fractured bones, result from these two diseases. The clinical and radiographic changes seen in the bones of young parrots and other young birds are sometimes similar to those reproduced in dogs on a diet containing normal amounts of calcium and very high phosphorus, with normal or high vitamin D3 intake. In breeding birds, shell_less or thin_shelled eggs are often laid and the embryos are stunted or chicks weakly on hatching. Although phosphorus comprises barely 1 per cent of the shell of eggs, it is nevertheless essential to its construction. It is also present in chemical combination in egg yolk. When birds are breeding, the extra phosphorus excreted is much greater than that used in the egg itself. Species which will eat manufactured crumbs or meals can be given a bone-meal additive to maintain a favorable calcium, phosphorus and magnesium intake. Phosphorus Phosphorus is important in the metabolism of fats and carbohydrates. It is combined mainly with calcium in bone and egg-shell, as well as being an important constituent of all living cells, especially muscle. In severe kidney disease, the calcium stores of the body are squandered while phosphorus is retained. The role of vitamin D3 in calcium and phosphorus metabolism has been discussed above and is also referred to under skeletal disorders. Phosphorus is widely distributed, occurring in plants, milk and fish. Magnesium: Magnesium, although found in the body in much smaller quantities than calcium and phosphorus, is also an essential constituent of bone. Most of the mineral is present as a carbonate. Egg-shells also contain an appreciable quantity of the mineral and it is necessary for carbohydrate metabolism. Most diets contain magnesium and it should not be necessary to provide supplements. This is seldom deficient in the diet because it is present in most avian foodstuffs, often in association with calcium and phosphorus. An excessive intake may lead to diarrhea, possibly nervousness in poultry, and even deformed bones as a result of interference with the balance of calcium and phosphorus; but the latter minerals in adequate amounts and proportions will permit tolerance of a moderate excess. The mineral is essential for carbohydrate metabolism and in certain enzyme activities. Neither deficiency nor excess of either are likely to occur in cage birds owing to the high proportion of natural food usually fed and the unlikelihood of salted food being available or accepted by them. Extremes of both interfere with normal growth; excess produces severe thirst, weakness and possibly convulsions prior to death. Deficiencies are more likely to arise from an undue demand by the body for these elements when vomiting or serious exudation occur. Potassium: Potassium is found primarily in the cells of the body, including bone. It plays a role in metabolism which is not clearly understood and is necessary for the oxygen-carbon dioxide exchange in red blood cells and for normal activity of the heart, having a relaxing effect by reducing contractility, the opposite effect to that of calcium. Potassium allows certain chemical exchanges through the cell membranes to occur more easily. The mineral is widely distributed in food of both plant and animal origin so that deficiencies are unlikely to occur. This is so readily available in natural foodstuffs that a deficiency is improbable. The mineral is essential for the metabolic processes of the body and for the formation of all body tissues. Sodium Sodium is usually combined with chlorine to produce common salt or sodium chloride and is found mainly in the fluids of the body (blood and lymph) in contrast to potassium, which occurs inside cells. The sodium content helps to keep the body from becoming too acid, being involved in the acid-base equilibrium and regulation of the pH of the blood which prevents marked changes in acidity or alkalinity. Together with potassium and calcium in proper balance, it is essential for heart activity. Excess chloride is discarded in the urine, while some is retained for use in digestion as hydrochloric acid. As sodium occurs fairly widely in combination with chlorine or as the carbonate or phosphate of compounds, especially in foods of animal origin, it is seldom necessary to supplement the diet of cage or aviary birds. Should this seem necessary, it must be done with great care as an excess of salt is toxic to many birds. Iron & Copper: Iron deficiency can result from hemorrhage, from wounds for example, but more commonly from attacks by mites or ticks. Ulcers and other lesions that cause repeated small blood loss can also have a similar effect. Normal requirements are greatly raised when birds are laying and deficiencies may occur. Iron is closely linked with copper in the production and maintenance of blood and the constituents of eggs. Excessive iron supplied in the diet is not absorbed and is therefore harmless, but excessive copper is highly toxic, building up in and damaging the liver and other active organs. When copper is low in the diet, iron is absorbed and stored in the liver and is not used adequately in the manufacture of the blood pigment haemoglobin. Anemia then results. Sulphur: Sulphur is a constituent of certain amino-acids, methionine and cystine, used in the formation of muscle protein, egg yolk, egg albumen and keratin in skin, horn and feathers. This is obtained in adequate amounts whenever the bird eats enough good quality protein, containing a high proportion of the amino-acids cysteine and methionine. Plant foods supply sulphur unconnected with