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  • BABY HAND-REARED BIRDS
    Posted by Norma on Tuesday 27th November 2012 at 11:38:53
      - 1 comment on this post - most recent Thursday 13th December 2012 at 18:12:12
  • MY NEW BUDGIE BREEDING CAGES
    Posted by Norma on Sunday 28th October 2012 at 14:05:54
      - 1 comment on this post - most recent Tuesday 26th March 2013 at 20:55:09
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Budgerigars, what can I say?

Posted by Norma on Friday 3rd February 2012 at 14:14:53

People contact me about purchasing a bird for their child or children.
I have also been asked about an African Grey for a small child.
I DO NOT BREED AFRICAN GREYS AT PRESENT.
Hello! Not a suitable bird for a small child. One bite could severely injure a small child.
Rather start with a Budgerigar or a Cockatiel. Then as the child matures and is used to handling a bird, one can try a bigger bird.
PLEASE PARENTS, DO YOUR HOMEWORK.
 
I am not about to write about the care, diet or where they originate from, this can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budgerigar or elsewhere on the internet. There are a lot of websites that one can find about Budgerigars.
 
I will write to tell you about my experience with Budgie’s which started when I was a child.
I first came into contact with budgies when as a child of 7 years my parents bought me my first Budgie. He or I should say she, (at first we were told was a male) was named Joey.
She was a beautiful shade of blue. Being a female she was a little shy and did not interact with me like her brother that was with my aunt, who, when I visited would play with me with its toys.
 
My next Budgie’s were 2 white albino birds with red eyes. I had the male first which I bought with my own money. He really bonded with me and would sit on the dinner table at the side of my plate, stealing titbits. He also used to love to play with his little ball, dropping it from the table and expecting me to pick it up. He would sit on my shoulder when I was reading a book, or try and nibble my comics to get attention. After about 3 months my parents bought me my next budgie, another albino, who turned out to be a female.
 
I now have 18 Budgerigars, 7 females, 7 males and 4 young ones that their sex is still to be determined. Some are blue, white, green and 1 yellow, with the others that are a mixture of colours.

 
   
 One in particular is named Corky, a beautiful pale blue.

 

I hand-reared him from when he was only a few days old, as his mother had died.

 
                        CORKY                                                                                   QUEENIE

He, although is in the large aviary with his mate “Queenie” and the other budgies, is still very tame. He likes to come and sit on my shoulder, or play with my glasses.


 
Because of Corky the other wild male Budgies have learned to trust me. Sometimes I have most of them trying to land on me. That is if Corky doesn’t get jealous and chase them.
On the other hand, the females are shy, and never come near me but like to sit on the higher perches. Even the hand-reared females.
 
When I sell a hand-reared Budgie to the parents of a child, or even to an adult who wants it for their own. I tell them that they must allow the bird to get used to them. That they must start by placing their hand in the cage and to allow the budgie to come to them first, either by enticing it with a titbit. This can sometimes take up to a day or two, as the bird will be strange to its new surroundings and to its new family (flock).
One can also not tell the sex at such a young age, as the cere which sits above the beak is a pale pink colour. It will only change to blue for a male, and brown for a female when it reaches 4 to 6 months.
What I have found in a baby budgie is the male is more confident and a female is a little shy.
So sex cannot be guaranteed when the budgie is picked up by the new owners.

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