fordmob

I am guessing that the clubs commission was 10% which is whythe club netted $4k, while the auction made approx $40k. This feels like a year 8 fill in the blanks maths equation.

Are you planning to buy clearwing?

Definitely close the lid. They like breeding in dark places, light boxes are a turn off. Try moving the nest box. I would take the cock bird and nest box out for a week then put the nest box in then the cock bird. When you separate the ccok have him withing sight and calling distance. Give her lots of stuff to chew on, cuttlefish, eucalypt bramches etc.

They would need to both be split which is very possible as it is a recessive gene. I have popped greywings out of nowhere a few times. It can be a bit of a bonus or not depending on what you are after.

The albino is possibly a violet. Albinism removes the pigmentation. An albino could be cobalt, sky, pied, spangle etc. A lutino could be dark green, olive etc. I am no expert however, particularly with colour but that explanation would make sense to me. There may be a genetics expert who gan give a stronger opinion

If anyone has AI tubes they are the greatest ever thing for feeding newborn chicks. I used to use a soy baby formula, I saved a lot of chicks.

Has she bonded with the cock? Have you seen them mate etc?

I was going to mention that old remedy. I use to use one part dettol to three parts olive oil on the affected areas. Only needed to apply it a half a dozen times and it would fix it. That was when I first started in budgies when I was 11, I am now 39...

I use beach sand/grit because it is available. It just makes cleaning easier.

This is one I must get.

If you withdraw the water for a day or two it wont harm them. If you put medicated water in the cage they should then go straight to it. The crop needle however as discussed earlier is the best way to do it. I have used a fine gauge tube on a sysringe which does the same job. That way you can ensure that the bird gets the correct dose. Her is a youtube video on crop needling from a vet.

I think its the second edition. If not check out the Andrew Isles Bookshop website. It is definitely the 2nd ed on there.

I have had prolapsed hens too, I suppose the same can happen to cocks. Maybe the hen busted his his nuts. Poor fella, know how he feels. Seriously it's a shame to see good birds go in this way.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Challenge-breeding-championship-budgerigars-/290515437540?pt=AU_Non_Fiction_Books_2&hash=item43a411c7e4

And the one who buys the ugly sister breeds the good ones.

Thanks Taz When I first started out I didn't buy a bird for over $50 except for one hen which I paid $200 at an auction. She never laid an egg:angry: The best bird that ended up being the foundation of my line was a 3 year old cock that was given to me. So I agree that you need to buy smart and spending loads of cash is no guarantee in itself. You gotta have a plan I reckon. You have to be a realist though and breeders put a lot of effort into thier birds and can't be expected to give stuff away. $50 for something that can be used is more than reasonable.

I reckon your white double factor if it grows will be a cracker. I like the 2nd clearbody too.

Thanks Splat. I know Geoff pretty well, he's a ripper young fella and he actually bought a bird at the auction for me as I couldnt get there. Geoff has been good enough to supply some birds to me as well. I know all of the breeders here in Geelong and have checked them out. Geoff's birds are in demand these days and he only sells through auction. Plus he needs to fill his 80 odd breeding cages!! It's just a personal preference but I would rather not buy stock birds via auction. It's too hard to get the related lines that I am after in any decent quantity. I do buy the good cock birds from auction. When I do that I run them over 3 or 4 hens in a season and either AI or use fosters. I do have another country breeder who has good stuff who I am going to check out soon. My first aim is to try and have 5 good and 10 solid hens to breed with next year and buy 2 or 3 top line cocks at auction. Yeah you'll do all that I reckon. Just make sure you show in a different class to me.

Find a stockfeeds place and just ask for hulled oats. I feed them dry in separate containers when the birds have chicks but I don't soak/sprout. Dont soak/sprout them unless you follow strict hygiene guidelines. I have never done it and prefer to use other methods to supplement thier feed. No doubt if done right it is a great way of getting good nutrients in to your birds.

Really enjoyed reading this thread. Reminds me of the ups and downs I had when I started out the first time. Some nice birds there GB. Well done.

I am sure it will all go exactly to plan....

Do your yellow and white budgies have a red eye? If they are then it is lutino which is sex linked, there are some genetic charts on here somewhere I think, if not you will find them on the web. Bear in mind that Lutinos are really "green" without markings which means they will be dominant over "blue". To get an albino out of your first pairing then your Lutino will need to be split blue. All of your hens out of this pairing will be lutino or albino and your cocks will be spilt lutino or albino.

Thanks Daz, great plans. Might use them for the nest boxes.

Have you tried building them yourself? I had trouble finding some so learnt to build them myself. There should still be information and photos on the site for you. Yeah I have before, and will again if I have to. Just a matter of finding the time. Thanks Daz.

Hi there I would like to afford a breeder a great opportunity of selling me some birds. The breeder will go down in budgerigar folklore. Hopefully it will go something like this... 1. Breeder sells me some reasonable birds from a quality line 2. Firstly I win Diplomas, then place and eventually win some shield classes with birds bred from this line 3. I win multiple National classes 4. My birds become famous 5. I write a book crediting breeder (insert name here) with supplying my original stock which kickstarted my journey to budgerigar superstardom..... On a serious note, I am re-entering the hobby after a lay off and am having difficulty sourcing quality birds in my area. I would consider buying off any class of breeder who is on the right track. I am happy to pay between 50-100ish for stock birds and will pay good $ for a couple of good, well bred cocks. I have no preference for variety and if you happen to have Danish, Fallows, lacewings, redeyes etc and they are good I would consider buying them. Predominantly I am after the main varieties though. I am keen to get a good relationship with someone as I will bring in another good line of birds which may help the supplier down the track. Once established I will only outcross with quality birds. If your birds have good lines, size and type or have good feather and depth of mask then I would be interested. I am ultimately after approx 4 pairs from 2 different breeders. I am more than happy to purchase via photos and have birds transported. If you have an exceptional cock on Gazzard, Chidel, George, Kakoschke lines or another quality line that you have finished with I would consider that too. Would also love to do a few aviary visits, so if you are in the Geelong or west/nth melb area and you are in the mood to have a 39 year old bald bloke over for a cuppa and a chat and maybe a couple of kids then drop me a PM. Also after some local (geelong, melbourne) nestboxes. Please PM me and we can exchange details. If you know of someone who may have good birds for salse please feel free to get them to contact me here or PM me a name and number or email address or I can forward my details. cheers fordmob