THE BUDGERIGAR(MELOPISITTACUS UNDULATUS)

THE BUDGERIGAR THE BUDGERIGAR(MELOPISITTACUS UNDULATUS) the budgerigar is a small member of the parrot family and origanates from australia.it was first reported in the late 1700s by colonists near parramatta where it was seen in huge flocks often numbering thousands.the native australian budgerigar is smaller then its domestic relatives and is a light green in colour with a yellow face and black barrings on the back and wings.but occasionally yellow and blue budgies have been seen in the wild.but these birds probably dont last long in the wild.the word budgerigar comes from the aboriganel word "betcherrgah"meaning " good food"the aboriganels would throw a stick into the middle of a flock killing a number of the birds. the budgerigar is nomadic and are always on the move flying long distances across the vast plains of australia in search of food and water.during seasons of droughts thousands of budgies may be seen at one watering hole.during times of drought thousands of budgies may die,so they reproduce quickly when the conditions are right,this is usually when it rains and new grasses begin to grow.this way by the time the chicks have hatched food is plentyful.the budgerigar nests in tree hollows or under rocks or in creavisis,they use no nesting meterial they lay between 4-6 eggs which are laid on alternate days and then hatch every two days after an incubation period of 18 days. the chicks develope quickly and by the age of six weeks are ready to migrate with the rest of the flock in search of food and water and to escape the dry heat.budgerigars fly huge distances in the wild,migrating from the cooler south in the summer to the north in the winter.unlike most migratory birds they do not return to the same site each year,but simply head to where there is a good supply of food and water. it was first brought to england in 1840 by naturalist john gould and is believed these were eggs taken from the nests of wild budgerigars.about ten years later they were introduced to europe by sailors who would catch them to trade and sell.many of these died due to lack of knowledge of caring for them,it is said one hen laid eggs in a coconut shell and that these were the first budgerigars raised in captivity.in 1894 it became illegal to catch budgerigars in the wild in australia. over the past 60-70 years the budgerigar has become the most popular caged bird kept.millions of these tiny birds have made their way into our homes and hearts.either kept singular in a cage or in flocks in an avairy their freindliness make them perfect pets for young and old alike.they are easy to care for but do need daily attention,they need fresh food and water daily and cleaning every 2-3 times aweek,if kept in a cage they need flying time and should be let out daily to stretch their wings.remember budgies cannot fly straight up so a long cage is better then a tall cage.budgerigars are usually healthy pets which rarely become ill.the average life span for the budgie is around 7-8 years but due to better knowledge and understanding these birds can live into double figures.one such budgerigar was charlie from stonebridge,london who lived to the ripe old age of 29 years and 2 months.he was born in 1948 and passed away on the 20th june 1977. they are chirpy and colourful,the budgerigar over the last 60 or 70 years has become the most popular pet bird in the world.millions of these tiny parrot like birds have made their way into our homes and our hearts. either kept by themselves or kept in a flock in an avairy there friendliness make them the perfect pet for people of all ages.in the wild the budgerigar lives in large flocks and are naturally social birds so it only seems fair to keep a pair of birds if you will not be there for companionship. they are easy to care for but do need daily attention ,they need food and fresh water daily and cleaning every 2 or 3 days.they need fly time if kept in a cage and should be let out daily to stretch their wings.if in a cage please dont buy a tall cage,budgerigars cannot fly straight up so a longer cage is best. budgerigars are usually healthy pets which rarely become ill.the average life span of the budgerigar is around 7 to 8 years but they have been known to live well into double figures.one such budgerigar was charlie who lived to the grand old age of 29 years and 2 months in stonebridge,london.he was born in 1948 and passes away on the 20th june 1977. it is best if you can to buy your budgerigar from a recognised breeder and they will often be happy to sell you a bird that is unsuitable for showing or breeding but will make a wonderful pet.if you purchase a show budgie you may find it has a ring,if the bird is a pet the rings are of no real value and can be removed by the breeder or a vet.the rings often cause no harm to the bird provided they do not become to tight