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Post by barrieshutt on Apr 25, 2012 17:03:53 GMT
Branches I have including this as we are often asked which branches are safe for our budgies. Plants Safe for Birds www.officialbarrieshuttbudgerigars.com/plantssafeforbirds.htmmy preference will always be Willow ,before use the leaves are removed, the branches are washed and then sprayed with F10SC which is an avian disinfectant.
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Post by barrieshutt on Apr 25, 2012 18:40:37 GMT
Banded/Banding Another word for ringing All members of the budgerigar society are supplied with their own number , mine is S3872 , in late December of each year our pre ordered rings arrive . I always place my first order for 100 rings which are numbered from 1 to 100 and include the last two numbers of the coming year, my first ring for 2012 will read 1/S3872/12. Rings are also coloured so at a glance we can tell the year it was born. Chicks are rung between 7 - 10 days www.officialbarrieshuttbudgerigars.com/ringingachick.htm
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Post by barrieshutt on Apr 25, 2012 18:55:43 GMT
Base Colour This is the easy one because we have only two colours in budgerigars,green ones and blue ones. This is true as they are refered to as blues series or green series birds. Start removing,seperating or adding the two colours blue and green and this allows other colours to appear. All budgies fall into one of two basic varieties. Either they have a yellow pigment or they lack a yellow pigment base and are therefore white based. Normally this is easy to tell because the base colour is visible in the mask and between the head and wing markings.(Except the yellow faces). Yellow Based White Based
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Post by barrieshutt on Apr 25, 2012 19:00:56 GMT
Black Face Also called a coal face , can be bred in many colours and is identified by its smudgy black face
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Post by barrieshutt on Apr 26, 2012 5:56:07 GMT
Bloom is the result of the correct Show Preperation All budgerigar exhibitors should be aware of the criteria needed by the bird to win an award and remember that any bird out of condition will be penalized. Condition is essential and is the most important items for a show bird, the bird must be complete in feather and showing the bloom of good health and preparation. Where applicable the bird should have six throat spots the outer two partially hidden by the cheek patches. Once the birds are reaching maturity they along with the adults that will be considered for the show bench are caged up with the sexes separated, clean cages are essential. Preparation is the final act in putting your bird in front of the judge. It is most important to give a good bird a chance, so it is up to you to present it in top condition and help it in its final presentation. A bird that has not had early growing care will never have the conformation which a potential winner must have. The feather needs feeding with the proper proteins, plus fats in moderation. These proteins - given sparingly as a 'treat' - will help give a good wealth and condition of feather. A minimum of ten weeks before the first show all the show team are checked for broken feathers, flights and tails are the most important ones. Be aware that if they are broken and removed with one gentle pull they should fully regrow, this is not always the case though but a chance we take. Removing any feathers broken or split at this time should have our birds in full feather at show time. Over the next few weeks keep a check on any new feathers that should be growing Four weeks before the show we must get our birds into show condition and this means water, clean and warm. I use all wire breeding cages and these are ideal for spraying my birds in, several are placed in a single cage taken into the garden and given a good soaking, I then transfer the cage into a warm greenhouse where they can dry off without the fear of catching a chill.Always spray early in the day,your birds need four hours to dry out completely before roosting for the night. Now the all important preening begins and the birds will be seen transferring oil from the oil gland at the base of the tail and preening their feathers with it. Every two days I continue spraying but the sprays are getting lighter as the feathers tighten. Two weeks before the show a few surplus secondary spots are removed from each bird, only a few at a time. Ten days before the show a decision is made as to which birds will be entered at the show; these will be the full spotted conditioned birds. My work station will have a toothbrush, baby shampoo, salt, tweezers and a junior hacksaw blade laid out ready for use. After removing a few spots each day just gently stroke any pin feathers with the hacksaw blade, this will open them up but do not touch any pin feathers with blood in them or your day will be ruined. Gently squeeze at the bottom any last minute pin feathers with a pair of tweezers and the quill which is only a sheath will slide off. Four days before a show I stop spraying and let the natural bloom appear on the birds feathers, today I also remove all the surplus spots with the exception of one secondary spot under each of the four main spots, these secondary spots are not removed until one day before the show, these are better than nothing if one of the main spots drops out. We are almost done now. Are your show cages clean and ready for the big event, I hope so these are your shop window. The day before the show dip each bird’s tail in boiling water this will straighten it out. And time now for one last check of every bird, can you see any pin feathers or secondary spots that need removing, now is the last chance to do it. I always put one label at a time on my cages and then put the correct bird in before moving on to the next. Good luck at your show
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Post by barrieshutt on Apr 26, 2012 18:04:07 GMT
Blood line
Is something we the individual breeder creates.
