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Post by gooka on Oct 21, 2007 21:39:55 GMT 10
here are a couple of pic of my breeders. These are the only ones I have at the moment so I will get the camera out tomorrow and take some newer ones...including the spunky new avairy!!!!   |
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Post by morgz66 on Oct 21, 2007 21:53:31 GMT 10
Thanks for the great food advice. I also heard that it is good to feed them a boiled egg about once a week, is that true?
What colour is the bird on the left in the first picture, its really pretty!
Cheers
Morgan
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Post by vankarhi on Oct 22, 2007 7:53:20 GMT 10
I give my birds half a boiled egg every now and then. My eclectus (the red and blue girl in my signature) needs to have them more often ............ they get the eggs with the shell on too as the calcium is good for them. Skye (ekkie) gets toe tap every now and then and it seems to be a calcium deficency with her. I don't give them all the time but when my canaries where raising their baby I gave them half a boiled egg probably every couple of days. All the advise that Katie (Gooka) has given you is very good. The only thing I can think of to add is do not ever give them avocado, chocolate or alcohol......it will kill them (that is for all birds) do not panic if the get ahold of a tiny amount....just watch them, but do not deliberately feed them this stuff. Some people think their birds or pets can share everything, but unfortuneately they cannot. There is absolutely no nutritional value in lettuce and apparently it can give some animals the "runs" .... diarreha. If I were you I would try to find a breeder in your area, that way you can talk to them and ask them questions (you can ask us too..............we don't mind ;D .......... it is just that we live so far away from you). I am travelling about 6 hours to pick up our new little boy in two weeks time. I may need to finish feeding him but that is ok as I have done it before and I can fit 1 or 2 feeds a day into my work routine. As for wing clipping........... everyone has different ideas...........I am a believer in clipping wings when they are pet birds. I have lost too many birds........mostly cockatiels but one sulfer crested cockatoo and never got them back. I was very lucky to always get my galah back and I lost her about 6 or 7 times ....... once for 7 days and I still got her back. I lost my Takoda for 2 days just after I had weaned him (I had handraised him from 4 weeks of age and he was about 12 weeks old when I lost him) I was absolutely devastated because I had not checked his wings properly.............but I door knocked and put flyers out and I did get him back. I would suggest you either ask the breeder to show you how to clip the wings or take him to the vet and ask them to show you. It is not hard, but you will need to be shown how to do it properly. I taught myself.........but back in those days (when dinasaurs roamed the earth. LOL) there was not as much help around, so I had to learn the hard way sometimes. But a few years ago an avian vet actually showed me how to clip properly (and I was doing it right, except I used to only clip one wing and the vet explained why he considered two wing clip was better). If you can look on www.petlink.com.au then you click on the bird classifieds, you just might find some baby birds from breeders. You might even be able to put a "wanted" ad on there saying you would like a handraised baby budgie, preferably male. Then see what happens you might get a few replies. You will also have to say that you are interested in breeders in the Wondonga area. I wouldn't say what colour preference. You might find you might end up with a very pretty bird anyway.........just like me. |
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Post by morgz66 on Oct 22, 2007 9:04:32 GMT 10
K thanks.
Yeah i did try petlink but i couldn't find anything, i will put a wanted add on there though, hopefuly i get some replies ;D
Thanks everyone for all your help i now know alot about birds ;D
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Post by vankarhi on Oct 22, 2007 9:51:15 GMT 10
your welcome. ;D
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Post by Jane on Oct 22, 2007 10:03:09 GMT 10
I'm sure you'll work this out but I'll warn you just in case, don't send money to anyone you don't know and ignore all emails from africa, if you've put a wanted ad you'll get heaps but you can tell by the poor english etc.
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Post by vankarhi on Oct 22, 2007 11:19:12 GMT 10
Get your parents to check the emails for you..........just in case. As Jane said don't send any money and try to answer the ones that your parents can take you to visit. Petlink is a great place to find birds for some people. I have looked but haven't bought yet...........I have this fear of buying something I haven't seen and paying for it and not getting it. So as Jane said just be careful and get your parents to ok it and to check your emails ................... ok ;D
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Post by vankarhi on Oct 22, 2007 11:20:35 GMT 10
I still personally think you should try to find a breeder in your area............that way your parents can take you to visit.
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Post by morgz66 on Oct 22, 2007 12:04:34 GMT 10
I agree that i should try to find a breeder near me, im going to visit a lady today and see if she has any budgies, my mum has bought birds off her before. I was going to put a wanted add on petlink but i need to get an email that isnt free or something. They wouldnt let me join. I will have to pass on that idea unfortunately.
Thanks
Morgan
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Post by Jane on Oct 22, 2007 14:27:16 GMT 10
Morgan, if you need to let me know and I'll post one for you  |
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Post by morgz66 on Oct 22, 2007 21:19:55 GMT 10
Thanks Jane but today i found a bird that is now mine ;D
I went to a breeder in Albury and i bought a yellow with a blue/green stomach. He isnt hand reared but he is a really nice budgie. Only thing is, he has started biting when you hold him. Anyone have some suggestions on how to get him to stop biting. Is there any hard food that i can get so hes beak isnt so sharp?
