Hezz

Most of what you posted makes no sense to me as a pet budgie owner only , but congratulations anyway!!! And good luck with your pairings.

Finnie, I have seen copper bells promoted in a pet store as being "copper bells for large parrots, and copper bells for budgies" etc. Even with stainless steel bells you do have to watch as sometimes the clapper or the ring holding the clapper will show signs of rust very quickly. Stainless steel is supposely safe but there is stainless steel and there is stainless steel. Thank you for bringing our attention to bells and their possible side affects. I have a couple of budgies who are bell-bashers and even though I turf out any with rust, I still worry when I see these two "worrying" the bells.

Hi Henrietta, can I just add my two cents (or p:P ) worth. - Tape down the little flaps on the feeders - budgies are smart and while these do sort of click down, if a budgie wants to, he can easily push them out and escape from the cage. I do know of people whose budgies have escaped this way. Wide packing tape works well - you don't have to remove it totally every time, just peal up, and it will retain its stickiness for some time. - Run your perches (when you get some natural wood ones:D) so that they are as far apart as possible but so Del boy/girl can still perch on them comfortably and turn around. This allows him to work that little harder and may even give him enough room for a little fly from perch to perch. - Newspaper on the bottom of the cage (over the grate) and changed every day makes for a cleaner envioment for birdy and easily housework for you! Also gives you the opportunity to check poop and therefore know immediately if there is a change - ie as in bird may be sick. - Bring the seed bell down from the top centre of the cage - s/he'll have to hang upside down to get to it at the moment and at this early stage probably won't bother. - While toys are good, don't overcrowd the cage. Make sure Del has enough room to stretch wings out fully anf flit from perch to perch. I find putting the toys around the periphery of the cage works best for me - leaves the centre free for exercise without the toys getting in the way. - Try him with fresh washed veggies as soon as possible. The older he is the less likely he is to take to eating new things. But not to worry if he doesn't start eating straight away - just persevere. Popular veggies, voted on by budgies, are carrots, peas (preferably in pods), spinach, asian greens, celery, brocolli. Many others, just having a seniors moment. Other people have success with different things of course, birds will be birds. Some people have had success by grating carrot over the seed, or breaking brocolli flowerettes over the seed so that the bird gets little bits when it feeds. Only thing, don't leave the fresh food to get old - after a couple of hours remove it as it can still harbour germs. And lastly (boy, what an epistle!!!) if you are still with me, patience, patience and more patience. A week isn't long to adjust to new surroundings, you are still strangers to the little one. Talk to her every moment you can spare. If you think she's lonely during the day, leave the radio on. Doesn't matter what station, so so there is noise. Most of all, good luck with little Del (Boy or Girl)

Glad the dog worked out to be good for guarding, if not rounding.... . Keep trying with the trap (peanut butter and carrot works for us mostly) but still so sad about the cock you lost. Hope the little chick is under marema guard and makes it out the other side. We get white-tailed rats which some-one in their infinite wisedom decided needed to be protected. They are huge, bold and will try to chew through a roller door. We have had two chew through a trap and escape, so I am not surprised where a rat can get to or what it can get up to. I would add a bucket of water to the trap............but that's probably best left unsaid.

Sorry fire bird. Rats certainly can climb - anything!!! We constantly have trouble with them in our floor-space about 3 metres above the ground. Get rid of one lot, have a little peace and another moves in.

Hi Sarah. Only good, positive vibes going your way......really hoping all comes good with your whole flock. Please. yes keep us updated on everyone but especially the little fella. I love good news stories!!!

Agree with Maesie. Use the millet as a treat.

Hi Art and DP. If the little guy has given your pear a go, it seems he is game to try new things so that's a plus. Keep offering him veges and fruit, even if he has rejected them in the past. Sometimes they will look at the same thing for weeks and then one day tuck in. Doesn't have to be a lot of anything, just a variety. Doesn't look skinny to me, but that's only me. Maybe more experienced members could comment for you.

Vicky, I usually wash mine down with a mild detergent and give a scrub, and then soak in vinegar for a little while and then dry. That's at first. After, every week when it's "birdie house-work" day, they get a shorter version of the same thing. If you are really worried about where the branches have been or been subjected to, or the weather is rotten, after a wash you can always "bake" them in the oven. 200 degrees C, an hour should do it, That way, you can be sure that any nasty bugs will be killed. It won't help if things have been sprayed, but any surface spray will be washed off beforehand.

Sorry to hear, Penny. I really hope you get little Beanie back. Do you have a daily paper in your area you can advertise in? Fingers crossed for you.

Hi, Vicky, and a big welcome! Sounds like you are on the right track with everything. I would just like to add that while your little friend is still young is the time to introduce him/her to veges. I realise he (for convenience) is still settling in and that can take some time, but don't leave it too long as the older they are the less likely they are to take to new things being introduced, food-wise. Also don't read too much into him letting you stroke him. Even though he is acting fairly laid back about the whole thing most budgies will put a stop to this once they fully settle in and feel comfortable enough with you to let you know what they really think. But now is the time to sit back with your new friend (name????) start talking to him, introducing your hand to him and encouraging the step-up training - one of the handiest tools in the training repertoire - and generally getting to know each other. Hope you have plenty of time to spend, because they are real little time-wasters!!!! In that I mean, you will think you'll just spend 15 minutes with him and before you realise it an hour will have passed!! Good luck and let us know when you have a name.

Here,here Ratzy. I fumed for days. Couldn't believe the sheer stupidity, ignorance, enviromental vandalism and everything else in between. I also shared this nonsense (in the very real meaning of the word) with other budgie lovers/breeders further afield......the general reaction being "you have got to be kidding?" Enough said.

