Jun 14, 2014 0:52:57 GMT
plecostrum
Brand New Budgie
Posts: 11 
|
Post by plecostrum on Jun 18, 2014 21:38:41 GMT
Great read thru .. Haven't found anything he wants to eat from my hand yet. Any more tit bits I can try ?
|
|
Jul 4, 2014 22:30:02 GMT
Wolfee
Brand New Budgie
Posts: 2
|
Post by Wolfee on Jul 6, 2014 3:32:12 GMT
This is SO helpful, thank you!
|
|
Sept 13, 2014 21:18:22 GMT
reyswoman
Brand New Budgie
Cadenia and Rosette chillin' at home!!
Posts: 92
|
Post by reyswoman on Sept 16, 2014 0:22:30 GMT
Hi soph, I was wondering what you would suggest for older birds? I got mine from a man who got them from a pet shop. They are about six months old I believe. I am having problems with mostly the female. She was sick when I got her and when I give her meds to her she bites hard enough to break skin. I don't want to scare her, but she needs to learn not to bite. Is it ok to touch her beak? And say no firmly.? Or would positive reinforcement work better? Please help!!
|
|
|
|
Post by Hezz on Sept 16, 2014 1:02:36 GMT
Hi soph, I was wondering what you would suggest for older birds? I got mine from a man who got them from a pet shop. They are about six months old I believe. I am having problems with mostly the female. She was sick when I got her and when I give her meds to her she bites hard enough to break skin. I don't want to scare her, but she needs to learn not to bite. Is it ok to touch her beak? And say no firmly.? Or would positive reinforcement work better? Please help!! It is fine to touch her beak - watch them interact with each other; they can give each other a right bop and call it affection.  A biting hen can take a lot of persistence to get to a level where you are both able to coexist.  Use the word no if you want to, but if she is as bad as you are saying by the time you say no she will be gone, or will have bitten again. I use a short, sharp "ach" sort of noise, the same as you would use for a child or dog to pull them up immediately. It is more in keeping with the sound they make to each other when they aren't happy with the other, as well. For me it has worked better than no. Every time you approach her be prepared for the bite - you will know, you can see it coming - and it is up to you to get in first. A short and sharp ah, ah and a soft bop on the beak every time. If you are slow and she still gets one in, approach her with your finger again, giving the stop biting command as soon as she lunges or opens her beak, raising the finger over her head so she is having to look up to attack it, and when she stops trying to bite, gently touch her beak if you can without her having another snap, and give lots of praise and encouragement. You may need to do this 10, 20 times a day before you see any improvement and it could still take a good 12 months before she is manageable. I don't say cured, because in my opinion and experience, she will occasionally revert to type and dig in. If she is anything like my nipper she will then immediately fly off, knowing she has slipped up. Of course use positive reinforcement as well, each and every time you interact with her without a bite happening. A small piece of millet in your fingers will give her something else to think about using her beak on, and make sure they both have plenty of things to chew and destroy generally. |
|
Sept 13, 2014 21:18:22 GMT
reyswoman
Brand New Budgie
Cadenia and Rosette chillin' at home!!
Posts: 92
|
Post by reyswoman on Sept 16, 2014 4:54:41 GMT
I hung a huge chew toy in their cage yesterday and they seem to be better with the towel shredding. Unfortunately like you say I think she will take a bit to stop. I did tap her nose this evening and talk softly about how she was a good girl when she immediately calmed down. I held her still and talked a few before tilting slightly to put her drop in her eye and then she got me again! I think she will be a mule of a bird! Good thing I like a challenge and big personalities! She must be feeling better too because she isn't letting Caden push her as much as she was and I think she will own the cage if he keeps pestering her!
|
|
|
|
Post by Hezz on Sept 17, 2014 0:07:47 GMT
They are often wary of new things so don't expect them to start chewing away simply because you know it is a chew toy. They can take weeks before venturing near something new, once they are perfectly sure it is not going to jump out and eat them! And some will never take to a swing or whatever it may be that you have just spent your hard-earned $$$$'s on. Also don't blame her for biting you when you are holding her. What else is she supposed to do to try to get away? Very few actually like being held; some will tolerate it more than others, but I don't know one that has actually enjoyed it. |
|
Sept 13, 2014 21:18:22 GMT
reyswoman
Brand New Budgie
Cadenia and Rosette chillin' at home!!
