Hi Guys

 

I am new to this forum and could do with a bit of help if you don't mind.

 

The problem is I sent my husband out to buy a secondhand aviary that I spotted in the local paper and it was the perfect size for where I wanted to put it, with the instructions that "if it is rubbish don't get it". This aviary was for my canaries who are starting to breed.

 

So he arrived home with this antique aviary and it has 11 budgies (3 female and 7 male, I think), 2 weiros and 4 finches in it. These poor birds are in the worst condition, half of the budgies have no flight feathers and just crawl up the sides of the aviary. We are both a bit of a sucker for needy cases and he couldn't leave them.

 

I haven't kept budgies for years and have never had any that look as motheaten as these do, so I am starting as a complete amateur

 

So I have power washed and disinfected it, chucked most of the old perches and disinfected the ones that are fixed.

 

I have wormed them all and have sprayed them with lice and mite spray.

 

None of them look especially ill but they do sleep quite a bit more that I would expect.

 

The cage is now full of every sort of fruit, veg, seeds and nuts, mineral blocks etc and me and the kids are off to the beach today for cuttlefish for them.

 

I have to make these birds well again, my son would never forgive me as he has totally fallen in love with the budgies.

 

My questions are:

 

Are there too many birds in this aviary it is 5ftx5ftx3ft (the finches will be coming out as soon as I get a cage for them).

 

The wormer says to use again in 14 days, but I am not sure how often to use the lice and mite spray

 

Should I take out some of the worst affected birds and treat them separately.

 

There are also breeding boxes in this aviary 1 of which is occupied by the finches and has eggs, 1 is occupied by what seems to be a young male but it has eggs. The others are empty. Do I remove all the boxes, eggs and all and replace with new or do I leave them alone and see what happens. I don't want to unnecessarily stress the birds out by stealing their eggs unless it is better for their health.

 

Is there anything else I should do. The cage is on a concrete patio with a bit of sawdust on the floor.

 

As punishment for buying a dodgy aviary a have drawn a set of plans for hubby to build a nice shiny new aviary for my canaries, which he should have done in the first place.

 

Tips for anyone else considering buying a secondhand aviary, don't send your husband or 10 yr old son they bring back any old thing.

 

Thanks for reading my saga and any help or advice is much appreciated.

 

Mandy

Hi Guys Hi Mandy...happy to have you here

 

I am new to this forum and could do with a bit of help if you don't mind.

 

The problem is I sent my husband out to buy a secondhand aviary that I spotted in the local paper and it was the perfect size for where I wanted to put it, with the instructions that "if it is rubbish don't get it". This aviary was for my canaries who are starting to breed.

 

So he arrived home with this antique aviary and it has 11 budgies (3 female and 7 male, I think), 2 weiros and 4 finches in it. These poor birds are in the worst condition, half of the budgies have no flight feathers and just crawl up the sides of the aviary. sounds like they have french moult

We are both a bit of a sucker for needy cases and he couldn't leave them.

 

I haven't kept budgies for years and have never had any that look as motheaten as these do, so I am starting as a complete amateur

 

So I have power washed and disinfected it, chucked most of the old perches and disinfected the ones that are fixed. Good job

 

I have wormed them all and have sprayed them with lice and mite spray. Good move also

 

None of them look especially ill but they do sleep quite a bit more that I would expect. They may be old...do you know their ages

 

The cage is now full of every sort of fruit, veg, seeds and nuts, mineral blocks etc and me and the kids are off to the beach today for cuttlefish for them. you sound well informed and interested in your birds health

 

I have to make these birds well again, my son would never forgive me as he has totally fallen in love with the budgies.

 

My questions are:

 

Are there too many birds in this aviary it is 5ftx5ftx3ft (the finches will be coming out as soon as I get a cage for them).

