You've probably heard for some days of the two first babies out of the nest in my aviary....Kaya and Tiponi. Today was the second day out of their nest having slept out on the perches all night with the other aviary birds. This morning started out well, they were being shown how to forage on the aviary floor for tidbits of food and whatever by substitute father Jimmy...they were eating some things and flying about the cage like they'd done it all their life. A bit later in the morning, I saw Jimmy feeding Kaya and then he was aggressively trying to mount her for mating (she is 4 weeks old). Within moments he repeatedly jumped onto her, trying to mate with her while she tried to regain her grip on the perch and escape him. She repeatedly fell to the aviary floor with him gripping her hard with his feet and claws. I grabbed the net and ran to the aviary....was going to catch either one and separate them. All the while thinking ...he's the one who's supposed to be looking after her ??? I opened the aviary door just as he and she again dropped to the floor, she was trying desperately to get away from him. Within a split second she flew away from him and straight out the aviary door !!! (No double doors to this one ) . I could not believe this was happening.....I saw her fly up and away and gone !! I searched and search the trees and neighbourhood, over and over again. How hard must it be to find a green budgie in a green tree ???!!! Eventually I had to give up and I phoned my fiance to tell him the bad news. I was so upset............. fearing for her safety and knowing she could not survive out there at this age. The day went very slowly with no sign anywhere of this tiny baby budgie. The whole day had passed from sunup till nearly sundown and she was gone for good. I went to the aviary and fed the others some corn and grass and seed. I heard something....sounded like a budgie outside the aviary. But I had two others in a breeding cage on the verandah....it had to be them. I heard another sound from the other side of the yard about 40 feet away. I raced over to a tree in the corner of the yard and there was Kaya high up in the tree on the neighbours side of the fence. I screamed out for Ken to help me and we fetched a ladder so I could climb the fence and reach the tree. Kaya flew off across the yard and up into a very tall palm tree. It was windy and she was trying to hang onto a palm frond. She flew to a smaller palm tree. Ken said to wait a moment as she was trying to land back at the aviary he thought. Then she flew off again back to the tree I first saw her in. I raced over and while talking to her I climbed the ladder. I stepped onto the fence and across on top of a patio beam belonging to the neighbour, 12 feet in the air and still too low for the tree. Below waited the neighbours cat. A crept up to where Kaya was on a branch, said "C'mon Baby, you can do it"....raised my hand and offered the finger she had always been happy to step onto. She stepped onto my finger and i quickly caught her. Climbed down and put her back in the aviary...................I still cannot believe I got her back and the way she came willingly back to me. She had been out for 10 hours and was back safe and sound having flown a long way off. Yes, I know the aviary door is a problem (will be remedied with our move to the new house and aviaries within 2 weeks) and obviously she was terrified by what had happened with her supposed father and protector. I am still in shock, and I am so amazed that I have her back....a 4 week old budgie out for 10 hours and back again safe and sound. She was hungry and lovely Paris and Kermit both fed her along with her sister. She is well and seems perfectly okay for her ordeal. Jimmy hasnt touched her like that since and he has even fed her as he should. BUT he is being watched very closely. I may have to separate him in the morning. His job to feed her is being done by the young Paris and others. But since her return, both Kaya and Tiponi were eating seed and egg & biscuit mix with the adults tonight. I was so scared and traumatised today and now feel nothing but relief it all ended the way it did. Feels like a small miracle to me. I have beaten myself up over various things today with this going on. I had to tell you guys even at the risk of ridicule or condemnation for having let her get past me at the aviary door.......BUT, tomorrow's another day and it had better be a nicer one

Edited February 17, 200619 yr by budgiebird

Wow what a story... poor thing was probably scared to death. I think it was truly a miracle that you got her back. I still cant believe you got her out of a tree and back into the cage, props to you.

So glad you got her back home safe and sound!!!!

I'm glad that you were able to get her back. I have to wonder if it may be a good idea to keep babies/juveniles separated from the adults so that there won't be more attempts at breeding/possible injuries. Breeders may know more about that.

Just a couple weeks ago Bea had an incident with one of her brand new ones being killed, she never did find out culprit, you may want to ask her what she has done since. In reality, your avairy is the "wild" to them, and they will act as such, dominance, fighting, squabbling, etc...

