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Post by OP on Jun 20, 2013 9:29:47 GMT
I'm wondering if Joey is a bit low on Vitamin A? Because of the slightly rough cere and possible bit of staining on the feathers above. What do you others think? BudgiesBuddy, nat, Hezz? If you can get him eating a few veggies, that would be great. He may be fixed on his seed though if he hasn't had other things introduced when very young. They can be persuaded to eat other things if you just keep on and on trying, though it can take a while. Dark leafy greens and orange-colored foods are good like carrot and red peppers. (Not lettuce, it's mainly water and makes their poops sloppy) You can even try a little bit of steamed/cooked and mashed pumpkin or sweet potatoes. If he won't eat shredded carrots, maybe try some fresh carrot juice. All that makes sense, he doesn't entertain anything other than seed and millet. He didn't even bother with millet 'till I held it close to him. I did try some grated carrot in a bowl, but he never went near it. Dark leafy veggies are something I cannot eat myself along with pumkins and the like. Probably from my younger days just after WWll when there wasn't the choice that there is now. However, red peppers, carrots I eat raw as well as peas so he is welcome to have some of mine. Apples I like, which I tried him with. I wedged a small piece in the cage, he just looked at it and went for his seed. I will persevere with the alternatives to seed, along with his seed of course. Thanks to the pictures of good & not so good poop looks like I can report that Joey's looks quite normal. Although I would expect quite a bit more than I seem to have at the bottom of the cage. As I don't have a newspaper around and I don't buy them I have used my clean printer paper. I use a laser printer so even if it was printed on there shouldn't be any problem with toxic inks, unless you say different. Many thanks for your suggestions.
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May 5, 2024 10:49:25 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 20, 2013 9:58:05 GMT
What colour is his leg band? He is a very beautiful bird, or should I say handsome?
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Post by OP on Jun 20, 2013 10:33:10 GMT
That was an adventure getting to see the band, let alone the colour of it. Joey sits on the perch and covers the band with his feathers. So I had to get him to move off his perch and onto another. I did this by putting my hand in the cage and stuck my forefinger out like a perch hoping he just might step onto it, no way. He flew over to the other side of the cage onto the bars. I left my hand in place and slowly moved my had to the perch at the opposite side of the cage and waited with my finger stuck out, surely enough he flew onto the perch and my finger which was in the way. He didn't stay there long before flying back the bars at the opposite end of the cage. However I did get to see the band on his leg and it is blue. The thing I noticed was the was not as frightened as on previous occasions when I put my hand in the cage to refresh his seed bowl. Fingers crossed I may be winning.
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May 5, 2024 10:49:25 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 20, 2013 11:48:01 GMT
That was an adventure getting to see the band, let alone the colour of it. Joey sits on the perch and covers the band with his feathers. So I had to get him to move off his perch and onto another. I did this by putting my hand in the cage and stuck my forefinger out like a perch hoping he just might step onto it, no way. He flew over to the other side of the cage onto the bars. I left my hand in place and slowly moved my had to the perch at the opposite side of the cage and waited with my finger stuck out, surely enough he flew onto the perch and my finger which was in the way. He didn't stay there long before flying back the bars at the opposite end of the cage. However I did get to see the band on his leg and it is blue. The thing I noticed was the was not as frightened as on previous occasions when I put my hand in the cage to refresh his seed bowl. Fingers crossed I may be winning. The Last time the blue band was issued was in 2011 so he could be 2 years old. Next time you try to hand tame him hod a small piece of millet in your hand, he will be more likely to stay on your hand a bit longer to nibble the millet.
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Post by OP on Jun 20, 2013 12:13:59 GMT
If he is 2 years old then I am a bit miffed as I think the pet shop should have told me so. I will still take care of him regardless, but I may be having words at the pet shop. Not knowing anything about budgies, well really forgotten anything I did know, I was relying on the shop being openly honest about such things as his age. I did stipulate that I wanted a cock and the shopkeeper did say that he couldn't determine the gender as it was too young to say. I'm confused now. Thank you Starlingqueen for the info, I didn't mean for confusing me .
