Friday, September 30, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Indian Summer
What's the weather like in your country?
We're having great weather for the time of the year, so I decided to let the budgies sunbathe a little bit as well. They were very excited outside, but they really enjoyed being there. Don't forget that vitamin D3 (what you get from the sunlight) is very good for them!
We're having great weather for the time of the year, so I decided to let the budgies sunbathe a little bit as well. They were very excited outside, but they really enjoyed being there. Don't forget that vitamin D3 (what you get from the sunlight) is very good for them!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
When are budgies ready to breed? (1)
You might be curious about this if you have a couple of budgies yourself. In fact, there is more than one way to tell when your budgies are mentally en physically ready to breed.
Young parents
I'll start off with the most obvious one: age. You must know how old your birds are before you put a nesting box in the cage. Even though budgies are physically ready to breed by the age of 6 months, they are simply too young to rear offspring. Six months for a budgie equals about 13 years in human age, these budgies are too young and not mentally ready to be parents. In the worst case, the mother could eat the eggs, abandon the nest too early or attack the hatchlings. So you can already see, there are some things to be considered first, before you put a nesting box on the shopping list.
So when are they ready?
The youngest that most budgie breeders accept as safe is a full year. Many feel that 18 months is even better. It's better to give your birds all the time they need before they start on a nest.
What if I give them too much time?
You also might want to know if your budgies are too old to breed. Female budgies mostly breed when they are between 1 - 3 years old. When it comes to male budgies, this can be extended to six years.
Young parents
I'll start off with the most obvious one: age. You must know how old your birds are before you put a nesting box in the cage. Even though budgies are physically ready to breed by the age of 6 months, they are simply too young to rear offspring. Six months for a budgie equals about 13 years in human age, these budgies are too young and not mentally ready to be parents. In the worst case, the mother could eat the eggs, abandon the nest too early or attack the hatchlings. So you can already see, there are some things to be considered first, before you put a nesting box on the shopping list.
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| Photo © Milan on My Opera |
The youngest that most budgie breeders accept as safe is a full year. Many feel that 18 months is even better. It's better to give your birds all the time they need before they start on a nest.
What if I give them too much time?
You also might want to know if your budgies are too old to breed. Female budgies mostly breed when they are between 1 - 3 years old. When it comes to male budgies, this can be extended to six years.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Out together, home together (2)
I thought I'd add a photo of our budgies in my blog. Meet Frodo and Isla! (Frodo was the first one who took a few free flights around the room, a week later Isla decided to join him on this adventure)
Friday, September 23, 2011
Acting Masterclass
One of the older comics by meta (mathew) from Talk Budgies:
(click on image to view full size)
Happy Friday everyone ;)
(click on image to view full size)
Happy Friday everyone ;)
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Cracked beak
Some budgies have a beak that shows a few cracks. My husband discovered it on Frodo this morning, so of course I had to find out what it is.
As you know, budgerigars wear down their beaks on toys, perches, anything chewable. It's normal that the beaks shows some signs of flaking or chipping after a while. But if the beak is cracked right through, your budgie is most likely injured and you have to see a vet immediately!
Apart from the few cracks, Frodo is just as happy and chirpy as usual. I checked him on injuries but he is perfectly fine. Also, he doesn't seem to have trouble while eating. So what is going on?
I soon found out that the actual cracks in the beak are caused by a vitamin deficiency. Fact is, budgies are picky eaters and some budgies simply refuse to eat fruit or vegetables. Frodo is like that. He probably never got any healthy food in the store where he came from. Budgies who never saw another budgie eating a piece of apple, might just stay away from it when you try to give it to them.
What can you do?
As you know, budgerigars wear down their beaks on toys, perches, anything chewable. It's normal that the beaks shows some signs of flaking or chipping after a while. But if the beak is cracked right through, your budgie is most likely injured and you have to see a vet immediately!
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| Photo © Squidoo.com |
I soon found out that the actual cracks in the beak are caused by a vitamin deficiency. Fact is, budgies are picky eaters and some budgies simply refuse to eat fruit or vegetables. Frodo is like that. He probably never got any healthy food in the store where he came from. Budgies who never saw another budgie eating a piece of apple, might just stay away from it when you try to give it to them.
What can you do?
- Give your budgies a mineral block: it's soft enough for the beak and fun to chew on; it will supply your bird with necessary minerals
- add vitamins to their water, change their water every day to prevent bacteria from multiplying.
