Daz

Shannon, there are many that would love to breed a chick of this quality. Including myself. You should be very proud of him.

Budgerigars as Pets Budgerigar Health Programme | Lice, Mite & Worm Protection Budgerigar Melopstiiacus undulatus Size: 19cm in length Pet Status: Excellent Talking Ability: Excellent Noise Level: Low Lifespan: Up to 15 years Breeding Ability: Excellent Number of Eggs: 4-5 eggs Incubation: 18 days Compatibility with other species: Compatible with most other birds including larger parrots. Feeding: Seed and Fruit eaters Health Programmes: Follow the Budgerigar Health Programme. Sexing: Male has blue cere and female whitish brown cere. Not all varieties can be distinguished using this method. The budgerigar originates from the arid centre of Australia and has become one of the most popular pet birds kept throughout the world. These small, hardy birds make excellent pets for anyone over the age of 6. They can be fantastic talkers and have a tremendous mimicking ability. When choosing a pet budgerigar it is best to select: A young weaned male budgie. The most intelligent budgie in the cage. These are the most lively and inquisitive ones. The bird with the best feathers. The young budgie must have a full tail and wings. Read the Whole Article > Here on Dr Rob Marshall's Website <

The Modern Day Exhibition Budgerigar The simple fact is that the modern day budgerigar is susceptible to illness The wild budgerigar has adapted and prospered for 4 million years in the deserts of Australia because under the correct conditions (rain) it is a prolific breeder. The 4 million years of prolific breeding still remains in the blood (genes) of the modern day budgerigar and can be restored by providing it with exactly the same conditions that made the wild bird so successful. We call this "Good Aviary Management". This is a very good read... > Bird Health < please have a look

Sorry for your loss.

Albinos have no markings. (Normally) She may have suffusion which is a dusting of either grey or blue tinge. Being a yellowface, she may have the yellow bleeding into the body..

what do you mean DrNat?

... give all the cages, flights and nests a good cleaning now and once a week. Chnage the water everyday. Check that there is no spoilt food.

Agreed, You must have the vitamins, minerals. I give fresh Vegis twice a week and add them to the soft food. 80% is very high.

Yes it's one sorce.. but please remember that if you are feed 30% protein that when added to vegitables and hulled oats the percentage is decreased (watered down) and them how much is the bird eating and how much seed is added to that. ???????? It's a big guess. It's a bit like adding canary to seed.. yes it increases it but how much does the bird eat? I had a bird that through out all the canary from the seed bowl and only ate millet????

Sorry I miss read the post last night.. I thought it was split to normal.. As stated ...Don't pair splits to normals if you want recessives.. too much waste. You won't know Until you pair them back to a recessive.

Quarentine is very inportant. My new birds are kept in the garage far away from the rest of the birds.

who knows? a spilt to a normal produces normals and splits. Both chicks could be normals. You won't know Until you pair them back to a recessive. Don't pair splits to normals if you want recessives.. too much waste.

Heath as posted, I believe that 50% is put through the beak. You do have to have that other 50% in the pairing, but just how do you get the 50% through the beak when you are gone 10 - 11 hours a day and have to sleep another 8 hours. That leaves 35 hours in 7 days to work the birds.. Take cleaning out and there isn't much left. I am happy with my current routine and look forward to seeing the outcome. (if any)

Use a vet if in doubt

Wouldnt it be great to be retired, and have time to do all these things. For some of us time poor people that is unrealistic. But im sure there are other ways of getting protein into the birds. A breeder i know for animal protein uses ground up dog food pellets, has been using it for 20 plus years. Working 10 hours aday I need to provide the highest quality of food for the birds.. So I need to look seriously at these types of routines and adapt them to my life style.

I follow this and have three birds in quarrentine at the moment.

The Aduls are feed this when they are in the breeding cabinets. In the flights they are on Plain seed and vitaminized grit and feed fresh vegatables on a saturday afternoon andSunday Afternoon... just feed them then That was a comment that Henry George made... Show birds aren't feed on seed and water... I think it's in The Challenge.

