Spooky

Hello there, because you are sometimes recommending Agonis Flexuosa / Peppermint tree - I ordered some seeds and sew them out. And now I need your confirmation that this is really the Agonis tree? (I once bought some other seeds, and there came out different plants than it should...). I now it has to grow a "little bit" more, but maybe someone can tell me. It doeasn't smell like peppermint, more like eucalyptus. Sure I can make some more photos if you need them! Thank you and best wishes from Germany, Sandra Am I blind or is there really no way to put an attachement on the post?

Hello, I would be careful. The botanical name for the edibale Willow is SALIX. Chilopsis might be called willow, because it looks similar, but indeed it isn't one (botanical speaking). So be sure to ask someone who really knows - or be careful and leave it where it is. There are plenty of other trees you can feed to your budgies. I'm sure also in LA. Best wishes, Sandra

Wow, thanks KAZ. This sounds pretty fine, sure! I admit I was a little hoping for anserws like this when I started this thread. Now the new question............. does anyone of you know this site or its owner little more and can tell if it should be reliable? Thanks once more, Sandra

Hello Matt, yes you are right, but sometimes these methods don't help. My six budgies can fly around in the room the whole day and they get a very low fat seed mix (around 4-4.5% fat) and from this as less as possible concerning the lightest one. The one bird got the fatty liver around 3 years ago when I fed another seed mix containing a couple of oilseeds, bad mistake. Fortunately it seems he doesn't feel ill at all, just the beak is growing and he was x-rayed. I have done strict diet combined with shooing (right word?) the bird - and this was a succes, but as soon as I loosened the "sports", he inceased his weight again. It cannot be a solution forever to force the bird to fly everyday (of course he also does fly on his own, but compared to the others he's a rather lazy guy, more a "singer" - and furthermore he likes to eat - bad combination). So I stumbled upon the cayenne some days ago and I thought if its harmless in any case (that is what I'm trying to find out in the first place) - why not give it a try. I've read the fats that make up a fatty liver are often so called triglcerides and that Cayenne can help to reduce triglyceride-levels --- but this, of course, concerning humans. Oh, I can imagine birds might like the taste of chili and pepper, why not. They don't have receptors for this kind of "hotness" and cannot feel it like we do! But when no one is beneath you who has ever given this to his birds; or even worse you haven't heard of it at all - I agree I probably should think of discarding this idea. Kind regards, Sandra

Thanks for your reply! Sad, but good to know about Barrie. I absolutely agree it can be dangerous to simply carry knowledge concerning humans onto birds! I came onto this Cayenne more accidently via Google through this: http://www.allthingsfeathered.net/index.ph...amp;#entry40469 (Post 7 and 11) Unfortunately she also just gives a mix of her own experience and of infos that are not clearly concerning birds. Furthermore I found out at least one sort of Harrison Pellets contains 1% Cayenne (but I'm not feeding pellets). And I found a German site where someone gave water with cayenne directly into the beak after birds had worse accidents. This has helped to prevent a shock. It was a canary and two bigger parrots. Altough I don't know if the thing with the shock is really true or if it would have happend the same without Cayenne - at least its an example that it seems it doesn't harm the birds and maybe can do good. All together this is enogh to make me little curious, but not enough to say I'll try it out. - Of course I don't want to start and do wild experiments with my birds. Therefore this thread - experiences wanted! (-; Best wishes, Sandra

Thank you KAZ, I admit this idea didn't even come to my mind. Barrie has his email on the webpage, so if no one can help me here, I'll probably try to write him, why not. Thanks for the hint! It seems little strange, on the one hand there are only quite few people in the web writing on Cayenne for birds/budgies, - but on the other hand it seems all of them who use it appreciate it very much. In German I almost did find nothing to "Cayenne & Birds", therefore I'm asking you here and would be happy to get as many experiences as possible! (-; With best wishes, Sandra

Hello, recently I have read cayenne pepper may benefit to budgie's health. For example, here: http://www.officialbarrieshuttbudgerigars....esmedicines.htm Its said, beneath other things, that it "speeds up" digestion and helps burning fats. Does anyone of you give his/hers budgies cayenne poweder? How much then??? Do they really like it sooo much? Do you feel its good for them? And whats my special interest, do you think it might benefit a slightly overweight budgie with a fatty liver? Maybe someone even has experience? Thank you and best wishes, Sandra

okay, so I decided not to buy it. (-; I thought, maybe some of you know this shrub. But now another question: What about Melaleuca alternifolia? I've read Melaleuca is okay, but what about exactly this one? Thank you so much and best wishes, Sandra

Hello, please can anyone tell me, if this australian shrub ist suitable for budgies? Here the link to wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostanthera_cuneata Thank you very much and best wishes, Sandra

