Bird Junky

Hi Daryl *sigh* here we go again........ I feed pellets as an ADDITION to my birds balanced diet which also consists of seeds (dry and sprouted), vegetables, and assorted mineral additives. Most show bird breeder are more concerned with progeny production than the long term liver & kidney damage, due to vitamin & mineral overdose. The pellets are offered in a separate bowl on a daily basis. Most of my birds eat the pellets, a few do not so obviously they mustn't taste too bad. Too bad doesn't mean good. I'm not sure why people insist on coming on here and starting threads about how pellets are the work of the devil and nobody should feed them as a single source of nutrition to their budgies. I'm sure I never said that! I note you're in Manchester and I'm not sure how things operate over in the UK, but you're on an Australian forum and for what it's worth i know of NO budgie breeders who feed their birds a diet consisting solely of pellets. Come on, Australia a big place. There could be some you don't know about. The few of us who use them feed in addition to a balanced diet. In a balanced diet. Why would you need them? Also, making absurd statements about protein coming from the slaughter house is just downright misleading as your post implies Your right, I can only speak for pellets manufactured in GB. I worked for 2years in a slaughter house. No doubt Australian pellets are made from prime steak. ALL pellets are the same! That's like saying all cars are **** because you bought a piece of junk from "Dodgy Dan the Car Sales Man". Funny you should mention cars. The one I have is great but there are at least four identical models that I have spotted with a different manufacturers badge on. As with any product it's up to the consumer to determine which product is suitable because unlike the implication in your post, pellets are not all the same. Well I can't prove they are & you can't prove they ain't. One final thing: most pellets contain a mycotoxin deactivator. Do breeders know where their seed comes from and if it's been treated for mycotoxins or even what the dangers of them are? Given our (Aust east coast) wetter climate of the last 12 months mycotoxins are sure to be more prevalent in grains now than in our past drier years. I attended a chook forum last year and questioned the expert pitching his mycotoxin deactivator to the audience about how our budgie seed could be treated. In short, he didn't know. Seeing as you've spent the "latter part of your working life" in "seeds, grain and animal feedstuff" perhpas you would be able to shed some light on how we can decrease the risk of mycotoxin in seed. Sorry I'm not a scientist. I retired in 1985, but if you know, why don't you tell us? Pellets are like sausages. it's best not to know wots in em! That was hard work. my typing finger will need a long rest now. Yours No insult intended. B.J.

B. J's PELLETS V FRESH FOOD I have often been accused of banging on about Pet Bird Pellets. So I've decided to write this explanation for my views against them. I've spent some of the latter part of my working life in the Grain, Seed & Animal Feed stuff business. So here I'm going to let you into a few secrets. What they don't print on the pkt. If your a bit squeamish, don't read on...... The so called, high quallity Protein, Calcium & some odd trace elements come from the Slaughter house. Offal inc Skin, Fur, Sinew's & other bits not considered suitable for human consumption contribute the Protein. The Bones are ground into a powder for the Calcium. The Vitamins, Carbohydrates, come from the wastage from the vegetable packers, inc, Stalks, Roots, Pods & Leaves. Plus anything that gets shelled or damaged in the transportation & sorting process. For instance, Maize, Peanuts, Sunflower hearts, Nuts, Peas, Beans etc. etc.These are dried & crushed. This saves quite lot of money from the disposal costs to landfill sites & makes a nice profit with a little publicity from Birdkeepers believing the blurb on the bags & wanting to give the best they can to their Birds. So I offer this challenge. To all bird keepers who think that Pellets are the best food for birds.. Take every meal you consume in just on day, from breakfast to midnight snack. Cooked in the normal way. Put the whole lot into a mixer..... Now you know it's nutritious, fresh & just think of all the time you could save. All you have to do now is to pour yourself a portion out for your breakfast. Having enjoyed it so much no doubt you can hardly wait for your next meal..... Pellets are ideal for poultry, for which they were designed. They swallow without tasting. I've know chickens eat a dozen steel ball bearings without batting an eyelid. Some birds like humans taste & enjoy the taste & texture of fresh food that's also fit for human consumption. Like us they have their own personal likes & dislikes where food is concerned, once they have tasted Pellets, they know they taste like *****. Even when you mix it with things they do like, which rather defeats the object of feeding pellets in the first place. Of course starving birds has been known to make birds eat Pellets, but its cruel & not to be recommended. Why would you force your birds to eat anything they don't like. For the record, I would not deprive any bird who enjoyed eating Pellets. Provided the owner understands the dangers in supplying certain extra Vitamins, Minerals etc. As this can cause long term damage to internal organs. Leading to sudden unexplained death after a year or two. The symptoms are almost identical as a Vitamin & Mineral deficient diet.okay....Yours B.J.

