rachelm

Wow, that looks amazing. Bird Palace.

I have bred a chick like this one. The large amount of black on the face is caused by melanin. It will probably moult out.

Is the air in his crop? This would be caused by the parents not feeding the chick properly. An egg based soft food mix might help them feed the chick. If the air is in the 'belly' of the chick, it could have a ruptured air sac. The chicks blow up like golf balls but it normally sorts its self out. A photo would help.

Make sure you have plenty of calcium available to the pair. If you remove some eggs, she might just lay more to replace the ones you took. I would leave them be and make sure the chicks are being fed.

Thanks Budgie lov3r. I love the yellow faces too. I have searched the internet, read books and this site is particularly good. Search posts from RIP BUDGIES or NUBBLY5. Thank you Robyn, I'm very happy so far. There will definately be more photo's to come.

The last two looks like dominant pied and albino.

Yep, Opaline Texas Clearbody. The give away is the grizzled grey flights.

Well yesterday was about 40c here, so I didn't want to disturb the birds too much by taking photos. Today was much cooler and my daughter and I decided to do a baby budgie photo shoot. We have bred a total of 30 pet chicks so far round 1 and total 109 show birds most are on round 2. These two sisters from nest 5. They are 32 and 28 days old. This is my daughter Charlotte favorite chick. From nest 6, it's a yellowface grey double dom pied. 22days old. The pretty yellowface cobalt cinnamon hen on the left is from nest 2. She is also 22 days old. And on the right is a yellowface sky dom pied greywing. From nest 7. Sky dom pied greywing from nest 7. This little guy is one of my favorites also from nest 7. AYF sky dom pied greywing. This teeny tiny chick is the youngest from nest 5. AYF cobalt. This pretty one is a cobalt spangle AYF or yellow face mutant 2, greywing. Nest 3. And this is another one of my favorites. AYF cobalt dom pied greywing. Nest 7. Cobalt violet AYF greywing. Yellowface mutant 2 cobalt greywing. Nest Jeff keeping a close eye on everyone. AYF double factor spangle. Nest 4 Another one of my favorites. Cobalt Violet opaline dom pied. Nest 2 Grey double dom pied Nest 6. Violet cobalt yellow face spangle Cinnamon opaline Cinnamon cobalt violet spangle Nest 4 AYF sky spangle greywing Cobalt dom pied Nest 3. I love how fluffy this one is, reminds me of a penguin chick. That was 25 out of the 30, the last 5 are still pink. I think I have hit the limit with the photos, I had to delete 10 before it will let me post. Well yesterday was about 40c here, so I didn't want to disturb the birds too much by taking photos. Today was much cooler and my daughter and I decided to do a baby budgie photo shoot. We have bred a total of 30 pet chicks so far round 1 and total 109 show birds most are on round 2. These two sisters from nest 5. They are 32 and 28 days old. This is my daughter Charlotte favorite chick. From nest 6, it's a yellowface grey double dom pied. 22days old. The pretty yellowface cobalt cinnamon hen on the left is from nest 2. She is also 22 days old. And on the right is a yellowface sky dom pied greywing. From nest 7. Sky dom pied greywing from nest 7. This little guy is one of my favorites also from nest 7. AYF sky dom pied greywing. This teeny tiny chick is the youngest from nest 5. AYF cobalt. This pretty one is a cobalt spangle AYF or yellow face mutant 2, greywing. Nest 3. And this is another one of my favorites. AYF cobalt dom pied greywing. Nest 7. Cobalt violet AYF greywing. Yellowface mutant 2 cobalt greywing. Nest Jeff keeping a close eye on everyone. AYF double factor spangle. Nest 4 Another one of my favorites. Cobalt Violet opaline dom pied. Nest 2 Grey double dom pied Nest 6. Violet cobalt yellow face spangle Cinnamon opaline Cinnamon cobalt violet spangle Nest 4 AYF sky spangle greywing Cobalt dom pied Nest 3. I love how fluffy this one is, reminds me of a penguin chick. That was 25 out of the 30, the last 5 are still pink. I think I have hit the limit with the photos, I had to delete 10 before it will let me post.

I bred Jeff myself and he will be 2 on the 5th May 2014. Frank will more than likely pick up words and sounds without you teaching him. But it is super cute when they talk.

My show budgies are much slower and some sound like helicopters when they fly. I find the larger birds easier to handle and less 'nippy'.

Are you teaching Frank any words? My Jeff loves to sit on my finger or shoulder and I talk to him. He is almost hypnotized by it. When he wants to get my attention he says "hello" in his cute budgie voice then he will fly to me and just annoy me all day if I let him. LOL. He says,'where's Charlotte, where's Sophie?' Stinky bottom. Sexy and I know it. *cough cough cough* excuse me. He also copies my kids laughter and screaming. I love him and his comical antics.

Sorry about your little one Jaffa.

They are doing really well, thanks for asking Frankiebird. If I get a chance tomorrow I will take some photo's of the chicks. They are feathering up beautifully and there are a few little surprises too.

It looks like every other Aussie native parrot is on the list. House mice and black rats are on the list. I wonder what the 'real' reason is behind not being able to import.

Since the babies are not being fed I would put them in with nest of 3 with the experienced mum. It doesn't matter if the hen is in the nest or not. She will accept them either way.

I would breed him to another opaline. Good luck.

Thanks Robyn, you are right about the long feather gene. I'm guessing that's what I have here. I put a photo up on a facebook page and the response was 'duster/mop'. I have also sent a photo to some guys in my budgie club and they said wait until it molts out. But looking feather dusters on the internet, it looks nothing like them. http://forums.budgie...showtopic=23257

I'm wondering if it has anything to do with his 'pied' spot. Maybe he is recessive pied with only that one pied area. Very strange indeed Frankiebird!!!

The monster is getting bigger and fluffier. I don't know if it is a duster now. Maybe not a full one anyway. Here's a photo from yesterday 40 days old. She weighs 70grams, which is double the size of the the little pet chicks. With her younger nest mate. And all three nest mates together.

A sudden change in a hens cere colour from brown to white/pale blue could be a sign of illness. I have had this happen to me when my entire aviary had canker.

I believe it is knowledge of genetics, cage vs colony breeding. What breeders want to breed for the pet market and show breeders breed for desired features. My first texas clearbody was purchased from a petshop. My first pet fallow was bred from my own birds that I didn't know were split fallow.

His cere will become bright pinky purple. Good luck Budgie Mad.

I have no experience with colony breeding but I know budgies like the nest boxes to be high up, it makes them feel safe.

I think it is strange that his eyes have no iris ring and his cere is still purple if he is 1 year old. He looks no more than 4-5 months old to me.

Opaline not recessive pied.