I am often asked who's blood line have you got, the answer i give is my own, created over the years by the pairing of selected budgerigars purchased from other exhibtors.
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Post by barrieshutt on Apr 26, 2012 18:09:44 GMT
Body Cell The cell is the basic structural and functional unit of all known living organisms. It is the smallest unit of life that is classified as a living thing, and is often called the building block of life
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Post by barrieshutt on Apr 27, 2012 12:46:01 GMT
Bacteria
Bacteria are a class of tiny organisms that can affect our bird's health; the most common are E-Coli, Strep, Citrobacter and Staph.
Antibiotics are a group of drugs that are primarily used to treat diseases caused by bacteria, for these antibiotics to be effective they must be prescribed by an avian vet who will prescribe the correct drug and dose for your bird after taking a culture test.
Symptoms of diseases caused by bacteria can include droppings that are green or watery.
Ingested bacteria can irritate the bowel and damage the bird's kidneys and liver. Weight loss, vomiting and respiratory signs such as laboured breathing, coughing or sneezing are all signs of a bacteria infection.
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Post by barrieshutt on Apr 27, 2012 13:04:14 GMT
Brown cere A brown cere on a hen is always a good indication of her breeding condition A nut brown cere is her at the peak of breeding condition, lighter brown running into whitey/ blue is a hen out of breeding condition. Brown cere on a cock budgie A brown cere on a cock budgerigar is a sign of a bird with a kidney disease or testicular cancer. Testicular tumours do occur in the avian species. Early diagnosis is the key to successful treatment because these tumours can become very large thereby worsening the prognosis. We know that Testis produce testosterone and without it feminisation can occur. In biology and medicine, feminisation refers to the development in an organism of physical or behavioural characteristics unique to the female of the species. This may represent a normal developmental process, contributing to sexual differentiation. Testosterone is a steroid hormone from the androgen group. In mammals, testosterone is primarily secreted in the testes of males and the ovaries of females, although small amounts are also secreted by the adrenal glands. It is the principal male sex hormone and an anabolic steroid. The cere colour change will occur as Sertoli cell tumours produce high levels of male hormone precursors (feminisation hormones). 2009: New research by Dr. Needs, to be presented at AAV in August has shown great response to many testicular tumours by use of high dose Leuprolide Acetate (Lupron) injections at a specified interval and then monitoring the neoplasia radiographically. Longest survival time so far has been over 3 years in a budgerigar with total resolution of the neoplasia. Do not be running about checking all the cere colours of your budgies as the signs of testicular cancer are normally found in older adult budgies. A hen in breeding condition ? My experience tells me she is just starting to come out of breeding condition.
