Flip

Thanks for your suggestions. I think I may consider the patio blind option as I like the premise of having a clear plastibarrier. I'll just have to hope that my hubby can manage to attach it to the aviary. On second thoughts maybe I had better do that.

Hi Robyn, It certainly sounds as though you are having a very busy time with your birds. Congratulations on all your chicks. I too shall look forward to seeing some photos of them.

Hi everyone, I'm wondering what other members are using for wind and rain protection for their aviaries. My budgie aviary has a solid back, roof and half length solid sides. However the front wall is half mesh and the wind can whistle in there sometimes. I want to buy or make (bit uncertain re my ability there) a wind and rain proof blind/cover that I can pull down across the front of my aviary on those nights when it is cold in Winter. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Hi. I would also put a spray of millet seed in the cage with the chicks, as this treat can really encourage them to start eatly independently.

I'll take a guess on this one. I think he is to be a clearflight pied. He is certainly a handsome bird.

Hi L_J, I'm no expert but these 2 gorgeous birds certainly look like females to me.

Hi Rochelle, Budgies will have a go at anything as they are so inquisitive and michevious. I had some young budgies recently manage to slide back an opening on the roof of a cage (of course when the cage was put outside for the first time) - end result was my favourite budgie chick plus one flying off into the wild blue yonder, never to be seen again. The sliding section of the roof of this cage is now securely wired. And I always put a peg on cage doors to prevent accidental releases.

Thanks for welcome everyone.

Hi. I agree with Nadene. It sounds like your budgie has scaley face. You can purchase Vetafarm Avimec from decent pet shops. It's easy to use and very effective.

Hi everyone, I've been browsing around the forum for a while now (and have even asked a question or 2) and am now finally introducing myself. A little about me. I have kept birds for much of my life - mainly cockateils. However, my oldest daughter decided she wanted a pet budgie for her 11th birthday 2 years ago and the rest as they say is history. The pet budgie - called Flip - didn't quite tame up as easily as she expected and got relegated to the too hard basket. I'm not a big fan of caged birds unless they have a 'friend' and/or are tamed and can fly around the house. We ended up with a friend for Flip plus an extra inherited 2 male birds. End result was an aviary for them to rattle around in. That was a year and a half ago, and the number of birds has increased since then. We now have the adult budgie aviary, the young bird aviary (birds I have bred up to 12 months old) and the a number of breeding cages for the breeding season. Added to that we have a cockateil aviary and 2 tame cockateils that live indoors. I'm amused to note that whilst my daughter did not have too much luck in taming her initial budgie, some of the budgies in the young birds aviary have become ridicously tame, hopping onto my finger, shoulder, head. It certainly makes exiting the aviary an interesting exercise. I have become very interested in breeding budgies and love every aspect of this. Ths is the first season that I have seriously attempted to breed budgies, and I have had great success with some pairs and not so much with others. At present, I have one pair with 4 chicks, 1 pair with 2 chicks and 3 eggs, 1 pair with 6 eggs, and 1 pair with 4 eggs (plus the sole chick from their first attempt). It's all very exciting, and also worrying at the same time. That's all for now. Thanks for this forum. Cheers, Flip

Hi All, I am looking for some advice about safely introducing a young budgie to an aviary with an already established adult group of budgies. I have recently sold a 7 week old budgie chick who was bred in a breeding cage. Please note, this chick is still in my care. The buyer wishes to put her in an aviary with 7 adult budgies who are all related and aged from 1 to 5 years. The budgie chicks that I keep go into my young bird aviary before moving up to the adult bird aviary so I have no experience of how to manage the introduction of a chick safely to an aviary with adults. I have offered to keep the chick for a while and then move her into the young bird aviary, along with 2 siblings which I am keeping, to at least get her used to an aviary lifestyle with other birds all aged 6 months and under, but I know the buyer would like to have this little girl as soon as possible. I would welcome any advice as to what I should do. Many thanks for your help.

Hi Jenny, Thanks for the reassurance. I am keeping a close watch on him and all is well. Cheers, Sandy

Hi All, I am new to this forum in that this is my first post. I have been reading it however for a while. I have 5 baby budgies in a nursery cage (all from the same nest), the youngest of these is a day or 2 under 6 weeks. I have come home this afternoon to discover that the largest and 2nd youngest (he's huge compared to the others) chick has dried, clotted blood on the underside of his tail feathers. I've had a look at him and suspect it might be from a feather, but am not 100% sure. There's no fresh bleeding and he is perfectly happy - eating, playing, preening, interacting in his normal way with the others, etc. Should I take any action? And if so, what action? Any help will be appreciated.