Mantazilla

While shopping in a Walmart near Sealy TX, following Hurricane Ike (where we had to drive in order to find an open store), I came across a bundle of dried plant called Mantazilla.  It smelled nice, and was in the food section, so I thought I would give it a try for the budgies.  I put a few sprigs in the budgies cage, and they went wild for it, especially Mary ann!

Only after this did I google Mantazilla, and learn that it is also called Chamomille.  Apparently it is used to help budgies who are ill overcome infection.  I don't think Mary Ann is ill, though.  I think she just liked it a lot.

Snack Time

Mary ann is really working on getting as many calories into her self as possible; she is eating pretty much constantly. We put up a snack stick (peanut butter and seeds) and she devoured about one third of it in less than a day: this is a stick that would normally last a couple weeks. She has been in the nest box a lot more today and yesterday than before. Sutcliffe is still having a ball eating eucalyptus, feeding it to her, and hopping about, including in and out of the box. J modified the perch situation so she can more easily get in and out of the box because the one perch we had for the box was not really steady enough, and perhaps, was a disincentive. The biggest factor for breeding, though, I have concluded, is the temperature. As it cools, I think we will have success. I must assure that we put in a lamp on a timer as the days shorten (around sept 21) so they get a good 12 hours of light daily.

Eucalyptus Arrived!

Today eucalyptus arrived from C and B: Three types! We put one branch of each into the cage. As you can see, Sutcliffe explored nervously--Mary ann, who is out of view of the webcam, seemed to simply want to avoid it. This is not unusual for budgies: they usually react to new things with caution, and these are larger then the usual greens they get by several orders of magnitude. We are about to go on a four day trip. Hopefully, that will give the budgies a chance to mate, since, last time, their mating occurred, I believe, while we were out of town. However, we won't be able to document more eucalyptus events to see the complete reaction. It will be interesting to see if they eat it also, while we are gone. I am going to leave these same leaves in the cage.

Stucliffe Eats His Vegetables!

Finally, it rained over the weekend! I picked a lot of greens for all the budgies and they were joyous! Perhaps this rain, plus greens, will induce...breeding, what else! I plan to liberalize food supply and provide many different types of fresh and dried foods, even though Mary Ann is a bit plump, so that the plenty associated with good times to breed is simulated.

Rain, Rain, come Today!

It has been extremely hot (around 100 F yesterday, and 90 well into the night, though cooler, of course, with windchill lol). I worried a bit about the budgies, as noted in earlier posts, but realize they come from Australia, and so should be able to handle, if not enjoy, these hotter temperatures. But what will this do to breeding? In my reading, I found that the drought conditions suppress hormones and breeding. Budgies apparently follow thunderstorms, and flock to places where it has just rained, in order to enjoy the benefits of seed grasses growing. They also really like river eucalyptus, whose trunks and branches are especially favored for nesting holes. (Of note, my brother, who lives in California, sent me some Eucalyptus branches last year, which the budgies devoured when fresh, but was they dried, lost all interest). I am hoping that providing regular showers, and greens daily, will help breeding to take place. But, as I think about Boo's successful hatching, I realize all I did was make sure there was light for 12 hours a day by putting the lamp in the living room on a timer and just leaving them alone.