Budgie Disaster

Hi Woo,

Thats so sad and so unusual.

Can only think that it was a very small aviary that enabled the rat to climb up and get easy access to them; more likely most of them died of shock /terror as the rat ran riot around them.

Used to help my Dad breed budgies when I was a youngster and know how attached you can get to them.

Be a shame if your friends stop breeding them, perhaps in the new year they will think again ..

 

Oh my,on my!!! That is so very sad @wiseowl , what a distressing experience for your poor friends. That gruesome scene will be forever embedded in their minds I should imagine.

and condolences to your friends .

 

Saw a cat in the cemetery the other day, it's always there and wanders around makes lots of friends.
Just as I was leaving I saw it laying on the ground eating, at first thought it was eating a mushroom, when I got closer I could see it was a sparrow.

Sad but that's what wild things do.

Really think it's sad to give up, better to learn by the mistake.

 

I'm glad he got the rat and I hope he jumps back into such a lovely hobby. The blue fellows are my favourite of those poor dead beings.

I didn't know rats lived in hay bales but my experience is limited to catching or shooting them on hard surfaces - deck, railings etc.

 

Oh, that's so sad Woo.

 

Once I lost all my finches and canaries due to rats. I had a planted aviary and the rats dug huge holes under the boarded back and the birds escaped. After several weeks, I noticed my bullfinch trying to get back in through the wire mess roof. I set a trap cage, which he entered and perched up. He was in such good health. Later I boarded the aviary out and made it a bird room. Then kept my canaries and budgies in cages.
I used to buy my seed in bulk from Haithes. Having run out, I purchased some from the local corn shop. Chattin g with the owner, I noticed some mice in the seed bin. He laughed, I didn't when later I found some of my canaries dead. Mouse pee on the seed is deadly to birds. Later still, each day I would find yet another dead canary. Eventually I found the culprit/s. Behind the cages, some spiders had set up home. In time I learned that spiders secrete basicall a pee-like substance that will poison seed and thus kill the birds. Looking at natures birdworld. There are very few birds that will eat spiders.

 

Oh yes @CanadianLori they certainly do lurk inside hay bales. Had a horrid experience myself of this many years ago when we had our rabbit. One bale we had for future use was place in a cupboard ( to keep it from such things...joke!) ,later I noticed loads of flies flying around close by...stupidly I didn't put two and two together. One night it was dark and I was late cleaning out the rabbit, so I set about the task and retrieved the new 'fresh' bale from its storage place. In rapidly dimming light levels I put my hand to break up the hay......and pulled out a half decomposed large rat .....!!!!! Over 20yrs later I can still smell it and....feel it in my hand!!! I think everyone must have heard my scream that night!!

 

Oh that's so sad @wiseowl about your friend, hope that he'll keep on with it.

 

We lost all our Quail in a similar manner. It is very hard to begin again. We never did.

 

Sorry to hear.
I hope you friend goes back to the hobby, even if he has a break from it.

Reminds me of my own personal experience.
Winter of 2010. 3/4 of my subtropical plantings got wiped out. Even though they were fleeced. Tree ferns, palms and various other shrubs and plants. -14*C for 2 nights and nothing over 0*C for 2 weeks was just too much.
I didn't bother with my garden for nearly 2 years. But eventually my love for gardening re-ignited and I started with it again