Hello all

I have 12 budgies, 6 quails and 1 cockatiel left (I lost 27 budgies, 2 quails and 1 cockatiel to an unknown disease/rat problem). I've fixed up my avairy and im going to put the birds back in their in 1 week.

This is what I feed them. (keep in mind i'm not a professional budgie breeder, I started a few years ago when I found a wounded stray budgie in the back yard and I immediatley grew attached to him).

- Budgie seed - I get my budgie seed from the flea markets in 20 kg bags

- Silverbeet - I grow this myself (100% organic) They absolutley love this and cannot get enough of it. ( I give them this 2 times a week)

Millet - I buy this from the flea markets and give it to them 2 times a week.

Cuttlefish - It is in their permanantly but they dont seem to be eating/chewing on it.

 

Now for my questions...

1. Is their any other food I should be feeding my budgies/quails/cockatiel? Is that diet enough for them to breed and stay healthy?

2. I had this liquid that I put into their drink once a month to prevent them from getting mites/lice, Is their any other chemicals/medication I should be giving them to prevent disease?

3. This question isnt about food/nutrition so feel free not to answer - My avairy is 3 meters wide and about 12 meters long, How many budgies/quails could I fit in their without it being to cramped up. Could I fit 50?

 

Thanks for your time

You could put a couple of hundred or more in an aviary that big!

Okie doke

 

Well, that diet is JUST enough, however there's always room to add more, e.g more fresh fruit and veg, egg and biscuit and so on... They're probably not eating the cuttlebone as it's probably turning sour, try calcium in their water or calcium bells, they last longer and they will eat them slower with a higher concerntrate of calcium.

 

Birds should be wormed regularily as well as kept lice/mite free. other medications should be kept on hand for the more common situation which arise. I keep liquid calcium, sulphadim and multi vitamin on hands at all times.

 

You could fit WELL over that amount in there. My aviary is about 3.6 x 2.2 and I have roughly 80 birds in there at any one time, sometimes less. They have plenty of room So yours should have LOTS!

 

Do you have your aviary covered as a wet aviary is a breeding ground for bacteria and disease?

 

Hope that helps, only my opinion, others may differ

3/4 of the avairy is covered by a tin roof and the other 1/4 is not covered so they get sunlight. Thanks very much for the posts, I will get some more vegetables for them.

I do my birds up a dish every second day of chopped lettuce ( personal choice, bok choy/spinach is better) grated carrot, whole hard boiled crushed eggs, dried bread crumbs (supermarket) grated apple and a mix of other things like vitamin drops and calcium added in (it changes by what's in the fridge ) the alternative days they get their grasses (winter grass and dandelion plants) from the garden. Seed and water are provided at all times as well as calcium bells

maybe 1-2 days a week they'll get no fresh foods, but in summer atleast once a day all cabinet birds are given them when nesting (don't forget they LOVE native fresh branches, especially peppermint tree leaves and bottlebrush)

Hmmm

Do they eat gum tree leaves? That is about the only trees I have in my yard the rest are probably poisonous. Can you get the vitamin drops from any pet store?

Thanks for the posts

Hmmm

Do they eat gum tree leaves? That is about the only trees I have in my yard the rest are probably poisonous. Can you get the vitamin drops from any pet store?

Thanks for the posts

 

Yes, they love Gum tree leaves and branches. Just make sure they are free from chemicals and bird poo before putting them in. You can get most vitamin supliments from a good pet store. Make sure you know what you are after as they'll probably try and sell you heaps of things you DON'T need