Hi all,

 

I am fairly new to budgies and have not seen a lot of different behaviours so am hoping someone here can help me.

 

I purchased a new adult female last week from a pet shop but they could not tell me how old she was. She came from a show breeder but that was about all they could tell me. I loved her colouring and would like to breed from her. Since I have brought her home and put her into the aviary she seems to sleep most of the time. Even when the other birds are very active she just sits quietly or is asleep.

 

Yesterday and today she seems to be spending more time at the bottom of the aviary. Sometimes on the floor, sometimes on a ladder that is in there. She can fly okay and is eating but just seems to have no energy.

 

I am now wondering whether she is an old bird.

 

She has a ring on with the following :- NSW gws x8 010 - Can anyone tell me what this means and if it says how old she is. I have attached a photo too,

 

Thanks,

 

babychat

 

NSW gws x8 010

 

state | breeders code | year | ring number

Thanks Nerwen, so does that mean she would have been a 2008 budgie? And if so, I'm guessing she's too old to breed?

 

Thanks again.

If you haven't quarantined her from your other birds, I'd remove her from aviary. If she's sitting on floor etc she could be showing first signs of illness. If so she may pass it to your other birds so you may have to treat them all if she gets ill.

All my new birds are quarantined and get a drop of Ivomectin behind head regardless of whether they seem ill or not, as a preventative. I'd cage her and keep an eye on her for any illness, she may have already been breeding if she was a show cull. At 4 yrs she would be borderline for breeding but as a pet breeder I have had older hens than that breed successfully. She'd be worth a try.

I have just been back to the shop where I bought her. They have said the ring does not state the year, it is the colour.

 

They also suggested she might be a bit dozy because we have just had a cold snap and she went from a warm shop to fluctuating temperatures outside.

 

Does that seem reasonable to anyone?

 

Robyn, I have removed her and will wait to see what happens in the next few days.

 

Thanks for your help :-)

 

 

Babychat

Hi Babychat,

 

Nerwen is right about the ring not the shop. The rings are colour coded with a particular year but they use the same colour every 6 years, so they have to have the year on them. There is a topic on the forum about ring colours http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/index.php?showtopic=13461

 

I agree with Robyn to keep her away from your other birds. It might just stress from moving but i would keep an eye on her.

 

Nadene

Thanks Nadene, that was very informative.

 

Do you think she would be too old to try and breed?

Hi Babychat, I think I'd change pet shops. As Nerwen said ring means. n.s.w, Breeders initials, GWS, year x8, 2008, bird no 010 (that years 10th chick rung).

Glad you quarantined her, she doesn't look like she is "past it" if she comes into breeding condition and bonds with one of your cock birds I'd give her a go. Is she Cobalt or Violet spangle? camera never gets the camera right. Good luck with her and keep us posted as to how she goes.

Thanks Robyn.

 

I'm not sure what she is, I'm thinking she is a spangle and an opaline as she has the reverse head markings and the body color running through that and I'm really not sure what to say about her wings. (Photo below.)

 

Would that make her a cobalt spangle/opaline?

 

 

 

I'm still learning all these different mutations. :thankyou:

 

Edited October 15, 201212 yr by babychat

correct cobalt opaline spangle.

 

She is 4 years old so at the end of breeding age but if she doesn't show signs of illness after quarantine then you could try, if you feel she is up to it. Keep in mind you may only get one year from her. Did you have a male in mind?

 

Pet shops never want to tell the real age of birds even more so when they are older ones.

THanks everyone for your help.

 

I have taken her back to the pet shop today. I'm not sure if that was the right decision or not. I loved her colours and would have loved to have bred with her but she wasn't quite right from the beginning, adding her age I think I'm better off getting a younger healthy bird.

 

Thanks again.