My Local Council has requested that I send them a letter with the Breed, Ring Number and Name of every single one of my birds. I tried to explain that my Budgies don't all have names but that did not seem to matter to them. I also told them that it was hard to put an exact number on it as I have two nests at the moment ready to hatch and I am looking at selling about 20 Budgies and purchasing more.

 

They also questioned Elmo as he is a native and I am not allowed to have a native, I di explain that I had a lisence and he is a captive breed and rasied bird but again they where like but you are not allowed to keep a native. ARGHHHHH Stupid people, and then when I mentioned my Green Cheeks they did not know what they where and asked me if they where allowed to be kept in this country... huh? Just wait you guys are animal control you should know these things.

 

So now I have to write a realy really long list and list everything on it. I figure that those that I am planning on getting rid of I will just not list but still this is a HUGE job and I am really not happy about it. They have not even recieved a complaint about me they are just cracking down on the number of birds that someone can keep.

What a pain in the backside

 

Bureaucracy gone mad.

 

You know...we struck a laughable situation recently..................another government faux pas.

Ken ( my husband ) imported some princess parrots from Newcastle.

When they arrived and I went to the air express depot to collect them, I was told I would have to wait until a guy from quarantine came and checked them and cleared them. They said there would also be an additional fee for this. All this on one of the hottest days in January.

I waited and in due course a quarantine guy arrived and suited me up in their fluorescent over shirt thingies and took me through to the hangar where my cage of Princess parrots was.

He said that he had to check that the birds were, in fact Princess parrots. I asked him why all this was done as it was never done for transporting budgies.

His answer " well we can recognise budgies and we can recognise weeros ( tiels ) and we can recognise pink and grey galahs. BUT we cannot tell for sure about any other kind of parrot"

So we get to the cage where my Princess parrots are and he looks. He asks me what they are ( there were two kinds of princesses in there so two different colour mutations ).

I tell him and he writes it down.

Then he takes out a camera. I asked him what he was doing and he said " I take the photo of the bird and email it back to head office for them to be correctly identified". I said..."do I have to wait for the identification ? "

He said...."no, take the birds home and phone a certain number two or three days later and ask if they got passed".

Then he tells me that the seed in the bottom of their cage needs to be removed and left there. I said I wasnt about to disrupt the birds by undoing a nailed up sealed cage, upending their cage to tip out 2 tablespoons worth of seed. So he says..."okay bring it back in a sealed plastic bag on Monday ( it was a friday ) ".

 

This is all so weird. Why dont they have a bird book there or a chart with bird types on it ? Why is an inspector of these birds not equipped with some knowledge about birds other than budgies, tiels and pink and grey galahs ? Why, if its so important to remove the seed do they allow it to go home with you and do not chase you up if you dont bring it back ? ( By the time I got home there was barely a teaspoons worth of seed in the box so I wasnt going back to the airport just to return that, especially when he wrote down that there was nearly a cupful in the cage ).

After being told we would have to pay extra fees, we were not charged any extras and I left with the birds, as yet "unidentified" and with forbidden seed in the travel box.

 

 

After this experience ( and we are about to do it again soon ) NOTHING surprises me about government departments.

 

I wish you all the luck in the world AV.

Edited March 3, 200916 yr by KAZ

Thanks for that Kaz gives me hope that they will not know what to do with the list and just let me go unless I get a complaint. I was planning on downsizing anyway so this will just speed up the process

I was there that day when Kaz went thru that process. It was about 43 degrees that day. Ken went to work, Kaz went to the airport to get the birds, and I stayed at Kaz's place and was putting new water in for all the birds, and adding ice cubes to the existing drinkers. I remember hearing this story at the time and being amazed. Still amazed 1 1/2 months later!!

:rofl:

 

I am sorry to hear that your both have gone through and are going through the issues. I am just glad to be on the better side of the problem. For me, it took nearly two years to sort out.

Oh don't tell me things like that Daz. Well I have sold 3 green cheeks today so that is 3 less birds on my list.

You are in a budgie club right ? If you consult with the president of your budgie club you will find that their experience and a well versed word in the ear of council can do wonders for your situation. Ask and you may get some well needed help. Most budgerigar clubs or bird clubs have dealt with these issues before and often council will listen when a person has the backing of a club.

