Posted November 3, 200816 yr Hi Everyone, I'm new here and also new to Budgies! Harvey is a beautiful little boy I found at a pet shop 4 days ago. His colours really took my fancy. Anyone know why his head has different markings? Harvey is a very special boy. He is helping me deal with the grief of losing my beloved 13 year old Maltese X Foxie "baby" girl 3 weeks ago. So far he is doing a great job keeping me amused although he is a sleepy feller! He is supposed to be about 6 weeks out of the nest. Is it normal to be so sleepy? He is eating well, chirping nicely, loves to listen to me and already we have had lots of "finger time". He has a pink band on his right foot and a black band with writing on it on his left foot. Why does he need 2? Anyway, I have really enjoyed reading the different posts and am sure I will enjoy being a member. Debbie
November 3, 200816 yr Hi there! Welcome! You'll find there are heaps of people here with good advice and able to answer plenty of questions for you... I found the forum when I got my first budgie too! Have been here ever since! I don't know enough about leg rings to answer those questions, but in terms of his sleepiness, perhaps he is just still taking in his surroundings. Budgies can take a little while to settle in and be very quiet at first. Try talking to him gently, and often... that's what worked well for my little guy. Just keep an eye on him, and if he's not all puffed up or doing funny looking poos (sorry to talk "****"!) it's likely he's still settling in. It's great that he's spending time on your finger... keep this up (again, a little bit often works a charm) and he will hopefully become and remain nice and tame. Good luck with your new family member, and we're looking ofrward to seeing you around the forums!
November 3, 200816 yr Hi Everyone,I'm new here and also new to Budgies! Harvey is a beautiful little boy I found at a pet shop 4 days ago. His colours really took my fancy. Anyone know why his head has different markings? Harvey is a very special boy. He is helping me deal with the grief of losing my beloved 13 year old Maltese X Foxie "baby" girl 3 weeks ago. So far he is doing a great job keeping me amused although he is a sleepy feller! He is supposed to be about 6 weeks out of the nest. Is it normal to be so sleepy? He is eating well, chirping nicely, loves to listen to me and already we have had lots of "finger time". He has a pink band on his right foot and a black band with writing on it on his left foot. Why does he need 2? Anyway, I have really enjoyed reading the different posts and am sure I will enjoy being a member. Debbie Hi Debbie and welcome Harvey is gorgeous and he is a show type budgie bred from show parents. If we can have a close up photos of his cere ( above the beak ) we can confirm for you if Harvey is actually a boy as pet shops often get it wrong. Sleepiness goes with baby budgies but also with sick budgies, so you need to be sure he is eating well, not losing weight and that his bottom is clean and not poopy. A poopy bottom is a sign of ill health. Mirrors in a cage for budgies will mean they will bond with "the budgie in the mirror" and not you and they can get possessive over the budgie in the mirror, so mirrors arent actually a good idea for budgies. Harvey has two rings on due to one being his club ring / breeder ring ( with breeder details ) and one would indicate perhaps that he is split for something....some breeders put these rings on to say he is split for cinnamon or something like that. The plastic ring can be removed but the other one can stay. The black ring means he is a hatching from this year. Harvey is also a skyblue opaline budgie. The markings on his head are called FLECKING and are seen as faults in opalines in budgie shows. Edited November 3, 200816 yr by KAZ
November 3, 200816 yr Hi there, welcome. Harvey is really lovely but he looks fluffed up which could me he is sick, Harvey is a sky blue opaline with lots of flecking on his head. You will find this forum very informative. Edited November 3, 200816 yr by splat
November 3, 200816 yr Hello and welcome He is beautiful. He is looking a little under the weather to me. He looks a little fluffed up and stressed. Moving from an aviary, to a petshop and then moving again to a new home can put a lot of pressure on these little guys. Perhaps put a warm light (25-40watts) shining into his cage and see if that helps make him feel a little better. I hope he settles in nicely and i look forward to updates Edited November 3, 200816 yr by **Liv**
November 3, 200816 yr Author Hi, Thankyou for the replies! I have taken the mirror out and he is heaps more alert and active and no where near as plumped up! I don't think he is sick (I hope not anyway), he is eating regularly, he actually got very upset at me when I took his seed container out to clean it, and he spent 2 whole days jumping in it when I went near him! His bottom is clean and his poo is normal looking. Just to be safe I have put an 11 watt small fluoro light over him, hope this is okay, please let me know if fluoro's are no good. I didn't think he was an opaline, I thought the V bit had to be clear? I have put some more pics up so hopefully they are clearer. How about his beard! Debbie
November 3, 200816 yr If his cere is mostly whitish with a hint of blue it would be a hen not in breeding condition. Seems to be older than first suggested. A very beautiful bird thats for sure. Opalines strive for the clear V shape but most dont have it. Yours is an opaline. Mask is deep. Beautiful head. This bird if shown would do well.......only loss of points would be due to flecking. Flouros dont put out enough warmth. Edited November 3, 200816 yr by KAZ
November 3, 200816 yr Your bird is very lovely. Good luck with your new friend and welcome to the forum
November 3, 200816 yr Welcome! She is very cute... but despite the black ring, she looks much older to me (maybe I'm mistaken though). Remember to offer add lots of veggies/fruit into her diet too. I see by the photos you have her perches running length ways. If it were me, I'd ditch them, and get some smaller natural branches-gum, bottle brush etc... and have the running back to front. This will give her more room and encourage her to fly across the cage... not just scoot along the perch
November 3, 200816 yr I agree with Kaz. Very pretty opaline hen! stunning buy from a petshop!! And i agree with maesie to turn around your perches - it will save her tail from getting frayed and she will have a little more room to fly Edited November 3, 200816 yr by **Liv**
November 3, 200816 yr Could you read off her legring details for us please ? Edited November 3, 200816 yr by KAZ
November 3, 200816 yr Could of been bred early this year as my birds born in April have capped and look like adult birds now even though they are young birds.
November 3, 200816 yr Author Hi, A girl? The man at the pet shop said a boy! Amateurs huh! Time for a new name I guess. I wanted a boy that would talk. Girls don't talk do they? She is still gorgeous though! "Her" leg ring, the black one, has on it: A sideways "BIS" "FES" a sideways "X8" 014 hope that makes sense! Debbie
November 3, 200816 yr I love flecking! I think it just looks so pretty. What a cute little (or big, lol) budgie! CONGRATULATIONS and WELCOME!
November 3, 200816 yr Petshops are notorious for getting sexes wrong. They think anything with blue on a cere is a boy. Could you double check the legring ? and some girls do talk.
November 3, 200816 yr I tell you what! Pet shops frustrate me soooo much! So many of them dont hire staff that know what they are talking about. GRRRRRRRRRR
November 3, 200816 yr Author Hi Kaz I checked her leg ring again, she is a very patient girl, and the details are the same. I have also put a picture here of her eye, I can't see any iris ring just black. Debbie
November 3, 200816 yr She is gorgeous. I think she is around 5 months old The breeder must have handled her a lot for her to be nice and quiet still
November 3, 200816 yr She is most likely 12-16 weeks old I would say. I am confused by the letters BIS and FES on the legband....are they all together or seperated ?
November 3, 200816 yr Hi, welcome She is a beauty. lf l look really close to her picture l can faintly see an iris ring.
November 3, 200816 yr Author The BIS is sideways and the FES is normal way up. I have had a good look at her eyes under the fluoro and I can't see a ring. Debbie.
November 3, 200816 yr The BIS is sideways and the FES is normal way up. I have had a good look at her eyes under the fluoro and I can't see a ring. Debbie. Here is the club secretary for the budgie club your birds breeder belongs to ............ http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/index.php?showuser=4083 the club secretary is a member here so you can PM her for the breeders details. Breeders ring code is the FES part of the legring. BIS stands for the Budgerigar Improvement Society http://www.budgerigar-improvement-society.com/ I would say your breeder may be F & E SEAL contact this person for your breeder details... SECRETARY & TREASURER Jim McCormick 48 Heather St Wheeler Heights (02) 9982 - 2801 Edited November 3, 200816 yr by KAZ
