maz7

Ain't they just! I love Budgies, my hubby moans @me. He says I can't keep them all (sigh)! I have a Lutino male chic at last! Blue beak appeared within 2 months, and a brown Splash marking on his back. I've named him SpLash! It was fr Lutino female+Rainbow Male! Yiepee! You r so fortunate to have an Ino family!

Hi sunshine E congrats! I also have an Albino+ Lutino but both r hens! They r my top breeding hens! I've bred them with English show budgie and a Rainbow Male. I have gorgeous chicks! The Albino hen Lille I rested for 2 months but she's back in the box with PoffPoff the show budgie (Photo on my profile here). I don't let them in Aviary anymore as the fights broke his leg off which I successfully splinted+plaster of Paris. It healed perfectly! He's bn back 2 normal few months.you r going to hav great chicks! One of their chicks from previous clutch was attacked by other younsters+ maybe a love bird?? Half of her beak broke off! She can't de-husk seeds so I do it with a mortar+pestle and put it down in cage. She picks it up with her little tongue. The beak seems like its growing back allthough guy at bird shop told me it won't grow back! But it seems like its growing back. I find the pegs on the doors interesting! Ha ha ha. Do yours also lift it up and drop it when they bored? Mine do! Even breeding box lid! Until they lay eggs or sit on eggs! The Lutinos+Albinos r super clever budgies! I taught one chick from my Lutino+rainbow clutch how to do a twirl in 1 day .Peanut is not even 6 months old + he twirls for me everyday!cutest! Lots of Luck!

Hi among all my budgies and lovebirds and finches, I also bought two IRN parrots but am having major hassles with them. I think they were abandoned or abused. I abattle with the IRN.com website Who can help me with information or who can I contact via e-mail? PLEASE PLEASE HELP MAZ7

Hi Meluchja Welcome and good luck, not a cage expert but wider is apparently better than taller. I have many budgies and finches, lovebirds etc. Budgies are my favourite and sweet and i have learned a lot in last year. Please read all about breeding, egg binding, fungal infections, drafts and the BAD this as well as good things. Do not mate a female unless she is older than a year. They die!!!! Their immune system cannot handle it. Make sure your budgies are mature and their needs when laying eggs. Lots of Calcium , green silver beet or as we call it in South Africa:swiss chard (Spinach) I cried many tears for lost babies that died, and tears of joy for the beauties that made it! Good luck!!!! Maz

Hi Newbie, welcome and good luck. Unless you are properly fitted out and know a lot about breeding i would reconsider until knowledge is the key! I have cried many tears and lost many babies and some hens due to lack of knowledge=read all about breeding in this section and beware it is time consuming, a labor of love and stressful. Better to buy a few birds that need a loving good home and enjoy them. Breeding is not for the uninformed nor for novices. Good luck Birdlover forever Maz

Please explain to me. I have 4 month- 5 month olds from my last 2 clutches and still can't determine whom are male and whom are female? Pink cere is? Purple+pink cere? I know adult cere is beige or brown for adult female+ blue for male but my young have a Rainbow mix in dad with yellow head and a Lutino mom??? The other lot have the show budgie featured as my profile picture as the Dad and an Albino mom?! I am so confused not confused! He he and I look for white around Nostrils but see zilch white?!

Thank you all, very useful info. I have lost 2 females with a fungal infection which spread to their airpipe! In spite of !aytril, crop anti-fungi meds and Metstatin powder on seeds, they both died. I will start the Acv tommmorrow for 14 days at least. Also have an Aloe Vera plant in pot in Avery. Have never used it, but seems I found a use now! You say floating leaf in water? I don't know about that??! They r very heavy and fat - it is a succulant Plant!?

Hi Hombschfamily Pse heed Robyn's advice! I've just lost 2 females who went "onheat" and were breeding. They both died! If a bird is younger than a year she is not equipped to breed. My Lilac died from a fungal infection in the airpipe. From being fine with no signs of illness or weakness in 1 week! She laid a tiny egg, then a massive one that was completely too big4 a budgie! Their immune system undergoes immense stress when breeding and if they are too young they do not have enough resources in their tiny bodies to overcome this or any infection. They need their own aviary or large cages. Its also no game for children. Keeping a budgy or 5 as pets is fine but breeding is another story. Pse be careful and read all+ any info you can find. It will save much heartache+ tears for your kids. They don't like cold, damp or draughty conditions.they get airpipe infections, which they die from.I've had mine at the vet+ even with anti-fungal meds+anti-biotic treatment: they died! Chickens carry the worst avian diseases that I know so best keep the budgies away from them! Seems birds of a feather Do Not flock together! Note that Avocado pear and most fruit pips( like apple pips) r toxic to budgies as some plants are..my birds all love lettuce and apple (decore) and strawberries but their main food is Budgie seed+ Millet spray. I put tonic in water regularly, available at pet stores or Avian suppliers, also oils like wheatgerm on seeds at times. Birds that r sleepy and puffed up all the time have an underlying health issue.furthermore read read read+ google. I have 50 birds and a big outdoor avery plus 7 cages on my Patio, lovebirds, finches,indian ringneck (2),1x canary, Java Sparrows but mostly Budgies. They r my favourite. Good luck! Maz7

. I feel helpless when they get sick as the Avian Vets r non-existant in Cape Town! There is one in the Countryside, far from us. I need to learn all preventative basics to avoid this, and almost take some vet course on Avian matters. anyone have any suggested books?. Quote MultiQuote Edit

I was heartbroken-she was my first Budgie chick, and she had the most beautiful cloud blue+and snowhite feathers and a soft nature compared to other feisty females. I cried for hours. Still depressed. I feel helpless when they get sick as the Avian Vets r non-existant in Cape Town! There is one in the Countryside, far from us. I need to learn all preventative basics to avoid this, and almost take some vet course on Avian matters. anyone have any suggested books?.