"The Model Aviculture Programme (MAP)" MAP, is an outgrowth of the National Cage and Aviary Bird Improvement Plan that was initially proposed by a subcommittee of the United States Animal Health Association in 1981. In its original form, it was supposed to be a government program that set standards of care for all breeders of exotic bird species. It was to be administered by state agencies and subject to inspection by officers of the state. Acting on their fear and concerns that these standards of care would be unrealistic and arbitrarily decided upon by officials of various government agencies with little or no experience with or without knowledge of the exotic species involved, a group of California aviculturalists, using veterinarians as resource persons, addressed the concerns of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Centre for Disease Control and developed as an alternative, MAP. As it stands, right now, MAP is a voluntary program designed to improve avicultural practices by outlining basic standards of care. Included in the model, is the provision for veterinarian site inspections, as unbiased professionals, rather than inspection by government officials. Certification is offered to individuals who meet the standards and pass the veterinarian inspection. What Is So Significant About Map? It is not that MAP sets basic standards of care. Good aviary managers have always maintained a high standard of care and cleanliness. More than anything, it is that MAP offers the modern aviculturist a new perspective into aviary medical management and control of pathogens. To understand this, you will need to understand the concepts upon which MAP was built. The Closed Aviary Concept In a limited way, we could define a closed aviary, as a structure in which there are a number of distinct and separated areas, each having a role in the overall breeding operation. In MAP, however, the concept of a closed aviary goes way beyond what this limited structural view would suggest. For example, it doesn't matter in the Model Avicultural Program if all of these areas are located in one place or are spread over a number of different locations. A breeding room could be located in your house. The isolation area may be in your garage. The flight may be a free standing circle in your yard, while the breeding room could be found in the garden shed. What is important to the MAP concept of a closed aviary, is that each of these areas, regardless of where they are located are thought of and treated as separate modules, each having a specific function and playing a fundamental role in the overall control of pathogens and medical management in your aviary. In addition, the MAP closed aviary concept adheres to the following basic principles: Protection of the flock from infectious or management induced disease is always the primary concern of a closed aviary. All management efforts are focused on prevention of widespread or recurring problems in the future. Individual birds are still diagnosed and treated, but it is clearly understood that enhancing and protecting the productivity of the entire flock is more important than protecting the contributions of a single bird. Traditional medical management focuses on diagnosis, treatment and control of the existing clinical illness. In the closed aviary concept, when a disease is diagnosed, the focus is on finding the relationship between management practices and the disease. The goal is to identify the husbandry flaw that allowed the disease to manifest itself. Disease prevention by improved management efforts is accomplished through the basic principles of designated areas and control of human and animal traffic between these areas. Each area has a prescribed protocol for the elimination of pathogens as the closed aviary is designed to restrict the introduction of disease agents and disruptive factors within the collection. Control of human or bird movements when entering or leaving an area and between areas further restricts the introduction of pathogens and eliminates problems of cross contamination. Record systems are an integral part of effective management and are used to clarify and monitor potential problems in each of the designated areas. For instance, records documenting the health status and treatment protocol of a bird initially entering the facility, provide an effective means of detecting the presence of, or tracking the cause of any sub-clinical diseases that may appear as it exits one area and arrives into another area of the aviary. The Role Of Modules In A Closed Aviary System Quarantine Area Quarantine is the primary defence