Dean_NZ

Egg eating may mean a number of things. 1) You really have been checking too much and she has become distressed or nervous. 2) She is not as in condition as you think, and eating the eggs has returned nutrients that she is low on. 3) She is too young / inexperienced and needs to be returned to the aviary and tried again at the end of this year or same time next year. 4) She is not a good mother and needs to have eggs fostered to other hens and replaced with fakes. 5) Something else is distressing her (mice, bugs, cats, noise)

Any updates or info?

I usually dont add any water at all to mine. I rub some broccoli against the grater (the side you usually use to grate carrots) and it breaks it into tiny pieces. Then i grab a carrot, and use another side of the grater (the one with the tiny holes) so that the carrot isnt grating into pieces - its grating into a mush. This mush is mixed with the broccoli, often i also add sprouted seeds or occasionally oat groats (or rolled oats but not often). There is enough moisture in the carrot to make the egg food the right consistency. It should be moist but fluffy and crumbly - it should feel like damp bread crumbs and still crumble. If it is sticky or gunky, you have used too much carrot or not used enough egg food. You'll figure out how much egg food/carrot to use for the right consistency. There are all sorts of nutritious veges you can mix into your egg food for parents and growing chicks.

I was just going to say something doesnt look right. My chicks have splayed legs while they are still pink and cant lift themselves, but by the time they have feathers, their wings are tight to their bodies and legs are uniform and able to lift them. Something is off with those chicks?? Legs and feathers? Wings dont seem to sit right too.. Maybe its just the moment you caught them at? How much grip do they have on the flooring? What kind of bedding is in the nest?

The link you posted with budgie sounds only gave me an mp3 that is about 3 minutes long? How do i get the 63 minute one?? I've been meaning to get around to finding good quality flock sounds for some time, as im very aware that budgies are flock creatures that LOVE noise. ESPECIALLY FLOCK NOISES!!!

Couldnt tell you for sure as i dont have double factor greys (i know this from breeding), but as far as i know you cannot tell them apart. Just as you cannot visually tell a double factor green bird from a green bird split blue. I dont think a second grey factor makes the bird any darker than a single factor. But i could be wrong!

Not necessarily. If they are green series not split for blue, all you will get are SF grey greens and DF grey greens. Depending on the dark factor, you will get shade variances. But if you intend to on-breed these birds, you may soon be overrun with grey-greens as double factor grey-greens will only produce grey greens with other greens, and grey greens split for blue if paired to pure blues. If they are BOTH SF grey green split for blue already, you will get some blues, some greys, some greens and some grey greens. If one or both are already DF grey greens split for blue, you will only get greys and grey greens.

Hi Great to have someone of your caliber on the boards. Look forward to hearing more from you!! Thanks for the help so far

I think from inspection of the photos you could say they just go up instead of down. Rather than spiralling, which some appear to do although i think that is more of an illusion. Lol. I agree with the Marilyn thing!!

Cant wait to see them fully feathered! Nice job

Here are some pics, he wouldn't stand still for long enough and this one:

Hi everyone, i went down to see if i could find him at the pet shop and sure enough, our little grey green chest chrested budgie was there. I was fortunate enough to have him put aside for a close inspection, and it certainly is a crest. However, when i spoke to one of the avian staff i know, she was able to tell me not only who brought in the bird, but that she has seen a number of them from this lady and others. She says as far as she know it is a common feathering problem among the english show types that sometimes are close to featherdusters, that is to say, she sees this condition always in 'longer feathered birds'. Knowing full well who the breeder was i decided not to get the bird as she is someone i have decided not to buy any more birds off - she is one of NZ's top breeders, but demands very high prices and offers no help to experienced or beginner breeders, even seperating her star pairs and selling them off individually to prevent anyone breeding her line too closely I will post pics shortly however, just in case anyone still wants to see

I suppose thats true. If it is genetic, i will have to go through the process of determining its inheritance. Dominant, recessive, sex linked.... I find it very interesting to read that there have been recessive greys, recessive ino's, and other mutations common today that appeared in duplicate with a different form of inheritance. It is obvious why these have died out when ino breeds much easier as sex linkage and grey is easier bred as dominant. Perhaps we will one day hear of a black face re-appearing that is sex linked. Who knows. I will certainly investigate this bird tomorrow... So i plan to check and see if he is still there, take a good look at him including photos, and check with the staff to see if they know anything about the breeder. Perhaps i could even get in touch with the breeder and see what he/she remembers of this birds crest or has information about its parents/siblings.

