Kristy123

Thankyou to everyone on Homer's well wishes, she is doing pretty good. A few days ago she was looking very tired and unhappy, but she has perked up more now, eating well and I sit her in the sun for a bit each day. Also been crop feeding her hand rearing formula at night, just 2mls so she can sleep with a full tummy I forgot to mention she is having hormone injections too, she got one at the vet, another one today and then one more next week. It helps her to stop cycling for awhile so she doesnt produce eggs, which is good. Moglet you have a good sense of humour lol, I had a laugh at a few things you said lol. The quail egg that was in there got crushed somehow, but she has two more now, laid them on the weekend in a corner of the aviary and she has been faithfully sitting on them haha. Wondering weather I will see baby quails anytime soon lol. I noticed you live in Brisbane, where do you get your bulk cuttlefish from, like which produce? Is it a big bag? With the grass seeds I used to mix seeds into potting mix and grow them but I stopped doing it, will have to get back into that as well. Finnie I saw calcivet Monday when I brought more seed for the birds, might look at getting it with next weeks pay. I brought a 'bulk' which didn't turn out to be 'bulk' cuttlefish bag for $5 haha but I got it anyway because they were out of that too. Also brought two bags of shell grit, so they now have three bags which should be okay for awhile. 20kg Panicum seeds. 7kg Red Panicum seeds. 4.5kg White Millet. 1kg Canary Seed (to see if they eat it) This is the seeds I mixed together yesterday, and today I will go get some more white millet and canary seeds. A few of my birds eat sunflower seeds too, but are they fatty? If they are I will cut them out, I've cut oats out now, there are a another few of my birds (fat ones) that eat so many oats. Is there anything else I can mix with the seeds I have that are not fatty?? I am wanting to balance it some more, like try and get even amounts of each seed, but I will need to buy another storage bin to mix and store lol. I am going to make Kaz's homemade egg and biscuit recipe off that website, it looks really good, hoping the birds will eat it in time....stubborn blobs lol. Ive probably asked this at some point but cant remember, but is cabbage okay for budgies? Mum asked me if I wanted some for them and I dont know if they can eat it. Oh and the stuff I brought from the vet is a 450g packet of Vetafarm 'Finch & Budgie Crumbles'....it stinks!!! I tired it on the birds for three days, with only a limited amount of seed too and they were all so hungry, I felt bad, I just can't do that, it doesn't seem right to practically starve them into eating something they dont want and something that is artificial.

Hello everyone. Kaz I am not sure how old Homer is, but I know I have had her quite a number of years. I rang the vet this morning and she had passed the egg during the night :D .... I was very relieved. I went and got her this afternoon, she is on calcium for 3 weeks, and Baytril and Metacam for a week. I am so glad she is okay so far, she is bleeding a bit but the vet said that's normal as she has strained a lot trying to pass the egg. It was soft shelled, so she was and is deficient in calcium. The vet spoke to me about crumbles and I brought some, but honestly, it is a very expensive food product, 10kg is around $60 dollars, and I buy seed in 20 kgs so basically $120 for 20 kgs crumbles. My 33 budgies would go through that SOOO quick. I can not see why giving them cuttlefish (bone), shell grit, lots of vegetables and less fattening seeds is not a good diet for them, as this is what they eat in the wild, not some fancy brought food. I mean no offence to those who buy it by the way, I just want to know your opinions, and what you guys feed your birds. I honestly know I have to work better on giving them vegetables everyday as well, not 1-3 times a week. I just had a thought. If I can get them starting to eat crumbles I can still buy seeds, and buy say 4kg of crumbles and mix them in with the 20 kg of seed. That way they are getting seeds, crumbles, vegetables, cuttlefish, shellgrit. is this an okay idea? And what seeds are fattening and should be avoided? Or I could alternate? 4 days seed, 3 days crumbles, everyday vegetables?

I took her to the vet this afternoon. It is not good. She hasn't passed the egg, it looks as though its in the abdominal area. She is staying there at the vet (Brisbane Bird Vet) overnight, and is getting pain killers and calcium to try and help her pass the egg. If she hasn't passed the egg by tomorrow morning the vet said she will have to have an operation that will cost between 500-600 without today's consult. I started crying at the vet, I am not sure I will be able to pay for the operation if she doesn't pass it. I am so torn, I feel as though its all my fault, I have had her so long. I'm so upset, I am really really hoping she can pass the egg, but the vet said it is unlikely. This episode has really made me think about weather I want to bread them or not. Things don't always go wrong, but if they did I wouldn't be able to pay for them to get expensive help, and that's not fair to them. I am seriously thinking of just enjoying them as is (which I do very much), without breeding them.

bahaha that is adorable, what a cutie.