or seed gets trapped inside.this can cause nasty infections of the leg. taming budgerigars depends on the owner,the more time you spend training your budgerigar the more tame and chatty the bird will become.its best to buy a young bird if you want to train it and try to get it to talk.between 6 and 10 weeks of age is about right,you can tell a young bird by the barrings on the head and the eyes will be completley black.if you wish to try and teach the budgerigar to talk a male is best.when it comes to training short sessions of about 10-15 minutes are best 2 or 3 times aday.the first step in training is to teach the bird to sit on your finger.slowly place your hand in the cage,taking care not to frighten the bird(if the bird begins to fly around slowly remove your hand from the cage and retry later)and extend your index finger alongside the perch.slowly move your finger up to touch the budgerigars feet to encourage it to step onto the finger from the perch.at first the bird may hop to another perch or the floor of the cage,but after a while it wont belong before it is happy to perch on your finger. when the budgerigar is confident about sitting on your finger,the next stage is to get it to stay there while moving your hand.gently move your hand around in the cage with the budgie on it,after the bird is confident you can think about bringing the bird out(make sure your room is safe for your budgerigar.)budgerigars learn to talk best if taught by just one person and they respond well to a women or a childs voice.when teaching your budgie to talk make sure the room is quiet,to many people around or the tv on in the background may confuse your budgie and make it hard to concentrate.start with a simple phrase such as your budgies name or hello.repeat the phrase often and always in the exact way.before long the budgerigar will mimic the phrase and you can move onto the next one.some budgerigars will never learn to talk but with patience can usually be taught to whistle tunes. when you first get your budgerigar you will find it may spend alot of time on the floor.this is due to chicks aren,t used to perching for long periods of time.but do keep a close watch on your budgie becouse this can also be a sign of illness.the young budgerigar should hop onto a perch when you approach the cage.if you have purchased a cock as it gets older it will sing more and you will see him tap his beak on the perch,at the same time his eyes may appear to become whiter fot a split second,this is typical budgerigar behaviour,his cere will become blue as with a female it will become brown(the cere is the part above the beak)the cere of the hen becomes a deep shade of brown when she is ready to breed and she will nibble more determinedly at the cuttlefish bone.the cuttlefish is a valuable source of calcium which the hens body needs to make egg shells.as they come into breeding season you will also notice the hen will shred sandsheets in the bottom of the cage.this is nesting behaviour.cocks are more likely to feed mirrors or toys that are in their cage sometimes during the year you will notice your budgerigar is quieter then normal.this is often linked to the moulting season when the budgie grows a new set of feathers,the old feathers will fall out over a couple of months as the new ones grow. if you have a budgerigar already and have decided to add another do not put them together straight away.although they are social by nature not all budgerigars like the sudden introduction of another bird into their cage.a new bird should be kept in a second cage for a couple of weeks to make sure its healthy and to adjust to its new surroundings.treat the budgie with a spray to kill lice and mites.keep the budgerigars in sight and sound of each other so as to give them a chance to get to know each other.if you are thinking of breeding them introduce them to the breeding cage at the same time so that the new enviroment will be new to both of them. if your first budgerigar was already tame and talking you may find it will stop and revert back to its naturel self.but with persistence you should be fine. when it comes to budgerigars and breeding they are real laid back.each pair should be provided with a nesting box(if you are coloney breeding in an avairy more nestboxes then hens should be provided and all nest boxes should be at the same height)with a base that contains a depression to serve as a nestsite.it should have a hole for the hen to enter ,with a perch situated just below to allow the cock to feed her. budgerigars will pair off to breed by themselves but it is best to wait untill they are around 12 months of age before allowing them to mate and raise chicks.they can lay 2 or 3 clutches a year with each clutch containing around 5 or 6 eggs,they are laid on alternate days and then hatch at intervals of two days after an eighteen-day incubation period. the