Hi Have you checked the nest box or signs of any eggs? If so being a maiden it could be the avian equivalent of a false pregnancy. Or she could be reabsorbing the eggs due to internal problems. You only get guesses as your info is a little sparse. Removing the box wont cure her problem. Yours B.J.

If your new to birdkeeping, I suggest you acquaint yourself with the knowledge you need to look after your bird before you attempt any taming or training. Yours B.J. B.J's Find the Pea Trick AKA 'The Shell Game Using three upturned plastic eggcups with a treat hidden under one cup. By chopping & changing the position of the cups, the bird has to find which cup hides the treat. HOW TO TEACH IT (1) Sit at a table with the bird. three eggcup a little millet & a slice of cake & a cup of tea. Show him the eggcups & encourage him to play & investigate them Lie one on it's side & drop a crumb or millet seed so he has to push the cup out of away to get it. When he's familiar & comfortable with the eggcups. Cover a treat with one & tell him to, "find it." If he touches the cup, or better still knocks it over he gets the treat. If he thinks its gone. Show him where it is, keep trying some birds are a bit slow, they think if you can't see it, it's gone forever. When he's succesful 3 or 4 times, take a break & repeat later. Next day move on to, (2). (2) Line up the three upturned eggcups & show him only one has a crumb under it. Slowly move the cup in one switch & ask him to find it & quickly show him. So he doesn't get bored. Repeat the one switch until he starts to gets it right & take a break. If he can keep track of it. Move on to, (3). (3) Increase to two moves, & continue as in, 2. For those of you who want to surprise & amaze your audience by moving the cups as fast as a NewYork street hustler, I'm afraid you will have to cheat. THE CHEAT During step 1, 2,& 3, with your fist clenched, touch the top of the eggcup. With your extended little finger. Till the bird grasps the idea your pointing at the cup & treat. Once he gets the idea, very gradually over the next few days, point to the cup from a little further away. THE SECRET POINT. Seated at the table, you have a teacup, Pick up the cup as if to drink with your little finger extended, like rich people do but hide it under the cup so your audience don't see it. Raise the cup above the birds eye line so the he can see which eggcup your pointing at with your little finger. As soon as he makes his move take a drink & turnover the eggcup with your free hand if the bird has only touched it. This will divert attention away from your teacup & pointing finger. HAVE FUN PS. I DO NOT APPROVE OF GAMBLING IN ANY SHAPE OR FORM, UNLESS I'M WINNING..Yours B.J.

Hi My advice would be for you to buy a booklet about the care of Budgies from your Pet store. This will give you the basics so you will be better able to ask any further questions you have on this site. Can I suggest that if your unsure about what to do. Please ask before you do it. Sorry if that sounds a little patronising. My personal opinion is to put all the birds in a cage & have a look at my web site. or check out taming & training on this site. Yours B.J.

Hi I agree with Neville That bird looks very young. Yours B.J.

Hi The original idea with pellets ( Like chicken feed) was that it was to be a total diet containing all the nutrients a bird would need. So no seed veg/fruit needed. When that didn't work it was offered as a additive containing all the extra little goodies your birds needed. If you knew what pellets are made of ... Like sausage it's better not to know. Ask any budgie pellets taste like S***T. If your feeding a good mix diet of seed fruit /veg you don't need to waste your money on pellets. Yours B.J.

Hi It just goes to show it isn't just pet shop you have to be wary of. After all breeders are where the pet shops get their birds from. Yours B.J.

Hi You will find that all budgies are a bit picky. Don't forget your birds are like all kids with food. They play with it. pick over it . & just love to make a mess. Don' worry they will grow out of it. Yours B.J.

HI, Just my personal opinion. I would Clip & move at the same time. If your worried about his feelings etc. Why upset him twice? Clipping is good & will help enormously during the taming period. Yours B.J. See my web at, spanglefish.com/birdjunkybirdtraining

Hi Robyn It certainly sounds like Cal deficiency . By the way Cal in drinking water becomes ineffective (If that's the right word) after a couple of hours. A Vet friend of mine told me that a new study that is under way. It seems there are some fruit & veg that contain enzyms (What ever they are) that inhibit the take up of Calcium & other goodies from other fruit & veg. I've written it all down & when he's checked it I'll post it. Yours B.J.