 

The wormer says to use again in 14 days, Yes, you need to repeat that

but I am not sure how often to use the lice and mite spray Just the once, unless they reinfect from other birds or their environment

 

Should I take out some of the worst affected birds and treat them separately. if necessary. Keep an eye on their bottoms for poopiness. First indicator of bad health

 

There are also breeding boxes in this aviary 1 of which is occupied by the finches and has eggs, 1 is occupied by what seems to be a young male but it has eggs. Male finches often sit on the eggs while the female feeds The others are empty. Do I remove all the boxes, eggs and all and replace with new or do I leave them alone and see what happens. I don't want to unnecessarily stress the birds out by stealing their eggs unless it is better for their health.

 

Is there anything else I should do. The cage is on a concrete patio with a bit of sawdust on the floor.

 

As punishment for buying a dodgy aviary a have drawn a set of plans for hubby to build a nice shiny new aviary for my canaries, which he should have done in the first place.

 

Tips for anyone else considering buying a secondhand aviary, don't send your husband or 10 yr old son they bring back any old thing.

 

Thanks for reading my saga and any help or advice is much appreciated.

 

Mandy

 

 

The size aviary is probably too small for that number of birds, and it is highly recommended that those species of birds are not mixed as a rule, especially when breeding. But the rule is do not mix hooked bill birds with straight bill birds. I would remove the nesting boxes now as any stress brings illness and the birds have had stress with the move. Stress also comes from breeding in an environment where other birds can be seen as predators. Do what you are doing as its ALL GOOD. But keep a close watch out for pooey bottom which will mean sickness. Anything else just ask.

Cheers Karen........very happy to have you here. You sound like a responsible bird owner to me. Tell your husband to hurry up with the building

Edited April 24, 200718 yr by Kaz

Hi Mandy, yes, I think the aviary is way too small for that number of birds to happily co-exist. This could account for some of the missing feathers too, if they are getting agro with each other and competing for nests.

 

You have done a great job by the sounds of things, getting it cleaned out for the birds. I agree with Kaz, as far as the nestboxes are concerned. I would take them all out for now and not replace them.

 

 

Feathers.

Welcome you got some excellent advice.

I second that you need to remove put alike species with alike species and you will have to purchase other cages for the other species. Budgies can irriate the bigger birds and the bigger birds can do damage.

 

Excellent advice on removing the nesting box. Doesn't sound like the budgies are healthy at this point and in top condition for breeding plus you will need individual cages we recommend closed breeding not colony as there are all sorts of issues with colony.

 

You have done a great thing by giving these birds home, working on getting them what they need and if you have any questions please always feel free to check out our FAQ section on the top or ask .

 

Welcome to our forum.

Also becareful they dont infect your own birds- I'd hate for you to lose them because of these little ragamuffins!!

Agree with all that has been said though!!

excellent advise pie that was completely over looked on my part - quaratine quaratine for sure.

Some great advise put forth Welcome to the site Mandy.

 

Do you know of an avian vet near you to take them to for check up?

Edited April 24, 200718 yr by Nerwen

Thanks for all the advice guys it is much appreciated.

 

Nest boxes are all out and in the bin. The finches will be coming out today, if I can ever catch them. New aviary is under construction today, Hubby is a patio installer so we have lots of spare lengths of steel which is zinc plated steel and powder coated. Is this safe to build the frame out of?. The plan is to make one large aviary with a dividing wall to put the budgies on one side and the finches on the other. Would you recommend a solid wall between them or will they be okay with a wire one. The Weiros will be staying in the old aviary for the time being.

 

My next question is anyone know a good avian vet in the northern suburbs of Perth. In response to earlier comments, yes I think some of these birds are very old they just eat and sleep, but at least they are eating.

 

I am finding flight feathers on the floor of the aviary with blood on the ends so they have been pulled out rather then fell out. But there doesn't seem to be much squabbling but lots of itching so I think they are pulling them out themselves. How long does the lice and mite spray take to have any effect I am assuming that is what is making them itch.