cockbird will help during the incubation period by feeding the hen and helping to dehusk the seed and feed the chicks when they hatch.the chicks develope very quickly and by the age of six weeks are fully fledged and ready to fly.they should not be handled before they are two weeks old,but by this time it will be necessary to remove them to clean out the nestbox health. sometimes during the year you will notice your budgerigar is quieter then normal.this is often linked to the moulting season when the budgie grows a new set of feathers,the old feathers will fall out over a couple of months as the new ones grow. if you have a budgerigar already and have decided to add another do not put them together straight away.although they are social by nature not all budgerigars like the sudden introduction of another bird into their cage.a new bird should be kept in a second cage for a couple of weeks to make sure its healthy and to adjust to its new surroundings.treat the budgie with a spray to kill lice and mites.keep the budgerigars in sight and sound of each other so as to give them a chance to get to know each other.if you are thinking of breeding them introduce them to the breeding cage at the same time so that the new enviroment will be new to both of them. BUDGERIGAR HEALTH. budgerigars are a hardy bird and are not prone to illness,but when they are ill they can deteriorate very quickly.so regular inspection and promt veterinary treatment is urgent if the bird does appear to be unwell.if you have two or three birds kept together,isolate the sick bird and keep it in a cage somwhere warm,keeping the bird warm is a must. SCALY FACE. scaly face is caused by a mite called cnemidocoptes pilae.it is transmitted from bird to bird by direct contact and causes crusting and scaling of the cere and legs.the mite tunnels into the horny upper layer of skin.it is easily treated with pesticidal preperations either painted or sprayed onto the affected areas.but if left untreated can cause deformities of the beak or legs. GROWTHS. these sadly are common in the budgerigar and can affect different parts of the body.fatty growths are somtimes seen on the abdomen and can become very large before they interfere with the birds functions.tumours of uropigial gland can cause bleeding under the tail and internal growths are a common cause of lamness. EGG BINDING. a hen will somtimes lay eggs even with out a cock present,they will be unfertile.but removing the egg will just cause the hen to lay more so it is best to leave the eggs untill the hen becomes uninterested in them.somtimes the egg will become stuck inside her causing her to strain to try and pass it.somtimes you can just see the egg inside the cloaca.an experianced budgerigar breeder can somtimes remove the egg with the help of steam but most times a veterinary is needed. FEATHER LOSS. there are many causes of feather loss from red mites,featherlice and many other parasites.french moult is another but only seems to affect young birds.french moult is where the feathers are deformed ,often to the point where the bird can not fly.the most common cause of feather loss is feather plucking,which in worst cases can develope to the point the bird is bald.many times this is caused by lack of company. BUMBLE FOOT. bumble foot is a name given to a bacterial infection of the foot causing the foot to become inflamed and tender.perches of the wrong diameter can play a large part in this condition so it is best to have perches of different diameters for your bird to choose from.obesity can also play a part in it by causing the bird to have to put more weight on the foot. AVAIRY a basic avairy has two parts,an outer flight made of wire netting on a wooden frame and an inner flight where the birds can shelter at night or during bad/cold weather and can be fed.the avairy should be placed in a sheltered part of the garden(you can buy a kit that can be put together in the garden on top of a concrete base)the avairy must be anchored down onto a foundation of bricks or concrete(you may need planning permission to built an avairy)it is best to have one door leading into the inner flight with a safety porch to ensure no budgerigars escape when you enter the avairy.like a cage an avairy needs to contain a selection of food pots and water feeders ,seed hoppers should be placed inside the shelter along with cuttlefish and grit.never feed your budgerigars outside as this can bring vermin to your avairy. amazing budgie facts (1) the correct name for the keeping of birds is aviculture. (2) the oldest budgerigar recorded was charlie who live untill he was 29 years and 2 months in stonebridge,london.he was born in 1984 and died in 1977. (3) the budgie with the largest vovabulary was puck,who could say an estimated 1,728 words. (4) a lost budgerigar was reunited with its owner after reciting its address. (5) when they are first born budgerigar chicks weigh just 2 grammes. (6) budgerigars have 3 eye lids,an upper ,a lower and a third that it can pull across the side to protect the eye. (7) budgerigars are warm blooded with a temperature of about 41 0c,higher then a cat or dog. ( a budgie named sparkie who had a repertoire of 8 nursery rhymes and a vocabulary of over 5oo words became a star after selling over 20,ooo records.