in protecting the flock from the introduction of infectious disease. Its secondary purpose is to determine whether or not the new additions are diseased and then to treat the problem. The quarantine area is where all new arrivals are housed and ideally it should be as far away from the rest of the collection as possible. A separate building or a separate room is always preferred. The standard quarantine period is 45 days. Any imported bird or a bird that has been exposed to other avian species of unknown origin should be quarantined for a period of 90 days. A mistake made by many breeders, is that they believe that any bird, which has been through “Government Quarantine” is free from infectious disease. This is far from correct, as these quarantine programmes are usually designed only to protect poultry from specific economically impacting diseases and is not concerned whether a bird is otherwise healthy. Any bird, which is taken out of the collection and exposed to other birds must re-enter the facility through the quarantine area. The minimum recommended quarantine period for a bird re-entering the facility that has not had direct contact with another bird, is 30 days. In the Quarantine Area, the most important concept to disease control is the “all in - all out” concept. If during the quarantine period new birds are introduced, the quarantine period automatically begins afresh for all of the birds housed there. Good hygiene is mandatory while working in the quarantine area. Discard disposable gloves and/or wash and disinfect your hands after contacting each quarantined bird. Wash your hands in a disinfectant when leaving quarantine. Separate food containers, utensils, etc. should be marked and utilised only in the quarantine area and then with the same bird or group of birds throughout their course of treatment. Ideally, birds should be housed separately. A hospital gown and shoe covers should be worn while in the quarantine area. The gown and shoe covers are then removed as exiting the area to reduce the risk of cross contamination. Feeding, care, and servicing of the quarantine area should be the last task undertaken after all other aviary chores are accomplished. Quarantine records should indicate: 1. The arrival date and source of the bird. 2. Bird identification number. 3. Cage number. 4. Comments, findings of the physical examination. 5. Daily observations of behaviour. 6. List of laboratory tests and results. 7. List of treatments and medications used. 8. Date of release from quarantine. Quarantine protocols, or the type of laboratory tests given and the routine treatments performed, have generally varied depending on the veterinarian, the species, the origin and the value of the bird. Typically, the more expensive the bird, especially if imported, the greater the number of laboratory tests that are given. Dr. Joel Murphy, D.V.M., and Board Certified in Avian Medicine, believes that quarantine protocols should be based on what he refers to as “risk factors”. In terms of the financial loss and loss of time involved in developing your strain of birds, what do you have to lose if a bird entering your aviary carries a disease and 80% to 90% of the flock is affected. If you have a collection of very few inexpensive birds, then your risk is low. As your flock grows, however, and more expensive birds are added to the collection, then the quarantine protocol takes on greater significance. Dr. Murphy feels that quarantine starts with a thorough veterinary examination of every bird entering the aviary. The specific tests and procedures needed beyond the entrance exam, will vary from one aviary to another and are based on an evaluation of the risk factors present in the physical facility that houses the aviary. If, for instance, the birds are housed in a small area, with little ventilation and the risk of a virus spreading quickly through the flock is high, then greater care is necessary when introducing new arrivals. Dr. Murphy suggests, that with Budgerigars, the minimum protocol for all new birds in addition to the entrance exam should be: 1. Gram's stain or Bacterial Culture. 2. Intestinal parasite faecal exam. 3. Treat for psittacosis, regardless of testing. 4. Treat for tapeworms regardless of testing. 5. Treat for Giardia regardless of testing. 6. Treat for Trichomonads regardless of testing. 7. Treat for roundworms regardless of testing. 8. Treat for Knemidocoptes (scaly mite) regardless of testing. 9. Spray all new birds with pyrethrum spray to kill feather mites. 10. Evaluate risk factors with your veterinarian and determine additional testing procedures.