Hi guys, i have had a pestering thought for some time now about a bird i have noticed at the local pet shop. I stop in often to talk to the staff since they breed canaries and budgies, and my dad breeds canaries. So we talk about the season and what sort of quality of chicks they have had, as well as what they have noted coming into the store. One budgie i noted immediately some time ago which still hasnt sold is a green (possibly grey green) cock that has a spiral crest of feathers on its chest. I wondered at first if it had only just been handled and the feathers were askew and would be preened back into position. But subsequent trips have proved they are in fact a crest of some sort. I was just wondering if it is not unheard of to have directional feathers pop up in random places? Or perhaps this was some sort of injury or plucking in nest incident? I have wondered about buying him just to see if he would breed and perhaps pass on this chest crest. But if it is not really all that special then i suppose its just a curiosity. I guess im trying to figure out if this is common, or if it is uncommon, do you suspect injury or genetics. Finally, after all that - would you purchase him yourself? Thoughts? Comments? I will check and see if he is there tomorrow and do my best to snap a pick that CLEARLY shows the 'chest crest'.

I was just noticing the same thing about the humped back mb. Totally agree with your post on all points!

It is also a sign of megabacteria and canker. It is irresponsible to just say it is a sign of affection. Unless diagnosed it could be anything When things are posted on a worldwide forum like this you have to be careful what you say. Woops. I dont think i finished that post properly :S I started with "normally" because that is the usual reason for head bobbing / regurgitating. I was supposed to end it by saying "unless there is an illness or behavioural disturbance that also causes it, i HOPE it just means he's feeling happier". Good catch kaz. Thanks

Slate was more popular at one time, mostly in the UK if i remember. However its day seems to have passed and again i havent read about it in a while but if i remember rightly it is now considered a specialist breed (meaning only a few people can be bothered breeding it because its difficult to work with and that means it would take too long to get to show quality and is cast aside to those who love a challenge). I'm sure there are some articles on slate history and breeding.

Normally the regurgitating motion is a sign of happiness/bonding/affection. I had a slightly... excitable bird that would chirp, rub against and regurgitate to anything.... iodine bell, chew toy, cage wiring.. He was definately a happy and content bird though lol. So hopefully it means he's feeling a bit better and very happy about it

Iris rings?

YF2 recessive pied sky blue female. Or nearabouts

Since the pet shops sell pet types for $30, and show types for $50 and those are very rarely quality birds i sell my show stock birds quite easily for $35-40 dollars. Sold one this morning in fact. You get what you pay for really, and i know i have put time, effort a great amount of love and care into these birds which are beautifully coloured and natured. I could sell them cheap and fast, but i dont breed like that so i dont sell like that. Everyone has commented that my aviary is well made and set out and clean. I guess it comes down to where you live and what you have to offer. I would sell a smaller or poorly coloured bird for less. As the saying goes, things are only worth what someone is willing to pay for them...

Personally I find that green birds are the most common bird around my area, so their are lot more green birds for sale. I would pay the same for a green bird that I would for a blue bird. It depends on the buyers colour preference. Do you sell your birds to the pet shop dragonx? I've enquired to a few places and the most they pay is like $3 each. Then you see them advertised the next day for $60 handtamed rare budgies. I pop in and chat with the bird staff at the pet shop and they say the reason they have so many greens is because the other colours sell first. They get blues and greens in all the time, but since the blues sell first, the greens build up before they start to go down. Usually they sell once there are only greenbirds left (until more blues come in). The pet shop here buys all budgies for $12 each, sells them for $30 (pet type), $50 (show type) and $60 ('hand tamed' - which usually means wings are clipped lol).

That is a horrible wing clip And birds should never be clipped on just one wing, there is no practical benefit. Its not aesthetically pleasing to us, and it sure as heck isnt good for the bird. Would you like one arm shorter than the other? Or a LEG? I really hope MB is able to visit you and fix the poor little mites wings. If not, i have a great step by step instruction video that makes it VERY clear and understandable about how to safely, nicely and effectively trim a budgies wings. PM me for the link if you need it. P.s He sure is a cutey

Looks like an olive green texas clearbody to me. The wings give it away, faded at the top (near the shoulder), and greying near the tips. Body colour is usually diffused or absent in TCB's. I think the markings on the head and neck are too clear to be opaline myself, and TCB's can have the appearance of opalescence but i still dont think it is. Gorgeous lil feller tho

I would definately say it is a single factor golden face cobalt (most likely bgb2), possibly with some violet. I always find violet is very difficult to show in a photo. Going by pete burgmans article sailorwolf, your bird (arkady) would be a single factor golden face composite. Possibly BgBy2 or more likely bgb1.