I was upset to discover that these amazing looking birds are actually genetic defects and, according to a well known budgie breeder "the equivalent of a down syndrome person". Subsequently we were told to cull any budgies that turned out like this. As a small, small breeder I find that quite disturbing... These birds may have an extra chromosone, but I think they deserve just as much

 

http//www.viewandshare.com/albums/userpics/10002/Mop.jpg

 

We've requested from a prominent breeder that, if they get any of these "abominations" to send them our way, as we'd love and cherish them for their short lives.

Edited June 18, 200717 yr by Daz

Yes they are called featherdusters and if you do a search on BBC you will find there has been much discussion on them.

 

Your right they deserve love till the end.

Cull doesn't necessarily mean kill. It means remove from breeding stock. This could be by selling the affected offspring and perhaps removing the parents from the breeding birds. One of our members, Daz, had a lovely little feather duster budgie show up in one of his nests and he loved and cared for the little cutie until he passed.

In most cases, in the show breeding world, culling these guys does mean permanently. You will never find one sold off to a petshop. But I know a few show breeders who cherish theirs. Although they live very short lives, mostly 8 to 12 weeks, I know of one or two around the age of 8 months and one that lived to 18 months of age.

In our discussion on these cuties at our budgie club.. the word cull was associated with a twisting of the wrists *shudders*

They don`t live long.Once the parents stop feeding them.They can`t feed them selves.They are just all feather.Its best if they are put to sleep.It is crual to keep them alive.

As a budgie adorer, I think they're amazing, as a breeder I know that they take up space... But I still think they deserve good seed and lots of veges til they decide to take the trip up to rainbow bridge

 

They don`t live long.Once the parents stop feeding them.They can`t feed them selves.They are just all feather.Its best if they are put to sleep.It is crual to keep them alive.

 

According to a few breeders at our club.... it's not that they cant feed themselves, it's just that they eat so much... It's not worth subsidising them

One of our states top show breeders has one around 8 months of age, in its own roomy cage, being the fed the best of everything the other show birds get and it is doing fine. His last feather duster lived to 18 months of age. I will find you some photos

I'd love to see some photos... I don;t wanna feel like I'm the only softie wanting to look after these "lost causes" (Laughing out loud)

Hi, a couple of years ago my first 2 babies were mops. We didn't realise until about 5 weeks old. Greg thought their wing feathers looked a bit strange at 4 weeks they were all about the same length from memory,and quite untidy looking, she would never have been able to fly. the first one died at 4 weeks but the second one from the same nest was gorgeous, it looked big, lots of feather I was so excited because its mum and dad were big, but When i held it it felt so skinny, anyway buy 6 weeks the feather were getting longer and buy 8 weeks they were all curly. She died at 10 weeks couldn't get here to eat. It was so sad. I took pictures of her but I can't find them. But she was really truely a lovely bird, I believe she would of been a show bird if she was normal.

Since then I have never put those 2 birds back together and so far I have not got another one. TOUCH WOOD. The mother throughs beautiful big show quality babies.

If I find the photos i will post them

By the way there use to be a pet shop in Cobram not far from me that a friend said he was selling mops as special oriental birds for $85.00 and unspecting customers were buying them, this friend wanted one and asked the shop keeper if she could order one.

Changed her mind once I pointed out that they are PLEASE BAN ME!!, she still wants one but not for that price.

 

Just found picture but I have deleted all my photos off the kodak programme but accident but the little thumb nails are still there so I took a photo of that it is pretty blurry but IO think you can still see what she looked like, by the way she couldn't walk that well either.

 

I think she was about 5 weeks old here

Edited June 13, 200717 yr by splat

Here is the feather duster youngster of a top breeder I greatly admire. This bird is greatly loved and well cared for as evident by the age it has attained so far ( around 8 months ) .

 

 

Edited June 13, 200717 yr by **KAZ**

I assume you have to let their feathers grow out? there's no way of trimming them as I assume it would have been done already to prolong the life of the bird

I assume you have to let their feathers grow out? there's no way of trimming them as I assume it would have been done already to prolong the life of the bird

This birds feathers are never trimmed and it finds its way around and eats well just the same.

Bring on the mop I say... Poor little things (Laughing out loud)

All I say, for breeders to come on here & encorage PPl to try & keep these birds alive is (*&^%^&&*@) & to say you are bird lovers.