Thanks Robyn my heart is very sore and I cried nonstop for hours.theyr likemy children.whatthrew out is she was breeding with midnite, and I'm treating him and quarantined him. I thought it was nesting behaviour. It was heartbreaking. She died in my hand jerking from not breathing and I soothed her till she was gone. That s the hardest part.. It has emotionally drained me. But I am scaling down with Avery. Going to sell most of my finches as they r so deLicate. Some of young budgies I'm selling. Then I am keeping my favourites+ maKe it manageable. I get too attached!I'm not a breeder, they just started breeding like mad. Powderpuff is in my little graveyard I have for all I have burieds so far. Mainly rescued birds or babies that didn't make it. Chat soon:(

I isolatethe couples when I c them bonding fr Avery into cages.my Powferpuff died last night at20:00! I am in mourning.

Precautionfor all also.she die last night in my hands while she couldnot breathe.I am in a depression.icried myselftosleep.

Also treating femalewith Baytril, crop anti_fungal,in water+powder on feed.wish me luck as she's my first baby chic of poffpoff+ Lilly my albino. Just over 1 yrs old Saw her eat+drink 3 hrs ago.going to check onher now.she s in incubator at 30degrees C.its4 in morning. Yep slightly better. Looking more alert+not so sleepy+puffy eyed. She ate a lot of seeds although a lot of little bundles of vomited seeds. Will clean out tray again at daybreak. I'm in Cape Town by the way hence the damp weather. Sun is shining for 2 days apparently, so repars+maintenance day. Regards.

Breeding is a helluva. Task. If u fail its extremely dissappointing. When yOur budgies die, its heartbreaking! Too many things can go wrong as L_J said. Maybe best tO discard+ keep the birds u have. Females fight for a male+ become quite destructive.how old r yor budgies?

Hi Nadine, My 1 female got ill and i had to rush to a Vet, found 1 that had limited knowledge of Avian vetinary, but a nurse at the Vet worked for an Avian Vet, she assisted. My Powderpuff was my first baby budgie ever born , she about a year and a half. She has a fungal infection of the crop which has affected her respiratory tract. You won't beli.eve all the sterilisation etc. i've had to do and to incubate her at a constant temperature!!!! Exhausted and i have 51 birds , some in cages and some in the Aviary. Tomorrow i must wash the Aviary down with diluted Jik and put this special stuff in their water. It is indeed as a result of damp conditions and rain rain rain! Tomorrow we have sunshine-yeah!!!! I'm checking on Powderpuff all the time. She's in the house with me now. So sad. Chat again soon-any advice is VERY WELCOME oh sorry forgot to mention they gave me Baytril drops, crop anti fungal drops for her water, and powder to sprinkle over her food. Everything she eats vomits out most....shame

Hi Robyn I found a Vet not exactly an Avian Vet but he took advisement from a Vet telephonic who is an Avian Vet, My little female budgie (Powderpuff) is indeed ill......she has a fungal infection of the crop which has spread to her airpipe. I have her in a controlled temperature incubator, they gave me powder to sprinkle over her food and Baytril and Anti fungal drops for crop conditions-it is in her water bowl, but Budgies never drink water so it has not helped much so far. I came back from Vet 6 hours ago. I had to sterile everything & remove her from Male. I forced 2 drops of the water down her beak, but apparently they get so stressed they can die from it. I am in such a nervous state, checking on her all the time to c if she is still alive!!!! I now also have to give the male treatment also to prevent him getting it....contagious-I am so sad -tomorrow i have to sterile all cages, and give all the birds the preventative crop stuff in their water. I have 12 birds in my courtyard and 24 finches in Aviary, and 5 Love birds in Aviary and 3 other species birds plus 9 other budgies in Aviary! so sad! ITS THE DAMP WEATHER WE'VE HAD AND CONSTANT RAINY DAYS! creates more fungus attaching to their seeds, Iodine+cuttlebone blocks.......

We only have 1 birdstore that keeps most supplies. What must u give a bird for coccidiosis. We also don't have avian vets here.just general vets.what must I ask the vet for?

thanks Nadine, I am from Cape Town, south africa. Where in the world do u reside? We've had rain +damp for a whilen at times sunny days. I always worry about this for my Aviary. I hav so many cages too but they r snug in my enclosed courtyard.I hav 51 birds all in all.

He he but she is birbeAutiful. She lookslike a little owl mix leopard bird.my showbudgie was sold to a pet shop. Whenisaw him hopping in cage al regali immediately bought him.Poffpoff is his name.

hi coral4 how r your budgies doing?

whau! i look at eggs by placing them above the globe of my bedside lamp. i ll look 4 heartbeat next time nadine your profile photo is amazing!is it a show budgie? he is fluffy.

so any eggs yet mate?

hi robyn,thanks for reply. she laid 3 eggs about 3 weeks ago,abandoned 1,others were thrown out of box, then i moved her and male to breeding cage with same box, the day after she threw egg out. that happened to 2 more eggs. i say dudds as they were empty shells, no inners.she then incubated1 egg,but has abandoned it, she sits outside box with male and exchange food, but she seems listless. im just worried, what is an egg bum?she seems slightly better today but sits fluffed up on perch and exchanges food with male but just seems off and tired. is he tiring her? food