Oh okay, I getcha now

Staff member Libby came to day and helped me catch up all my budgies and cage them ready for the trip to the new house. Libby then went in the parrot aviary and met some of the princess parrots. One of them stole the back off Libbys earrring

 

 

 

 

Thanks lib for the help catching my fat fat budgies

 

and heres one of the baby quails that looks very different to its parents ( not sure what kind it is )

 

 

What an excellent day! You're welcome!!! anytime! xx

We got to Collie with the budgies just an hour ago. Budgies are still in cages in the garage till we sort out the aviaries tomorrow and set them free inside each aviary

 

Boy were they noisy on the trip here !!!

 

 

 

Edited February 9, 201114 yr by **KAZ**

Did you take them down in the Turano?

 

I know Petrol is dear and running the hearses are not cheap, but you almost needed to use the hearses to transport them all didn't you?

 

I have driven a long way with birds in the car - up to Deb's once up - and it is loud. I find when birds starting fighting with each other for room and chirping aggressively, I turn into the parent saying "cut that out you two, there is no need for silliness". I was dying to say "you should have gone before we left" but I never had the chance -

 

Good to see Lib out and about. First time I have seen pics of Lib out and about. Very pleasing.

Yep we took them all in the Murano five cages on the lower level and three on the top level.

Currently completing aviaries with Perches food and water. One aviary complete now........has 140 budgies in it. One aviary to go

Total budgies 205 if I counted right All done will do some photos later.

Wow 205! That would be loud in the car. Glad things are falling into place

Most of the budgies stayed down one end of the aviary for awhile. They seemed to feel either vulnerable or they had got used to being cosy in the cages. So I put some shadecloth outside down the other end and then they shared the space a little better. Ended up with too many in one aviary and not as many in the other, but that was due to one aviary being finished first. Didnt want to chase them around the catch some up and move them once they were settled. I will in a day or two though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi Kaz,

 

Just wondering with the sand you now have on the aviary floor, when cleaning, do you scoop it up and sift out the poop, seeds etc, or just replace the sand?

 

Reason being is I have some issues with water at one end of my aviary (small one), and I think what you have done would be a good solution - heavy duty plastic down, then sand until I can get some proper guttering installed.

 

And wow, 200 or so budgies all that way in the car, sure would have been loud, I took a few away with me for Christmas and it was deafening. I bet you got some interesting looks with your 'cargo'!

 

thanks

Robyn

Hey Robyn............... I dont have a maintenance or cleaning plan in place yet, as its only been 24 hrs since putting them in there. I am flying by the seat of my pants as far as how to clean a sand floor aviary now. I guess I could lightly sweep up debris and scoop it up and bag and bin it.

BUT I was also told not to put plastic down as it keeps the water there if it gets in. Its best if any water gets in to automatically put Coccivet in the drinking water just in case they get coccidiosis from wet droppings.

The budgies were so noisy that not even the radio turned up loud would shut them down...we wished for earplugs

Noone could see them due to tinted windows but I am sure they could hear them at the traffic lights each time we stopped

Thank you for that.

I think I'll just go with the sand without the plastic then, especially down the end of the aviary where the problem appears to happen until I can get it sorted, and just replace the sand every couple of days. I've been putting newspaper down, but it smells bad. Fingers crossed the weather won't get that bad that it becomes a problem. Will do the Coccivet thing to.

 

I can only imagine how loud they must have been....too funny.

Thank you for that.

I think I'll just go with the sand without the plastic then, especially down the end of the aviary where the problem appears to happen until I can get it sorted, and just replace the sand every couple of days. I've been putting newspaper down, but it smells bad. Fingers crossed the weather won't get that bad that it becomes a problem. Will do the Coccivet thing to.

 

I can only imagine how loud they must have been....too funny.

 

 

put some gravel down first if your going to put in sand

and it drains way better

 

i have been useing sawdust as my aviary flooded

its worked great and cheaper than replacing sand

it is easy to remove and replace and sokes up all the wet

 

a light raking of the sand and the top sweeped doesa resonable job at cleaning the sand kaz i had sand for a while

its all i ever did but my sand never got damp i was lucky

When I had my aviaries with sand floors, Greg put in a heap really deep after awhile it sets quite hard. I would go out once a week and with a half brush and shovel lightly sweep up the top layer getting all the droppings, i actually found it easier to clean the floors then than now with cement. After a while if the floor got low Greg would put a heap more sand in for me.

 

 

You really do have a beautiful flock, Kaz!

Budgies are jumping out of their skins to breed. I missed pre Christmas breeding due to getting ready for the move to the new house. Our old house sold the first day it had a home open and five lots of people wanted it so that drove the price up which was good

As I dont have a breeding room here at the new house I was going to use part of the garage which will be my leadlight workshop, however I have discovered is rampant with mice in there and no real good way to stop them coming in. Also of concern is the fumes from soldering and soldering fluxes that can be harmful to the birds.

Much to my husbands dismay I have chosen to use one of the spare bedrooms closest to the garage to make a breeding room. It will be only temporary until we build the garage for the cars and I can then build a new breeding room with whatever space is left between it and the aviaries.

So, later today I will move the breeding cabinets in that room and set it up. Catching birds for breeding now.

Firstly, WOW!! Congrats on the sale of your house - that's brilliant! I am so pleased for you That makes things easier for you, now you only need to worry about your beautiful old house.

 

Now onto the breeding - yay to be able to start breeding again! Sorry you're unable to use the garage like you were planning. Stupid mice seem to be everywhere at the moment I am liking the idea of using a spare room - okay so maybe it's not the most convenient BUT it's so much safer than losing your precious birds due to mouse toxins. Besides as you say, it's only temporary, hopefully your husband will be okay with it

 

Secretly I think I'd delight in the fact that I had oodles of budgies inside, but I know my husband would be horrified and probably disown me He wouldn't really, but that shows how much he isn't into my budgies.