organic substances in the simple inorganic forms such as ferrous sulphate. Egg contains a very high proportion of sulphur, and the characteristic smell of bad eggs is due to the production of hydrogen sulphide. A minute amount of sulphur is supplied by the vitamins aneurin and biotin. Even during laying, deficiency is unlikely to occur; but if it does, it will show itself largely as the thio-amino-acid deficiency (see protein deficiencies) which affects feathers, skin, heart, muscular and glandular tissues, as well as egg production. Iodine: Iodine is used almost exclusively by the thyroid gland. Without it the hormone thyroxine, secreted by the gland, cannot be made. Iodine is liable to be deficient inland in areas where it is lacking in the soil and where birds eat nothing but local-grown food. Breeding increases the body's requirements for this element, so the young of parents on the borderline of insufficiency are most likely to show clinical signs of iodine deficiency such as thyroid disease or goitre. Fish-eating birds fed on sea fish derive adequate amounts of iodine from their diet and this type of goitre is hence unknown in seabirds. Even the oyster shell used as soluble grit contains an appreciable amount of iodine and so occurrences of goitre are comparatively rare except in budgerigars. Enlargement of the thyroid gland in adult budgerigars is mostly the result of iodine deficiency; the affected gland contains inactive secretion, resulting in a lowered metabolism, sluggishness, ragged plumage with loss of pigmentation and a general slowing of bodily activities. In budgerigars, the most characteristic sign is labored breathing associated with squeaking noises, this being due to pressure of the enlarged thyroids on the syrinx and lower trachea. In chicks and nestlings, the deficiency results in stunted growth and ********* mental and physical activities. Provision of an iodized supplement rapidly removes the clinical signs of disease except in far advanced cases. Many compounded cage-bird foods are nowadays impregnated with iodine. Certain foods can lessen the effect of the iodine available in the food; soya bean is an example. Manganese: Deficiency of manganese may play a part in the formation of enlarged hocks and slipped tendons sometimes found in growing cage birds, but this is not certain. Investigations into the role of the mineral in French molt of budgerigars have brought forth no definite evidence of this disease coming from manganese deficiency. The shortening and deformity of bones and spinal column in growing poultry when the diet is manganese-deficient, have not yet been reported in cage-birds but this is probably due to lack of research: this also applies to poor bone formation in the skeleton of the embryo and mortalities in the last third of the incubation period. Chemical analysis of bone and tissues would establish whether this or other deficiencies are responsible. Manganese is only known to be essential for avian development by the bone and joint defects such as perosis which result from its deficiency, though it may play a part in egg production. Other Trace Elements: The roles of molybdenum, selenium and zinc are incompletely known in cage birds. They probably assist in the development and maintenance of certain tissues. Cobalt is important only inasmuch as it is part of the vitamin B 12 molecule. If this vitamin is adequately synthesized by bacteria, no extra cobalt is required. Other elements and trace elements are required in much smaller amounts; yet their lack can lead to spectacular effects. IRON is well known as a constituent of the hemoglobin of the blood, but even smaller amounts of COPPER are necessary as well for the formation of this pigment. Iron and copper are also necessary for the function of various enzymes and, as with other essential chemicals, they are required in increased quantities during the period of egg production. Stores of iron are present in the liver. FLUORINE may play a part in bone metabolism of birds, although this is doubtful. The main interest of this element is that toxic levels can occur in birds and poisoning result if large quantifies of fluorine-containing minerals are fed. SELENIUM is another element of doubtful necessity in cage birds although it may help in the retention of vitamin E. In the domestic fowl it prevents encephalomalacia ("softening" of the brain) and muscular dystrophy. ZINC seems to be necessary in minute quantities for all warm-blooded creatures being essential for growth. In poultry, high intakes of dietary calcium increase the requirements of zinc. MOLYBDENUM is also necessary for normal growth. The roles of molybdenum, selenium and zinc are incompletely known in cage birds. They probably assist in the development and maintenance of certain tissues. COBALT, the metallic atom in vitamin B12, does not appear to be necessary alone for birds, providing that vitamin B12 is supplied in sufficient quantities in the diet or is synthesized by gut bacteria. Cobalt is important only in as much as it is part of the Vitamin B12 molecule. If this vitamin is adequately synthesized by bacteria, no extra cobalt is required. Water: About 70 per cent of the tissues of most higher animals consists of water. Birds cannot, as flying creatures, carry excess water. The amount consumed differs considerably between individuals as well as between species. In cases of poisoning by common salt, for example, there is a great increase in thirst. Fruit-eating birds such as mynahs and lorikeets, seldom need to drink. Their problem