over the last 50 or so years the budgie has increased in size thanks to fanciers from all around the world.it has increased in size and body structure and is now twice the width of the wild budgerigar.and its not just the size of the bird that has increased but also the length of the feather. the budgerigar society the budgerigar society was first setup in 1925 at the grand national show in chrystal palace.there was 18 founder members , 8 of which were from the zoological society. the first club show was held in 1926 in conjuction with the national with 9 classes and around 100 birds being shown.also in 1926 the first judges panel was formed consisting of 11 judges including the marquis of tavistock.in 1928 a commitee was formed to look into new colours and mutations,western counties bs team was formed and a.c.hughes started making closed rings. in 1930 the budgerigar club changed its name to the budgerigar society with the patron being king george v . by then the membership was over 500 and there was 8 established colours.the budgerigar society today has well over 3000 members and with its own headquarters based in northamptonshire.todays annual club show held at the doncaster dome has some 740 classes with an entry of over 3000 birds.the bs has also organised many world conventions ,the first in 1954 and then in 1959,1975,1989,1990,1995,2000 and 2006.the total number of budgerigar fanciers in the uk is estimated to be between 5000 - 8000. building a successful stud to gain sucess on the show benches you need a bird that stands out from the rest.the shape and size of the head is one of the most desired features alo the depth of the mask.also the length of the bird is required ,the ideal length is 8 1/2 inches in the uk and 9 1/2 in the usa(these are considered the minimum length of the bird) feathering is also important and a good stance is critical if you hope to stand any chance on the benches.to aquire these features you must either start with birds that exhibit these features or study the backgrounds to breeding out crosses to be purchased,creating the desired bird does not just happen but comes down to careful planning,selection and breeding,and even then there are no guarentees of a great bird.two great birds dont always create another great bird. it is possible to breed out a genetic fault by bringing in and breeding with birds that have the desired quality.the experianced breeder/fancier will make a purchase every 2-3 years,where as the novice can make as many purchases as nessasary but to many birds from different bloodlines may weaken the quality of the birds so it is best to stick to 2 bloodlines and bring in a new bird every year or two.when purchasing a new bird for your stud it is often said a cock is best,with a cock you can breed it with a number of hens.many people who start in the fancy believe they will be showing,winning straight away.this is sadly not the case and many leave after a short,sharp shock.to build up a good stud can take many years of commitment and heartbreak until you are at a level to start showing on the benches.a lot depends on the quality of the birds you start off with,better birds will make this easier but remember a breeder will not sell his best birds and if he/she does be pre-paired to pay a large amount of money.many breeders will sell their birds by the pair anywhere from £30 upwards depending on the quality and bloodline. breeding. choose the hen you wish to breed and place her into the breeding cage.attatch the nestbox and place a handful of woodshavings inside and leave the hen to get accustomed to her new surroundings,after 2-3 days place the desired cock in with her.(infertility must be expected if birds are paired at the wrong time even with the presence of lighting and heating).many breeders have ways off getting their birds into breeding mood,one such way is to spray water onto the birdroom to make the birds believe it is raining,this way the birds will mate knowing there will be plenty of food for their chicks.a supply of egg food should be provided to the pair daily,this can be made fresh or purchased ready made in boxes.the hen will lay her eggs on alternate days and they will hatch after an 18 day incubation period.you can check if the eggs are fertile by what is called candling.this involves taking the egg and shining a light through the transparent egg,if there is a reddish kidney shape inside the egg is fertile.the experianced breeder will check the