 

Kaz, I was wondering if you'd like some pavers for the bottoms of your aviaries or future birdroom? When I picked the shed up, it came with oodles of pavers - as I have a concrete slab, I don't need them.

Edited April 4, 201114 yr by Amy S

Thanks Amy, for the offers of the pavers, but with no garage up yet we have no space for anything extra, and since I havent yet got a plan for the new birdroom, I will have to play it by ear once its under way.

Ken's freaking out about me using a room for a birdroom, mainly because of what he sees as dust going through the house, but I will put some dust seal strips on the door. He also thinks the cats will whinge and sook at the bedroom/birdroom door.

here is where the room is

 

 

bedroom 6 which is 4.3m by 5.2m.

 

I did consider blocking off the hallway door to that room and adding a door from the garage instead and making it a permanent birdroom. If it was up to me I would but Ken isnt all that keen on the idea.

Edited April 4, 201114 yr by **KAZ**

I can certainly identify with the dismay husbands have about keeping a flock of birds in the house! The only way I have been allowed to do this is because I have promised that it will only be for 2 or 3 years, and then I will clean and disinfect my little corner of the basement so it's as if the budgies were never there.

 

Dust is definitely an issue. Our basement is much more dustier than it ever used to be. But it doesn't seem to find its way upstairs too noticeably. That may just be because my house has always been very dusty, so he can't blame it on the budgies! (I've always claimed some good excuses when it comes to my dust battle: constant construction of roads and houses around us, a very dusty gravel driveway, and having a 7 member family plus dogs, because they say that dust is comprised mainly of dead skin cells. Ew!) Your plan to seal the dust in seems promising.

 

There is also the noise issue, because as we all know, their voices carry!

 

One tip I can give you to look out for is that seed and husks permeate the entire room, and find their way into every crack and crevice. You may want to consider what material you have where your floor and walls meet, because if it's not sealed well, you might find seed gets behind the baseboards (or whatever), and it may be difficult to get it all out later. Being on the main floor, moisture may not be a problem for you, but I think it's kind of funny that I have a reliable moisture indicator for my basement, as after a hard rain, I will get lots of sprouts between my floor and walls! (And we used to think our basement was dry!)

 

Your idea of making that 6th room an adjunct to the garage sounds pretty reasonable to me. I hope it all goes well for you, and that Ken comes around to your way of thinking. At least you've come up with a good plan to make do with for now. Good luck with it!

I can certainly identify with the dismay husbands have about keeping a flock of birds in the house! The only way I have been allowed to do this is because I have promised that it will only be for 2 or 3 years, and then I will clean and disinfect my little corner of the basement so it's as if the budgies were never there.

 

Dust is definitely an issue. Our basement is much more dustier than it ever used to be. But it doesn't seem to find its way upstairs too noticeably. That may just be because my house has always been very dusty, so he can't blame it on the budgies! (I've always claimed some good excuses when it comes to my dust battle: constant construction of roads and houses around us, a very dusty gravel driveway, and having a 7 member family plus dogs, because they say that dust is comprised mainly of dead skin cells. Ew!) Your plan to seal the dust in seems promising.

 

There is also the noise issue, because as we all know, their voices carry!

 

One tip I can give you to look out for is that seed and husks permeate the entire room, and find their way into every crack and crevice. You may want to consider what material you have where your floor and walls meet, because if it's not sealed well, you might find seed gets behind the baseboards (or whatever), and it may be difficult to get it all out later. Being on the main floor, moisture may not be a problem for you, but I think it's kind of funny that I have a reliable moisture indicator for my basement, as after a hard rain, I will get lots of sprouts between my floor and walls! (And we used to think our basement was dry!)

 

Your idea of making that 6th room an adjunct to the garage sounds pretty reasonable to me. I hope it all goes well for you, and that Ken comes around to your way of thinking. At least you've come up with a good plan to make do with for now. Good luck with it!

 

Moisture isnt an issue like a basement would have. Floor in there is polished floorboards so I guess sweeping and vacuuming should be easy. No gaps between floorboards and the skirting boards on the wall. Windows each side of the room for crossflow ventilation. My intent is only to use it till it gets too cold for breeding so its only for maybe three months or so.

Fingers crossed

okay, going trhough some points

 

1) Well done on the sale of the old house. I told you it would all work out okay in that regard

 

2) The breeding room concept is being taken very literally here with you, but I think it is a good idea. I am setting mine up next week as I have been so busyk everything has been on the backburner here - the problem of single life in some ways.

 

3) I am looking forward to seeing the pairs you are going to put down.

Good luck with Kaz, those little rodents are driving me nuts.. I am dieing to put my birds down but still need the wire door.

I like the idea of bedroom 6 for the breeding room, I'm sure you no a way that will make him change his mind, my wife does

And wow what a big house, congrats to the both of you.

I like the idea of bedroom 6 for the breeding room, I'm sure you no a way that will make him change his mind, my wife does

And wow what a big house, congrats to the both of you.

Thanks We love the house. It has 7 bedrooms and three sitting rooms or living rooms, so we can afford to sacrifice a room for the breeding room for a little while. After all there's only two of us

 

plus

 

5 cats

3 dogs

230 budgies

35 parrots

various canaries and finches

 

 

 

 

PS here is the whole house

Edited April 6, 201114 yr by **KAZ**

You have to do what you have do, and Kaz,wow what a large house, Ken probably wouldn't even miss that room.