 

I do hope the peace is kept and I am so glad you found her. She probably came back because she was so young, and heard the noise of the aviary, I am so happy she trusted you to rescue her and didn't fly.

wow thats a mirical! its so lucky you got her back you must have been so freaked OUT!

I am SO SO SO glad you got her back. ridicule or condemnation??? NEver, this was an accident, pure and simple. It was not your fault and you did all you could to find her until she found her won way back. It was from your training from the box that made the rescue work.

I'm glad that you were able to get her back. I have to wonder if it may be a good idea to keep babies/juveniles separated from the adults so that there won't be more attempts at breeding/possible injuries. Breeders may know more about that.

At this age the fathers feed the babies, so it could not be anticipated that this father would do this. He was doing all the right things up to this point and at 2 days out of the nest, you leave the dad's there to look after the babies. I will watch him carefully and sepoarate only if I must. If the are now eating seed and being fed from others in the cage (since all this) we can remove him if he gets out of hand again. I am in a position to watch them. So here's hoping................

 

I am SO SO SO glad you got her back. ridicule or condemnation??? NEver, this was an accident, pure and simple. It was not your fault and you did all you could to find her until she found her won way back. It was from your training from the box that made the rescue work.

Thanks a lot Nerwen...........I guess I am blaming myself a bit. Should have done this and should have done that etc. Will set up a screen at the door today to stop similar things occurring in the future. Good thing she was used to stepping onto my finger like that, Any other bird would have flown off the minute I got anywhere close enough. :angel1:

It is great that she trusted you.. you would probably have lost her otherwise.. I heard something about someone keeping babies under a year old in a separate enclosure/aviary.. I was just wondering if that was a good idea. I suppose they have to stay with their parents up to a certain point though.

Edited February 17, 200619 yr by HurdyBirdy

MY intention is to separate when they are able to eat on their own, just like many other people do. I think Jimmy just got confused for a moment. He is Kermits mate but she has never allowed him to mate with her....she's off bonking two other boys....

My heart was breaking as I read your post. You poor thing. I am so glad that you have your baby back again. Accidents happen, and, let's face it, most aviaries here don't have a double door, so I don't see how you can blame yourself for this. It was just one of those things. I hope you ran out and bought a lottery ticket

MY intention is to separate when they are able to eat on their own, just like many other people do. I think Jimmy just got confused for a moment. He is Kermits mate but she has never allowed him to mate with her....she's off bonking two other boys....

 

Oh my (Laughing out loud)....just glad everything is okay!

Glad you got her back, you probably need some quiet "me" time over the next two days to calm down, take care!

Wow! I'm so glad you got her back! That was a lucky break!

My heart was breaking as I read your post. You poor thing. I am so glad that you have your baby back again. Accidents happen, and, let's face it, most aviaries here don't have a double door, so I don't see how you can blame yourself for this. It was just one of those things. I hope you ran out and bought a lottery ticket

NOW THERE"S AN IDEA !!

 

Glad you got her back, you probably need some quiet "me" time over the next two days to calm down, take care!

Thanks heaps...it was a very stressful and scary day but eventually had the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow

OH that is frightening when they escape like that! I have lost about 6 that way but luckily got 5 back.

One my mum named one of them Boomer (ang) and another Homer!

I still have Homer - the others were sold.

It's a wonderful feeling when you get them back

That was a really good post Kaz. My heart was pumping and I wasn't sure what was going to happen next.

Jimmy, I'm shocked at your behavior in that post!!

JB I think you can stop trying to get your post count up now that you are officially a 100% budgie holic..... you have been trawling through the basement dragging up the old topics

they are good topics! It's funny, you sound like a newbe in it... Thats one thing I wish the forum would do - keep the post count as it was at the time you posted... that way you could follow the post count of a person more easily.. :hug:

they are good topics! It's funny, you sound like a newbe in it... Thats one thing I wish the forum would do - keep the post count as it was at the time you posted... that way you could follow the post count of a person more easily.. :hug:

I was a newbie JB....we all have beginnings. Good thing we learn along the way :yes:

I'm dreading in a few years time when some people come in here and read my first posts... is there anyway to delete them

I'm dreading in a few years time when some people come in here and read my first posts... is there anyway to delete them :hug:

I have the power

:laughter: