Good for you too, to find us, get on here and ask all the questions of people who can advise :bump:

yes i wasnt meaning you wont get anymore help

i was just meaning you better taking them in person

and talk and see ask questions

 

to keep them healthy till vet no veggies just freash water and seed

okay most important

 

GB I am going to completely disagree with you on the no veggie thing.

 

Quite often in order to get a bird to eat you have to feed it what ever it will eat. Sick birds can't always digest seed for one reason or another. Key factors to get birds through illness is quite, subdued lighting, warmth and both food and water given at body temperature.

 

I had a hen here that got very sick indeed and almost died. She could not put weight on at all. Suspect was most likely Megabacteria. Now as everybody knows this makes the proventriculous almost useless at absorbing nutrients. To combat this problem I have always feed soaked warm seed (canary, white millet, wheat, oats, buckwheat) or what is on hand, along with copious quantities of Sow Thistle, Silverbeet or other leafy veggies but my favourite is Sow Thistle for its natural healing properties. Dry seed is always available and glucose (Spark if you have it) in the water which is warm. If you have crop feed the bird to get it over the worst with Baby Rice Cerel (easily digested, easy on the birds system). This hen today is fit and healthy and in fact raised chicks.

 

well im going to but out this one

i belive

Post pictures here when you can. Read How to post pictures link in my signature

Hey guys. Ive finally found the time to post pictures of my set up, to get advice about anything that doesnt look good.

 

The small brown cage has 6 birds, the black cage has 8 birds and the white has 10 birds.

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad284/k...20birds/117.jpg

 

This is my newest baby budgie, brought today . He is in his own seperate cage for quarantine. How long sould he be quarantined for, 6 weeks??

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad284/k...20birds/121.jpg

Edited July 25, 201014 yr by KAZ
please edit to foreum sizes BEFORE posting as per forum rules......480 by 640. piks have been changed into links

Hey I am new here and I have a problem with my budgies!! I currently own 27 and they are spread between two big cages which sit outside the back door under the patio. Lately the odd budgie has been getting sick and dying...and I don't know why! I have had about 4 die in the last four or five months. They seem fine and then the next day they aren't looking good (fluffing up, swaying, sneezing, runny nose, bad smelling mucus in and around the mouth, dirty bottoms), I suspect colds so I keep the sick bird in my room with towels over it, sometimes a heater and I syringe feed them water and egg and buscuit, but they always die. All my budgies get wormed and they have calcium bells, cuttlefish, occasional spinage and I have recently started giving them water with condie's crystals in it. They also occasionally get Vitamin powder in their water. I have no idea why they are dying or what to do to stop it? Any advice would really help on how to keep my birds healthy. I have tried to feed them a few other vege's and fruit but theyre all fussy. I also want them to start breeding but I don't know if now is a good time. Please can someone help, I hate losing my beautiful little birds!!

 

Birds seem to be out in the open so draughts are a very real probability.

Two outer cages are low enough to the ground to allow mice to access. Once access to those cages they then reach the middle cage. Food is on floor for access to mice and also will have bird droppings land in the dishes.

Whats in the food dishes ?

Condys crystals ? WHY ?

New bird ? Quarantine ? where is it now ?

 

I truly dont think you have good solutions for your illness in your birds yet............but you are still adding new birds.......buying new birds ?

I say STOP adding, as you have maxed out your cages now. Get a better system and health standard for the birds before adding new ones.

Edited July 25, 201014 yr by KAZ

Hey I am new here and I have a problem with my budgies!! I currently own 27 and they are spread between two big cages which sit outside the back door under the patio. Lately the odd budgie has been getting sick and dying...and I don't know why! I have had about 4 die in the last four or five months. They seem fine and then the next day they aren't looking good (fluffing up, swaying, sneezing, runny nose, bad smelling mucus in and around the mouth, dirty bottoms), I suspect colds so I keep the sick bird in my room with towels over it, sometimes a heater and I syringe feed them water and egg and buscuit, but they always die. All my budgies get wormed and they have calcium bells, cuttlefish, occasional spinage and I have recently started giving them water with condie's crystals in it. They also occasionally get Vitamin powder in their water. I have no idea why they are dying or what to do to stop it? Any advice would really help on how to keep my birds healthy. I have tried to feed them a few other vege's and fruit but theyre all fussy. I also want them to start breeding but I don't know if now is a good time. Please can someone help, I hate losing my beautiful little birds!!

 

Birds seem to be out in the open so draughts are a very real probability.