is to eliminate the excess water. This results in extremely sloppy, watery droppings in which both the urine and faeces fractions are highly diluted. The appearance of the excreta should not be mistaken for diarrhea or kidney disease. Water is needed for every chemical process of the body and since the amount of "spare" water lying in the various parts of the alimentary tract at any one time is small, it must be available at all times. Withdrawal of water can rapidly produce distress in many species, especially in a high environmental temperature. It leads to panting, gaping, collapse, convulsions, and death. Much water is lost via the lining membranes of the respiratory system. Respiratory water loss cannot be easily controlled and in fact increases when the bird becomes distressed. A small amount of water is lost in urine and faeces but it is regulated largely by the re-absorption of water in the large intestine. It will be appreciated that because of the great variation of water intake in the diet, and the relative humidity of the environment, the use of medicated drinking water for treatment is a relatively inaccurate method of dosing. Everyone knows how bad water can kill people so it is so possible that a problem with your water can harm your birds, especially if you allow food or droppings to get into the water and contaminate it. The intake of water, its utilization and excretion involve a very delicately balanced mechanism. Birds do not carry much useless water around with them in the form of urine. Nevertheless, their tissues contain almost 70 per cent water. Certain centres in the brain govern thirst and water intake; these are operated by changes in the chemical content of the blood, and this in turn is dependent on how much water is taken and excreted. A bird has the normal stimuli to drink, but during some illnesses abnormal ones operate. These illnesses are salt or arsenic poisoning, when there is a high temperature associated with certain infections; heatstroke; loss of fluid by evaporation from panting in respiratory disease; loss of fluid in regurgitation, vomiting or diarrhea; and when there is irritation to the kidneys. Excessive thirst is not always accompanied by loss of abnormal fluid. Even when it is, water intake cannot always keep up with water wastage. Soluble minerals and food substances are also lost when excessive vomiting, diarrhea, or increased urine output occurs and these losses are not made up by drinking. Mineral deficiencies or imbalance will therefore result. Water input, output, and re- absorption by the kidneys and gut are controlled by hormones from the pituitary and adrenal glands, which can influence the blood flow to the kidneys. Very many different diseases may interfere with some stage of these processes, which are designed to maintain a uniform balance of water in the bird and are mentioned elsewhere. Roughage or Fibre: Roughage is coarse food high in fiber but low in nutrients; its bulk stimulates peristalsis. Mammals and birds have evolved to occupy a special place in nature. Each has become adapted to its changing environment and the availability of its food and, as Darwin discovered, only the fittest and most adaptable survive to thrive in this niche. Apart from most plants and some primitive and parasitic forms of life, animals depend on food manufactured from the bodies or remains of other living creatures. Their food is thus a mixture of the digestible, absorbable, and indigestible. In times of food shortage, the readily digestible and absorbable ingredients are scarce while the intrinsically valueless ones are available. Individuals with digestive processes most efficient at dealing with poorer quality food are therefore more likely to survive and breed. Birds and mammals have an efficient digestion, each species with its own modifications enabling it to deal with a wide range of plant or animal food material. Part of that efficiency depends on the maintenance of tone or muscle power in the complicated tube comprising the alimentary canal or gut. The muscular tone of the gut depends on work, like its counterpart in the skeletal musculature. Dealing with roughage ensures that the muscles of the gut and also the secretory activity of its glands are exercised and maintained. A sick bird can be kept for a short period on readily absorbable liquid foods. If on recovery, however, it is suddenly provided with normal food only, a digestive upset is likely. Dietary requirements vary considerably in birds from the predominantly nectar, fruit and flower- eating species, through the insectivorous, flesh and carrion eaters, to the grain, grass, and bark feeders. Fruit and flowers, although very high in water content, are also quite rich in fiber. No flying bird can afford to carry much surplus weight and the quantity of food carried in the gut of most species at any one time tends to be smaller than with purely terrestrial animals. Nevertheless, some roughage is needed by almost all birds. It is also needed to give a favorable environment for multiplication of the micro-organisms which aid digestion and produce such vital substances as vitamin B12. If the percentage of roughage is greatly increased, there is a tendency for impactions of the crop, gizzard, or sometimes the intestine to occur, these being most frequently seen in badly nourished and debilitated birds. A diet high in fibre is often low in nutriments, and the functions of the gut are then impaired. A deficient bird is a weakened one and therefore the muscular power of the gut is also