 

Kaz I looked up french moult on the internet and it looks very much like that might be the problem, but obviously won't know for sure until I see the vet.

 

These guys are going no where near my canaries until they are all sorted. I have wormed and sprayed the canaries with lice spray just to be on the safe side.

 

Any advice on aviary construction much appreciated. It will be going straight onto a paved patio.

 

Thanks

 

Mandy

Thanks for all the advice guys it is much appreciated.

 

Nest boxes are all out and in the bin. The finches will be coming out today, if I can ever catch them. the trick with catching finches is to be quick ...they can stress being chased and kind of "faint" if stressed.

New aviary is under construction today, Hubby is a patio installer so we have lots of spare lengths of steel which is zinc plated steel and powder coated. Is this safe to build the frame out of?. Zinc is toxic to birds, but you may notice a lot of aviaries being made from exactly the same thing. Try washing down the zinc with vinegar in water and take the excess off.

The plan is to make one large aviary with a dividing wall to put the budgies on one side and the finches on the other. Would you recommend a solid wall between them or will they be okay with a wire one. You may have to double mesh between the sections. Use a wooden spacer so there is about a four inch gap between aviaires and each wire section. Solid walls block your view, so if you double mesh it will work The Weiros will be staying in the old aviary for the time being.

 

My next question is anyone know a good avian vet in the northern suburbs of Perth. I live Northern suburbs. The best avian vet closest to us is Tim Oldfield at Wattle Grove vets. A bit of a trip but well worth it. He is TOPS :hap:

In response to earlier comments, yes I think some of these birds are very old they just eat and sleep, but at least they are eating. Good retirement home with you anyway

 

I am finding flight feathers on the floor of the aviary with blood on the ends so they have been pulled out rather then fell out. But there doesn't seem to be much squabbling but lots of itching so I think they are pulling them out themselves. How long does the lice and mite spray take to have any effect I am assuming that is what is making them itch. Good quality lice and mite spray should have immediate results....AVIAN INSECT LIQUIDATOR is one of the best. There is also a liquid you put in their drinking water which I use once a month as well.

 

Kaz I looked up french moult on the internet and it looks very much like that might be the problem, but obviously won't know for sure until I see the vet. French moult would explain the broken and bloodied feathers you are finding

 

These guys are going no where near my canaries until they are all sorted. I have wormed and sprayed the canaries with lice spray just to be on the safe side.

 

Any advice on aviary construction much appreciated. It will be going straight onto a paved patio. You will need the first foot or two from ground level to have something smooth like tin to avoid mouse entry problems

 

Thanks

 

Mandy

any further questions...just ask. I live in Beechboro if you want to visit

Edited April 25, 200718 yr by Kaz

I just wanted to say Mandy that you are an amazing person to take on these birds and give them the treatment that you have! If anything else you now have an aviary full of birds that will have such a great life now compared to what it looks like they have put up with so far.

I can guarantee you will always have budgies from now on! Addictive little buggers they are!

Welcome to the forum by the way

Hi Mandy,

 

With such great resources your husband should have built you an aviary long ago As Kaz said, you need to wash down the aviary, mesh included, with a solution that is at least 1 part vinegar to 9 parts water. This will help eliminate 'new aviary disease', which is caused by the birds chewing on the zinc plated wire.

 

My aviary is on concrete pavers, which has been fine, but I got my son to seal under the bottom with a type of building glue to fill any gaps between the pavers and the aviary.

 

These are the best 2 avian vets in Perth. I don't know of any that are in the Northern suburbs.

 

Dr Ray Butler BVSc MACVSc

Risley Veterinary Clinic

789 Canning Highway Applecross 6153

Phone: 08 9364 2288

 

 

 

Dr S T Oldfield BVSc MACVSc (Avian Health)

Wattle Grove Veterinary Hospital

791 Welshpool Road Wattle Grove WA 6107

Phone: 08 9453 6655

Email: wgvh@iinet.net

 

 

You are doing a great job with all these guys, and with taking preventative measures with your canaries. Well done.