Two outer cages are low enough to the ground to allow mice to access. Once access to those cages they then reach the middle cage. Food is on floor for access to mice and also will have bird droppings land in the dishes.

Whats in the food dishes ?

Condys crystals ? WHY ?

New bird ? Quarantine ? where is it now ?

 

I truly dont think you have good solutions for your illness in your birds yet............but you are still adding new birds.......buying new birds ?

I say STOP adding, as you have maxed out your cages now. Get a better system and health standard for the birds before adding new ones.

 

Hey. I put the feed trays on the bottom because budgies are ground feeders, I try to keep from placing them under branches so no poo gets in them. Seed is in the food dishes, sometimes I put their spinach is in there aswell. That isnt condys crystals, each cage has a cuttlebone that sits in their food dishes.

The quarantined bird I brought today, I put it in its own cage away from the other cages. This is the only bird Ive brought since the others have been dying. They all seem to be healthy now, Ive had no more sick birds in these cages (the one's in the photo) since I moved 6 birds from the white cage to the brown cage, I clean the cages more, and I've changed where they live. I will put the other cages higher up off the ground today.

Before you buy any new birds, you need to work out what it is your are doing wrong. I think the drought could be a big problem. Cold, blowing wind can cause problems and it does not appear your birds have anywhere they can go and shelter from this wind.

 

i know you are just really starting out, but there are some major things you need to fix to ensure the health and long life of your budgies.

 

When we start out sometimes our enthusiasm gets the best of us and we want this and that, without thinking about what we can do to fix what we have.

 

Some basic things I think you need to do are:

- raise the cages to prevent mice

- get some clear pastic and put in on three sides of the cages, this will mean they will still have one open side which will let air and sunshine in, but the wind will not whip through there

- build a roof to keep water off them - the tarp is a good start, but by putting four posts in and building a better roof, the birds will be able to stay much drier

- to raise the seed bowls, try to get a little 3 legged plant stand from your local garden shop - even bunnings. This will allow you to get the food off the ground. Mice get in there, squeezing in between the cage bars, eat and poo. This poo contaminates the seed and the budgies get sick.

 

I admire your enthusiasm. Starting off with pet budgies is where most show breeders started, and we need more and more people breeding budgies, especially younger people coming through. It is important though that we make our budgies environments as safe and protected as we can.

 

I look forward to seeing the pics that you update this thread with showing us some of the changes you are making to help your little friends out.

 

If you want any advice on how I think you can further improve your set-up, feel free to PM me.

We would like to help you get it all right for the sake of your birds and learning new stuff is what will help.

Mmmm you have pretty much sumed me up Dave, enthusiasm, maybe sometimes too much. That and the fact that I love budgies, so yes I get carried away sometimes but I do want what's best for them.

I have two big tarps and two big sheets that go over the birds every night to keep the chill out. If its a rainy or cold day I will keep the tarps over the cages to protect them, but they do have gaps for air too. Sunny days I take everything off the cages. What type of plastic do you mean, like perspex??? I don't really know haha. I will ask my dad where I can find some cheap off cuts and he can put them on the cages for me, that's a very good idea, thankyou for it .

Today I raised the cages up off the ground more. My goal is to buy a big avairy at the end of the year so I really don't want to buy anymore birds yet, I am enjoying the ones I have and working on their cages. I have two small cages which I am going to try and sell and the money will be a start to my 'avairy savings'.

 

My brown cage has small holed chicken wire all over it, and the black one has the same, but the bottom of this cage is strong wire with pretty big holes so once again dad is going to come to the rescue and weld some spare chicken wire across the bottom. I am not sure weather mice can get through the white cage, it has thin bars just going across and not down if that makes any sense .

Mice can get through any gap that is 10mm. I thought you said the birds were

outside the back door under the patio

. they seem to be out with no roof over them and in the weather. Which is it....under the patio or out in the weather ? One of your cages is rusting so it must be getting wet

Plastic Dave means is heavy duty plastic sheeting ( not perspex ) I think

Edited July 25, 201014 yr by KAZ

Mice can get through any gap that is 10mm. I thought you said the birds were

outside the back door under the patio

. they seem to be out with no roof over them and in the weather. Which is it....under the patio or out in the weather ? One of your cages is rusting so it must be getting wet

Plastic Dave means is heavy duty plastic sheeting ( not perspex ) I think

 

 

Yes when I first signed up to this website they were under the patio. But I like to move them around every now and then so for about a month now they have been out in the garden right outside my bedroom window. Each cage has a roof on it. And the cage with the rust was brought second hand with rust on it already .

