Those who followed the last installment:

 

http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/index.php?showtopic=6338

 

might be interested to hear how it goes on..........

 

Daisy and his new companion Daffodil never did figure out how to "do it" and so they continued to amuse and entertain their two little girl keepers. Over this last Christmas their keepers were going away for 10 days so Daisy and Daffodil "came home" as it were and came to stay with Daisy's parents over Christmas.

 

We placed their cage below my chimmney aviary in the office (for more about this aviary see http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/index.php?showtopic=6509 ) and all was quiet for a day or so. Then a few "cheeps" later and all birds were hard on the wire (as it were) trying to look up or down to see the other birds they could hear but not see. After a couple of days of this I couldn't get any work done because of the noise so the two visitors - who seemed in great health - went up to join my flock in the big cage.

 

Golden silence for a day while everyone sat on a territorial perch and looked at each other. TOTAL silence - bliss! Of course they had to meet once they got down to the feed bowls so normal social interaction took place and I now had a cage of 7. Slightly crowded and scrambled - but only for a week.

 

But then the two little girls had a problem. After Christmas they were about to move to Europe (from the USA) and though they had planned to take their birds, dog and cat with them - the Asian Bird Flu thing made the quarantine requirements and costs for birds impossible. Could I keep them? Well I said okay - but on the basis we all worked to find them a home because 7 was just a few too many for me.

 

In cage - interesting things were happening. Daisy (of the splay leg) was making friends with my Wooster and they were doing the run up and down the perch thing. Wooster was less grumpy than we had seen in months and became a whole new bird. Meantime Daffodil was trying to teach my chick Scotty to fly and he was beating her to the millet everytime - even though for him he was having to do mad scramble climbs up the wire and across the perch - when she just needed to fly over!

 

In due course we found a home but we decided to split out Wooster and Daisy as they were getting on so well. So I delivered them last week. Now though Daisy's splay leg doesn't cause him too many problems - he is clearly a little handicapped by it. The new home is a group home for people with disabilities or learning difficulties and Daisy and Wooster have gone in as part of the "Pet Therapy" program. Believe me - the folk in the wheelchairs see the irony of the situation and take delight in the fact that though they are disabled - they can now provide care for someone else who is disabled. They have a wonderful large airy common room to fly in and lots of constant companionship and for them - a first - Television - which they take great delight in watching and commenting on.

 

I'll keep you posted......

Edited February 19, 200619 yr by graemesmith

aww that was great to read thanks for the update.

awesome story, thank you for the update

thats cute!