weakened. A laxative should be given followed by a more concentrated but easily digested diet: soaked or sprouted seed, egg, milk, cheese, liver, yeast or gentles, according to the species concerned. Treatment of impaction of the crop is dealt with elsewhere. Insufficient fibre tends to produce a small amount of pasty, tenacious feces which may matt the vent feathers or cause constipation. Under these circumstances the urinary excretion forms a relatively higher proportion of the droppings. When birds are fed concentrated diets lacking in fibre, there is a tendency for kidney disease and gout to occur. Predominantly grain-eating birds, especially pigeons, are seldom affected with either excess or lack of fibre, although an unaccustomed bird allowed out into an aviary planted with grass and weeds may gorge itself on this roughage; mineral deficiencies can make birds more prone to this habit. Crop and gizzard impactions are particularly common in large omnivores such as ostriches, emus, rheas and bustards. Members of the parrot and crow families, often given human food such as scraps and cake, are most likely to suffer from lack of roughage and it can lead to wasting or atrophy of the gizzard and gut muscles. Species such as fruit and nectar- eating birds with poorly developed gizzards do not appear to need fibre. GRIT Insoluble grit is essential in the diet for seed-eating birds which have a well developed muscular gizzard. The grit aids in the grinding of the seeds and other hard particles of food, and should therefore be hard with sharp edges, for example, quartz. If the grit is too fine it will fail in its function and may cause impaction of the gizzard. It is equally important that the particles are not too large for the size of the bird. Special grit for cage birds can be purchased, but where birds are kept in aviaries with a soil base this is not so important as the birds may find suitably sized particles for themselves. Insoluble grit should NOT be considered as a source of minerals. These may be provided in the form of such substances as broken-up oyster shells and cuttlefish bone.

Another interesting article forwarded by Mr Nigel Tonkin BCSA Secretary Hamilton & District BS is a Canadian ClubI am trusting the info that you are receiving is of value Cheers Nigel Tonkin (Acting BCSA Secretary) Take an in-depth look at both benign and malign avian tumors, their treatment and prognosis. By Rebecca Sweat Pet birds can and do develop abnormal lumps and bumps, both on their skin and inside their body. Of course, these bumps may or may not be tumors. Some lumps are abscesses, which are areas of tissue that have become swollen and inflamed by bacterial infections. Other masses are actually large deposits of fat that are beneath the skin, similar to a "spare tire" in people. If the bird is a female, an abdominal bulge may in fact be an egg. Swellings can also be due to an organ, such as the kidney or liver, enlarging from disease. Many times though, a lump is actually a cyst. A cyst is a tissue sac that is filled with fluid or other loose material. Feather cysts, for instance, are filled with keratin. "Cysts are not cancerous and do not grow or spread like tumors do, although they might get bigger because they have fluid inside," noted David Phalen, DVM, an avian researcher and associate professor at Texas A & M University. Cysts are generally not serious, he added. In contrast, a tumor (or "neoplasm" as it's known by medical professionals) is a solid mass of tissue and, depending on the type of tumor, it may grow very quickly and spread. A tumor can occur anywhere on the body, and may protrude from the skin, under the skin, or grow inside the body. Tumors are usually much more urgent matters than the other kinds of lumps and bumps just mentioned. Benign Vs. Malignant Tumors come in two main types: the benign (non-cancerous) ones and the malignant (cancerous) kinds. Either type of tumor can be life-threatening to pet birds, but benign growths are generally considered to be less serious than malignant tumors. "Benign tumors tend to stay within one location in the body and do not spread to other areas. They may still grow, but they proliferate very slowly," explained Richard Nye, DVM, a veterinarian in Illinois. He said benign tumors can normally be removed without too much trouble, and in most cases, do not come back. Malignant tumors, on the other hand, can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. This is done through the process of metastasis, wherein cancer cells break away from a malignant tumor and travel through the bloodstream or the lymphatic system to form new, secondary tumors in other parts of the body. "Even if a malignant tumor is removed, its cells may have gone to other tissues in the body, resulting in the development of additional tumors," Nye said. Malignant tumors also tend to grow faster than benign tumors, he added. But while benign tumors do not metastasize, they are still not something to just ignore, Nye stressed. "If a benign tumor's not getting any bigger and it's in a spot where it's not causing any problems, it may not need to be removed, but you still need to watch it" he said. "If the tumor suddenly starts growing, that would warrant a trip to the veterinary clinic to have the mass taken off." Your veterinarian may also want to remove a benign tumor even if it isn't growing if it is in a spot that's bothering your bird in some way. Internal benign tumors can also put pressure on the bird's organs, which can be painful or uncomfortable. "A tumor takes up