Also if the RSPCA or other group is backing your rescue situation at home from birds affected by the bush fires, they may be able to assist you with council issues.

Edited March 3, 200916 yr by KAZ

Not cool. I hope it all works out in the end, doesn't take to long and your list isn't too hard to compile! hugs oxoxo

Thanks guys will have a chat to everyone that I know and hope this is sorted quickly

Here is what you do. Minimal co-operation equals passive resistance. It doesn't need to be perfect, they won't know the difference anyway truth be had. If they come around to check, well, it was current for the date you did it, but it's changed surprise surprise, like everything does from moment to moment.

 

Do columns or an excel spreadsheet. Current as at whatever date you do it.

Ignore any birds that are not yet independent.

All budgies are named budgie, with or without leg ring number.

Send photocopy of licence for elmo, and make them do the research, they are getting paid for whatever nonsense job they are doing, make them do the research. Don't bother arguing with them. Just politely state facts.

Furthermore, use this opportunity to ask for money to help fund your animal rescue efforts, pointing out that feeding and caring for these animals is at a cost of resources and time, and you are doing a community service! Turn it around in your favour.

 

If there is any further drama, contact your local member of parliament and ear bash them about it. That is what your taxes pay for, not beaurocracy and imposed nonsense. Stand up for yourself. You are of greater service than these wanabe pet-police come politicians, and it is about time that was realised by everyone.

 

If all else fails, get your 15 mins of fame on television to put your point across. They might even pay you for the story.

Edited March 3, 200916 yr by DrNat

Thanks for the Dr Nat. A friend in the states went throught the same thing and is e-mailing me the spreadsheet she had to fill out which gives them more then enough information.

 

I have already requested from the DSE information on keeping a King Parrot. The Lady I spoke to was shocked that they told me that. She is going to send a letter to me from them confirming that I am a paid up License holder and that it is legal for me to own Elmo. She also was going to put some information in that they have about trying to rehabilite and release handtamed birds and how this is 9 times out of 10 does not work and how they have no legal or moral objects to me keeping Elmo as a native. She said they have hit this alot in the last few months so hopefully that will help.

 

Another friend from the Budgie Club hit the same issues and she said to over information them. Make sure you give every possible deatil about each bird right down to sex and mutation, age and remaining breeding years and plan for the bird. She said just make sure it is very clear that you only have X amount of birds but give them lots of info it will look better so Pip and I are going to do that this weekend.

 

I am not going to list un weaned chicks outside of Charlie my Quaker.

 

I have also been told to send Photos and outline my plan to decrease the rat and mouse population. I figure if I send them a HUGE pack with lots of information on each bird that they will leave me alone. I am also not going to list my birds that I am selling over the weekend.

that rat and mouse bit thats very good idea cause vermont population is pretty much the only other thing they can hassle you with apart from housing and space for birds to be kept

they can leagally make you get rid of birds that do not have the required amount of space or cage size per number and breed

but you sound like you would have that in a rap if you have the species you have mentioned

My Local Council has requested that I send them a letter with the Breed, Ring Number and Name of every single one of my birds. I tried to explain that my Budgies don't all have names but that did not seem to matter to them. I also told them that it was hard to put an exact number on it as I have two nests at the moment ready to hatch and I am looking at selling about 20 Budgies and purchasing more.

 

They also questioned Elmo as he is a native and I am not allowed to have a native, I di explain that I had a lisence and he is a captive breed and rasied bird but again they where like but you are not allowed to keep a native. ARGHHHHH Stupid people, and then when I mentioned my Green Cheeks they did not know what they where and asked me if they where allowed to be kept in this country... huh? Just wait you guys are animal control you should know these things.

 

So now I have to write a realy really long list and list everything on it. I figure that those that I am planning on getting rid of I will just not list but still this is a HUGE job and I am really not happy about it. They have not even recieved a complaint about me they are just cracking down on the number of birds that someone can keep.

If you go to your budgie club,they will help,If I remember,a member of your club had the same problem,

Ask the presdent,he will know what to do.

