Hello from the PBFD budgie hospice!

[babybearthebudgie]

Hi everyone, my name is Anne, and I am a rescuer of over 20 years. A few years ago, the most dreaded of diseases, PBFD, entered my sanctuary. I thought that day, that my rescue world had come to an end. But it hadn't! It had simply changed direction, and I decided that rather than close my doors permanently to the birds in need of rescue, I would fling them even wider open, and welcome in the little birds that usually, can never find rescue, or a sanctuary willing or able to take them.Although it has of course brought it's share of heart ache, it has also brought me immeasurable joy. All of my main flock are either infected, or carriers, or potential carriers of PBFD. And I can tell you with my hand on my heart, I would not change anything, not even for the whole world and a golden penny.

I do also rescue and rehabilitate wild birds, although I am starting to retire from this now and slowing down a little. I have so many stories, photos and videos to share of the budgies, the wildies, and my other avenue of rescue, rabbits, if you would like me to.

I am looking forward to reading your stories, seeing your pics and videos, and getting to know you all. Thank you for letting me be part of the flock!

[jellybean]

Hi Anne, welcome to the forum. Such kindness on your part to take in and look after all these little ones.
I hope you do plan to stay with us, and I would love to hear your stories, and see your pictures.

[Marianne Marlow]

Hello Anne

Welcome to you and your flock of PBFD budgies. I'm so glad you're giving them a second chance, how wonderful.

I know from experience that it's hard to look after birds that can't fly or are sick, so hats off to you!

M

[Shirls]

Hello and welcome Anne. What a big heart and what patience you must have, also how brave you are to take these poor soles on. Looking forward to hearing some of your stories.

[babybearthebudgie]

Thank you so much Jellybean and Marianne This seems like a really pleasant, chilled out forum, I just know I will like it here. I shall of course, do my best to avoid being beakered by that boss Budgie! I like his rules anyway, they seem to focus on good manners, kindness, and consideration. Perfect!
Most of my budgies are able to fly, although some are now changing and finding flight more difficult. Some have been grounded from the get-go. I call the grounded ones my 'Flutterlings'  
Aside from the two fully affected PBFD budgies that change the direction of my rescue, I was called one night and asked if I would be willing to take in a little group of 7 budgies. 4 were clearly advanced, 3 seemed ok, but they of course were by then potential carriers who may well go on to develop the full disease. They came from a breeder, who devastatingly decided to continue breeding whilst fully aware there was one PBFD budgie who had come in to the breeding stock. That one was Walter, the dear little thing pictured in my first post. I couldn't say no. Then, a couple of days later, the breeders decided they needed rid of their entire flock, but no-one wanted them. After talking with the breeder, I agreed to adopt the rest of the flock. I was told there was about 19 budgies in total, plus a couple of babies. It was a big step, but I couldn't bear the thought of them being PTS because a sanctuary could not be found, or actually, even worse, going to unsuspecting homes and potentially spreading the virus further and further.
The day the budgies arrived, I just stared at the boxes and tubs in utter dismay, put my face in my hands and sobbed. There were a LOT of babies, a LOT of adults. With the 7 that I first agreed to, this new adoption turned out to be the adoption of 51 affected, or potentially affected carriers. I didn't know how on earth I would manage. But, as you do in even the worst of situations, manage I did. Because no way were those little victims of heartless carelessness being sent back. There were here, and here was exactly where they would stay, for the rest of their precious lives 

[babybearthebudgie]

Thank you Shirls despite the shock of how many turned up that day, these budgies are my world, I adore every feather, every malformed feather, every bald head or bare bottom with all my heart. I know some will only have very short lives, and already I have lost quite a few of the very severely affected ones, but I know that they, and every one that gets called home to their creator, will pass loved, respected, warm, nourished and very, very cared for <3

[OP]

Hello and welcome to our flock. We have two at the top of the pecking order Marianne Marlow who actually owns the website and so kindly donates her time looking after us. She is assisted be the ever watchful Hezz and she is the one that keeps us in order as well as the forum.

What a wonderful life you have had, doing what you enjoy. Giving all these animals a second chance, especially the ones that contracted the PBFD. Many would have thrown the towel in at the discovery of that.

I too would love to hear about your experiences, see the pics and videos. In small doses at a time would be great.