For the case it is a sinusitis, I found this: http://books.google.de/books?id=6nngRlwIl5...tis&f=false http://books.google.de/books?id=tN3pn2Psym...;q=&f=false Hope, the Links will work. Try out to search after "budgerigar sinusitis" at http://books.google.com/ - there you can take a look in several books. Also Google itself might help: http://www.jstor.org/pss/1590898 http://www.officialbarrieshuttbudgerigars.com/sinusit.htm <<< seems to be a good link. (I have not read any of the above, yet). All the best, Sandra

This could be a sinusitis! Very painful for the bird! If the antibiotic doesn't help at all, maybe you should try another one? Maybe the Vet can do a smear test? All the best, Sandra

I won't take amino acids from the pharmacy. I'm sure there are plenty of products for you to get which are especially developd for birds. Amino acids can be overdosed and at least I won't know how to dose a human product in this case on birds. Especially important should be Methionin. If you really don't find a bird-product you could maybe use spirulina or "brewers yeast", which you can get both as a powder. Best wishes, Sandra

As far as I know, the liquid forms of silymarin are usually with alcohol, which ist not so good for the liver, especially if its already damaged a bit. I never heard, apple vinegar would benefit the liver? If anyone does, I'd be interested, too! In Germany some people are using this to minimize pathogenes (right word?) in the drinking water, like e.g. trichomonasias (not to cure, just preventive!) - And it is usually used if you have a bird with megabacteria. But for other reasons I never heard. After all it should do no harm. Just, as far as I know, vingar should not be mixed with amino acids. Kind regards, Sandra

Hey Finnie, just don't buy milk-thistle-seeds, which are very fatty. It really needs to be the extract. I do not know, if it is called "Silymarin" in English, too. Usually this is sold for humans in capsules. You can open these capsules and give some of the powder over the seeds. Its hard do overdose. Healthy birds can eat it, too. (like all the other things I named) Alle the best, Sandra

Hello, I have a bird with a very much enlaged liver and he has the same symptom. Besides this he is liveley. He was x-rayed. There is no medicine for the liver you just can help her doing her job well. Some points: - avoid fatty food, no oilseeds at all (sprouted seeds or grass sends have very low fat levels) - supply the vitamin of the B-complex (almost cannot be overdosed) - supply amino acids (!!) I do not know if "Volamin" or "Amynin" or "Alamin" is available around the world but I'm sure there will be something you can use - supply Biotin, maybe also Cholin (dont know if the words are exactly correkt, but you will understand...) - supply extract from the milk thistle - Silymarin (from the pharmacy) The beak has to be shortened regulary, otherwise the blood vessels will grow with the beak and then you will not be able any more to short it to the right shape (but this process goes slowly). Best wishes, Sandra

Go to a good avian vet! This also could be the beginning of a sinusitis, which can become very painful for the bird. Best wishes, Sandra

Thanks KAZ, but I had found this your topic before. (-; It just seems this Agonis is not that easy to grow here - it needs very, very much sunshine, no? I guess it would be hard to get this plant through the winter-time here. Does anyone have experience in growing and keeping this plant in a pot? Does anyone know if its hard or easy to grow it out of seeds? Do you know, if the wild budgies eats the Agonis, too? Or Melaleuca or Callistemon - or just Eucalyptus!? Please, if anyone can help me with the Leptospermum-variety.... thanks so much. Kind regards, Sandra

Oh, thats funny, you wanted to ask the same. (-; No, I'm not planning to put these plants into the habitat, I'm planning to grow them in a pot and give the budgies just some pieces from time to time (depending on how fast the plants grow...). I found out, they also may have "Manuka", Leptospermium scoparium - and I found a chance to get a plant - but not of the natural form, but a variety with modified flowers, which is called: Leptospermium scoparium "Red Damask". Does anyone know, if this would be suitable, too? Are there plants that budgies like much more than others? If yes, which ones? Are they maybe more "healthy" than others? (I'm thinking of the different "ingredients" of the Myrtaceae). Thank you and best wishes, Sandra

Hello Folks, after some tries I finally got a "not-free" email-adress to be able to register here, what makes me quite happy this day. (-; I'm from Germany. And my question concerns plants, but not just plants, but australien plants for my budgies. The internet today offeres everything, plants and especially stange seeds - no problem to get today. (-; So, I would be happy to offer my budgies some plants that are natural to where they are living, and especially plants that really the wild budgerigar eats or might be eating. Of course, Eucalyptus is the first one to name, and this one I know and I have (but its just growing - yet nothing to feed ;-) What else can you name me? I always need the botanical name, e.g. "Eucalyptus gunnii" or "Eucalyptus globulus", to be sure to get the right thing! Besides this I would be very interesting, if someone of you knows, what the wild budgeriar really is eating through the years? I've read of mostly sees of grasses, like Spinifex. But is it that, really? Do you know about eating insects flowers, fruits etc.? Does the wild bird eat fruits or vegetables at all? Especially I'm concerned about the "non-breeding-phase", because I'm just a kepper, not a breeder. Thank you so much and a Happy New Year! Sandra