Hi all

 

I was at my local vet the other day and noticed a lost budgie in a cage there, they were looking for its owner.

I told them I would take it as it had been there for 2 weeks.

 

I will get a photo up soon. It looks to be a young one, it is green and yellow. I hope to get a mate for him/her soon.

But i think he/she has some health problems, which i will post about in another thread.

I dont know if i should take my new budgie to a vet. I dont think there are any avian vets near me so it would be an hours drive each way, something i dont want to put him/her through unless i have to. Does anyone know of an avian vet on the Central Coast NSW?

 

Basically i just brought this budgie home, he was handed into a vet as a lost pet. Stayed there in a very small cage for 1.5 weeks, eating only seeds.

 

I just put him in a larger cage and he seems healthy, except he is scratching around the head a fair bit and the cere has some brown crust like material on it. The vet said he was 'half dead' when he came in but recovered. They dont know much about birds. So i dont really know what is going on.

I want to get him a friend but not until he has a clean bill of health of course.

 

Does this warrant a vet visit and 2 hours in the car? I will get a photo up later today.

Edited November 3, 200816 yr by birdgirl

Hi all

 

I was at my local vet the other day and noticed a lost budgie in a cage there, they were looking for its owner.

I told them I would take it as it had been there for 2 weeks.

 

I will get a photo up soon. It looks to be a young one, it is green and yellow. I hope to get a mate for him/her soon.

But i think he/she has some health problems, which i will post about in another thread.

 

 

Welcome and good on you for helping the little thing out, post a picture soon and we can tell you if its a boy or girl and then you can name the lil' thing! Maybe it is just molting and looks scruffy, it could have had a hard time when it got lost, nothing a bit of tender loving care won't fix! I lost a budgie a couple of weeks ago (blue and white) and I hope that she has been found too and is being cared for, they dont survive well in the wild so your little one is lucky Its o.k. to post the health problem in this same thread when you post a picture if you like.

 

Cheers,

Trish.

Sorry just posted the health issue here

http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/index....=0&p=271325

 

Will post a photo later today, have to go out and buy some seed etc for him/her

Edited November 3, 200816 yr by birdgirl

Sorry just posted the health issue here

http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/index....=0&p=271325

 

Will post a photo later today, have to go out and buy some seed etc for him/her

I have just merged your two topics.

Cheers Kaz

I just put him in a larger cage and he seems healthy, except he is scratching around the head a fair bit and the cere has some brown crust like material on it.

 

Others are more experienced and can probably answer that better than I but it sounds to me you might just have a girl as their cere can look a bit brown and crusty at times or it could have scaly face which is relatively easy to treat. Best to get a picture up when you can, for the more experienced members to see and I am sure they can help. I am not sure about the scratching though I noticed mine scratch a bit but it is just all part of them preening and maybe molting (getting new feathers).

 

I gave my rescued budgie some Millet seed (comes in a green box from supermarket, Trill brandI think) it comes like a stick with seeds on it, might give birdy a little pick me up?

Personally, since he was flying around and lost I would take him to the avian vet so yes because he may have scaley face that needs to be treated along with mites. I think any new and inexperienced bird owner that deals with possible health issues on a bird needs to take their bird to a vet vs being diagnosed over a forum. If you can post pictures that would great help too. Congrats on bringing the little one home.

If it's cere is brown and crusty it may simplybe a hen Photos will be gret though. Can you tell us whether it has iris rings (the white ring around the pupil of the eye) as this helps to indicate age too

If it's cere is brown and crusty it may simplybe a hen Photos will be gret though. Can you tell us whether it has iris rings (the white ring around the pupil of the eye) as this helps to indicate age too

 

Very true, a bit tired over here I didn't think that.

Here are a few photos, sorry about the quality. The crusty stuff is not showing too well so if you need a better photo let me know and I will swap lenses on my camera.

 

It also has some white 'flecks' in the head feathers, is this just moulting or normal? You can sort of see it in the photos.

 

 

 

 

Its a recessive pied hen...no scaley face and she is moulting. Looks healthy

yay!

 

Then again, after all my reading about budgies in preparation for buying some I didn't want a female. is this going to cause me problems as far as egg laying goes?

Dont worry, I'll be keeping her regardless, I just had originally planned to get boys as I am not going to breed them.

 

For a friend can I get a male and just not put a nest box in or will they still try and make babies?

 

In the near future I am setting up my current cat enclosure aviary (its a proper bird aviary) for budgies. Now that i have one female, what is the best road to take when choosing aviary budgies - get the rest all males or a mix? Will not be doing this for a while but just something to think about.

Edited November 3, 200816 yr by birdgirl

A nestbox or anything that resembles one is giving budgies the go ahead to make eggs and babies. If there is nothing that looks like a great place to raise babies there should be no egg laying.

BUT you also do not add any more budgies to this one without a minimum 30 day quarantine in another room in another cage for the healths sake of both.

So the hen does not just lay eggs? I was under the impression it was just something they did, like a cycle of sorts (no, not a menstrual cycle but you know what i mean!)

This site says that "Female budgerigars are prone to egg-laying problems"

http://www.birdhealth.com.au/bird/budgie/aspets.html

 

The pet shop i just went to to get seed and cage accessories had 5 budgies for sale, $25 each.