Cheers
Morgan ;D
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Post by morgz66 on Oct 22, 2007 21:22:10 GMT 10
Forgot to say..........
His name is Smoey, i will get some pictures tomorrow and post them ;D
My sister also got a budgie, hes a bit smaller then mine but he is really cute, she named him Spazz because he jumps around quite a bit.
Cheers
Morgan
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Post by vankarhi on Oct 22, 2007 22:14:09 GMT 10
Your bird is probably not handraised and may not even be tame. Just be patient and give him a couple of days to adjust to his new environment. Talk to him and give him treats etc. Then start to handle him. Yes he will bite but you need to show him you are not scarey. Try to pat him and scratch him too, but do not force yourself. Try to get him to stand on your finger and then get him to step up from one hand to the other while gently and softely saying "step up". Do this before you go to school, and when you come back. Are both the birds in the same cage?? It would be better if you could have him in a cage of his own until you at least get him to bond with you and get him to listen to you. My birds are all bonded to me and will do what I ask ..... like step up when I ask even if in a cage with another bird now, but if I had let them start off in the same cage together, there is a very good chance they would have bonded to each other and not to me. Does this make sense?
If you cannot get him into a cage of his own, don't dispair, just take him out of the cage and take him to a quiet place and talk to him and do the "step ups" and just spend time together. Maybe get his wings clipped and let him sit on your shoulder while you are doing your homework or watching tv etc.
I came home from work tonight and could hear Takdoa carrying on..........I am sure he knows the sound of my car.....as I was walking up the steps I heard him say "what you doooooin" LOL he is my little boy. So I put my hand in his cage and he automatically steps up and while I was on the pc he was sitting on my shoulder sharing a bite to eat and licking my face and preening my hair.
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Post by morgz66 on Oct 22, 2007 22:59:13 GMT 10
Smoey is in his own cage, i think that he has been a little bit tamed, he doesnt mind me patting him. If i get his wings clipped will he not be able to fly away when i let him out of his cage to go on my shoulder? Could you possibly tell me how to clip his wings so i can get mum to do it? i have started saying 'hello' to him and talking to him alot. Im thinking that he might start learning how to be a dog soon because my dog absolutely loves him and his always near Smoey's cage.
Your birds sound beautiful, i would love my bird to be able to talk to me like that ;D
Cheers
Morgan
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Post by morgz66 on Oct 22, 2007 23:01:21 GMT 10
My mum has clipped a chooks wings before, is it alot like that?
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Minna
Addicted Member
Peekaboo!
Posts: 128
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Post by Minna on Oct 22, 2007 23:20:03 GMT 10
I'd recommend getting a vet to do it, so he can give your new baby a look-over and show you how to do it without hurting him. birdmart.com/reference/wings.html is a decent guide, though. I generally clip three to four on each side, and then one more each side until they're able to glide to the ground gracefully but can't get up too easily. An overclipped bird can severely hurt itself, and if he falls hard enough to hurt himself he may become harder to take because he'll associate being out of the cage with that pain. I'm not sure about how one clips chooks, since I haven't spent much time around them, but with budgies and other parrots it's important to clip both sides -they can hurt themselves very badly with only one wing clipped.  Clipped birds may still attempt to fly away, and will take a little while to realise they can't fly properly any more. A well clipped bird should glide slowly to the floor, and can still lead a merry chase if he puts his mind to it. But it can also completely change their attitude. You probably already realize this, but be careful your dog doesn't get too near Smoey. Even an affectionate lick can kill the poor little guy, because of bacteria in dog saliva. (One of my birds is absolutely convinced that the cat is her best friend. And the cat's like "...sure. I'll be your....friend. *licks lips*" XD) |
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Post by morgz66 on Oct 23, 2007 10:47:43 GMT 10
Thanks for the help. I dont let the dog to close, he just sits next to the cage.
How do i teach it not to fly away?
Will it just learn once ive handled it alot and it can trust me?
Cheers
Morgan
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Post by vankarhi on Oct 23, 2007 17:11:46 GMT 10
Yes if you clip Smoey's wings then he will learn he cannot fly and will eventually "have" to sit with you. He will learn with constant handling, patting and attention, that when he comes out of the cage he is going to be with you and that he will get patted and scratched and played with and he will learn to love this and then actually want to come out of the cage to be with you. But all this takes time and patience. I have had a budgie that would pace his cage in the direction of wherever I went until I took him out of the cage and he would just sit on my shoulder and preen my hair and play with my earrings etc and would love to have his head scratched and under his wings.
I too would have suggested you take the bird to the vet and get him checkod out and get the vet to show you how to clip........... but if you get your mum to read that link that Minna posted ..........it is a very good link and shows you how to clip properly. Get your mum to do it if she thinks she can without hurting him. I clip my chooks to stop them from jumping/flying into my yard and scratch around (or be eaten by my staffy) and I do it the same as the other birds. I have been doing it for many years though.
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Post by morgz66 on Oct 23, 2007 18:21:10 GMT 10
Mum thinks she can do it so we will have a go tomorrow.
Thanks for the help ;D
Cheers
Morgan
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