space, and wherever it is in the body, if it continues to grow, it's going to displace or change what's going on with the surrounding organs," Phalen said. A benign kidney tumor, for example, can put pressure on the sciatic nerves to the leg and make it painful for the bird to use that foot. How Tumors Form Tumors are caused by errors or mutations in the DNA of cells. These abnormal cells do not divide and replicate themselves to a certain point and then stop, like they should. For instance, a normal skin cell will divide and multiply just enough to make a new layer of skin and then quit. The abnormal cell, however, will keep dividing and forming more cells without order or control. These cells just keep multiplying, with no end in sight. These out-of-control cells can be a tough enemy to stop. For one thing, "the outside of these cells appears as `self,' so the body's immune system does not try to destroy them or stop them," Johnson-Delaney said. Furthermore, tumor cells are not controlled by the endocrine and neurological controls that the body's cells are normally under. "Normally a cell is programmed to die after a certain period of time," Johnson-Delaney explained. "A cancer cell, however, doesn't have death programmed into it properly, so it doesn't die when it's supposed to. Instead it continues to multiply and pass on its errors to succeeding cells." Most medical researchers believe that factors such as environmental toxins, carcinogens in the diet, nutritional deficiencies, inbreeding, and old age can all contribute to errors in cell replication and weaken the body's immune system. "It's your immune system's job to clean up aberrant cells," Johnson-Delaney said. "Anything that compromises your immune system is going to increase the odds that some of these aberrant cells are going to slip through the cracks." Common Tumors In Birds There are literally hundreds of types of cancers that can affect pet birds, everything from ovarian cancer and brain tumors, to leukemia, lymphoma and melanoma. Older birds and excessively bred birds are most likely to get cancer, however neoplasms can develop in any avian species. The most common external tumor is in pet birds is squamous cell carcinoma (malignant skin cancer). This form of cancer typically occurs on the skin of the head, on and around the beak, on the eyelids and around the uropygial (preen) gland. It is most often seen in parakeets, lovebirds and cockatiels, although any species can be affected. Certain factors that make the skin less healthy, such as "vitamin-A deficiency and repeated skin injuries, may make birds more susceptible to this type of cancer," speculated Larry Nemetz, DVM, an exotics-only veterinarian in Santa Ana, California. Birds that are skin mutilators may be especially prone to this disease. "When a bird chews up its skin and mutilates an area over and over again, the cells can start losing their way and become cancerous," he said. Tumors of the fibrous, connective tissue — Fibromas or "fibroid tumors," which are benign, and fibrosarcoma, which are malignant -- are commonly seen in pet birds. "These are fairly easy tumors to spot and may simply show up as an unusual bump on the skin, or there may be a couple feathers sticking up in a strange way on the bird's body," Nye said. Fibroids and fibrosarcomas most often appear on the wings, legs, junction of the beak and face, neck and sternum. The birds most often involved are budgerigars, parakeets, cockatoos and macaws. Probably the most common internal tumor in pet birds is an intra-abdominal mass, which is a tumor of either the reproductive organs (ovaries or testicles) or kidneys. These could be either malignant or benign. Abdominal masses are most often seen in budgies that are between 5 and 8 years of age, according to Burge. More often than not, these types of tumors are not detected until the bird is emaciated and acting very sick. This, Burge said, "can be due to the pressure the tumor puts on the digestive tract, making it difficult for food to pass through, or droppings may accumulate around the vent causing blockage." Some of these birds may be presented with labored breathing as the main symptom due to the large tumor causing collapse of the air sacs. Lameness may also be a presenting sign when the tumor puts pressure on the nerve supply to one leg. Many birds also develop cancer of the lymphatic system. In a healthy animal, the lymphoid system is an important part of the body's immune system defense against infectious agents such as viruses and bacteria. Lymphoid tissue normally is found in many parts of the body including lymph nodes, liver, spleen, gastrointestinal tract and skin. If malignant cells invade these tissues, the disease is known as lymphosarcoma. If the cells are benign, the disease is called lymphoma. Lipomas are benign tumors that are composed of mature fat cells. "Most of them are found just under the skin, rarely infiltrating into muscles or organs," Burge noted. "They are very commonly found on the upper chest and over the abdomen, although they may be found in other locations on the bird's body." Lipomas don't usually cause birds a lot of problems unless they get so big that they interfere with leg movement. If they are becoming a problem, many times putting the bird on a low-fat diet will be enough to shrink down the fatty tumor, or even get rid of it all together. In extreme cases, lipomas can also be surgically removed. These tumors generally occur in overweight birds and are most commonly seen in budgerigars; and Gallah, rose-breasted