Thankyou to everyone for your replies. I had another look at the egg this morning, and did a search on quail and budgie eggs, and I am pretty sure it is actually a quail egg. This was a surprise as I thought all four of my quails were male lol. I don't know what the first egg was (broken one) but the intact one has little tiny light brown spots all over it, its a little pointed at one end, and slightly off colour looking. Do budgie eggs look like this? Because from what I saw on my search, budgie eggs are white and more rounded. Okay back to the past: About a week ago I put some new drift wood and a nice hollow log in the aviary up in the fork of some branches. I didn't even really think about the fact that they might use the hollow log as a breeding area, just somewhere to play in, but a few days later I noticed a few of the girls getting very bitchy around it, and the males were egging it all on lol, and then I realized they all are fighting over it as a nesting area. I took the log out straight away, then the next morning that was when the first egg was broken on the ground. Not knowing what to do I put the log back in, in case there was more eggs to be layed. Checked again next morning, found nothing but bitchy girls around the log again so I took it out and it hasn't been back in since. After that I went to work and when I got home in the afternoon, there was the second egg on the ground, so took it out and put it in front of the lamp. I went into the aviary and checked on the birds a few hours later (night time) as I usually do (check their vents and so forth because they stay still a lot more at night) and I noticed Homer, my girl budgie, is missing feathers around her vent. I picked her up and checked her out, and when I put her down she started pushing, I looked at her vent with a torch and there was a little blood and the impression of an egg like shape and a sort of slit in her skin. I got all excited and went and set up a separate cage for her. I put her, the log, and her mate in there and they have been in the house since last night. Checked on her this morning, no egg, but she was still sitting in the log. Took them outside and she has been pushing a lot but still no egg, but its quite red and ucky down there. Is that normal? I think she is nervous because I am hovering around a lot and making sure things are okay. I brought some cuttlefish on last weekend (31st July) put it in the aviary they have all pretty much devoured it, but the left overs are now with Homer. I am hoping she has enough calcium and strength to get her egg out. Her partner is excited, he is feeding her, grooming her, tweeting to her, but she seems very tired. She squeaks when she pushes, is that normal either? She has never been pregnant before. As for the quail egg I put it in the aviary this morning too, the quails were hovering over it, trying to sit on it, so I am not sure what will happen with it either I am not sure if I am making the right decisions at all, I'm nervous and worried I am doing something wrong, or not enough, I have never had a pregnant budgie or quail. Kaz I read one of your posts last night about breeding, eggs etc and it was of help, but it still doesn't ease my nervousness. I have had Homer a long time, I am just worried for her. Also, forgot to add, her poo is quite abnormal as well, dark, runny and mucus like, normal or not? I was thinking, I have some good hand rearing formula from the vet, lots of nutrients etc, does anyone think I should crop feed her some of this to keep her strength up? Or is it too much added stress for her being handled? She is eating seed though. If not the formula, should I keep their veges up? Thankyou, really, for every ones advice and help so far, I very much appreciate being able to talk to people who know about budgies.

Hello everyone, I am in a bit of a tither atm....yesterday one of my budgies layed an egg, which was eaten by my quails. This afternoon I checked on them in the aviary and there was another egg in the corner. I gently picked it up and took it inside and its in front of a lamp. Should I have left it in the aviary wrapped up in a towel? I am not sure if the mother (not sure who has layed) will look after it, or if she has more to lay....should I place it back in the aviary up a little higher off the ground so the quails can't get it? Thankyou for the help, Kristy P.s never had eggs from my birds until yesterday.

Hahaha so Tick's defs a male, I thought so too by the way he always chases the females around and bobs his head, but I just wanted to be sure. Lol and Boomba well, it remains a mystery. I am pretty sure the cere is a full pink colour but I will have to have a look 2morro to be sure. And I am not sure if they are recessive pieds, I am a little green when it comes to that, but I will take photos of them not in my hands 2morro as well.

Lol I hope we are both right, thankyou Harry

Hmmm okay, sounds nasty, I want to be able to breed them well, so if I can avoid as many problems as I can it would be good. What are those big cabinet things called with lots of cages and a breeding box off each cage called? Lol sorry about my bad examples. I want to ask other questions but they are all breeding related so I will ask them in the breeding section after Ive had a look through the posts.