I completely agree with DrNat. I would like to add to it though. On what basis the council have decided to do this. Councils have by-laws and they can't just make them up as they go along nor can they change them with out due process.

 

In WA we have an organisation called United Bird Societies of WA (UBSWA). All clubs except the budgie clubs are members of this organisation. It's purposes is to liase with councils and other groups about bird keeping issues. Maybe there is a similar organisation in your state.

 

As for Elmo license or not, unless they wish to do a DNA profile they cannot prove he is bush or captive. There are many captive bred small bush type budgies around that is why it is hard to get pure bush stock.

You are in a budgie club right ? If you consult with the president of your budgie club you will find that their experience and a well versed word in the ear of council can do wonders for your situation. Ask and you may get some well needed help. Most budgerigar clubs or bird clubs have dealt with these issues before and often council will listen when a person has the backing of a club.

Also if the RSPCA or other group is backing your rescue situation at home from birds affected by the bush fires, they may be able to assist you with council issues.

 

I went to my club when the trouble started and they were good with advice but didn't want to involve the council with the club so I was pretty much on my own. Hope your club will do better.

 

 

Here is what you do. Minimal co-operation equals passive resistance. It doesn't need to be perfect, they won't know the difference anyway truth be had. If they come around to check, well, it was current for the date you did it, but it's changed surprise surprise, like everything does from moment to moment.

 

Do columns or an excel spreadsheet. Current as at whatever date you do it.

Ignore any birds that are not yet independent.

All budgies are named budgie, with or without leg ring number.

Send photocopy of licence for elmo, and make them do the research, they are getting paid for whatever nonsense job they are doing, make them do the research. Don't bother arguing with them. Just politely state facts.

Furthermore, use this opportunity to ask for money to help fund your animal rescue efforts, pointing out that feeding and caring for these animals is at a cost of resources and time, and you are doing a community service! Turn it around in your favour.

 

If there is any further drama, contact your local member of parliament and ear bash them about it. That is what your taxes pay for, not beaurocracy and imposed nonsense. Stand up for yourself. You are of greater service than these wanabe pet-police come politicians, and it is about time that was realised by everyone.

 

If all else fails, get your 15 mins of fame on television to put your point across. They might even pay you for the story.

 

Got to agree with DrNat. That is basically what I did. I started out by asking what I needed to do to get the permits and then complied. It basically went well. If you work with them instead of against them. It should be okay.

 

 

But if all else fails... Call A Current Affairs and get a film crew down there ..

i thought elmo was a king parrot?????am i missing something

i thought elmo was a king parrot?????am i missing something

 

Maybe he is GB. Maybe I missed something.

Elmo is a close rung King Parrot.

 

I spoke to a few people from the club and they have given me some idea. The President is currently stepping down due to health issues so they pretty much said "can you sort it out and if you get in trouble then we can look at it" I know they mean well but our Club has some issues at the moment but it should all work out.

 

I rang the manager today and asked if I could fax through the proposed form for my audit of birds which I did and he rang me back and said "WOW that is a lot of information you are providing us with." I said that I wanted to cover all bases. Also in my cover letter I will be stating council by laws which state.

 

<I>Canary, Finches, Budgies, Love Birds and bird of equivalent size - no cap and no permit required if being used for breeding and exhibiting the animals.

Cockatiels and birds of equivalent size - no more then 4 breeding birds to be kept at any one time without written permission

All Other Birds - no more then 2 breeding birds to be kept at any one time without written permission.

Racing Pigeon - no more then 60 to be kept at any one time without written permission

Eatable birds / poultry - not more then 10 to be kept at any one time without written permission.</i>

 

My Budgies I will be fine as I have less then 60 and they are breeding for showing, my love birds I only have two, 4 elegant, 3 green cheeks (hoping to be 4 and they are the breeding birds so within the regs), 1 Quaker and 1 King Parrot.

 

I am thinking I should be fine. However I just found out that the letter was a blanket drop to everyone, even my neighbors who do not own birds got it so maybe if I shut up and didn't say anything it would be for the best

Well Ill be,no wonder the budgie club,was't that helpfull,it was't anything to do with Budgie.

But now you have the the wild life in the picture,you could have to prove were your parrots

came from.I know they become clingy, if they think they can get another fine on there books.