and sulphur-crested cockatoos. Unlike the other tumors on this list, papillomas are not caused by out-of-control cells but by a virus called Psittacid herpesvirus. Papillomas appear as wart-like lesions of the oral cavity of the mouth and of the vent. "The lesions are benign, and can sometimes come and go without treatment," Phalen noted. "Other times they just keep getting worse and worse, and [can] be very irritating to the bird and start bleeding." In that situation, the papillomas would need to be surgically removed. South American species (especially Amazons and macaws) are seen with papillomas more often than other species. Detecting Tumors Like with cancer in people, the sooner you notice an abnormal mass in your bird, the greater the success rate in treatment and the better the prognosis. Many times, though, tumors are not discovered until they are quite large. Or, sometimes pet owners will find a lump but choose to just wait and see if it will go away by itself, according to Burge. Then by the time they do take their bird to the veterinary clinic, the tumor has reached an enormous size and may have metastasized. "It is much safer and less expensive to remove a tumor or cyst when it is small," Burge said, "rather than waiting until it is the size of the bird's head!" Regularly look your birds over and check them for unusual lumps and bumps. External tumors are usually fairly easy to detect. You may see a mass on the bird's skin or be able to feel an unusual bulge underneath the feathers. Or you may notice an irregular displacement of the feathers and that may clue you in. It's a good idea to have a regular time set aside every couple weeks to give your bird a quick examination. If in doubt, consult with your avian veterinarian. The veterinarian may determine that the mass is suspicious and needs to be biopsied, where a tiny portion of it is taken and sent to a pathologist for examination. "The doctor cannot tell you what type of tumor it is without having a pathologist examine it since many different benign and malignant tumors may look the same," Burge said. Internal tumors are much harder to detect. You may just notice that your bird won't stand on one of its feet, or maybe it is eating less, sleeping more or has lost some weight. Of course these symptoms are the same as would be present with many infectious diseases. The only way to know for sure what it wrong with your bird is to take it into the veterinary clinic for an examination. Your veterinarian will probably do a number of diagnostic tests, including blood tests, radiographs (X-rays) or even exploratory surgery in order to determine what's going on with your bird. Tumor Treatment & Prognosis In most cases, surgical removal of the tumor is recommended. The only exceptions would be if it is a benign tumor that is not growing or changing, and if it is in a location on the body where it is not interfering with the bird's normal behavior and activities. However, if the benign tumor is getting larger or is just in a spot on the bird's body where it is making the bird feel uncomfortable, that tumor should be taken off. In general, benign growths have a better prognosis than malignant tumors. It may just be a matter of removing the tumor or the tissue where the growth is located and then, for all practical purposes, the bird is cured. Malignant tumors are much more difficult to deal with because of their propensity for metastasizing (spreading to other areas of the body). The sooner these kinds of tumors are removed, the less likely they will have metastasized. If it's an external malignant tumor, the tumor, as well as the tissue surrounding the growth, is usually removed. Johnson-Delaney has had cases where she's had to amputate a bird's wing or leg because the tumor cells were deep in the muscle or bone. "It may sound like a radical procedure," she said, "but sometimes this is what it takes to save a bird's life." Kidney, reproductive and other internal tumors are the most difficult to surgically remove, because the tumor will usually have a large blood supply, and it often adheres to other organs. Trying to remove the tumor would cause the bird to bleed to death. "It's a lot easier doing this kind of surgery on dogs and cats, because they're much bigger animals," Phalen said. "The challenge with birds is if they have cancer in their kidney, usually we can't get to it surgically because the breastbone and other organs are in the way. Plus, it's doubtful that the bird is even going to survive the surgical procedure." The budgerigar — one of the birds most prone to developing kidney and reproductive tumors — only weighs around 35 grams on average. "With a small bird, there's not a lot of room for blood loss," Phalen said. The sad truth for bird owners is there's not always a lot can be done for a bird with a cancer, other than supportive care (IV fluids, etc.). Sometimes veterinarians will try to "debulk" the tumor (removing as much of it as possible) to reduce the tumor's mass. "This is obviously not a cure," Johnson-Delaney said. "It just buys the animal some time and takes away some of the pain it is probably experiencing." Chemotheraphy & Radiation Treatment For Birds In some cases, chemotherapy and radiation are utilized to treat malignant tumors, especially if it's suspected that they have spread. Usually these treatments are used in conjunction with surgery, and only in situations where the bird is in such bad shape that it has "nothing to lose" by undergoing them. Chemotherapy and radiation have not been used in pet