Bob mixes the white of the egg powder into the water, he also mixes in a Baby formular as well. This, I beleived, is changes twice a day. For a good animal protien tray boiling chicken pieces untill cooked. Let cool. Break the meat into a blender and blend finely. Put into the frezzer and freeze. Chop back up in a blender untill a fine powder and mix into the soft food.

Bob Smith uses Baby formular in his water with White egg powder... I am aware that too much protein causes Kidney failure.. but how much is too much??? Looking for info.

Sounds good

Liv, did you ever finish this?

Dave great question, I've just posted a topic to discuss this same point. >Link <

I am hoping that this can begin an interesting discussion (Think Tank) on how we can improve on the Show Qualities of the birds. I know that this is in the foremost of our thinking every day but to get it on “paper”, discuss it entirely, clinically and see what we can agree on. The birds are basically skeleton, mussel and feather. Depending on quality and structural features within these three items we judge the bird. The features are determined by many factors. Genetic make up handed to them from their parents, the food that we feed them and how they process it. Some say 50% in the genes and 50% through the beak. Let’s start with the food as I‘d like to assume that we have the best stock that we can afford and we have some basic idea on how to pair the birds. We are all looking for healthy birds that will not only breed well for us but also to look good on the bench. The first thing we look at is the feather. Here is an extract from Wikapedia. Feathers are among the most complex integumentary appendages found in vertebrates and are formed in tiny follicles in the epidermis, or outer skin layer, that produce keratin proteins. The β-keratins in feathers, beaks and claws — and the claws, scales and shells of reptiles — are composed of protein strands hydrogen-bonded into β-pleated sheets, which are then further twisted and crosslinked by disulfide bridges into structures even tougher than the α-keratins of mammalian hair, horns and hoof.[3][4] The exact signals that induce the growth of feathers on the skin are not known but it has been found that the transcription factor cDermo-1 induces the growth of feathers on skin and scales on the leg.[5] What I see quickly is the extract that the Feathers are composed of protein strands. We all talk about protein and how we need to feed it to the birds for the feather qualities. Bob Smith gave a lecture two weeks ago on his feeding program. In it he hit on how much protein he is giving his birds. I feed soft food to my birds once a day, in the morning and only to the Breeding cages and Nursery. Bob believes that this is way too little. He suggests three times a day and to birds up to the age of 6 months. …. And suggests animal protein as well as vegetable protein. I have now changed to feed the birds twice a day and have looked at the type and level of protein in their diets. Each morning they are feed soft food containing: Whole Egg Powder 1 table spoon Finch Soft Food 1 tablespoon Budgie Starter 2/3 cup Hulled oats 1 cup Mixed Chopped Vegis 8 tablespoons Calcivit 10mls The Mixed Chopped Vegis are carrot, beetroot, parsley and spinach leaves. To 4 cups of this I add 2 tablespoons of probotics and a tablespoon of Pentivite (children’s multivitamin) They get half of that each night. At first it took a few brave souls to try it but now it is fully gone and I see that they prefer it to the seed.