 

 

Feathers.

Edited April 25, 200718 yr by feathers

I think something to possibly consider is that the bird has Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease (PBFD) it affects all psittacines (parrots/cockatoos/parakeets/lorries/lorrikeets). What's the beak and nails conditions like? If they have PBFD, chances are their beak will be brittle.

Edited April 25, 200718 yr by Cheeta

Ooh You have done it now Kaz I will be round everyday asking silly questions. Seriously, thanks for the invite, I will definately call round but not until these birds are cured of everything contagious. Don't know if anything that is wrong with them can be carried by humans. Am I just being paranoid.

 

Anyway most of them seem a bit chirpier today, they are eating everything in sight, now that they have figured out what it all is.

 

My cat has invited one of its friends round for a look and the damn thing won't go away. My cat is far to lazy to bother the birds but this other one is very interested. So I have invested in a couple of water pistols strategically placed around the garden and I now have to leave the dogs out when I go out. Yes it is a bit like a zoo in my house.

 

I wanted to give some of the flightless birds a better way of getting up and down the aviary rather than having to use the wire. It can't be comfy on their feet and some of the beaks are damaged where they hang onto the wire. So I was going to put some thick ropes in along the back of the aviary (away from the cat) so they can climb up that instead. Bought some sisal rope which is soaking in a bucket. Is this safe to use or do I need another type of rope.

 

Booked in to see the vet next Tuesday, I will be taking 4 of the worst affected ones so we will see what he has to say.

 

New aviary is coming along nicely. Both sections will be 4ftwx4ftDx6ftH I know longer is better than higher but you have to go with the space you have got and try to accomodate everybody.

 

How many budgies would you recommend to put in an aviary of this size. Also, and I know this is probably a daft question, but how do I stop them trying to breed without actually separating the sexes.

 

Is there anything special you guys think I should be feeding them to try to boost their immune system. As far as I know, from the man we got them from, they have only been fed on seed that comes in big hessian bags labelled "small aviary seed" "small parrot" and "finch seed" no idea what brand it is or where it comes from, oh and he chucked a few grass clippings in from the lawn!.

 

Sorry if I am being a pest, but if you don't ask, you don't get to know.

 

Thanks for the help

 

Mandy

 

ps I have learn't more from this site about budgies in a few days than I would have dreamed necessary. You guys are great.

ps I have learn't more from this site about budgies in a few days than I would have dreamed necessary. You guys are great.

 

It is a wonderful forum

 

Take Kaz up on the visit... she's an angel, you'll love her aviaries.

 

The rope is a wonderful idea, they will love it. My budgies have $2.00 shop skipping ropes in their aviary, they love them.

 

As far as your space goes, each budgie should have 2.5 inches of perching space and they should all be able to feed at once, theoretically. Ordinarily, budgies wont usually breed unless you give them a nice spot to breed in, like nest boxes. I have mixed sexes in mine, but no babies

 

There are some good suppliments around if you are worried about them having vitamin or mineral deficiences, Vetafarm's Soluvet plus is good, as is their calcivet. Other than that a good seed mix (most pet stores prepack their own according to species), fresh veggies and some eggfood (boiled crushed eggs, shell and all, with breadcrumbs- there are recipes online) for protein would be a good start. Oh and the budgies LOVE eucalyptus leaves (natural immunity for mites) and will go absolutely crazy over peppermint. Put whole branches in and they will be stripped bare before you know it

 

 

Feathers.

Edited April 26, 200718 yr by feathers

Hi Mandy. You sound like a very good budgie owner. :oliveb: You are not being a pest, we welcome your questions. :ausb:

Budgies generally won't breed as long as there is no where for them to do so. So don't put nesting boxes in the avairy.

your doing great!!