birds very long, so most veterinary practitioners have not had experience with them. They are still considered to be radical or experimental treatments. If you did opt for either of these procedures for your bird, you would probably have to go to a specialty veterinary clinic or a veterinary teaching hospital at a university to have it done. "Chemotherapy uses harsh, dangerous, very toxic drugs," Nemetz said. "What you're basically trying to do is poison the cancer but not poison the animal. There's no guarantee it's going to work, and there's no guarantee your bird is going to survive the treatments." The two chemotherapy drugs used, Cisplatin and Carboplatin, definitely kill cancer cells, but they can damage the cells in the bone marrow that are producing the white blood cells and the red blood cells. Any bird that is on this kind of treatment will be closely monitored to make sure the white blood cell count doesn't go down too low. Radiation treatments can also have a lot of negative side effects. With birds in particular, Nye cautioned, "it's especially challenging to try to confine the radiation to the small area that needs it, so you end up radiating the entire animal. You kill the cancer cells, but you also blow the bone marrow out and every other rapidly growing cell in the body of the bird." What's The Prognosis If you find a lump on your bird, what are the chances of a good prognosis? "It depends on what kind of tumor it is, where the tumor is located, and how soon you catch it," Phalen replied. If it's a benign external tumor that only recently appeared, chances are your bird will be fine. But if the tumor is malignant and it's located somewhere inside your bird's body where surgeons are not going to be able to get at it, the prognosis, unfortunately, is probably not going to be very good. Cancer is a tough enemy to confront, and that holds true whether you're talking about birds, people, dogs, cats or any animal. Still, the treatment options are more plenteous for people, dogs and cats than they are for pet birds. "We're still very much in our infancy in our understanding of how to best treat the different kinds of cancers that we see in pet birds," Phalen said. If a person, for instance, develops liver cancer, there are definite treatment protocols that have been established. We don't have that yet for pet birds, in big part due to the fact that there are 300-plus psittacine species that each needs its own treatment protocols.

DISEASES OF BUDGERIGARS There are many diseases for budgerigars, the most common are treatable. Often you cannot tell by looking at the bird that they are sick until it is too late. When buying birds. Always isolate, do not just throw them into your aviary. Each and every aviary has its little 'bugs' and the birds in that aviary are quite comfortable with those bugs. Take them to another aviary and maybe things could go wrong either with your birds or the aviary you have taken them to. Each of these diseases are preventable. It's up to you which way you want to go. a) throw them into the aviary and let them sink or swim have them tested for the basic diseases and when the verdict comes back you have at least done your best. Psittacosis A very nasty disease which can wipe out many birds in a few days. Treatment Psittavet (Doxycycline) for 45 days. No grit or calcium. I use Doxycycline from Marshall, stronger and more economical and more cost effective. Canker (Trichamonasis) A protozoa bug. Easily treatable with Ronivet from Vetafarm (prescription needed) or from R. Marshall you can get Turbosole a much more effective treatment product. Coccidiosis. Again a bug that can wipe out a lot of birds quickly. Treatment is Baycox or Carlox Use according to the labels. Coccivet 1 week in four, Baycox/Carlox a S4 drug only from Vets, 3 days per month. Baycox or Carlox is the drug of choice. Also treat the birds if you have prolonged wet weather. I use Carlox from Marshall. You can also use Coccivet from Vetafarm, but it is not as effective as Baycox or Carlox. Worms. If you have concrete floors then you should not have any problem with worms. Worming medication available from Elenbee's trading table. Megabacteria. A very nasty bacteria which seems to come when the birds are immuno-suppressed. Treatment is with Mega-S. a S4 drug from Vetafarm. Has to be prescribed by a Vet. Using Aviclens in the water, you can help control this bug. This was the treatment before the use of Mega-S. Beak-mite. A little mite which invades the tissue around the beak, and also the legs and vent of the bird. Ivermectin ( 1 drop to the back of neck is usually sufficient) Non drug method. Small amount of cooking oil and paintbrush and paint the affected area. What I do when I get new birds in. 1. Isolate. 2. Get droppings, wrap in Glad wrap then FOIL 3. Send them to Dr. Rob Marshall.772 Pennant Hills Rd. Carlingford with your name, Phone No. and bankcard no. and ask for Psittacosis test and anything else they can look for. I use a Express pack. I put Psittacoses on the front of the envelope. It doesn't sit around for hours. It is tested immediately upon receipt. 4. Ring within 48hrs for results 98717113 or ring and ask your local avian Vet if he offers this service. 5. If positive to any of the diseases. You have already isolated the birds. All you have to do is treat. 6. Doing it this way, you have not contaminated any of your other birds. 7. When clear, release the birds into the aviary, preferably on a day you are home so you can watch them and make sure that they are not being picked on.

