Hello allI realize this is an old topic on the forum now, but thought you might be interested to see a picture of a mop budgie.

 

After seeing many "normal" chicks emerge triumphantly from the nest from various parents, it was a surprise to have one of these instead. Initially he looked as though he was going to be a lovely little white pied bird, but the telltale signs were there - always hungry, unable to chirp normally but squeaks instead, rather large and clumsy, and unable to fly properly. He's now over 2 months old and his feathers have taken on the long, curly look all over, tail feathers were there initially but seem to have done a disappearing act since. I trimmed his tufty head feathers to help him see better.

 

A local budgie expert told me they are the "Downs Syndrome" of budgies, but I have concluded this isn't quite an accurate analogy, because mentally, he seems as able as any other budgie and tries to do everything they do, including fly - he just can't. He can fly in little spurts but can't retain height. I wonder if this is because the long, curly feathers prevent the proper balance they need.

 

Anyway, I was searching for information on how best to care for these birds and keep them comfortable and came across this site and the discussions about mop birds on it so thought it might be of interest to someone.You can see from the photos how much more his feathers are curling as he gets older. He's a cheerful little bird though.

 

 

Emerging from the nest 19 Aug 2009

6 Sep 2009 Note the skyblue tail feather curling

4 Oct 2009 no more tail feather?

Edited October 4, 200915 yr by Renewed_daybyday

Here is Livs feathers duster topic http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/index....c=26506&hl=

its interesting that all these mops are popping up all over

or is it just that people are now admitting to breeding them

now that it seems to be an excepted receive happening genetically

 

fair enough deciding to care for these birds

but to stop this breeding happening ,i believe you need to take the Nazi approach to diminish it from being past on from breeder to breeder

after all im sure the birds don't enjoy being able to do nothing and as a receive gene the whole clutch is at risk of breeding this future down the trake i know its horride but should not all the birds that breed this be desposed of so not to pass this along further ????

 

this has turned in to a question now not something i would do but something i would like to discuss :rofl: as ending one chicks life based on a short unhappy future and dispossing of the whole clutch to provent reacurring avents of feather dusters in future is to diffrent things in total

and i want to know others veiws on this

honest points on the negative and positive out comes of the to choices

would it be ending the cycle or killing birds ???for no real achivement ..

whats your opinion

 

 

myself >>if i ever get one i would never breed the birds responcable again and dispose of clutch as none breederbale pet type birds and cull the afected chicks in nest before fledgging you can all judge me as mean heartless and dam right crule but i belive in bettering the birds not genetically mutating them to a point they become disabled so to speake

and dont bring human children into this one, as i really want to know would it be possable to rid the bird world from these genetic abumalitys ???