[babybearthebudgie]

Hi and thank you OP. Thank you also for the heads up on who's who. Hopefully I will always come across as courteous and respectful. I fully accept that it would be too much and far too forward for me to 'flood' the forums with pictures and videos, and also somewhat disrespectful. I'm mainly looking forward to reading, learning, picking up tips, and hopefully I will be able to give something back also. I love learning and I love helping where I can, so hopefully I will fit in ok

[starlingqueen]

Welcome and thank you. You are a special person and we are privileged to have you here with us. I know what you do is hard work as I had a little French Moult budgie who came to me via an unscrupulous seller/breeder who told me he was moulting, hence the tatty feathers. Little Titch stayed with me and was such a sweetheart, he couldn't fly so I had to adapt my newly built indoor aviary so he could access all areas. Over the years, as he aged he became less able and I found him one morning on his back on the bottom of the aviary. He was barely alive and had ripped all his feather on his wings trying to right himself by grabbing with his feet. There was blood and a lot of messed up feathers. He was close to death but I nursed him back to health and rehomed him with my little caged bird Echo, who lives in the lounge right next to me.Echo loved Titch and fed him until he was back to health. Titch sadly died a few years later. I still miss the little fellow, he was such a courageous little bird.
I also have a rescued wild bird. A collared dove. We found him on our lawn 3 summers ago. A tiny chick with no feathers, just sitting on the grass all helpless and cold. We couldn't put him back in the tree he had fallen from as it is too tall. I called our vet to ask if they had any baby bird formula and they didn't but said they would put him to sleep if I wanted to take him in, I didn't. I had some chick crumb that I had been feeding to my poorly chicken so I mixed that up with water and fed him. He grew and thrived. I fully intended to release him but he became too imprinted on us and was so friendly with our dog that he wouldn't have survived if we released him. I wasn't sure if we were allowed to keep a wild dove so I contacted DEFRA and they visited us to check out his accommodation. He lives in a large cage in my conservatory and has free flight every evening when my parrots have gone to bed. DEFRA gave us the all clear so now we have a pet Dove named Cookie who thinks he's a hand or foot. He regularly mates with my foot but only if I wear a certain pair of slippers, he pecks them and slaps them with his wings if they are not the right ones, until I change them. He also attacks anyone elses feet or hands that come too close. He's a lovely bird though and it still amazes me that we have a wild dove living in our house.

Well that was long. sorry about that. I look forward to hearing your stories and seeing your beautiful birds.

[Hezz]

A very big and warm welcome to you, Anne, and all the feathered (or not) little friends that you look after. That was one hell of an intro into the world of PBFD! Poor little buds; why do people have to be so disconnected from the welfare of their animals?? Stories like that make my blood boil. But those little mites are with you now and leading the best life that they possibly can. Well done you!

[babybearthebudgie]

Hi StarlingQueen, lovely to meet another rescuer I would love to see a photo of your little FM budgie. Some of mine may be FM rather than PBFD, but sadly because they were all kept together in a small aviary (an unheated aviary so I was told ) all of mine must be classed as PBFD. I too have had collared doves in my sanctuary, both very young babies and older sick or injured adults. Absolutely lovely birds aren't they! I do wish they would learn to make better nests though, they can be a bit lazy over nest building, and then their eggs or babies can end up on the floor. They do their best though  

Hi Hezz, thank you for the warm welcome Yes, it certainly was quite the introduction to PBFD! I did already have 2 little PBFD budgies, so my rescue was by then classed as PBFD, but that particular rescue took the biscuit, what a shock when they all turned up! But, as I've said before, I would not turn the clock back. Even on the day they arrived when I could so easily have sent them all back I wouldn't. The minute they came through my door, they were home and no way were the poor things being evicted. Looking back, I can't really remember how I managed to get my entire home swapped around and produce a decent setup for all the new residents, it's a blur really, but by the early hours of the following morning I'd somehow done it. I will be forever grateful to my friends 'autopilot' and 'JustKeepGoing' lol  
Not quite so grateful for the eleventeen zillion new grey hairs they gave me though

[starlingqueen]

This is my sadly departed Titch.

[OP]

It won't show starlingqueen as it's stored on Photobucket.
I think I got the sad face smiley. Dash it I can't see what I'm typing today.
 

[Marianne Marlow]

It also says your photos are private starlingqueen, or I would have downloaded your photo and reposted it for you

[starlingqueen]

Oh poo. I've got them all on a pen stick somewhere. backed them up when this silly business started.