- Keep trying with fruit and vegetables: one day, they might just start liking it! Only save millet for special occasions; give your budgie more healthy snacks like carrot or apple.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Budgerigar Street
Wanna take a trip to Budgerigar Street?
Out of curiosity, I typed it in Google and found (not to my biggest surprise) that there is a Budgerigar Street in Australia:
Budgerigar Street is located in Green Valley, a suburb of Sydney. At first sight, the street is home to some brand new buildings and real estates. Wow!
I'm just imagining real estates for budgies now... the little birds deserve it, as they live a life of hardship in the wild. But maybe they think it's even better to be free. Or would they like some caravan holidays?
Out of curiosity, I typed it in Google and found (not to my biggest surprise) that there is a Budgerigar Street in Australia:
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| Photo © homehound.com.au |
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| Photo © fkyeahbirds |
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Blood loss / First aid for birds
Here is one scary fact about budgies:
A budgie can only withstand the loss of 20 percent of its blood, which equals 12 drops.
So in case your budgie gets hurt, you first have to stop the bleeding. Then, hurry to the closest vet for treatment. You really can't wait long with this.
If you have time, please also visit this website. I'm going to order one of these books today so I can learn more about first aid for birds.
Most accidents with budgies happen because they get hurt during free flight or because they are hooked up with the wrong kind of animals/birds. Some people who clip their budgie's wings have also been responsible for grave accidents.
Please think twice before you submit your budgie to such a risk.
A budgie can only withstand the loss of 20 percent of its blood, which equals 12 drops.
So in case your budgie gets hurt, you first have to stop the bleeding. Then, hurry to the closest vet for treatment. You really can't wait long with this.
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| Photo © The Budgie Cage |
Most accidents with budgies happen because they get hurt during free flight or because they are hooked up with the wrong kind of animals/birds. Some people who clip their budgie's wings have also been responsible for grave accidents.
Please think twice before you submit your budgie to such a risk.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
"Look out below"
I've been in a photo mood lately, and I just found another great picture I want to share with you. Those budgies are so sweet and colorful!
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| Image © KariSmurphy on Flickr.com |
Monday, September 12, 2011
Sunday, September 11, 2011
What's your favorite color for a budgie?
Budgies come in over one hundred different kinds of colors. The primary color is green, which is typical in the wild as camouflage. There are various shades of blue, opaline, grey, white, yellow, pied (mixed colors), cobalt, violet and many more.
The poll that I set up at the beginning of July has revealed that a lot of people have a soft spot for blue budgerigars. Why do so many people prefer the color blue over all other colors? Does it remind you of the sky, the sea, and all the calm things in the world?
A bit of psychology:
Blue is often associated with depth and stability. It symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, and heaven. Blue is in many commercials also used to promote cleanliness.
Personally, I like blue budgies because it makes them look even more like creatures of the sky. But not all blue budgies have a calm personality, although I have seen a lot of wise blue budgies in my life. It all depends where they grow up.
Over to the results:
Ta-dah! Blue budgies all the way across the sky! A lot of people also like pied, green and yellow budgies. The reason why grey budgies are at the bottom of the list might be because it's a rare mutation. Only white-based budgies with a grey factor turn out to be real grey budgies.
Now, you could ask yourself the question: what do budgies actually think of their color? Are they just as crazy about blue budgies as we are?
Answer 1: budgies don't only see the colors that we can see, but they are also able to see ultraviolet light. All budgies that have yellow pigmented feathers will glow in the dark. Wow! This makes it somewhat easier for green and yellow budgies to find a mate, because female budgies really like those shiny feathers. Blue budgies, however, don't glow in the dark because they lack yellow pigment.
Answer 2: blue is not exactly a good camouflage color in the Australian wilderness. Blue budgies that are born in the wild, will lose the protection of blending in with their flock. Other flock members will chase them off because blue budgies look "weird" and attract too much attention.
Luckily, blue budgies who are kept together with other budgies don't have such a bad life. They are not a target to bullies, as opposed to budgies who are ill. When there's a good balance of males and females, blue budgies will most likely still find a mate. So don't worry! Take good care of your feathered friends and help them whenever they need it!
The poll that I set up at the beginning of July has revealed that a lot of people have a soft spot for blue budgerigars. Why do so many people prefer the color blue over all other colors? Does it remind you of the sky, the sea, and all the calm things in the world?
