TheBudgieGuy

Hey guys/girls, I am getting 4 budgies in the new year, which you might know if you have read my thread "New Budgie Decisions" (which I need to reply to). I am planning on breeding them and by the end of 2011 own 16 budgies. I will visit shows in 2011 and maybe take a small team to a local show in 2012. I want to provide my budgies with good nutrition, especially because in the breeding season, they'll be in breeding cages and won't have much space to move around (I am constructing a flight for the non-breeding season). So my question is - what do you feed your budgie(s)? For the breeders on here, please tell me any differences during the breeding and non-breeding seasons. In the book "The Challenge: Breeding Championship Budgies" by Gerald S. Binks, which you've most likely heard about, Gerald includes his diet called "The Binks Diet", which I think sounds good if I can get all of the supplies in Queensland. I would also like some feedback of whether you think that the Binks diet is good, and if not, what you would change about them? Any additional information about feeding would be great too. The Binks Diet Non-breeding Season Canary Seed - 80 per cent Mixed Millets - 10 per cent Clipped oats/groats - 5 per cent Tonic Seed - 5 per cent, fed separately Abidec Drops - 1 drop / pint water Cytacon - 5 mls / pint water Hormova - Offered separately in finger drawers Grit + Cuttlefish - continuously Iodised Blocks - continuously Breeding Season Differences Main Mixture (Canary Seed, Mixed Millets, Clipped oats/groats) Coated in Cod Liver Oil at 5mls per pound 24 hours prior to feeding Abidec Drops - 2 drops / pint water Cytacon - 10 mls / pint water So, yeah, any opinions would be good, as well as the price of all of this (estimated) and what finger drawers are? Cheers Finn

Is 7 chicks a rare number or am I just inexperienced? It seems to be that most people of 6 or 7 eggs and then 2+ die in the eggs or die from similar causes, making the total number of chicks 4 or 5.

Thought I'd got it wrong.

Hi Moshe, Welcome to the forum. I wouldn't call myself an expert, and I have only just joined as well, but I might as well tell you what I think. I reckon it depends on the dimensions of your cage. If it is a reasonable size, and has space for more than the nesting boxes, than it would be okay for there to be more than one box. Check out some of the pictures of breeding cages, or outside aviaries with under 20 birds. Budgies are community animals, so I don't think that you would have a problem with agression, but you never know. The only possible flaw in the plan is the type of cage, because if it is a "pet" cage then the nesting boxes would be hard to connect. Like I said, I could have got this completely wrong, so check with one of the real experts of the forum before doing anything drastic.

Merry Christmas forum members. I only joined yesterday (Christmas Day) and do not yet own any budgies but when I make some friends and purchase some birds I can see that you have a very strong community and have already received help from members. MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Hey guys/girls, Merry Christmas! I got a lot of good gifts, one of the best being the confirmation that I will be going to a local breeder (has 470 budgies) in January/February. The timing is because apparently budgie breeding season is in March but it seems most of the eggs from forum users hatch in October? I will be allowed to choose any four budgies from a certain group (he has birds worth $500-750). I have done basic research and more (different breeds etc.), and have a great book about breeding budgies called The Challenge: Breeding Championship Budgies. I just wanted to know your opinions regarding what to look for in a championship cock/hen? Cheers Finn