 

Ive said my bit on this post,very disappointed.

The sad fact is, these birds do not live very long. It is RARE that one lives as long as the one pictured. VERY RARE.

I don't condone prolonging the life of a bird that is suffering... Shame on you macka for being so negative about it... I wouldn't say they are encouraging it, merely lending their opinion. "Mops" are living creatures too... and are they not deserving of a chance at life? So what if they don't live as long as normal birds, as the geneticist stated, they are the equivalent of downs syndrome people, one single chromosone too many and everyone condemns them.

I personally believe any breeder who breeds a 'feather duster' needs to make their own decision on whether or not they should be put to sleep. The example that Kaz has shown you is of a bird that is still able to feed and does not appear to be in any distress.

 

They do not get this way through over feeding and it is not the same as a downs syndrome child, in my opinion. It is a rare bird that lives past 3 months and for some it is not a life worth living. Many are unable to feed or fend for themselves.

 

Either way, I don't believe that it is cruelty for a breeder to decide to put these guys down, it is potentially preventing a bird who does have a very reduced life span from future distress.

 

By the same token, if a breeder feels that they have the time to properly care for such a bird, then that should be fine too.

 

 

Feathers.

All I say, for breeders to come on here & encorage PPl to try & keep these birds alive is (*&^%^&&*@) & to say you are bird lovers.

 

Ive said my bit on this post,very disappointed.

 

 

The problem is that they're protien requirement is so high that unless you give them near pure protien they will starve to death. It is a terrible way to go.

 

 

 

This was the recessive pied that I had. It starved to death even though it had enough food. It physically can't eat enough to servive. Poor things.

 

I have to agree with Macka. It is a difficult to keep them alive and healthy.

splat that is horrible that a pet shop would even consider doing such a thing. They certainly need to be reported or something because in all reality they are selling unhealthy birds.

 

This post can ignite a lot of emotions and I see both sides of the fence here.

 

The best thing you can remember is that if the quality isn't there you have to send them to rainbow bridge. And not to breed them purposely if you know they produce feather dusters you as a breeder need to make a responsible decision on to breed this bird or not.

When my friend told me about it I was going to go there myself and have ago at him but he was closed down anyway. So I didn't need to. Byt I was quite disgusted when she told me.

 

Since I bred my first 2 mops, I never put the parents back together again, and so far have not bred anymore.

I have a new hen that HAS bred what you call MOPS before. I know them as Feather dusters, but they are the same thing. Our Feathers has her son as well, I believe. I took the hen on and WILL breed with her. It is my understanding that it takes genes from BOTH sides, both parents to produce a feather duster. Correct me if I am wrong. She laid her first egg today to the father of my twins...father to Steel. I guess time will tell.

 

This is the hen

 

She is with this boy

Edited June 18, 200717 yr by **KAZ**

Yes Kas I think it comes from both parents because I have used the parents of my mops (feather dusters) since to different birds and all has been fine.

You should be right but time will tell, Good luck.

My understanding is that you have a higher chance of Feather Dusters, if you pair Buff birds together, if I had a bird that had produced one, I would pair it with a bird that didn’t seem to have so much feather [length] & I think Non Buffs have more intense colours. Also I would make sure that the birds were as unrelated as possible.

I've read some interesting posts here, and a lot of emotive ones too. I believe that while we should be free to express our diverse opinions, none of us should belittle those who do not share the same point of view.

 

My own opinion, which you are free to dismiss if you wish, is that these delightful little living creatures exist and therefore deserve a chance, however brief, to live. I saw one at a pet shop 20 years ago and was enchanted.

 

Yes they are a mutation, but that is how species evolve and diversification occurs. Perhaps there is some beneficial aspect of this mutation we are not aware of? I read they have a very high protein requirement. Has anyone with a "Moppet" tried a high protein diet as used for insectivorous birds? Mealworms? Or perhaps even offering a diet that includes meat? Heck even dog biscuits!

 

Mutations are interesting. Some work, some don't. "Why" is sometimes only obvious with hindsight. But unless we give them the same chance that nature does, we'll never know. Some say it is cruel. Perhaps it is. Nature is like that and it has served this planet well for longer than mankind has been around. It is my opinion that we ignore or deny the laws of nature at our own peril.

 

Regards,

KathyW.