The iodine is an easy additive if needed on a regular basis. I add it to my birds' water twice a week and haven't noticed them pulling back from it on the days I add it. You can buy it from a pharmacy as "Iodine Tincture"

Iodine is treatment for hypothyroidism. Can't imagine what the salt is for.

That's a very hard way to learn a lesson, Jaxon. Sorry you lost your little friend. Did you get a positive diagnosis from the autopsy on what was the problem. May help you in the future, if you get another bird.

"Hezz, you made a good point but at the same time contradicted yourself" Actually I didn't. How many released/escaped budgies do you think would have died or been eaten for every one of those that manages to survive and find one of its own? No figures on that but I dare say a damn lot!!

and then today you post that you bought a new budgie and then set it free to be with the one already on the loose. Doesn't make any sense at all to me. How will you feel if this new budgie gets killed by the other 'nasty bird eating birds' Africa has?!?! I feel really sorry for this new bird Especially as the newy is obviously from a "domestic/breeder/aviary/all-it-what-you-will" situation and won't have learnt the necessary survival skills to survive the wild. Releasing exotic pets into the wild is an enviromental no-no. It is bad enough when they escape but to actively encourage it....... As a point to make, Britian now had a feral budgie problem, with authorities worried about the impact the feral flocks are having on the native birds.....to the extent of bringing in culling!!! Food for thought!

Hi Wendymoon. I haven't been on a lot lately but I can give you a dose of my personal experiences. My oldest budgie, Bluey is now 5 and half. For 4 years he was an only bird and we all had a beautiful bond with him - he was the best little pet bird you could ever have. After all this time we (I) decided to get another.. Turns out the second bird (Smudge) is a hen but at the time was taking pot-luck. Funny all the breeders on here can sex their chicks, but my local ones can't.....anyway Bluey was not impressed with having a friend, especially as said friend would try to land ON him not beside and constantly invaded his personal space. Smudge has been with us for a bit over 12 months and it is only the last couple of months that Blue will actually approach Smudge, and then only out of the cage. In the cage he flys to the opposite side to where she is (she is a stroppy little thing and can be nippy). In fact I think getting Blue a friend was rather stressful for him, and for a long time did wonder if i shouldn't separate them and allow Blue to have his personal space. They are in a large flight cage but still he wasn't too happy. I still made sure that Bluey had time out on his own with us, and we have kept up a close bond. I don't know how old Bogie is but if he is younger then you probably won't have the same problems I did - Bluey was very much a middle-aged accountant in bird-form and looked for a quiet life. Getting a male/female??? If you aren't going to breed, it doesn't matter. They will only look to breed if you provide a nest-box, so no nest-box, no baby budgies. Males a generally considered more fun, less moody, more laid-back than females and that has been my experience too. I have recently added another male to the flock and even though he came from an aviary and wasn't really quiet at all, he has settled in really well and is taming nicely - he is about 6 months old. Bluey has taken to this new fellow (Sparky) rather easily and the boys are now hanging out together. Is it possible the two won't get on??? From what I have seen and other people's stories, yes it can happen. I have known situations where a bird has had to be rehoused because it was a physical threat to another, but I do think this is rare. I perservered for a year with Smudge and Bluey and I doubt a lot of people would have given them as long, but Smudge wasn't threatening Blue physically. He was so passive she didn't need to - she lunges at him and he flys off. Sorry it is a bit long-winded, but I have tried to present my experiences as they have unfolded. Hope this helps somewhat. Probably just confused you!!!

I totally agree with GB's opinion about bringing him inside and some budgies (especially the first pets) thinking they are humans. Poor Blanc would probably love to get out of the cold and have a good snuggle with you. You can only try and see how he goes.....if it looks like he is missing the other birds.... well nothing lost, put him back into the aviary. Good luck with him.

Hi Moglet. From what I have noticed, mine all have a moult (small feathers) around Nov/Dec and now they have pretty much finished their pin feathers, I find that they tend to have one moult where they lose little downy feathers and then another moult where they lose flight feathers and tail feathers. That has been this last one. During this last moult they also lose small feathers but there seems to be a moult where they will lose some of their "long" feathers and one where they don't. Don't know whether they all do this but mine seem to. You are in Brissie, so imagine you may be similar to what mine do. Cheers

A lot a people feed their budgies boiled egg. In fact a number of breeders recommend boiled egg and egg shells ground up finely for added calcium. What else is egg and biscuit?? And I have read a post of Kaz's where the discussion was about feeding show birds chicken. You are better off trying your budgies some veges too, rather than fruits. things such as corn on the cob, fingers of carrots, beetroot, leafy greens like spinach, bok choy - any asian greens. Most will over time if you persevere, eat bits of veges and maybe some fruit like apple but generally the fruit is a bit of a waste.

Cockatiels and budgies seem to get along pretty well together.

Hi Brendan. Sorry you lost your other little mate. Your remaining budgie could well be sick too, or she could be mourning the loss of the other. Do you know why your other budgie died? It may be worth your while to get your hen to a vet (avian of course) in case whatever the first had is contagious, and just to put your mind at ease. It would be up to you to decide whether to get another bird, and sometimes they can mourn for weeks, others get over it in no time. And as Finnie says quarantine is important for both the new bird and those already in residence. Good luck with your decisions. Only you can make them. :)

Ratzy, whatever the mutation, it is a pretty bird. It is a shame someone didn't give you good info on trimming their wings (even me as a pure amateur can see it coul be better) but a little research next time can probably show you the correct way (or an "expert" on the forum). Enjoy your new birds for what they are and not for what someone else tells you they are!!

Sorry Cara, I'm at the other end of the state, but surely there is a good natured sole on the forum who can help. Good luck!