Hi Problem is you can't question the suspects. You can stop blaming yourself it wasn't the calcium. The body gets calcium from a variety of vegetables. Any suggestions would be pure conjecture on our part. Hens are very hormonal like most females at this time. I wouldn't worry to much s***t happens there could be a number of reasons so don't beat yourself up about it. You can either split them up or clean up & try again. okay Yours B.J.

Hi I suggest that a list should be drawn up of the worlds budgie safe trees. My own list is useless to any of our members who live in Outer Mongolia, or halfway up Kilimanjaro. Yours B.J.

Hi There I would put all the food into the cage none in the aviary. Your hen won't starve she will enter when she's hungry. Leave it until she gets used to it. Birds don't get as stressed as often as we humans think ,or for the same reasons. okay Yours B.J

Hi Birds have a habit of hiding sickness until they are ready to fall off the perch. It's got to be an internal problem. It could be any one of many causes. Only a vet's opinion would be the only one that's not a guess. Yours B.J.

Hi Yes the hen should be okay, but there are no guarantees Were the hens in breeding condition??? Yours B.J.

Hi A lot depends on whether your are just trying to breed bigger budgies.. That' s plausible. Breeding show birds from pet shop budgies. That will stand any chance of winning is impossible. While your grand children are admiring their efforts. Show winning birds will have moved on, probably rivalling poultry in size with feathering like a Polish X Silky cross....Yours B.J.

HI . Just a suggestion. Have you tried changing channels?????? Yours B.J.

Hi . Well I did say , "USUALLY".. Yep B.J. you definitely did say . " USUALLY"...... Lol. B. J.

Hi usually if a fruit is safe to eat then the rest of the tree should be okay. I'm assuming that your referring to the edible Blueberries. Yours B.J.

Hi Breeders of show budgies do not sell eggs. Anyone offering them is going to rip you off Breeders only sell birds that don't come up to their criteria & they won't know that until they hatch & moult out, I would look on the internet.. Many show breeders have their own sites Yours B.J.

Hi Frank.Good idea teaching recall, but could I suggest as budgies easily pick up on vocals. You use proper words to call them as you offer a treat. Just as with CLICKER training you don't want to hear birds CLICKING all day long. Yours B.J.

