October 26, 201014 yr Author Shame - even the down seems longer in those pics The first thing I noticed........well before I knew it was a feather duster......was the unusual down. It seemed long and twisted, like Yarn is twisted when spun.
October 27, 201014 yr Author These feathers virtually grow as you watch them. The flights have grown an inch a day the past 2 days. The mother has an egg on board and is trying to lay again so she will be removed to another cage as she may well attack the fledged babies right now. She's in a real nasty mood.
October 28, 201014 yr Author I put a large flat seed dish in the cage with the feather duster and his siblings and Dad. I am under the impression these FD's need to virtually sit in their dinner dish to keep eating. Well, this is one FD that must have heard that theory too
October 30, 201014 yr Author Feather growth compared to food intake may be winning already. Wasnt eating last night so I crop fed, and he was sulking this morning and not feeding. I put him in a show cage for a little while in the sun with seed in the bottom of the cage and he has started eating. I will keep him in a smaller space if it helps.
October 30, 201014 yr He's such a beautiful boy. I found something very appealing in father dusters....its just a shame about their lifespan. Maybe one day we can find a balance in these guys and have non spastic but long feathered pet
October 30, 201014 yr Author Dusty seems to be a female from what we can tell today.........RIPBudgies and I. The cere has a good bit of white on it. Had a full crop of seed tonight.
October 30, 201014 yr Thats good to hear Seems small spaces are good...guess they are the loners of the budgie world
October 30, 201014 yr Are you planning on crop feeding her a lot? I may be harsh but I think that sometimes we need to do what is right and not prolong things.
October 30, 201014 yr Author Are you planning on crop feeding her a lot? I may be harsh but I think that sometimes we need to do what is right and not prolong things. NO. I just did what I do for any newly fledged budgie that hasnt started eating well enough yet. This budgie is now eating so I dont have to.
October 31, 201014 yr He's such a beautiful boy. I found something very appealing in father dusters....its just a shame about their lifespan. Maybe one day we can find a balance in these guys and have non spastic but long feathered pet i agree with maddy there is something beautiful about these odd budgies that attracts me to them pity the dont live so long Question! why do they have a wierd chirp if the feather duster only makes there feathers longer? does it also effect their vocal chords?
October 31, 201014 yr Author Question! why do they have a wierd chirp if the feather duster only makes there feathers longer? does it also effect their vocal chords? I feel sure it affect many other things in a feather duster and all may contribute to early death as well. I notice with mine it breathes faster. Has a heart rate that seems faster and you can feel the vibration in the chest area either from that or the breathing. It has quick jerky movements. It reacts strongly to surprise noises. I think they may well also be prone to digestive upsets. Vocal chords.........I cant tell you. Mine sounds like a two tone whistle. Mine is not nasty and doesnt vocalise much. likes a cuddle, settles into your chest when being held as if it likes being there and being held. There may well be a whole range of additional conditions a feather duster has that hasnt been fully explored by anyone yet.
November 5, 201014 yr Author DUSTY is managing to feed enough to keep in front of the toll the feather growth takes. Getting to be quite a QUACKER too Slideshow of photos Edited November 5, 201014 yr by **KAZ**
November 5, 201014 yr I'm so glad you have re-opened this topic Kaz I'm so fascinated with Dusty the duster and so amazed at how fast those feathers are growing. Have you trimmed the mask feathers or is that how they're growing naturally?(if that makes sense)
November 5, 201014 yr Author No trimming Rachel. I have heard trimming makes it worse. Under normal circumstances a cut feather dies and drops out and then needs replacing. That would create an extra toll on a duster. Even a blind budgie can find its food and water, so a duster will be able to as well. I think trimming feathers is something people do to feel better about the bird and may not be whats best for them.
November 5, 201014 yr This is fascinating Kaz! I have never heard of this before! Is he still nice and healthy? How long do they live for? Love the photo updates!
November 5, 201014 yr Author This is fascinating Kaz! I have never heard of this before! Is he still nice and healthy? How long do they live for? Love the photo updates! Healthy so far. Eating, not thin. No poopy bottom. They often live just a few weeks........8-12 maximum. Some live longer. I am so stuck in sexing this budgie as the cere is so different everytime you look at it MALE FEMALE ? Baby photos seem to indicate male Edited November 5, 201014 yr by **KAZ**
November 5, 201014 yr I think Dusty is beautiful, I just want to cuddle him/her.....such a damn shame they don't live long.
November 5, 201014 yr It's a shame they only live so long..... Very cute though. Wish they stopped growing feathers.
November 6, 201014 yr Author I was just cleaning Dusty ( as he stepped in his dish of soft food ) and noticed he has growing a yellow feather down by his left leg. One single yellow feather on a skyblue dom pied bird. Weird Does one yellow feather make him a halfsider ?? I have also just put him in a cage of his own not the smaller showcage he was coping well in. Why ? Because he has decided he wants to perch and has been desperately trying to get up onto the perch, flapping and jumping vertically up in the air like a shocked quail. I have given him a cage inside the junior flight of the aviary and he has perches and a ladder now. Edited November 6, 201014 yr by **KAZ**
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