Each cage has a roof on it.

Rain and wind rarely ever only falls or blows vertically.

Edited July 25, 201014 yr by KAZ

you can buy plastic from bunnings, per metre. It is thin enough to roll up into a roll (not a very tight one), but to put a hole in it you need to drill. I put some on the outside of my breeding aviary that I had. You can see it best in these pics taken at night time.

 

 

A close up of the plastic

 

 

 

I started out just like you, unable to walk past a pet shop without a purchase - we have all been there. These days I still go in, but walk away empty handed. You will get there, I promise -

 

 

Pleased to hear the plan is an aviary. It is important to know where you are headed. Sometimes we travel down a path, and do not realise it is the wrong one until later, but he/she who fails to plan, plans to fail

may i please ask how you have raised these cages as if you have been trying to do right thing and just gone and put on more bricks then im going to say

 

please please dont as the wind may blow over avirys and you may end up with injered or no birds as they may get out in the fall

 

yes kaz is right about the mice

and dave

very good info

and i agree with the plastic

but remembering that we all live in different climates so is it warm where you are as if it is then im going to say mabe shade cloth at 75 percent would be best as so to keep ventilation flowing and not to cause condensation on the plastic

three sides on them small cages could do just that after a hot day and a cool night wheres shade cloth at 75 percent will stop heat and draft and most rain also

i would be inclined not to move birds all time this causes un needed stress that can cause illness in its self

look around your yard

find a place you can place them permanently

i would move out of middle of lawn /garden and opt for a spot closer to a shed or fence

thinking about where the rain falls from (what direction

and see if you cant place them so as the rain is falling from other side

eg i mean if on a fence the rain comes from next doors side so fence protects birds cages

if on the side of shed same that shed is covering cages from rain

do you understand sorry im not good at explaining

 

if you heighten cages do not just lift with bricks personally i think just acquiring better feeding system and cleaning daily would be enough along with some either mousetrapping systems out side the aviary to see what you catch before trying to heaighten cages and making unsafe anda risk to blowing over in wind

if you find mice are around then you will need to work around it

i have cages simular and closser to ground than yours and no mice prob or sick birds

but i know when and if a mouse has been and i deal with them in just few days feed needs tto be off ground and cuttle bone is best stuck in wire

as birds can nor it better that way

yes im going to get told off for saying dont raise but to be honest mice are only issue when hi-gene is not in place or their is no food else where

i find sparrows a bigger pest than mice with them cages

cheers gb just my opinion

Hey I am new here and I have a problem with my budgies!! I currently own 27 and they are spread between two big cages which sit outside the back door under the patio. Lately the odd budgie has been getting sick and dying...and I don't know why! I have had about 4 die in the last four or five months. They seem fine and then the next day they aren't looking good (fluffing up, swaying, sneezing, runny nose, bad smelling mucus in and around the mouth, dirty bottoms), I suspect colds so I keep the sick bird in my room with towels over it, sometimes a heater and I syringe feed them water and egg and buscuit, but they always die. All my budgies get wormed and they have calcium bells, cuttlefish, occasional spinage and I have recently started giving them water with condie's crystals in it. They also occasionally get Vitamin powder in their water. I have no idea why they are dying or what to do to stop it? Any advice would really help on how to keep my birds healthy. I have tried to feed them a few other vege's and fruit but theyre all fussy. I also want them to start breeding but I don't know if now is a good time. Please can someone help, I hate losing my beautiful little birds!!

 

Hi there Kristy, Only one question from me , Why are you putting Condies Crystals in their water? You can easily poison your birds with this. Plain drinking water will be fine for your birds.

Look at it this way, Do you drink water every day with condies crystals in it..........

Cheers , Matt

Condys crystals ? WHY ?

 

 

I also asked this question and got no answer.

Condie's crystals is a mild antibotic and you are only ment to put a couple of crytals in about 2 litres of water, The water should only look slightly pinkish. Actually it is really dangerous to give to your birds because if you put to much crystals in you will poison the birds.

 

Please don't use it unless really needed.

 

The only time birds need antibiotic is when they are sick and the prefered medication to use first is sulpha.

 

The plastic is a type of pcv. I use to buy it here at my local hardware store and paid heaps for it but it is much thicker than the one Dave is talking about.

 

I found the one Dave is talking about and it is just as good as the thicker one I bought and much easier to buy.