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Post by barrieshutt on May 1, 2012 7:46:42 GMT
Cuttlefish , wrong it is Cuttle bone Cuttlebone is the internal shell of a cuttlefish who are related to squid and octopus.They have two tentacles and eight arms and when in danger they eject a black ink like fluid.You may notice the ink on the hard part of the bone you are serving to your budgies. Where does our cuttlebone come from you may ask , they are found in oceans all over the world and most set off on a long journey from Asia,especially the Philippines and Taiwan before reaching our retail outlets. Most countries eat cuttlefish and when they are cleaned in preparation for eating the only bone in their body is discarded,washed and then sun bleached ready for export. It provides our birds with a source of calcium and other necessary minerals. It is especially important to breeding hens. The major component of cuttlebone is calcium carbonate (85 percent). This is also the major component in eggshells. The question remains, does my bird need cuttlebone? The answer is yes. Your bird, especially an egg-laying hen, needs calcium. Cuttlebone provides a natural, inexpensive source of calcium carbonate as well as other trace minerals. Most manmade mineral blocks are made from plaster of paris. They also contain whatever the manufacturer decided to add, whether it be food coloring or seed. On the other hand, cuttlebone is a natural product, containing no toxins or contaminants. All birds need calcium, and cuttlebone is as good a source as any.
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Post by barrieshutt on May 2, 2012 9:38:31 GMT
Calcium
Adequate calcium
Supplying adequate calcium to caged birds is a challenge as a bird’s calcium requirements vary wildly throughout a season.
Most caged bird feeds are calcium deficient, many of them severely so!
Different species have different needs, small birds lay proportionally larger eggs than larger birds and small eggs contain proportionally more shell. Thus smaller birds have a greater requirement for calcium than larger birds. This is one reason we see more egg bound small species! For example, a Zebra finch hen will exhaust all the calcium in her skeleton after 5 eggs – she needs to have a constant calcium intake during the laying period to prevent deficiency. Calcium absorption is controlled by a complex interaction of parathyroid hormone, Vitamin D3, calcium binding protein, dietary calcium level, form of the calcium in the diet, amount of fat in the feed, size of the calcium particles, acidity in the gut and strength of the gizzard.,.. whew, no wonder it is difficult!!! During eggshell formation, calcium carbonate is produced and goes to create the egg shell. The amount of calcium in the blood is enough for about 15 minutes of shell formation – for the remaining time (15 – 20 hours) calcium needs to be absorbed from the gut or released from the bones. Apart from Calcium, many feeds we give birds are deficient in various vitamins. D Nutrical (Vetafarm) is a readily absorbed form of calcium in a powder with added vitamins and minerals. This formula has proven very successful in large breeding facilities and Zoos as it is easily given and very concentrated. Calcium constitutes more than a third of the total mineral content of an adult bird. The most prevalent mineral in the body is calcium; it is required in the diet in greater amounts than any other mineral. In the egg laying female, most dietary calcium is used for shell formation. Many foods are deficient in calcium, and requirements are highly variable so supplying adequate calcium is very challenging. Calcium absorption is tightly controlled and several mechanisms exist in the body to regulate calcium uptake. Factors interacting to control calcium absorption include – parathyroid hormone, Vitamin D, calcium binding protein, dietary calcium level, form of the calcium in the diet, amount of fat in the diet, size of the calcium particles, acidity in the gut and strength of the gizzard! No wonder it is difficult! Calcium in plants (often the calcium is bound to oxalate or phytate) is poorly digested. So even though the analysis may show a reasonable calcium level it may not be absorbed. Furthermore, the phytate in the plant may reduce the calcium absorbed from other sources. During egg shell formation calcium carbonate is produced and goes to create the egg shell. The amount of calcium in the blood of the bird is enough for about 15 minutes of shell formation – for the remaining time (15 – 20 hours) calcium needs to be absorbed from the gut or released form the bones. Small birds lay proportionally larger eggs than large birds, and small eggs have proportionally more shell. Thus the calcium requirement of small birds is greater than that of larger birds.
Calcium for Breeding
Every bird keeper knows they must supply calcium to their birds because seed diets are deficient. There are no arguments that birds don’t require some form of supplementation of their diet. Where the differences of opinion occur is in what supplement to use- is it cuttlefish bone, shell grit, oyster shell, calcium carbonate or liquid calcium sources. Calcium was first recognised as a critical mineral for birds back in 1842. We have had 165 years to work out what is the best way to prevent calcium deficiencies in our birds, yet we still can’t agree!