Holy moly!!! Hahaha soo many, and all so bright

Haha thankyou KAZ, I am quite fond of my aviary, a bit rustic but my budgies love the space, they fly around like crazy haha. 100-150 is a lot of budgies O_O I didn't think I would be able to have that many in there, not that I'm complaining ... I am trying to hunt down cheap breeding boxes because I want to start breeding, I've heard you need a box for every female, and I currently have more males then females, is that okay if I want to start breeding them? My dad has attached extra wire along the bottom, and down the bottom of the sheeting I have placed scrunched up balls of mesh in all the holes. I have noticed though that there is a 1-2 centimeter gap under each door and I am unsure about how to fix this, there are these long log things you can place along the bottom of a door to stop the cold coming in, I was thinking of buying those, just outdoor ones instead. Thankyou KAZ Hahaha aaaa I just re-read your reply, I didn't read the part about the mesh properly, yes the tin is a good idea, I shall have to tell my dad about it, i'll just grab some more aluminium sheeting, that's what the walls are.

Hello everyone, This is my new aviary, its 4m across and 3m long and is currently home to 27 budgies and 3 king quails. I was wondering if anyone could tell me how many I could comfortably house in it? Thankyou

Hello everyone, I am after some help with my 2 budgies, I am not 100% sure on their sexes Ive just been guessing. This is Boomba, I am guessing a female This is Tick, I'm guessing a male by the behaviour. Thankyou to anyone who can help me Kristy

Hahahahaha thats great

Okay....sorry I've taken so long to reply, been a bit busy. The other day I went and switched all my budgies around, the 4 quarantining are now in the small brown cage, and there is 9 in the big black cage, and 10 in the white. I took most of the old branches out of the cages and replaced them with new ones, and I placed them in a way that they have to fly to get to each branch, i.e running horizontal with eachother. It's improved their movement a lot, most of them fly from branch to branch, while a couple i.e the fat one, haven't worked up the courage to yet. But all in all theyr doing well This is the two fat ones, the grey and white and the blue and white beside him. I've recently named him Sir Chubbalot This is the salad I made for them, but it went funny rather quick, so I've decided to give one vege to them a day, i.e Monday Spinach, Tuesday Silverbeet, Wed Corn etc etc .

This one has four (two in here that are fat) This one has 10 This one 4 (my quarantining budgies) This one has 5. Im really dense sometimes, it took me awhile haha but I just thought of a solution that could work. I could put my 4 quarantining birds into the brown wooden cage. Then the birds that are in the brown wooden cage now, and the four from the small cage can go into the big black one. That way there would be 9 in the black, 10 in the white (the same) and four in the wooden, and the little white one can be a spare cage. I think this would work nicely until their new home comes

Thankyou Catherine, but I have to ask, what is a fruit stick???? lol I have no idea, unless your just using a different name for it? Thankyou also Maesie for your information it's great , By The Way the four little budgies in your picture r gorgeous I have a folder that is my 'budgie information folder' and so far I've got a few papers from the vet in it, and I think it will be beneficial for me if I go back through all my posts on this site and collect as much information as I can, that way if I need to know something fast I can just look it up in the folder. Yes I can imagine how fat those little ones were, poor darlings. I never realised (until you guys on here told me) that having even 19 (as I did) in what I thought was a big enough cage, would be a problem, I only knew that budgies were very social birds and so I thought it was better with more in a cage (but obviously not that many they can't even wedge past eachother). I see a lot of budgies at my local market (won't name it) that are squashed into these small, ucky cages and it makes me so angry! The more I go to the markets the worse the budgies look, I can tell by looking at them that half of them are sick (one was dead today when I went) and some of them have deformed beaks. I want to put a complaint in but I have no idea how to or where to start (but that is for a different forum, so I'll ask in the right place).