 

You can buy it at bunnings for a about $11.00 a metre and I attach mine to the aviary by drilling holes and putting small bolts and washers so it doesn't slip through the wire and then a nut to keep it on.

Hey everyone. Just need some quick advice...I have two big cages and 12 birds (Im doing a shuffle) and I want 6 birds in each cage. I have 7 males and 5 females (Not ideal, but I'm not buying anymore birds atm). One male is a bit wacked in the head haha and doesn't pay attention to other birds, courting etc etc so it's really 6 males, 5 females. What is the best way to devide the birds so there is less fighting and not a whole group of males after one or two females. Thankyou for any advice,

 

Kristy

Hey everyone. Just need some quick advice...I have two big cages and 12 birds (Im doing a shuffle) and I want 6 birds in each cage. I have 7 males and 5 females (Not ideal, but I'm not buying anymore birds atm). One male is a bit wacked in the head haha and doesn't pay attention to other birds, courting etc etc so it's really 6 males, 5 females. What is the best way to devide the birds so there is less fighting and not a whole group of males after one or two females. Thankyou for any advice,

 

Kristy

why cant you just keep 6 in one and 7 in other their for not needing to mix it up

or if the odd male out isnt interested in birds put him with the gals

sould like best solution and a answer you told yourself if you think about it

I agree, why cant the male just go in with the females if you want even numbers, or keep males and females seperate? That was the obvious solution.

Well, here is another way of doing it. You could put 3 males and 3 females in one cage. Nice evenly matched pairs. Then the rest of the birds in the other cage. 4 males and 2 females. That gives you two matched pairs, the hens will be happy. The two odd cocks won't care, they will just buddy up with each other.

 

I read early on that for unevenly matched flocks, as long as the number of males is equal to or greater than the number of females, you won't have any trouble. I think the trouble of "too many males to females" only comes into play when the number of males is so high, that they pester the only few available females.

 

I think in your case, the two hens will have their pick of the 4 males, and once they choose, the leftover boys will eventually realize that all they have is each other, and from what I've seen of cocks, they're pretty agreeable with that.

 

Of course, any way you do it, you will have to make sure that the cages are big enough for six birds, or they will bicker over perch space, food dishes, etc...

 

Hope this helps.

Well, here is another way of doing it. You could put 3 males and 3 females in one cage. Nice evenly matched pairs. Then the rest of the birds in the other cage. 4 males and 2 females. That gives you two matched pairs, the hens will be happy. The two odd cocks won't care, they will just buddy up with each other.

 

I read early on that for unevenly matched flocks, as long as the number of males is equal to or greater than the number of females, you won't have any trouble. I think the trouble of "too many males to females" only comes into play when the number of males is so high, that they pester the only few available females.

 

I think in your case, the two hens will have their pick of the 4 males, and once they choose, the leftover boys will eventually realize that all they have is each other, and from what I've seen of cocks, they're pretty agreeable with that.

 

Of course, any way you do it, you will have to make sure that the cages are big enough for six birds, or they will bicker over perch space, food dishes, etc...

 

Yes Finnie that is exactly what I was thinking. I wanted to try this idea because it would be nice if some of my unpaired birds would pair up but I also wasn't sure if the cage with the 4 males and 2 females would create problems. I suppose the only thing I can do is try it. Thankyou for all the advice, everyone

Hope this helps.

Edited August 19, 201014 yr by KAZ

Hey everyone. I am once again DESPERATE to get this disease situation sorted out!!! For awhile my birds stopped dying but now they wont stop dying!!!....I have been having 2 'destroy' them rather then let them suffer because what I try to do to help them doesn't work. Another 2 died just this weekend and it looks like another won't be far off...I have been sooo stressed, worried and crying my brains out wondering how to stop all my darlings dying. I took one to a vet a week and a bit ago (was just a normal vet) and he gave me some stuff because he thought the bird had a respiratory infection. She died. Yesterday I went to the markets and there is a breeder there that used to be the head of a budgie association and I gave him the symptoms of the birds and he thinks they have cocci. He told me to worm them with ivermectin then boost them up, then give them baycox. I found ivermectin easy but I CAN NOT find CHEAP baycox or anything good to treat cocci?? I have NO idea what else I could use or where to find it. I live in Bellmere (near Caboolture). All I could afford yesterday was 'Aristopet Sulphadim' and I don't know if it's any good. I don't have a lot of money, and I can't afford vets...but I want my birds to be okay so badly it hurts, Im really stressed about it, I can't help them or make them better no matter what I do...I feel absolutely useless . Today I was so close to opening their cages and letting them fly away I was so upset...but I couldn't do it because I love them so much. Its hard to watch them suffer when I can't help because I can't afford proper help.