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| Photo © Undulater i fokus |
Blue is often associated with depth and stability. It symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, and heaven. Blue is in many commercials also used to promote cleanliness.
Personally, I like blue budgies because it makes them look even more like creatures of the sky. But not all blue budgies have a calm personality, although I have seen a lot of wise blue budgies in my life. It all depends where they grow up.
Over to the results:
Ta-dah! Blue budgies all the way across the sky! A lot of people also like pied, green and yellow budgies. The reason why grey budgies are at the bottom of the list might be because it's a rare mutation. Only white-based budgies with a grey factor turn out to be real grey budgies.
Now, you could ask yourself the question: what do budgies actually think of their color? Are they just as crazy about blue budgies as we are?
Answer 1: budgies don't only see the colors that we can see, but they are also able to see ultraviolet light. All budgies that have yellow pigmented feathers will glow in the dark. Wow! This makes it somewhat easier for green and yellow budgies to find a mate, because female budgies really like those shiny feathers. Blue budgies, however, don't glow in the dark because they lack yellow pigment.
Answer 2: blue is not exactly a good camouflage color in the Australian wilderness. Blue budgies that are born in the wild, will lose the protection of blending in with their flock. Other flock members will chase them off because blue budgies look "weird" and attract too much attention.
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| Image © The Aywas Wiki |
Saturday, September 10, 2011
"Out There" (budgies vs. parrots)
Budgies are in fact tiny parrots. Just like parrots, they have the gift of speech, and they have a lot of other, amazing things to offer you. Sadly, many people do not perceive budgies as "true parrots" due to their price and size. The budgies I bought in the store last week were only 12,5 EUR! To me, they're of course invaluable.
Budgies are often underrated as pets. But they guarantee you some advantages:
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| Image © George on Toonpool.com |
- lower noise level
- less cleaning to do
- smaller beak (if a parrot bites you, it hurts, but budgies mostly just nibble on you)
- no damage to your household items
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Food regurgitation
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| Image © Little Feathered Buddies |
Note: don't confuse food regurgitation with vomiting! Vomiting is an uncontrollable process and your budgie will keep doing it, while leaving stains on their feathers and cage floor. If you notice this, you have to go to the vet immediately!
Monday, September 5, 2011
Hunger strike?
I've been reading quite a few stories about budgies who refuse to eat when they are brought into a new home. So, I knew what to expect when I bought Frodo and Isla. They immediately flew up on to the highest perch and remained there for the rest of the evening.
Of course I was worried because they didn't touch the food. Budgies can only last a little more than two days without food. So what did I do? I hung some millet in the cage, where they could easily reach it. I can tell you it helped; we have seen some massive millet-nomming today!
Also, the budgies seem much more relaxed. It's amazing how fast they adapt. They are still young and I won't give them away: I'll make sure they have a long and happy life with us. The good news is that they already allow us very close to them, without being scared of us. My guess is that it will take less than a month before they are tame and can fly like little helicopters through the house :-)
Of course I was worried because they didn't touch the food. Budgies can only last a little more than two days without food. So what did I do? I hung some millet in the cage, where they could easily reach it. I can tell you it helped; we have seen some massive millet-nomming today!
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| Image © Canikeepit.typepad.com |
Also, the budgies seem much more relaxed. It's amazing how fast they adapt. They are still young and I won't give them away: I'll make sure they have a long and happy life with us. The good news is that they already allow us very close to them, without being scared of us. My guess is that it will take less than a month before they are tame and can fly like little helicopters through the house :-)
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Welcome home, Frodo and Isla
Today was another big day for us: we bought our first two budgies!
Frodo (on the left) doesn't seem to be one of the most common types. I think he might have a grey factor, but he's also leaning towards violet. Isla (on the right) is almost certainly a dark-eyed clear.
The budgies are now sleeping peacefully after an exhausting first day. You know the first day is always a bit scary for new budgies, because they need time to get used to their new environment.
I was glad to hear both of them grind their beak at night, though... I think we've got two happy budgies here :)
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| Click to view full size |
The budgies are now sleeping peacefully after an exhausting first day. You know the first day is always a bit scary for new budgies, because they need time to get used to their new environment.
I was glad to hear both of them grind their beak at night, though... I think we've got two happy budgies here :)
Thursday, September 1, 2011
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