They are very bored in their bare cage. This is not a pet shop that sells mammals which is the only reason i go there to start with. The only birds they sell are these budgies and 1 cockatiel.

 

I am not a fan of buying animals from pet shops as I know they just replace them with more that will suffer. But i would be 'saving' the lives of these ones - good or bad idea? To be put in quarantine cage of course!

Edited November 3, 200816 yr by birdgirl

Chronic egglaying does happen but is not common. Most budgies in petshops are not quarantined so often arrive to you carrying some latent diseases or illnesses. Best way to get a healthy budgie with great back up service is through a breeder. Usually cheaper price for a healthier bird.

Edited November 3, 200816 yr by KAZ

She is so pretty! Have you thought of a name?

 

No name yet hehe. I am known to take weeks to pick a name for my pets! :star:

 

I realise pet shop birds may have issues. But i look at it in the light of these birds deserve a loving home, not a barren cage.

They seemed healthy enough. I just want to help them.

No name yet hehe. I am known to take weeks to pick a name for my pets! :star:

 

I realise pet shop birds may have issues. But i look at it in the light of these birds deserve a loving home, not a barren cage.

They seemed healthy enough. I just want to help them.

Petshops are notoriously the dumping ground of birds with issues from breeders. As they pay very little for budgies, breeders will sell their best from home, through clubs and privately advertised. The worst go to petshops as a rule due to the low price paid for them. You can "rescue" a budgie from a breeder and end up with a better bird for less money. Petshops rely on impulse buys and people feeling sorry for tht birds. :rofl:

I dont believe in 'the best' animals. Each animal deserves to live.

I do see what you're saying in that I may have added expense and issues.

 

I would never buy a cat or dog from a pet shop as i know where they come from and dont want to support that trade.

I also wouldnt buy a bird from the majority of pet shops, but PetBarn seem to know what they are doing better than most.

No name yet hehe. I am known to take weeks to pick a name for my pets! :star:

 

I realise pet shop birds may have issues. But i look at it in the light of these birds deserve a loving home, not a barren cage.

They seemed healthy enough. I just want to help them.

Petshops are notoriously the dumping ground of birds with issues from breeders. As they pay very little for budgies, breeders will sell their best from home, through clubs and privately advertised. The worst go to petshops as a rule due to the low price paid for them. You can "rescue" a budgie from a breeder and end up with a better bird for less money. Petshops rely on impulse buys and people feeling sorry for tht birds.

 

 

So true, my daughter's little boy budgie "Ben" is a great example! His feathers are coming back now and he just made a "kiss" noise to me as I am always making smooch noises to him! When I got him he was being picked on by the other birds and had hardly any feathers, he was in a draft and running aroung the bottom of the cage because he couldn't fly! I'm a sucker :rofl:

I paid $20 for Ben and then just recently bought some 2-3 year old show type budgies from a breeder for $10 each and they are so beautiful and healthy! And if I ever have a problem he will help me out.

I know Im talking to breeders here so Im the odd one out...but... :star:

There are just so many 'unwanted' birds out there, I prefer to rescue rather than breed more. Not that I know where to rescue budgies from, there seems to be a lack of bird rescue centres in Australia. All my pets are a result of rescues rather than buying for the sake of having a certain type, look or personality. In fact I have never paid for an animal, they were either found or given to me.

 

Anyway, for now I have one little budgie who doesnt really like me much yet so she is going to keep me busy for some time to come! :rofl:

Edited November 3, 200816 yr by birdgirl

There are just so many 'unwanted' birds out there, I prefer to rescue rather than breed more. Not that I know where to rescue budgies from, there seems to be a lack of bird rescue centres in Australia.

 

I'm not so sure that Budgies fall into the unwanted category, not where I am from anyway, almost everyone I know has a bird of some type and loves them! I dont think there are rescue centres as such because there doesn't need to be. With the exception of Parrots and Cockatoo's however because when people get them they don't realize how much attention they need!

I know Im talking to breeders here so Im the odd one out...but... :star:

The majority of members here are pet owners and not breeders. The name of this forum may lead you to believe it is all about breeders.

There are just so many 'unwanted' birds out there, I prefer to rescue rather than breed more. Not that I know where to rescue budgies from, there seems to be a lack of bird rescue centres in Australia.

 

I'm not so sure that Budgies fall into the unwanted category, not where I am from anyway, almost everyone I know has a bird of some type and loves them! I dont think there are rescue centres as such because there doesn't need to be. With the exception of Parrots and Cockatoo's however because when people get them they don't realize how much attention they need!

 

Yes definitely, cockatoos, Macaws and larger birds are often abused and abandoned. In the US they have rescue centres for parrots. There are a couple of small ones in Australia but its not as well established as overseas.

 

I know of some budgies kept in bad conditions but since they are 'low maintenance' birds, people dont give them up, they just let them suffer. So you are right, it is difficult to 'rescue' a budgie the same way you could a cockatoo.

 

Well when the time comes to buy more I shall stake out some breeders and ask them to sell me their 'bad' birds :star:

 

Yes thats true KAZ!

Well when the time comes to buy more I shall stake out some breeders and ask them to sell me their 'bad' birds :star:

 

Great idea, often breeders have birds that are older etc. They prefer them to go to homes where they wont be bred.

Edited November 3, 200816 yr by **Liv**
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