defieldsfamily

A really gorgeous bird!

I have three cages that measure 36 inches wide, 36 inches tall and 18 inches deep. Lots of toys, lots of perches etc...how many budgies would be reasonable in each cage? The weather isn't cooperating in terms of being able to build my aviary but I am hoping to reduce the number of cages I have in use as they are all over the place right now. Bought these lovely big ones over the holidays. As soon as my aviary is built this spring, they'll all move out of the cages and into the indoor flight.

Time for an update...all four chicks are doing great, two have open eyes now and these two are also starting get some grey down. I'm not knowledgable enough to be able to tell any colouring yet so it's a bit like waiting for a pretty surprise! I was away on business a few days this week and unfortunately my husband said he had to break up a very nasty fight between the parents again so I am going to have to separate them. Brock said he was sure the hen was going to kill the cock. Time to get him out of there. Do you think she will do okay feeding the 4 chicks and herself on her own? I truly do not know what the best thing to do is.

Re you sure that your cockatiel is only 4 months? By the colouring he appears older.

Well...I can't believe it! Another one hatched today!!!! That's 5 hatchings and 4 chicks that I never thought I'd see :doh: I think I'd better stop refering to Elly as "Our Nutty Hen" and start calling her "One Awesome Lil Mama" I'm very proud of her...the male not so much...he's a bit of a deadbeat dad from what I can see! The oldest is already getting a few pin feathers on the rump! They are 8, 4,2 and 0.5 days old :fingerscrossed:

Remember the cats saliva is toxic to birds...if the cat chews the grass you cant use it for the birds. No, I wasn't planning to let them both eat from the same grass but I was going to grow two pods at once and give one to the birds and one to the cat....do you think that if they are both grown from the fountain the cat drinks from that this would be toxic for the birds? It is filtered but would her mouth touching the water pose a problem??? I had no idea cat saliva was toxic to the birds. I figured cat saliva was only a threat if the bird was in the cat's mouth!!! Growing the grass in the container the cat drinks from and expecting the cat NOT to eat from the grass would be expecting a little too much dont you think ? That is what l'm thinking too. Goodness...I must be brain dead...of course you're right! :doh: LOL! Guess I'd better grow the stuff for the birds on the windowsill instead :fingerscrossed:

I'm not worried :yellowhead: it's probably pretty dark under their mum!! I peaked tonight and the three of them are doing great! :thankyou: I can't wait to see what colours they will be!

These are all I use and never had a problem with condensation. Mine only cost about $11 if I recall correctly :thankyou:

The fountain is for the cat, not for in with the birds

Remember the cats saliva is toxic to birds...if the cat chews the grass you cant use it for the birds. No, I wasn't planning to let them both eat from the same grass but I was going to grow two pods at once and give one to the birds and one to the cat....do you think that if they are both grown from the fountain the cat drinks from that this would be toxic for the birds? It is filtered but would her mouth touching the water pose a problem??? I had no idea cat saliva was toxic to the birds. I figured cat saliva was only a threat if the bird was in the cat's mouth!!! :thankyou:

Such a little cutie!!!!!

I bought it on ebay so you could probably find a distributor that would post worldwide. I paid $23 plus shipping but in the local petshops it's $80 !!!!!!!Here is the website of an australian wholesaler that deals in these http://www.prestigepetproducts.com.au/ Splat, it's ctually going to be a drinking fountain for our cat but I'll grow the wheatgrass for her AND the birds in it. I'd never thought of using it in the actual cage...you'd have to make sure they could never access the cord.

I's called a drinkwell pet fountain. The water is continually fltered and it comes with accessories for drowing little pods of wheatgrass hydroponically. The wheatgrass is said to be very good for budgies and cats alike! Here is a picture of it.

Hmmm...I hadn't really thought about the light. The room is quite bright during the day but I'd imagine they'll be fine. I hope so, anyway. In the wild they wouldn't have an actual dark box to use.

What a horrible shop keeper this must be! Can you not report them to the SPCA (assuming you have this organiztion in Australia) Knowingly exposing birds to these sorts of conditions would be looked as animal abuse and they would be charged and hopefully shut down.

These are my two newest boys bringing my flock to 18 + 3 new chicks hatched this week. In real life they are both bright purple but you know, the whole flash thing messes up the colours

My goodness...to my amazement, a fourth egg hatched this afternoon!!!! Here is a couple of pictures of my three adorable chicks! They truly are my miracle chicks! I never thought we'd see any of them hatch :fear

This chick does look greywing but I think normal not opaline by the grey down...more experienced folks could probably tell you more! Gorgeous!

I've not done any banding so far but probably should be. At what age should it be done? What is the oldest age it can be done? Do the colours reflect the year of birth and if so, is this universal? What other information is on the band and how do you get it on there? Can the age of a chick be traced by the band down to the month or just the year? How do you get it on the chick and not make it too tight for when they are older?

Such GORGEOUS little chicks!!! Sorry about the one who didn't make it . Our first ever chick died while trying to hatch so when the next one was hatching I sort of helped it along I was so scared of losing her too! She's happy and healthy at months now but I wouldn't do that again...toooooo risky! How many chicks do you have right now in total?

It means that mum and dad are spangles. 1+1=double :grouphug: It also means that one spangle factor removes some of the wing markings, and doubling the factor removes the rest of the markings, leaving a clear white or yellow bird. In your case, some of the body color got left on, thus the suffusion. Thanks Finnie...I'm starting to learn but some of it is so confusing!

I guess I was wrong with my last assessment of the other 6 eggs and thinking they'd become no longer viable....2 more chicks hatched today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sadly, one has passed :grouphug: but the other is active and a nice healthy pink colour. To see the first chick so large compared to the newest gave me great hope and now I know the chick is being fed well. And it doesn't seem that either of the parents has attacked the other today so that's good too! I will just be very relieved when the chicks can come out of there and I can split up the adult birds.

what does the double factor part mean?

That is the position I've taken for tonight Finnie. Problem is I'm at work all day tomorrow can't am unable to watch them closely.

He's a lovely budgie