SL26

Thanks anne101, I've never had a budgie this sick, it's quite worrying but I know I'm doing all I can to get her better.

My little Rosie is really sick. She went downhill really quickly so off to the vet we went. After running some tests she was diagnosed with a chest and gut infection. She's been isolated and kept in a warm environment, with a reptile heat pad keeping her warm. This morning when I checked on her, she had a really messy bum but her poops are now normal looking. She's not cleaning herself at the moment and she's getting really agitated by her bum that her feet are now covered in poop as well. I don't want to stress her out unnecessarily, but I think cleaning her up a bit would help her. Can anyone advise on how best to clean her up easily with minimum stress?

That's a shame, given he's meant to be Greg's dog...Well at least he has a loving mummy It's good to hear Jake's doing well and I know what you mean about can food , we changed our cats and dog to dry food that was from the vets. I can't remember the brand but it was like one of those science diet ones, it improved the end results!

Good idea Finnie. We used to tell Archie 'up the stairs' when we wanted him out of the way. This meant that he'd sit at the top of the stairs (split level house) and watch us and give us a pathetic look to try to make us feel guilty . Even if you don't have a crate, select an area of the house which is out of the way but where he can still see you. If he's sent out of sight, he's more likely to cause problems because he'll see it as punishment instead of its 'my spot time'. It also sounds like he's definitely your dog now! Does Greg do anything with him?

It always rains when we want to do something that requires fine weather!!! You should train Jake to help carry things or fetch tools on demand , but seriously you'll have a good guard dog for your birds when your birdroom is finished.

The pics were taken in natural light with no flash, they are as close as their natural colourings as I could get. I have a normal cobalt cock as well and she seems a bit lighter than him, but I'll have to wait until she moults to see her true colouring I guess. I can't do a proper comparison yet between her and the cock because she is still in quarantine.

Given he's certainly learning fast, it shouldn't take too long from him to settle down. It sounds like you're doing all the right things, so it's just a matter of time (and patience!) for now.

I know, I know... My flock size is limited by my cage size, but I could always upgrade again... No, I'm really happy with my 8, so won't be looking to expand any further. Perhaps the next step would be breeding, however that would take some convincing hubby and working out the logistics because all they are all indoor birds and I'm not keen on an aviary - I like to play them too much!!!

Thanks KAZ. This colour thing with budgies is quite complex! I'm okay with normal types or inos, but anything else is a complete stab in the dark.

Playing ball is their favourite thing. Given he's being a pain, you could perhaps use ball time as a reward? It sounds like he's definitely going to need obedience training and soon! If he's destroying things, then give him something that is just for him to destroy (eg. a bone toy) and make a fuss of him when he chews it. He should get the idea that its okay to chew that but not other things.

I'm not sure how to describe the colouring of my two new additions: Buffy - blue/violet pied? Nessie - sky blue spangle? Any help would be appeciated!

Well, I certainly have the budgie bug! We decided that we had room for another 2 budgies, so I now have 8 feathery little critters to play slave to! Initially we decided that the new additions should be different colours to my existing flock, but then decided that the gender ratio should be evened up as well, so there would be 4 cocks and 4 hens. So I'd like to introduce the newest members of my flock: Buffy (left) and Nessie (right) They are two very smart budgies, as it only took them a day to fully settle. They can now navigate their room easily and haven't smacked into the windows or walls. Nessie likes to snuggle into the crook of my arm so she's also called Snug-a-bug. My hubby has nicknamed Buffy Sploge because of her colouring and her tendency to just flop around when moving about in their cage . They are desperate to join the others but they can only hear them not see them as they are in quarantine. I'm not 100% sure how to describe their colouring so post another topic under colours.

He's certainly one very lucky guy nubbly5. I hope he recovers quickly and that you're okay. I could only image how scary it must have been for you. Once you find your soul mate, it's impossible to think of not having them around, I believe they are an extension of ourselves. All the best to you both.

It sounds like Jake knows that your the pack leader splat, which is good if you're the one around the most. GB's tips are really good too, looking them in the eye shows that you're the dominant one and they will respect that. I agree with Nerwen, I can't stand dogs that lick! Archie used to lick my hubby because he let him, but knew not to do it with me, he preferred a full body rub from me instead! For such a tough dog, he was also very sensual! Almost forgot - they also like to play rough too. My Dad used to put on a pair of leather gardening gloves and play really rough with Archie, allowing him to grab the gloves and chew and muck around. He knew that he could only do this when Dad had the gloves on and was sitting on the ground. I guess this was like playing with the pack - what we see with wild dogs.