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Post by Moogie on Jun 20, 2013 14:38:40 GMT
He was obviously ment for you and even if he is 2 years old then i feel he is sooooo lucky to have found you as most people want babys ,so who knows how long he would have been waiting for a loving home like yours.... not many people want the older animals so they never get rehomed and live an unhappy and unloved life all alone....so maybe (although you should have been told his age) he was your fate....im sure you will both have PLENTY of great years together and just because he isnt a baby doesnt mean he wont end up tame just alot of patience on your behalf and before you know it he will be your best friend xx
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May 5, 2024 10:49:25 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 20, 2013 15:27:16 GMT
Absolutely Moogie. I have seen so many birds in bare cages in pet shops and wondered how long they have and will be there for. More young birds come and go and the older ones sit there lonely and sad. If I didn't control myself i would take them all home and put them in my aviary. Every bird needs a loving home and Joey found a special home with you, his dad.
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Post by OP on Jun 20, 2013 15:36:01 GMT
:'(Oh you all have a way with words. I wasn't in the least bit bothered that Joey wasn't a chick. I most certainly aren't ageist, I'm getting there myself. I will look after Joey, just take things a little slower. Patience I have plenty of these days. Thank you for the kind words.
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Post by nat on Jun 20, 2013 16:16:04 GMT
If he won't take veg, you can buy a vitamin supplement that gos into the drinking water which will boost his vit A
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Post by BudgiesBuddy on Jun 20, 2013 17:18:08 GMT
An adult male.
This is one of the driest budgie ceres I have seen.
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Post by OP on Jun 20, 2013 18:15:13 GMT
An adult male. This is one of the driest budgie ceres I have seen. Excuse me for being stupid but what do you mean dry? How do I rectify the situation? Is it the vitamins he needs? Thank you Nat I will look into the supplement and any other way I can look after his health. I have just been talking to my daughter who has had a couple of budgies for quite some time now, and she suggested putting a minute drop of orange juice in his drinking water. Would this be advantageous?
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May 5, 2024 10:49:25 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 20, 2013 19:07:22 GMT
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Post by skysmum on Jun 20, 2013 19:10:46 GMT
Oh Joey is a lovely boy , and welcome to the forum by the way. I took on a blue ring from a pet shop back in January, they tried to say she was young and even told me she was a he . Thankfully i knew better and pointed out their mistake , i also told them that they should train their staff up a little better, it makes me cross, if they think you dont know they take advantage. Non the more for that little Joey needed a good home and he sure seems to have found one with you . My little Inca wouldn't touch fruit or veg at first but once i put her with my others they showed her how it was done and she loves it now. Keep offering bits every day he will get the hang of it. Mine wont touch anything that has been grated but love chunks put in the bars. Also i don't know what seed you are giving but Trill has lots of good vits and minerals. Good luck with the little chap, he looks fine and will blossom with you im sure, one of mine is almost 12 so hopefully you've got many years ahead together .
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Post by OP on Jun 20, 2013 19:13:21 GMT
Yes to the cuttlefish bone, which I got when I got Joey. He has never touched it. I keep telling him it's good for him but he takes no notice. I'll have look at getting some of that supplement.
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Post by nat on Jun 20, 2013 20:25:27 GMT
Don't worry too much about his cere at the moment. It won't be detrimental to his health immediately and can soon be rectified. He looks very healthy apart from the white dry patches at the bottonm of his cere,but its useful to see early signs of things Many of my older budgies in the aviary are not keen on veg so I supplement the water with vitamins 2 or 3 times a week. If he needs calcium he will use the cuttlebone. Perhaps some fine oyster shell grit as well in a small pot would help. Also an iodine block if you don't yet have one. You could also try getting him onto other foods by adding a few short cut seeding grasses to his cage pegged to the bars and maybe the odd piece of dandylion leaf. Not too big to scare him, but he might see them as something to play with and start to have a nibble I find you kinda have to kid them into being adventurous with food. Make it look like a toy and they go for it, put it in a bowl and they think its poison!
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