B.J's Bird Training. The method of training birds I have practised over the past 50yrs is to teach without fear or conflict. I found it no more difficult to train, from one to six birds at the same time. Some of these well tried methods used by many professional's, are not very popular with the general public. Who sometimes have a tendency to put human feelings, needs & wants onto their pet birds. My one & only golden rule is to invite, not demand or command a bird to do anything without offering a small reward. This includes putting my hand into their cage or personal space. If any bird shows a dislike of being, picked up, stroked, or squeezed, I don't do it, humans forget, in the birds eyes you are a slightly better looking equivalent of King Kong. With my own bred birds, as they already know & trust me as their favourite uncle, are quite happy to eat from my hands. I always clip their wings as soon as they leave the nest, if I'm selling them as pre trained birds. You can charge a far higher price for trained birds. Have I already mentioned that??? I have also trained birds of all ages belonging to various clients, friends etc. & I treat them the same as the birds in stage one. PREPARATION for stage 1. Shop, breeder bought & older birds. I get the cage ready for the new arrivals. When training more than one bird. I move one of the upper perches much closer to the bars so that all the birds can reach any food I'm offering them through the bars at the same time. Bought & older birds, are without a known history, I ignore what I'm told about them being friendly etc. It's probably not true. When buying a bird I spend as long as I can watching the birds. Most birds are chosen for their colour. The ones I would be looking for are the inquisitive ones who are interested in what's going on around them. Never take pity on the shy one sitting all alone. He could be sick. Having made your choice, ask is there anyone available to clip their wings. If not & you don't know a friend who can, have a trip to the local avian vet. Buy several Millet sprays, as well as all the usual stuff you need. Wing clipping is highly recommended for training purposes. It makes things far easier for the trainer, novice or old hand. STAGE 1, Getting to know me. I put the new arrivals in their cage with, seed, grit, water,iodine block & cuttle bone on a table, leave them to settle down. Before I cover them for the night, I remove all food from the cage. I soak a millet spray or two overnight in water, enough for a days feed. It's more enjoyable if only marginally more nutritious. From now on I only feed by hand through the bars. Early next morning, I offer the millet spray from outside the cage through the bars. With several birds in one cage, I hold the spray horizontal to the bars so all the birds can eat at the same time. Reluctant birds will follow the example of the brave. I hold food up to the bars every time I think the birds might be hungry. I include fruit/veg, & soaked millet spray, but no loose seed, as yet. If I were working or otherwise engaged during the day. I would feed by hand before going out & leave the birds with enough food in their cage till I returned. On my return I remove all the food from the cage & continue the hand feed training during the evening. Once all the birds are happily feeding from my fingers, I continue this feeding for the rest of the day. I'm now ready to go to stage two. PREPARATION for stage 2. When working inside the cage I use a hanky fixed to the bar above the door with clothes pegs to act as a safety curtain to prevent escapes. To feed the birds I hold a spoonful of loose seed flat on the palm of my hand & a small piece of millet spray held by the thumb so I don't drop it. STAGE 2 feeding by hand & step up. Opening the curtained cage door I put my food filled hand inside. Talking softly, if no bird approaches & eats after a few minutes, I withdraw & try again 30min later. I repeat every 30min until they eat. Hunger will make them brave eventually. I keep filling my hand until they've all been fed. If for any reason you feel, this is not working. Return to feeding through the bars for another day or two. When I have them happily feeding from my hand I offer them all kinds of food. Seed, soaked & sprouted, fruit/veg, eggfood etc. Between meals I offer small titbits to individual birds. This will help me sort out the birds, the fearless & quick to learn from the slower ones, if any. I would hide a small treat under my thumb that I could reveal to show them, that a hand that looks empty is still worth investigating. When they perch on my fingers I would take this opportunity to gently stroke their toes with my thumb, occasionally pressing lightly so they get used to it. This will come in handy at a later date, to keep a bird on my finger should it try to fly off at an inappropriate moment. When I'm 100% happy, they have completed step 2 to my satisfaction. I return any moved perches back in their original position, & go to stage 3. Take your time it may take a week to get to this stage. PREPARATION for stage 3 out time. As yet no bird has left the cage. I prepare by bird proofing the room, I dispensed with the hanky & I've knocked together a perch on wood blocks, raised a few inches off the table top. I use it for, "Out Time". As I long ago found that birds should be discouraged from perching anywhere except on the cloth covered table or your hands. So every, stranger, friend, family members or pets don't have to worry about where the birds are. This is also to prevent damage/soiling of property & any danger to the birds themselves. Before the birds are hand fed either their morning or if I'm busy, their evening meal. STAGE 3 Out time. I sit at their table with a little seed or millet in my hand & open the cage door, I put my hand in & allow them to step on & eat, slowly I take my hand out of the cage, letting them stay on my hand until they realise they're out & can walk off. I let them explore & feed from a plate of treats while I enjoy a cup of tea. If you have a bird gym I would encourage them to play on it. When I've had enough I go to stage 4. PREPARATION for stage 4, the return. I fix the cage door open & fill the cage seed pots & add a fruit/veg treat. STAGE 4 the return. I hold a treat & as each bird comes over for a taste I either, put them away or teach them to run around the table, luring them with the treat. A short distance the first time, gradually increase this to right round the table. onto my home made perch where I give them the treat. I try never to chase & catch a bird its better to let him go than ruin the trust already built up. I don't let a mishap turn into a catastrophe. I would encourage the bird to step onto my hand with the aid of a treat & put him away with it. When I'm satisfied with the birds progress, I feed all foods in the cage as normal. but save a couple of treats as special, only to be fed by hand as a reward treats. One of my favourite was Sponge Cake. I would cut a slice for myself & cut some into beak size pieces. I eat mine with a cup of tea as I put the birds through their paces. Teaching them tricks, games, etc. Remember an unclipped bird flying off in a blind panic is an accident waiting to happen. Well that's about it, all you have to do is to persuade your birds you are the most interesting thing in the world. You will be teaching your birds to play the piano in no time. Yours B.J.

Hi Yes I have a couple more for later. I was never a professional performer. My family have always been in animal training side of the business.but I only did it as a hobby. I''ve bred & trained birds for various entertainers & for the gen public over the years.. Trained pet birds fetch a lot more money. All you pet budgie breeders out there take note. I used to put the birds through their paces at, Nurseries, Care homes & Daycare centres, for free. Just to get the birds used to different environments. Hope that answers you questions. I did press the Quote button but nowt happened. Yours B.J.

Hi Show birds are bred by those who are interested in showing. A decent budgie can cost as much as a family car. You wouldn't go to your local market to buy a thoroughbred racehorse. Nor could you breed one by pairing a up a couple of old nags. Good Show birds are not sold in the pet market only the birds not good enough for breeding show birds are sold in Pet Shops. Crested budgies are bred from Crested X Crested. Crested X Normal. Crest bred X Crest bred. Crest bred X Normal. Crested X Crest bred. Bird Breeders advertise in various Pet Magazines & you can get birds delivered from a breeder.. okay Yours B.J.