I love blueys!!! He's a lovely looking pup splat. I know what you mean by looks - some can look really nice, while others just have the typical bucket head. My Archie was 3/4 bluey 1/4 border collie so he he was cuter than the average bluey but had the personality of a bluey. He was also called Bear by his breeder because he was the biggest pup and looked like a bear as well, so Bear is a good nickname for Jake!! They are very loyal and are a one person dog, but will accept family members/friends as part of their pack quite happily, however when it comes to discipline they can be very strong willed and sometimes only listen to 'their person' and not others. These dogs are very smart and need to know who's boss - firm training is essential otherwise they will walk all over you and give you grief. A well trained bluey is a joy to have around. One thing to watch though, is that they can nip. They can't help this because they do this when rounding up cattle. I found that Archie only nipped when he was trying to control someone (ie. my mum!) when he didn't like what they were doing (going on a car ride without him!). Given this and their dominant personality I wouldn't necessarily trust them around small kids. They could get accidently nipped on the face by a bluey trying to round them up. They are much better suited to teenage kids. One toy blueys really love are balls. I wouldn't give them a tennis ball because they can chew the covers off and means a trip to the vet (speaking from experience!). I used to give Archie rubber balls which had a bell inside. These were really cheap from the supermarket but tough enough to withstand his strong jaws. Throwing a ball is a good way to tire these guys out. Another distraction is a cow bone, Archie would sit for hours and chew it. I know blueys aren't for everyone splat, but if you can get Greg to train him properly, then I'm sure Jake will be a much nicer dog to have around and will not drive you nuts. I hope things go well.

It might take them some time, but they'll become curious. It used to take 2 of mine ages (like weeks!) to get used to anything new, but they are much more adventrous now. A suggestion - when you put the saucer in the cage, splash the water a bit to get their attention and then leave them alone. The sound of spalshing water gets my birds attention and they go an investigate. Best of luck!

I use a large round plant saucer as a bath and it works really well as there is room for more than one budgie. It might take them awhile to get used to it, but we find that if we splash our fingers in the water they come down to join in - its like a game to them. Dave's right about the temperature, even if it's cold outside, they will still enjoy a bath if its warm inside. Also make sure the water is luke warm but not hot (I test it on my wrist - like for a baby's bottle). Also if they are out of the cage, you might like to put the saucer on top of the cage (if it's got a flat top). We do this and they seem to prefer it.

I'm so sorry about your hen KAZ, she looked and sounded lovely :sad: While this can be a difficult topic for some, it should be one that all pet owners need to be aware of and fully understand. It's alway difficult to decide to end the life of an animal, but if it's in the best interests of the animal then there is really no other option. Whether we do it ourselves is a very personal choice, but it's good to know what to do in case of an emergency. Thank you for sharing this, by all the responses so far, its really appreciated

I agree with anne101, it really does depend on the personality of the bird. I've got 4 cocks and 2 hens, and neither hen is a real biter. In fact one of them is the gentlest of the lot when it comes to play biting with my fingers, she just gently nibbles away at my fingers and nails, while a couple of the males can get rough after a while. I suggest just go with a bird that appeals to you. Even if she is a bit of a biter, don't let that turn you off if really keen on her. Have fun picking your buddy!!!

I imagine it must have been quite scary, given the amount of damage that beak could do to such a small bird. But it is lovely to see different animals who you wouldn't normally see together getting on and being great friends.

Thanks GB, I guess then it really depends on the personality of the parrots. It must have been quite a cute sight to see your alexandra parrot preening the budgie given their size (and beak) difference!

Does anyone have experience with tame budgies and tame parrots (eg. cockatiels) living inside together (but in separate cages)? My 6 budgies are out of their cage when we're home and have free reign of the living area. I was wondering how they'd go with other tame parrots who'd also be out of their cage at the same time and in the same space. I've heard budgies can be bullies, so mixing parrot species indoors might not be a good idea.

I know what you mean, it's a difficult decision to make, but sometimes it necessary for their safety and our sanity while taming/training them. I have 6 budgies, 2 which have never had their wings clipped, they are very tame and happy to fly around while not crashing into things. The other 4 had to have their wings clipped because when I was taming them they knew they had an option of getting away from me instead of sitting with me and would also crash into things. It got to the point where they were all stressed from being chased around the room when it was time to go into the cage. Clipping their wings certainly helped and they can still fly quite well, but just can't get much lift to get to out of reach places. I'll be letting their wings regrow though because it's nice to see them fly skillfully around the house. I know the feeling of thinking they're laughing at us when trying to catch them, Alfie in particular likes to tease me when it's time to go into the cage and he doesn't want to. He's wings aren't clipped so he flies to just within reach of me and then when I go to get him he flies off, he does this over and over. With patience I always win and he give's a very indigent squawk when I finally catch him .

If you're after registered breeders, try the Budgerigar Society of NSW website: http://www.budgerigar.com.au/ They have links to local clubs who you can contact to see if anyone has any birds available. I did this a few months ago but had no luck. If you're interested in a pet shop, I happened to find one in Ramsgate called Living Jungle where I got my latest 4 babies. They seem to specialise in birds and I was impressed by their setup, it was clean and the birds looked healthy.

Great!! It's great to have such a good laugh at the end of a stressful day - well done Daryl, very professional.