"The Power Of Observation" In our birds, early signs of illness are often slight and often overlooked. In fact, often the smaller the bird, the more severe the illness becomes before it is recognised. Additionally, birds in general show indications of pain and discomfort to a much lesser degree than most mammals. Mammals, for instance, wince or cry out when a painful area is touched. Except in certain specialised areas such as the cere, nostrils, eyes, feet and angles of the beak where the pain threshold is lower, birds seldom respond to pain even when diseased organs or limbs are palpitated. This is further evidenced when cutting or stitching body wounds on birds, there is little or no indication of pain exhibited. In the absence of clearer indications, the knowledge of normal behaviours, activity, appearance and habits is extremely important in order to recognise signs of ill health or injury. This knowledge, supplemented by patient observations and reliance on the senses of sight, hearing, touch and smell to assess the problem, is what ultimately leads us to a diagnosis and interventions, which save our birds lives. The end goal of evaluation is the accumulation and organisation of observations into a factual statement of the presenting problem. We begin this process by standing back and watching from a distance, then recording what we have seen. Look first at the activity level. Anything out of the norm? What is the birds posture like? Normal, huddled, tail up or down, wings drooped or elevated? What is the attitude of the head? Thrown back, drooped forward, tucked in? What is the position of the toes, feet? Are eyes and/or beak open, closed? Are there variations in the contour of the body? Humpbacked, swelling? What is the appearance of the plumage? Tattered, ruffled, moulting? Are any areas matted, such as the mask, top of head, vent? Are there any differences in asymmetry i.e., one wing drooped, the other normal? Is there steadiness on the perch or loss of balance? What are the respiration’s like? Panting, laboured, normal? Now take a closer look. Encourage movement. Do you observe any unsteadiness? Lameness? Un-coordination? Impaired or weakened flight? Now that we are up close, let’s be more precise. Start with the head and face. Any signs of discharge from the nostrils? Discoloration of the feathers above the cere or over the head? What colour is the cere? Any bumps, growth, whitish/yellowish powdery substances on it? How about the beak? Normal growth? Damage or injury? Anything unusual around the hinged area of the jaw? Now to the eyes. Clear and bright? Dull, clouded? Both the same? Redness, swelling, discharge? Clear tears? Cloudy? General feather condition? Quills? Dried blood, bare spots? How about the chest? Evidence of growths or lumps? Wings. Broken feathers, flights, cysts? Any evidence of injury? Is the vent clean? Faecal matter? Wet or dry? Colour? Tail feathers present? Broken or absent? Any impaction or cysts at the feather base? A Further Step So far so good. We have gathered and recorded a lot of useful information simply through our powers of observation. Along the way we have eliminated some things as well as discovered areas to be explored more deeply. Now let's go a step further and begin the physical exam using our ears, nose and touch as the primary diagnostic tools. Pick your bird up in your hand, immobilising the head, wings and feet. Place your ear systematically over different areas of the body, beginning with the head. For our purposes, the unaided ear is more than adequate for detecting normal and abnormal sounds. Do you notice any clicking sound coming from the nostrils? Is there any involuntary sneezing? How about gurgling from the mouth? Listen to the chest. Hissing or whistling sounds originating from the windpipe? Is breathing excessively laboured after handling? Have you noticed any change of voice or loss of voice? These signs may indicate respiratory tract infection, tracheal infection or obstruction, air sacculitis or even pneumonia. As you have hold of your bird take note of its weight. Does it feel full bodied, muscled, fat or thin? Place your finger on the keel bone (centre of the chest). Is it prominent or set back in well developed chest muscles? Weight loss as evidenced by a prominent keel is symptomatic of any number of diseases. Any lumps or fatty deposits? Now open the beak. Examine the tongue and lining membranes of the mouth. What colour are they? Any ulcers, wounds, obstructions, cheesy exudate? Smell the mouth. Any odour? How would you describe it? Push the feathers back from the hinges of the beak. Any growth, lumps, etc.? How about under the bottom of the beak where it attaches? When examining the rest of the body pluck or blow apart feathers and look at the skin colour. Is the skin tight to the body or loose like on your thigh? Taught, tight skin can be a sign of dehydration. Any wounds or other abnormalities? Can you feel any shivering of body muscles? Run your finger over the pelvic girdle. Any swelling or lumps? Can you easily feel the pelvic bones? Fat deposits and fatty tumours are quite common in the abdominal area. Does this area seem to taper down into the tail or does it appear to cut off abruptly? This is often a symptom of wasting syndrome? Just above the area where the tail feathers attach, is the uropygial gland, sometimes referred to as the oil gland or preen gland. Check for infection. Sometimes, the duct becomes blocked with a cheesy yellowish matter. The Extremities Now to the extremities; wings, legs and feet. Any stiffness or swelling? Spread each wing separately. Do you hear any clicking, crunching or grinding? It is not uncommon to find an old healed fracture with stiff arthritic joints. Now do the same with each leg and foot. Joint stiffness? Swelling? Clicking, grinding sounds? Again, trauma can be the cause as well as arthritis. Crippling arthritis can be caused by a systemic bacterial infection. Toes swollen? Missing? Constrictive toe syndrome or gout can be the cause. In gout, uric acid deposits accumulate in the joints of the feet and legs. It is caused by chronic kidney failure. Nails missing? Overgrown? This could affect the ability to mate, especially if it is a male. Now look at the underside of each foot. Any lesions, inflammation or evidence of infection? Staff infections are not uncommon. Be sure to look for evidence of scaly mite also. Run your finger along the point where flight feather shafts enter the skin. Any lumps, cysts, broken shafts? Evidence of blood? You have now completed a physical exam. Obviously there have been limitations regarding the extent to which this exam has been carried out but for our purposes you did a good job! Now take some time to organise and write down your observations. Now one more thing to do before we have fully completed our evaluation. Let's observe the environment. Cage first. Any sign of blood? Clusters of feathers? Scattered food or water containers? How about patches of nibbled paint or chewed areas? Look at the food. Discoloration? Mould? Smell it as well as the water. Any odour? Is there any evidence of regurgitation? Now to output of waste materials. What colour are the droppings? Grey, yellow, green? Are they watery, soft, hard? Copious? Any evidence of mucous? Again, note your findings. With a working knowledge of Budgerigar illnesses and emergency care coupled with the information you have gathered to this point, make the decision. “Do I need a veterinarian or is this something I can treat myself?” From THE MASTER BREEDER