Budgie Diet – taken from Mike Cannon's sheet. Feeding a balanced diet. To prevent deficiencies and decrease the amount of seed eaten, we recommend the following foods be offered. Try offering as many a possible (not all at once) but do not be surprised it your bird is only interested in a few. Many budgies will only eat the leafy greens, but these are highly nutritious. Sunflower seeds, safflower and nuts (almonds, peanuts etc) are not part of a balanced diet as they contain a lot of fat. These may be fed in very small numbers as a treat. They should not form a significant part of a daily diet. Suggested Major Supplements. (these are added as a main part of the diet to replace seeds. Dark green, leafy vegetables, spinach or silver beet, endive, Chinese cabbage (bok Choy), celery, parsley, thistle, dandelion or native grasses and their seeding heads. In most cases lettuce is not recommended. § Broccoli, capsicum, tomato, and sweet corn or corn-on the cob, may be fed raw or parboiled. Frozen corn okay (defrost first) or tinned (rinse well) Carrot, peas, beans, pumpkin and sweet potato, may be fed raw or parboiled and can be grated. § Sprouted seeds, alfalfa, mung beans, cress etc. or the normal budgie seed can be sprouted. Small amounts of fruit, apple, peach, pear, plums, apricot, honeydew melon, rockmelon, mango, paw paw, grapes, cherries, mandarin, orange, nectarines. Figs raisins, sultanas, currants, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, kiwi fruit, loquat. Avoid. Cabbage cauliflower Brussel sprouts, rhubarb leaves and avocado as they are toxic. Suggested Minor supplements (these are added as only a small part of the diet to add interest for the bird or during breeding season) Animal Protein supplement (Give each hen ¼ teas daily in the breeding season. Egg and biscuit mix. Boiled or scrambled egg, plain cake (ig Madeira cake) small pieces of meat or chop bone, fresh whole-grain or wholemeal bread. § Calcium source. Shell grit, cuttle bone or products such as Calcivet or Calcium Sandoz syrup. § Flowers from native trees. Grevillea, Acacia (wattle) Callistemon (bottle brush) Banksia, Eucalyptus (gum trees), Casuarina (She-oaks) Leptrospermum (tea tree) and Illawarra Flame tree. Most non native trees should be avoided, 2 exceptions that may be used are Pine trees and Jacaranda.

With the kind permission of Mr Nigel Tonkin, BCSA President, I am posting this article that he has written. Particularly at this time of extreme weather temperatures I thought it would come in great use to our members. Hi all I am just sending a friendly comment to some who may not have been in the fancy that long in relation to heat and the birds: these are things that I DO or DO NOT do and you and others may beg to differ: Please feel free to pass on to as many fanciers as you would like: WATER DO add ice cubes to the water in the a.m. keeping the water cooler for a longer period of time DO water in the early part of the day - I try to around 6 - 7 a.m. and then again later in the evening - I try around 7.30 - 8.30 p.m (I have lights on timers so the birds can see until 11 p.m. and the light commence again at 5 a.m. in this weather - if not already light).[/color] DO check the water later in the day - early evening to ensure all containers have water[/color] DO change the water daily TWICE if you can[/color] DO use OPEN trays, glass or enamel - not galvanised. I am not one for upturned bottles as they DO NOT ALLOW all of the birds access to the drinking water when they need it, only permits one at a time v's a flock situation DO NOT add vitamins as these can 'go off' DO add aviclens or similar to the water DO NOT spray the birds in the aviary during the day as this increases humidity and puts more stress on the birds AIRFLOW and AVIARY ACTIVITY If able, have fans on to creat air movement. Air-conditioning can be dangerous as if at 20 degrees and the power goes off, then major issues with a potential + 20 degrees jump in temp over a short period of time Get in to the aviaries early and get out and stay out to prevent disturbance of the birds Let the birds attempt to control their own day without interruption once you have fed, watered and turned on any items you might use Insulate if you are able, but only when cool Shade cloth is good to take some of the heat off the aviary GREENS None to be given, unless in the early morning or late p.m and it can be consumed totally in a short period of time SOFTFOODS and SOAKED / SPROUTED SEED I ceased the add ins once warmed up I feed Sprouts 25% of normal in the early hours of the morning and now a similar amount when I rewater the birds in the evening. Can be a treat if done properly, can be a disaster if overdone and or seeds are not thoroughly rinsed. CHECKING BIRDS Check both in the a.m. and p.m for issues - I have just found a hen with a clogged bum, normal looking faeces, but because some of our birds have longer feather around the vent, there can be times when the faeces attach and then a blockage and then potential death. As I stated at the outset, fanciers might not agree with what I present above and that is okay as long as we are all aware of the need to use best practice in preventing disasters with our livestock then I will be happy Have a great day Cheers Nigel T Nigel Tonkin (BCSA President)