young chicks at just a few days old,looking at the width and shape of the head for a wide skull and small beak.as they start to cover in down you will also be able to get an idea of what the bird will be.white down indicates opaline and grey down indicates normal at around 8-10 days the chick will need to be ringed but its worth checking at around 6 days as some chicks are larger with a quicker growth rate.at around 5 weeks old a good bird can often be spotted and these are the ones whos confidence needs to be gained (it is best to choose the birds now due to they will decline slightly when placed in the stock cage due to having to look after themselves)the young should be handled gently making sure not to frighten them.if handled gently they will realise you are not going to hurt them making the bird happy to be handled and easier to prepair for the show cage and more steady for showing.the chicks should not be removed from the parents untill you are sure they are feeding themselves and should then be placed into a stock cage along with other chicks.as the chicks get older,the ones you have choosen for showing should be removed to another stock cage with a show cage situated on the side.allow the yougsters to enter the show cage on their own and get used to being inside(millet spray inside the show cage helps with this)after a while close the show cage door trapping the young bird inside for a few minutes before letting him back out,after a while the young bird will become used to being in the show cage.this is the first step to showing on the benches. show preperation. a good breeding season is not the only making of a good show result.there are many ways to prepair your bird for a show,it is the planning and attention to detail that seperates the best from the rest.8 weeks before the show you should choose the birds you wish to use,this should include spairs and placed into a stock cage.tails and wings should be straightend and all perches put at the same height(this is to stop squabbling and tail feathers being chewed)the birds should be sprayed every other day around 4 weeks before a show on hot days somtimes twice.if the weather gets to hot it can cause the birds to come into a soft moult.(budgerigars cannot preen themselves properly without being able to wet their feathers)trimming the mask spots should be done over 3-4 weeks with either tweezers or scissors(doing it all in one go can cause the bird to become stressed)washing the birds face should be done the day before the show and if needed the day of the show.you can put all your effort into getting your birds ready for the big day and have show winning birds only to be let down by the condition of your show cages.show cages should be cleaned and repainted after every show and replaced when needed.after the show birds should be returned straight to the stock cages and be fed and watered and settled down before you retire yourself . MUTATION HISTORY a history of budgerigar mutations the native budgerigar is light green with a yellow head with black bands running along the back of the head and wings.the first known captive breeding took place in europe in the mid 1850s leading to the colour mutations we see today.there are thousands of colour combinations but the basic four colours are blue,white,green and yellow and there are three shades of each of these colours.i.e mauve,skyblue and cobalt blue. yellow was the first colour variation recorded in germany/belgium in 1870 followed by sky blue in 1878 but this was lost due to lack of breeding knowledge but was bred at a later stage by the dutch. laurel was recorded in france in 1915 and then olive in 1916 by breeding the laurel together.cobalt and mauve followed by breeding the laurel and olive together along with skyblue. whites were recorded in england and france in 1920 by breeding yellows and blues. greywings were recorded in germany and belgium in 1875 in the green birds and 1928 in the blue.clear wings were recorded in australia in the 1930s. fallow occured in england,australia and parts of europe in the 1930s and the danish pied in 1932. saddlebacks were reported in australia and the australian dominant pied around 1934. voilet was recorded in australia,denmark and scotland in the 1930s.the yellow faced blue occured in england also in the 1930s. the australian dominant pied and the dutch dominant pied both appeared in 1932. continental clearflights appeared in belgium in 1946 and cinnamons in australia,england and germany around 1932-1934. lutinos and albinos occured in the 1930s and are now better known as just inos,the lutino being the green series and the albino the blue. opaline was established in australia and scotland in the early 1930s.and the lacewing was found in queensland ,australia . the latest mutation is the spangle and was discoverd in 1974 in the avairy of melv jones of melbourne,australia