In our vet clinics we still see many birds presented with symptoms of calcium deficiency that are related to their diet. The most commonly seen condition is fledglings with deformed or fractured legs, wings or skulls. These young are the proof that the diet available to their parents is calcium deficient – why do we do this? Egg bound hens are another sign that the calcium supply may be a problem. There is a great variation in the requirement for calcium throughout the life of a bird. Beginning as a chick where they need about 1% of their diet, dropping to around 0.3% of the diet as a non breeding adult and then skyrocketing through the egg laying cycle of a hen. To accurately deliver the day by day requirement is impossible, so what do we do? Luckily nature has an answer – and that is “some”. The bird has evolved to take calcium on board when available, to store it in the bones for future use and to prevent uptake when the diet is in excess. But it all relies on there being “some” calcium in the diet.
To ensure a constant source of calcium it is best to give the bird access to a range of things that supply calcium: D-Nutrical – used as a powder that is dusted over soaked seed, fruits and vegetables. The unique mixture of types of calcium allows for much better absorption than just calcium carbonate. Simply put the powder in a flour shaker and lightly dust any damp foods. It is not suitable to add to seed or put in the water. Calcivet – a formulation of liquid calcium where the calcium is bound to a type of sugar. The liquid will mix in water and can also be given via a crop needle if necessary.
True Grit – contains crushed oyster shell that is coated with a vitamin and mineral supplement. The easily utilised oyster shell and the extra vitamins in True Grit are another way of adding nutrients to the diet. True Grit is put in a grit container for the birds to eat as they choose. Cuttlefish bone is a traditional calcium source used widely. Birds love to chew the cuttlefish but how much they actually consume is questionable. In line with the concept of “some”, you can supply cuttlefish when it is available. Remember that it is the small birds that require the most calcium in relation to their body weight. Small hens (budgies, finches, canaries) have proportionally larger eggs than large birds (cockatoos), so require a greater calcium intake. A finch hen, for example, will completely exhaust all the calcium in her skeleton in laying only 5 eggs – therefore she must have a constant calcium intake during egg laying. Don’t rely on one source of calcium – give the birds access to a number of sources and don’t get too concerned about actual dose rates – “some” is good! many thanks to Vetafarm Australia for this article.
©2006 barrieshuttbudgerigars S3872.
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Post by barrieshutt on May 6, 2012 8:19:43 GMT
Cinnamon All the markings on a cinnamon are brown, the long tail feathers are lighter than Normals and have a cinnamon brown coloured shaft running down the centre. The body colour is 50% lighter than a normal budgerigar, feet and legs are pink , cheek patches are violet. The eyes of the newly-hatched Cinnamon are not black like the eyes of Normals, but deep plum-coloured. This colour can be seen through the skin before the eyes open , and immediately after opening a reddish-brown gleam can be seen. A few days later the eye darkens and is then barely distinguishable from the that of a Normal chick. A normal cock with black markings Two cinnamons showing the brown markings
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Post by barrieshutt on May 9, 2012 6:51:47 GMT
Cere The cere / nostrils of a budgerigar which are often the subject of discussion when we need to sex our birds. We will discuss sexing by cere later in the thread. We must also be aware that this will be the area where scaly face can strike, again we will discuss this later. Often our birds ceres appear flaky and dull , in this instance i use a cotton wool bud and apply a thin smear of baby oil to the area.
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Post by barrieshutt on May 9, 2012 6:55:25 GMT
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Post by barrieshutt on May 23, 2012 7:02:14 GMT
Cull or Culling
This is a reference used when we the breeders sort out our birds into keepers and sellers, the culled ones are the sellers.
Confused. These are the people that assume Cull means to kill.
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