Drogo

Hi formecutter, Sorry for the late reply. Have there been any developments yet?

Here are a few basic things: 1. Only breed when your birds are at least 10 months old 2. Never colony breed. One pair per cage only 3. You will need a nesting box for them. Put it in when the hens cere is tan coloured 4. Never allow more than two nests per year. Remove the nesting box when the last chick from the second nest has fledged and bury any remaining eggs Good luck

I think Vitamins & Minerals when it relates to bird food. It just seems like made-up marketing jargon to me.

Birds pick on other birds they percieve as weak. Not sure why but sick and injured birds are often targeted with aggression.

Seperate them immediately.

It is sad but I don't think you can fix it. Your ideas are good but forums everywhere face the same issues. Facebook.

Hi Kicks, I assume the breeder you purchased your birds off advised which birds to pair with which? He would have a far better idea than anyone else about pairing his birds. My only advice is that you should focus on varieties that you like. It might be worth renting a ute or truck if you are interested in purchasing the other breeders equipment. I was able to buy 16 breeding cages for $10 each, just by being in the right place at the right time. Buy at least one show cage if the oppurtunity comes up. There is nothing more frustrating than having bred quality club rung birds but not being able to show them because no-one will sell you a show cage. You learn a lot about quality by showing your birds. Kind regards

You can do a lot with five birds, especially when you have plenty of pet stock to use as foster pairs. I would suggest holding off on buying more birds until you have been a member of a club for a few months at least. It takes a while to work out who is breeding the sort of birds that you would like to breed. For example, I know that for "Variety A" there is just one breeder I would go to for stock. Go to shows, visit other club members set-ups and ask questions. Your aim of starting with 10 birds is a good one, but you need to do your homework first. Good luck

It can be serious as it could be infected. That may require a trip to the vet.

Nice skyblue opaline.

If the sale doesn't work out, I would probably go to a club meeting and ask in person about the varieties you want.

There are often bargains at auctions and sales. Contacting breeders through a bird club is also a good alternative as some birds go for silly prices at auctions.

Well done Kaj that is really interesting. I repaired a chicken egg with sticky tape once. The shell got stuck to the chick after hatching so wax or nail polish are probably better.

You sound like you are on the right track. How did it go?

Contact the Budgerigar Council of Victoria. They will give you the details of the club nearest to you. Your local club should be able to advise you on the breeders nearest to you.

If it is just above the base of the tail it may be a blocked oil gland. Not that it matters, you have probably left the site by now anyway.

dildhilip20, A thankyou would be appreciated. This is part of the reason why I hesitate to post replies. Drogo

Hi dildhilip20, The basic diet of a budgerigar is a budgerigar seed mix. It is a mistake to feed just one type of seed. For example one popular brand of budgerigar seed mix contains White French Millet, Panorama Millet, Panicum, Sorghum, Canola Seed, Canary Seed, Dehulled Oats, Japanese Millet, Shirohie Millet, Wheat and Linseed. If the birds are dying during egg laying it makes me suspect calcium deficiency. Budgerigars, especially females budgerigars laying eggs need cuttlebone and oyster shell grit for calcium and digestion. I have never fed sand as a substitute or used mineral blocks so I can't comment on how good these items are as a calcioum source. I hope this information can help you work out what is going wrong. Drogo

Your hen is not in breeding condition just yet. If the hen has a nice chocolate coloured cere with a rough texture, you can expect eggs in just 10 days.

Both parents have to be spangle to produce a double factor spangle so I would rule that one out. Goldy, you did not need to start three threads on the one question. This forum is slow moving, so none of your posts are likely to be missed.

Her cere looks pretty bad in that second picture. I would seperate the pair and put her in a flight to get her into condition.

Probably a month. The hen in the second pair has a pale cere and she may not be in condition just yet.

I think your grey green cinnamon male is your best bird and pair 2 are your best pair. That said I am just a novice. Looks like you will breed a lot of cinnamon birds.

I prefer to wait until 10 months of age before breeding a hen so I would seperate them. I would be worried about her laying eggs on the floor because at that age she may get egg bound.

No budgerigar is worth breaking the law.