Scaley Face Mites

What will I see if my bird is affected with Scaly Face and Scaly Leg?

When the mite infects budgerigars, the beak will look white, chalky and crusty and will have a honeycomb appearance. The crustiness can spread around the bird’s cere (the lump at the base of the beak) and eyes. The crusty, scaley appearance also appears on the legs and sometimes around the vent.If the problem is left untreated, the infection in the growing portion of the beak can cause the beak to become permanently deformed. Canaries generally show a different appearance. Their legs develop thickened areas that look more like corns.
What will my vet do to treat the disease?

Your veterinarian will probably confirm the infection by doing a scraping of the affected areas. This is easily done and if the mites are present, they are quite visible under a microscope. Ask your vet for a peek down the microscope as the mites are fascinating critters. They look much like a cross between ET on a bad hair day and a miniature mud crab with attitude!The most effective treatments for Scaly Face or Leg mite infestations are Avomectin, Ivermectin or Moxidectin which can only be prescribed by your veterinary surgeon.In the past many other treatments have ben used but are less effective. Most of these preparations are a mixture of benzyl benzoate and paraffin oil. One recommendation is to use such a product daily for three days, and repeat this three times with two weeks between each treatment. Bird fanciers often treat the condition by rubbing petroleum jelly or paraffin oil on the beak, the cere, and the legs of the budgerigars on a daily basis. While this does not directly kill the mite, it is thought that it causes them to suffocate. Paraffin oil will also help to soften the crusts and to remove them from a bird’s face and legs. In addition, the preparations should be placed around the vent and on the wing tips of each bird as the mites sometimes hide in these areas. While this is a time-honoured technique, it is falling into disfavour because it is easy to get the oil onto a bird’s feathers. The oil is very difficult to remove, and sometime the only method is to wait until new feathers replace the oiled ones. If you are putting any oily preparation onto the beak be careful that your bird does not swallow or inhale any of it. Use a cotton bud to ensure the oil is placed accurately. Should a bird’s beak be growing abnormally from damage the mites have caused to the cere, trimming of the beak regularly may be needed. This needs to be done carefully as any incorrect trimming could be disastrous. Play it safe and let your veterinarian do this.
Controlling Scaly Face and Leg Mite

The big problem with Scaly Face is not how to treat an individual bird. The concern is how to stop the problem from affecting other ‘in contact’ birds. Scaly Face is quite contagious and if left untreated, other birds will succumb to the disease. In addition, because the infection only becomes obvious after six to twelve months, it can have quite a toe-hold on a flock of birds before the problem becomes obvious. The mite spends its whole life cycle on the bird thus it appears to be transmitted between birds by direct contact. It is also likely that some birds are genetically more susceptible to the mite than others. It also seems able to burrow into wooden perches in the cage. Therefore, you should replace perches in an infected cage weekly, using branches from native trees.Ivermectin can also be used to control Scaly Face in an aviary of birds. Your veterinarian will advise you further on its use and on other procedures to control the problem. Be sure to be on the lookout for Scale Face or your beleaguered budgie may never want to show it beak in public again!

splayed legs

AFTER CARE THIS IS THE SAME BIRD

This baby was severely leg splayed and now you wouldn't know anything was ever wrong with it

It best to catch this problem before the 3 week old stage but give it a try. I use a piece of flat makeup sponge ( rectangular in shape across the width ) ....cut two tiny holes or slits in it between half an inch apart or three quarters of an inch apart. Next is the difficult bit....you need two people. One to hold the budgie baby offering its legs and feet to go through the hole and one to make sure its feet and toes go through safely. A handy tip for putting the legs through is to cut a section of plastic drinking straw and slit it up the length. Wrap that around the budgies leg and push it through the holes...once through slip the plastic straw off the leg. Once you have both feet through the holes, push the section of sponge up past its "knees-ies" to the top section of leg. If too much excess sponge sticks out trim some back. I have used this method successfully already and a severely splayed baby was totally fixed. This enables the budgie to still get around in its box, doesnt tangle like some other methods may do. The only occasional problem can be rejection at times by the mother but most are fine with it. Make sure baby can still get up there to be fed and help it get closer to Mum to be fed if it is having trouble. Check the "splint" in a week...remove and see if legs are better. I usually at this time. if not quite right yet, re-do the split just a fraction closer in together for another week. By then it is usually fixed.

Don't just assume this problem is caused by the floor type of the nesting box or a hen sitting too tightly over the chicks. It can be caused by a lack of calcium in the babies. Best to use a concentrated calcium only supplement both in the drinking water for parents and babies and also by drops into the beak of the affected babies. CALCIVET is a brand we use here in Australia...a calcium supplement that can reverse the symptoms of splay legs if caught early enough. Use both the make up sponge repair method and the supplement together and you should acchieve some success.

CANDELING EGGS

(clear looking egg too early to tell or unfertilised)

(clearly fertilised well developed egg)