Hey everyone. I am once again DESPERATE to get this disease situation sorted out!!! For awhile my birds stopped dying but now they wont stop dying!!!....I have been having 2 'destroy' them rather then let them suffer because what I try to do to help them doesn't work. Another 2 died just this weekend and it looks like another won't be far off...

 

COCCIDIOSIS stays around in the droppings and works again and again on a cyclic basis. I suggested in my first post to you about cocci.

 

 

I have been sooo stressed, worried and crying my brains out wondering how to stop all my darlings dying. I took one to a vet a week and a bit ago (was just a normal vet) and he gave me some stuff because he thought the bird had a respiratory infection. She died.

 

Normal vets are a waste of time and money........they seem to guess and dont do the right checks and tests

 

Yesterday I went to the markets and there is a breeder there that used to be the head of a budgie association and I gave him the symptoms of the birds and he thinks they have cocci. He told me to worm them with ivermectin then boost them up, then give them baycox.

I dont think you should be giving them ivermectin while they are that sick

 

I found ivermectin easy but I CAN NOT find CHEAP baycox or anything good to treat cocci?? I have NO idea what else I could use or where to find it. I live in Bellmere (near Caboolture). All I could afford yesterday was 'Aristopet Sulphadim' and I don't know if it's any good. I don't have a lot of money, and I can't afford vets...but I want my birds to be okay so badly it hurts, Im really stressed about it, I can't help them or make them better no matter what I do...I feel absolutely useless . Today I was so close to opening their cages and letting them fly away I was so upset...but I couldn't do it because I love them so much. Its hard to watch them suffer when I can't help because I can't afford proper help.

 

You can get coccivet at almost any bird supply store. They need warmth from lamps in hospital cage and coccivet in their water.

Letting sick birds go free is introducing disease to anything they come in contact with...........not a good plan.

 

COCCIVET needed NOW and warmth....not left in an aviary.

Edited August 23, 201014 yr by KAZ

also i would be putting in holding cages with wire floor so cant get to their poo

also

vet will give you baycox costs ten dollors to treat my 97 birds so.... 5 dollors for your few

your vet will give if you ask

you must tell him they have cocci

 

also did your vet give you what medication for the one that dided

did they have psittacosis...

as you need 45 day treatment of doxy if this case and all birds should have been treated when she was

did vet know you had other birds

 

also clean all cages and if you can get hold of a blow tortch

heat treat the cages top to bottom

this will kill the cocci cycle if its psittacvosis whatever then clean but dont need to heat treat them just very good scrub top to toewith white king

Edited August 23, 201014 yr by KAZ

Hey everyone. I am once again DESPERATE to get this disease situation sorted out!!! For awhile my birds stopped dying but now they wont stop dying!!!....I have been having 2 'destroy' them rather then let them suffer because what I try to do to help them doesn't work. Another 2 died just this weekend and it looks like another won't be far off...I have been sooo stressed, worried and crying my brains out wondering how to stop all my darlings dying. I took one to a vet a week and a bit ago (was just a normal vet) and he gave me some stuff because he thought the bird had a respiratory infection. She died. Yesterday I went to the markets and there is a breeder there that used to be the head of a budgie association and I gave him the symptoms of the birds and he thinks they have cocci. He told me to worm them with ivermectin then boost them up, then give them baycox. I found ivermectin easy but I CAN NOT find CHEAP baycox or anything good to treat cocci?? I have NO idea what else I could use or where to find it. I live in Bellmere (near Caboolture). All I could afford yesterday was 'Aristopet Sulphadim' and I don't know if it's any good. I don't have a lot of money, and I can't afford vets...but I want my birds to be okay so badly it hurts, Im really stressed about it, I can't help them or make them better no matter what I do...I feel absolutely useless . Today I was so close to opening their cages and letting them fly away I was so upset...but I couldn't do it because I love them so much. Its hard to watch them suffer when I can't help because I can't afford proper help.

 

okay , Get ready for an ear Bashing!!!

I Cannot Believe you are back Two months later STILL wanting people here to solve your problems when you didnt take any advice the first time.

Grow up !!

That said , If you are willing to LISTEN , The Aristopet Sulphadim will treat Cocci , read the directions on the bottle , From memory I think it says to put it in the water and also give a drop directly to the beak every day, every bird. Then CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN , you must Clean.

 

I am now going as I feel Admin comming.