A Thread For Budgie Fans

A place to talk about all species, apart from our Ringnecks. Please, post video and pics when available.

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MissK
Posts: 3011
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2012 3:46 pm
Location: Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.

Re: A Thread For Budgie Fans

Post by MissK »

Clawnz, please talk a little bit more about presentation and location.
-MissK
clawnz
Posts: 148
Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2012 9:59 pm
Location: Auckland NZ

Re: A Thread For Budgie Fans

Post by clawnz »

Good grief MissK! Why did I not see that? Before I posted.
I think you covered a lot of it. You are right about they do tend to feed in the morning and then in the afternoon before settling down for the night.
Two key times to get them interested in foods.
A bird that eats during the day (other than snacking) is not getting enough food, and therefor will forage during the day. The other key factor is they do tend to eat when we do. You start eating and they will follow. And as I am sure you know they will want whatever you are eating or at least try it.

Presentation: Location. Then how a food looks. Chopped, grated, diced, sliced.
Some birds will not take wet foods. So some things like greens may have to dry out a bit.
When you need to get them to eat things to boost them you can add these to Birdy Bread, Birdy goop, Birdy Nuggets, Birdy Mash. Whatever you can get them to eat. There are loads of different methods on the net. It does not matter what goes into them to some extent, as long as it is good solid foods. Then you can add things like eggs and crushed shells, powdered cuttle bone, Even crumbled Manu Clay lick blocks. (We get a block called Calcium Cake). Into these things can add all sorts of goodies, that they may not eat if served alone.

To drift off a little here is a story from long ago when I did not know better, but knew I wanted to boost my birds diet with good things. I know now I do not need to buy man made things like Pellets and conditioners.
But anyway I bought this Kaytees veg and fruit stick. It had all sorts of things. Well over 57 different ingredients. I hung this up in a cage, no interest. I hung it up on the play gym, no interest.I hung it so that it was in their face when they came around on the brach my end of the conservatory, no interest. By this time I had this hanging around for maybe two weeks and not a nibble. I crumbled some and left it on a tray on the branch. Oh! Excitement seeing them actually try some. Next week I bought another and hung this one on the play gym. Gone in two days.
Yet another. Sweetcorn. I tried corn on the cob, no interest. I cut some off and put on the tray on the branch, no interest. So I cut some up and put on the tray, and they tried it. A week later they were devouring corn on the cob.

Persistence is second after presentation. Never give up. The only way they will change is if you force , bribe them. I know it means a lot of food goes to waste. But you can win most times.
i do exceptional most times with the birds I take in for boarding. I always ask the owners to bring whatever their birds eat, but added that I will feed them other foods. And for some funny reason they do try new foods while here. I do not force of starve. I offer.
MissK
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Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2012 3:46 pm
Location: Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.

Re: A Thread For Budgie Fans

Post by MissK »

Thanks Clawnz, This is an issue many people struggle with!
-MissK
GeveZe
Posts: 142
Joined: Sat Jan 25, 2014 3:39 am

Re: A Thread For Budgie Fans

Post by GeveZe »

MissK, Clawnz thank you so much. Your posts very informative .I read article and Dexter's thread. Poor Dexter; he is so lovely.
Before, I tried make toys for them like that:
IMG_3031.jpg
IMG_3033.jpg
IMG_3034.jpg
And I give them fresh fruits and vegetables everyday. But they are so stubborn. I think they don't trust me enough. :( I don't give up I will try different things. Sprouts etc . Thank you for everything :)
clawnz
Posts: 148
Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2012 9:59 pm
Location: Auckland NZ

Re: A Thread For Budgie Fans

Post by clawnz »

Thank You.
Poor Dexter! I will tell him that in the morning. He may of been, now he is one very lucky Fid, as I will do whatever it takes to get him right. Not many would get treated the way he does.
Here is my boy at the pet shop. Poppy is a young female Alex and I cruise in there now and then to see what they have and play with the birds. While Dexter gets to ride the odd shoulder of the staff.
I took her a Chilli and the Apple. Notice how Dexter just walks right on in to her cage. he is so cool.
The vid shows how Poppy reacts to Dexter. This was our second visit in the vid and the photos are from the first time we met her.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dD5GNTIVB1Y

Image

Image

I take him everywhere. He eat 4x pens in two banks the other day. He is a pen freak. nothing turns him on like the sight of a pen.
Everybody loves Dexter and it is great to get all the nice comments about just how his condition stands out.
Those who have seen him over the last 18mths do comment on how well much healthier he is looking. Good for my ego. I just tell them he is a work in progress.

And I could point you to Budgie Blue and how good care and diet changed her life.
I have posted some of her details somewhere on this forum.
But here is a link to all her photos.
http://s815.photobucket.com/user/clawin ... t=3&page=1

And a couple of samples.
Image

And some months later
Image
GeveZe
Posts: 142
Joined: Sat Jan 25, 2014 3:39 am

Re: A Thread For Budgie Fans

Post by GeveZe »

Yeah I remembered I saw Budgie Blue 's topic. oww poor little baby He is looking so good now. Congratulations, your birds are so lucky to have you. Dexter and Poppy is so cute, too.

I know how important birds diet. when Börek came to my home, her feathers very bad. It's her first day in my home:
IMG_1123.jpg
IMG_1133.jpg
She ate everything i offered and after that her next molt was sooo big:
IMG_1377.jpg
IMG_1410.jpg
IMG_1509.jpg
So her feathers started to grown
IMG_1612.jpg
IMG_1613.jpg
IMG_1782.jpg
And today, she looks so fluffy
IMG_2392.jpg
and so beautiful
IMG_3038.jpg

I think It's Börek's success. I hope my budgies will change their diet. I wanna see them healthy and beautiful..

PS: MissK I'm so sorry I know there is a budgie thread. I promise It's never gonna be happen :D
MissK
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Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2012 3:46 pm
Location: Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.

Re: A Thread For Budgie Fans

Post by MissK »

The Budgies will give beautiful Borek a pass for today.
:D
-MissK
clawnz
Posts: 148
Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2012 9:59 pm
Location: Auckland NZ

Re: A Thread For Budgie Fans

Post by clawnz »

GeveZe wrote:Yeah I remembered I saw Budgie Blue 's topic. oww poor little baby He is looking so good now. Congratulations, your birds are so lucky to have you. Dexter and Poppy is so cute, too.

I know how important birds diet. when Börek came to my home, her feathers very bad. It's her first day in my home:
IMG_1123.jpg
She ate everything i offered and after that her next molt was sooo big:
IMG_1509.jpg
So her feathers started to grown
IMG_1782.jpg
And today, she looks so fluffy
IMG_2392.jpg
and so beautiful
IMG_3038.jpg
I think It's Börek's success. I hope my budgies will change their diet. I wanna see them healthy and beautiful..
Yes Yes Yes. That super hard moult tells you all you need to know.
Here is how I see it.
They do not control their moult their bodies do. And the controls in place will not allow a bird to shed more than the body can replace. Hence poor diet poor moult.
Good diet and the body knows it is time to get those old feathers out of there and produce good new ones.
So yes you must of done right by your Ringneck.
smick
Posts: 116
Joined: Tue Jun 23, 2009 3:08 am
Location: Australia

Re: A Thread For Budgie Fans

Post by smick »

Geveze, it could be diet and because it happened after egg laying I would say she lacks calcium. If its available buy cuttle fish bone , this is always supplied to my birds , chicken egg shells when you use some eggs cook the empty shells in the microwave for 1 minute and then crush them and place in small container, If you can buy some shell grit to. Try to find some seeding grass that's clean and spinach ,kale , silverbeet , carrot tops, beetroot leaves all good treats for vitamins. Thanks Smick.
GeveZe
Posts: 142
Joined: Sat Jan 25, 2014 3:39 am

Re: A Thread For Budgie Fans

Post by GeveZe »

Thank you so much Smick. Yes, they have cuttlefish bone . I will do everything you said , too. I tried to change their diet during a year. But it didn't work out :( I hope i will succeed one day.
ellieelectrons
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Location: Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

Re: A Thread For Budgie Fans

Post by ellieelectrons »

MissK & all you budgie fans

There's a budgie photo comp going on right now at five grey parrots. See https://www.facebook.com/FiveGreys

You should enter.

Ellie.
MissK
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Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2012 3:46 pm
Location: Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.

Re: A Thread For Budgie Fans

Post by MissK »

GeveZe will take that prize! Go get it, GeveZe!
I'm not on Facebook, but it did look great. Thanks for the heads-up, Ellie!
-MissK
GeveZe
Posts: 142
Joined: Sat Jan 25, 2014 3:39 am

Re: A Thread For Budgie Fans

Post by GeveZe »

:lol: :lol: MissK, you must see. There are so lovely budgies in comp. I think your budgies more beautiful than mine. I will join the competition for fun :lol: :lol: thank you Ellie =)
Jet17
Posts: 10
Joined: Sat Oct 25, 2014 5:35 pm

Re: A Thread For Budgie Fans

Post by Jet17 »

MissK wrote:Thank you, Joey's Mom.