Hi Kaz Thankyou for the reply Before I came online and checked to see if anyone had replyied I had already given in and given them some seed, they were looking so hungry (I felt so guilty)) and going into a frenzy whenever I went near them (as if to say we are hungry!!). I'm happy to know that I was okay to give them seed again, I didn't realise it was harmful for them taking it away all together. Thankyou for explaining everything that you have it makes a lot of sense. After I read what you told me I thought to myself I'd sooner starve too rather then trying something unappealing, strange and foreign to me. I've been doing a little surfing today through the 'food n nutrition' and there are some pretty good ideas out there . Today at the markets I brought the vegetables I listed in my first post (silverbeet, spinach, lettuce mix, carrots and celery) I am hoping these are all okay? I gave the birds the celery leaves and the actual celery, but then I read in one of your posts that the celery gives them the runs so that went off the list. I'm also going to buy some sweet corn (another thing I found off your post ). I'll also want to give them broccoli (they've had broc b4) squash, zuchinni, bean sprouts and there is one more type of sprout, just forgot the name :s . I know the broccoli is okay, as is the bean sprouts but are the others okay? As for the feeding of the spinach twice a week, I'm a bit lazy with it so I need to pick up my act, that's why I decided on a new diet for them two days ago, just went the wrong way about it I had a little think, I tend to get fairly busy sometimes, so I came up with the idea of getting all these ingredients together and firstly giving them a good wash, then letting most of the water run off them. Then I want to cut them all up into different shapes, sizes etc etc, toss them all together and then put them in a fridge bag, or large quick seal bag and keep it in the fridge. That way every morning I can put some vegetable mix into a seperate container from the seed and into each cage. Would something like that work? The only thing that I am concerned about is if I keep trying different foods over a few weeks and some of them don't take to vegetables I'm very worried that the 'all seed' is bad for them. With the exercise I am trying to push my dad (haha as much as I can without ******* him off) to try find the time to start my aviary :( . He told me that this weekend coming he is going to clear a place in a shady part of our garden and box it so it will be ready for the cement the following week. Long story short I can not wait for my aviary, I'm so excited, and I know that the birds will have a lot of room, plenty for exercise, flying and the occassional fiesta lol. But before the aviary gets done, I am a little concerned that some of my birds aren't exercising enough (I will post pics of my cages soon, just gotta read up on how to do it again). I have 24 birds, and out of them I'm concerned about 3, mainly one who is quite fat. I got her off a friend at the start of the year (she had very bad scaly face, as well as on her legs and around the base of her tail. But I cleared that up and there hasn't been a trace of it again). She is quite happy (has a mate) and she chirps, flaps her wings a bit and does a lot of dancing back and forwards on her perch, but she just keeps getting fatter. I took her out of the cage to check her over on friday and she is very big around the breast area, with quite a big fatty lump there. The other budgie that came with her (not her mate, another female) is fine, and she hasn't had any problems and isn't fat. I did some reading about lumps on the net and from this site and, not that I am experienced in any way, I think the fatty lump has come about because of her weight gain. I'm thinking that with more exercise and some more vegetables in her diet it will help her to lose weight. What are your thoughts on this too?

Hello everyone I've noticed that some of my budgies are becoming a little chubby, I've one who is quite big and I am worried about her. All my budgies eat mostly seed (finch and budgie mix) and a couple of times a week they get spinach (they love it), and occassionally strawberries. That is all their diet consists of. I've decided I was going to put them on a more varied diet yesterday and yes it has only been two days, but they arent really taking to it and they look quite hungry and I'm really not sure if what I am doing is the right thing. Yesterday I put a small container of guinea pig mix in each cage mixed with a few seeds and yes well they had a pick but didnt eat much. Today was the guinea pig mix (which some now eat but just the oats and some other seed looking thing -.- ) and fresh spinach, silverbeet leaves, celery, carrot and the carrot leaves, and lettuce mix (I selected the darker leaves) mixed with a few seeds so it looked more appealing to them (apparently not). And the outcome wasn't good for the vegetables either (they didn't even touch the spinach). So far Budgies: 2, New Diet: 0. I know it's only the start but I'm worried they're hungry yet also worried because I don't want to put them straight back on an 'all seed' with little vegetables. I really don't know how to create a 'balanced' diet for my birds, and I am too stubborn to let them continue on an unhealthy seed diet, with just spinach two times a week, yet they r quite stubborn (and happy) in not wanting a diet change. How on earth can I go about creating a healthy, nutritional diet for my birds, and how to get them to accept new foods and like them?...(most of my birds have been eating seed all their lives, so I think that's why I'll find it challenging to change their ways). I really would love some advice on this. Also this might sound silly, but would it be a good idea if i brought a calender for my birds only, (for worming dates, check overs etc etc) and made up a week to week diet for them, that way I can see how long I've been giving them different foods, or maybe change the diet around a bit each week?

Thankyou to everyone for your well wishes. I to hope my birds pull trough and are in much better health. I'm on the 4th day of medicating them and they are all going well, more perky and chirpy. Butter (the unwell girl I took to the vet) is also looking much better, she has improved well, she just needs to work on putting back on her fat haha. There is only one bird I am concerned about, a little girl called Cheeky. She still is looking under the weather although I am medicating her, maybe she was sicker then Butter I'm not sure but I'm keeping an eye on her (she is tubby aswell, no weight loss).

Hey everyone. I went to the vet yesterday!! The Brisbane Bird Vet, and I am VERY glad I did. He was great. The sick bird I had in warm lighting died early Wednesday morning so I rang the vet and he told me to bring my dead bird in and one that's abit under the weather. He did a post mortem on the little girl (I watched, it was fasinating) and he made three smears. Then he looked at them all and two had diseases. She had canker and megabacteria (the WORST case of mb that he had ever seen). I told him the symptoms of each dying bird has been the same so he has given me medication for both diseases. Then I got told to clean and clean and clean haha. The canker meds are oral twice a day for each bird (19!!) for 10 days. And the mb is the same but for 7 days. And I got shown how to use a crop needle and I had a go. I got lots of advice, oh and I met Wally haha so adorable. All in al I was so happy I went. It was a reasonable price and the meds are for all my birds except the two in quarantine. He said I might still lose a couple of birds if the canker is very advanced because the cheese like substance in the throat takes awhile to clear, so only time will tell what happens.

Hey. Firstly I want to apologise about everything that I've said wrong or done wrong to anyone here. I didn't think from the point of view that you people care about the birds too. I'm genuinally sorry. With the sulphadim how long should I use it for?? Sorry if someone has posted an answer to that already, if you have I don't remember and I am on a crappy phone and its difficult to go through all the pages. How do I know if the sulphadim isn't working? The birds will keep dying? Katherine is the vet you saw the brisbane bird vet at Chermside? If so that's great about paying off. Ill ring the vet tomorrow and have a chat with someone (who should I talk to). If the birds keep dying I will DEFINATLY take the next sick one to see him. My papa is able to build an aviary for me so him and my dad are working out prices but I should have enough money for the aviary and the vet!! Does the vet do payments weekly? Fortnightly? How much roughly? Haha I will ring about this but a rough plan would be nice.

I have 19 birds seperated between the 3 big cages. One sick female that is in a cage with a lamp and 2 towels over and 2 birds in seperate quaratine. All the birds are in different areas of the house.

I HAVE been listening!! I feel so helpless as it is, and I come on this website and get criticised and made to feel extremely stupid. I have tried so many things and they aren't working, so I came on here asking for more advice. Now your all effing having a laugh at my expense. I know a lot of your advice has been 'see a vet' and I understand that!! But understand that 'I can't afford a bird vet!' I wish I could but I can't so I am getting help else where. The birds in the three big cages are warm at night, they have a tarp keeping the wind out during the day and they are out of the rain. I've just started Sulphadim yesterday (I'm using it for 5 days simply because it doesn't say how long to use it for on the bottle) and I keep the cages clean. Whenever I see a bird in any of the big cages that looks sick I take it out and keep it in a little cage, covered in towels and in the house. I will also buy some probiotic this wednesday.And on another note about the Condy's Crystals, I DID give an answer! I don't have it all sitting in bowels on the cage floors, I used it ONCE in their water trays because one of my breeders said it was good for them but in tiny amounts. I'm trying with what I have available to me with the little money I have. Some of you are so judgemental and harsh but I won't name names. Remember when you first started out with your birds!!I am almost able to get an aviary for my birds, I am hopefully getting my papa to build it soon, if he can't I'll buy one somewhere if I can find a good one. I'm trying to find a very cosy, well weather protected aviary.Anyway I think I am going to find other people to talk to from now on, I come off this website feeling more heartbroken and utterly dumb in most of your eyes (like I don't know ****)...but thankyou anyway!!! :angry:By The Way I wouldn't call the carrying on in the last few reply's advice, I'd call it being pure nasty. Your the one's who should grow up! Stop being so heartless I am only wanting what's best for my poor birds, this isn't a contest of wits!!

Hey everyone. I am once again DESPERATE to get this disease situation sorted out!!! For awhile my birds stopped dying but now they wont stop dying!!!....I have been having 2 'destroy' them rather then let them suffer because what I try to do to help them doesn't work. Another 2 died just this weekend and it looks like another won't be far off...I have been sooo stressed, worried and crying my brains out wondering how to stop all my darlings dying. I took one to a vet a week and a bit ago (was just a normal vet) and he gave me some stuff because he thought the bird had a respiratory infection. She died. Yesterday I went to the markets and there is a breeder there that used to be the head of a budgie association and I gave him the symptoms of the birds and he thinks they have cocci. He told me to worm them with ivermectin then boost them up, then give them baycox. I found ivermectin easy but I CAN NOT find CHEAP baycox or anything good to treat cocci?? I have NO idea what else I could use or where to find it. I live in Bellmere (near Caboolture). All I could afford yesterday was 'Aristopet Sulphadim' and I don't know if it's any good. I don't have a lot of money, and I can't afford vets...but I want my birds to be okay so badly it hurts, Im really stressed about it, I can't help them or make them better no matter what I do...I feel absolutely useless . Today I was so close to opening their cages and letting them fly away I was so upset...but I couldn't do it because I love them so much. Its hard to watch them suffer when I can't help because I can't afford proper help.