I just don't want Rocky practicing an annoyed Budgie noise at his volume!

Vinay, I will *not* have 20 Budgies. You cured me!
I own a cute little budgie I just bought about a month ago. He is hand tamed got it from a breeder. He s so cute and tiny He is about 4 months old. And it is true their not afraid of much. He goes right up to Roscoe my ringneck and sqeaks and squawks at him. If I get another male will they get along?
MissK
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Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2012 3:46 pm
Location: Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.

Re: A Thread For Budgie Fans

Post by MissK »

If you get another male Budgie, the two should get along well, as long as there are no females. Take care, however, that you are certain you have two males. I think the time frame for visually sexing Budgies is closer to six months, is it not? Some people can make an experienced guess at the sex before then, but it's still a guess. Congratulations on your new little Budgie!!!
-MissK
MissK
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Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2012 3:46 pm
Location: Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.

Re: A Thread For Budgie Fans

Post by MissK »

A happy note for the Budgie thread~

Some may recall that when I split my girl Budgie from the boys, I felt it necessary to go out and bring home a second female to keep company with Riff Raff. The new Budgie, Janet, turned out to be not at all friendly to me, and more than a little squawky with Riff Raff.

Now, some months later, I'm pleased to say the girls have worked things out between them, so much as girl Budgies are wont to do. They have a pretty big cage, and I'm sure that helps. I expected that.

What I did not expect was that Janet has changed her opinion of me! Happy news! I recently caught her out of the big cage (and don't even ask me HOW; I was just very lucky) and found she was quite unexcited about the whole process. She allowed me to hold her in my hand without even a whisper of biting and no struggle either. I was amazed. Never expected that.

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
-MissK
MissK
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Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2012 3:46 pm
Location: Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.

Re: A Thread For Budgie Fans

Post by MissK »

Well, tonight is a sad night on the Budgie Fans thread. Two of my boys died. They seemed fine this afternoon, but when I went for tuck ins tonight, Magenta and Dr. Scott were on the floor. It's a bit hard to say what the problem was. Choices seem to be cold, food, furnace, or cooking dinner.

We had a cold snap that dropped the house temperature more than ten degrees. Last night when I came home from work I found them huddled together - looked like one ball of fluff. Never saw them do that before, turned the house heat on. It's the first heat of the season, maybe the cold was too much, or maybe the furnace made fumes? Same furnace as always.

I have been encouraging them to switch from Zupreem to Mazuri. It's possible they haven't been eating as much, though I have seen them eat it. Possibly, they could have dropped weight and failed to meet the demand of the cold snap. All three have a big squishy pile of fat high on the chest that our vet suggested was related to preparing to breed. I'm wondering now if that is true, as I was able to feel some sharp bone lower on the chest. When I felt that squishy fat two weeks ago (and it's still there) I never dreamed they could be light lower down.

Last idea is that I cooked salmon in olive oil in an iron skillet tonight. I always use that pan and oil, but I never cook salmon. I hardly think that would do it, but??? I rushed to open the windows (with the cold air, I am a freaking genius, but I thought if we needed fresh air, we *really* needed it) in case of that, but everybody else looks fine. Frankie looks fine, but he has the same bone issue.

I'm very sad to lose my boys, especially Magenta, my fave boy. He was so agile and clever. Now I have the choice to get another boy Budgie to snuggle with Frankie, or send him to live at someone else's house. There is someone in my life who would like me to have less birds, but now I want to cling ever tighter to the remaining ones. I've decided to let the availability/demand for boy Budgies on Craigslist and the bird club make this decision for me.
-MissK
Little Buttercup
Posts: 345
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2012 12:03 am

Re: A Thread For Budgie Fans

Post by Little Buttercup »

Hi Missk, So sad to hear about your beautiful budgies. Hope you feeling better by now.
So did you get another companion for Frankie?

I have'nt been here on this lovely forum in a long while and am trying to catch up with everything thats been going on here and all the new members too.

Wishing you a lovely day

Ash
Loreneee
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Jan 30, 2018 7:27 am

Re: A Thread For Budgie Fans

Post by Loreneee »

I have seen said cage in action and dude, Riff Raff and the Doctor are going to have a new Kingdom!!! This is a fabulous cage.
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