Posts: 92
|
Post by reyswoman on Sept 18, 2014 2:43:08 GMT
I am working hard to not scare her or the others, the others go quite mad when I open the cage!! I think the pet shop has traumatized them a bit and they may never be comfortable with me being in the cage, but I hope they will at least get used to it and not panick and fly into the bars. The new birds( yet unnamed!!) I am trying to give a week before I mess with them too much they are too panicky at the moment. When they get used to my hand in the cage for cleaning I will step it up a bit til they are at least not as afraid. Rosette I feel bad for as I could not build a bond and a little trust before I started handling her, but Caden is finally starting to eat from my fingers ( though he still runs away when I don't have food!). The chicks I have started handling already as I hope to hand tame them before they get too wild to bond well with. I have found that if I let my hair down and allow them to hide in my hair they don't "panic" chirp. I am not sure how good that is about the hair, but I check their feet and beaks to make sure they don't have any hairs wrapped anywhere before I put them back. Is there anything I need to know about raising chics that is super- important? Thanks again for all the guidance! You all are life savers!
|
|
Sept 26, 2014 14:10:20 GMT
featherbrain
Brand New Budgie
Posts: 3
|
Post by featherbrain on Sept 26, 2014 14:16:24 GMT
Hi everyone,
I'm new here.. Have just got a budgie for the first time (our family had them when I was a kid, but I didn't have much to do with caring for them back then).
My new little buddy is called Geoffrey, he's been with me 2 days and he's very nervous at the moment, and I think he's older than the breeder insisted he was. I think I have my work cut out! But I am persevering. Thanks for the great post about taming, Bonesy, I am going to follow your plan.
Wish me luck!
Jen.
|
|
|
|
Post by OP on Sept 26, 2014 14:52:03 GMT
Welcome Featherbrain and good luck.
|
|
|
|
Post by stace on Sept 27, 2014 4:07:18 GMT
Hi everyone, I'm new here.. Have just got a budgie for the first time (our family had them when I was a kid, but I didn't have much to do with caring for them back then). My new little buddy is called Geoffrey, he's been with me 2 days and he's very nervous at the moment, and I think he's older than the breeder insisted he was. I think I have my work cut out! But I am persevering. Thanks for the great post about taming, Bonesy, I am going to follow your plan. Wish me luck! Jen. Two days is such a very short time. Patience is your best friend when it comes to these little birds. You'll probably need a lot of it, but eventually you'll be rewarded many times over. Just take things slowly, slowly. |
|
Sept 26, 2014 14:10:20 GMT
featherbrain
Brand New Budgie
Posts: 3
|
Post by featherbrain on Sept 28, 2014 18:55:07 GMT
Thanks Stace I know it's very early days, and I'm taking things very slowly with him. I'm not pressuring him with anything, just hanging out near the cage and talking to him gently. He likes music on too, and seems to be accepting all the new noises of living in a house. He's calmed down so much already and seems to be starting to be interested in what I'm doing, which is cool. But as you say, slowly s l o w l y Love him to bits already. Thanks for the advice, this forum is really great for beginners like me. And Stace, the budgie in your profile pic looks just like Geoffrey! Can you tell me if there is a name for the type/colour of budgie we have? Jen. |
|
|
|
Post by BudgiesBuddy on Oct 1, 2014 2:57:07 GMT
stace will be back with answer, but which budgie are you referring to for the type, featherbrain
|
|
Sept 26, 2014 14:10:20 GMT
featherbrain
Brand New Budgie
Posts: 3
|
Post by featherbrain on Oct 1, 2014 16:23:13 GMT
Hi BudgiesBuddy, I meant the beautiful blue/yellow face boy in Stace's avatar picture, the one who looks like he's about to flap his wings a bit My budgie, Geoffrey, has very similar colour markings, although they don't show up well in my avatar picture. Geofrey has a yellow cap/face, blue/turquoise chest, and grey/white wing bars. And no tail currently! |
|
|
|
Post by stace on Oct 2, 2014 3:12:28 GMT
And Stace, the budgie in your profile pic looks just like Geoffrey! Can you tell me if there is a name for the type/colour of budgie we have? Jen. Sorry featherbrain. I've not had time to visit the forum much of late. I believe my Boo is a Double Factor Goldenface, at least that's what I've been told. He's like a yellow face, but a lot brighter, with the yellow seeping into his body making the top half a kind of blue-green, while the bottom half remains bright blue. |
|
|
|
Post by BudgiesBuddy on Oct 3, 2014 13:20:32 GMT
Hi BudgiesBuddy, I meant the beautiful blue/yellow face boy in Stace's avatar picture, the one who looks like he's about to flap his wings a bit My budgie, Geoffrey, has very similar colour markings, although they don't show up well in my avatar picture. Geofrey has a yellow cap/face, blue/turquoise chest, and grey/white wing bars. And no tail currently! Geoffrey is beautiful Natural light picture would help though. |
|
Use the word no if you want to, but if she is as bad as you are saying by the time you say no she will be gone, or will have bitten again. I use a short, sharp "ach" sort of noise, the same as you would use for a child or dog to pull them up immediately. It is more in keeping with the sound they make to each other when they aren't happy with the other, as well. For me it has worked better than no. Every time you approach her be prepared for the bite - you will know, you can see it coming - and it is up to you to get in first. A short and sharp ah, ah and a soft bop on the beak every time. If you are slow and she still gets one in, approach her with your finger again, giving the stop biting command as soon as she lunges or opens her beak, raising the finger over her head so she is having to look up to attack it, and when she stops trying to bite, gently touch her beak if you can without her having another snap, and give lots of praise and encouragement. You may need to do this 10, 20 times a day before you see any improvement and it could still take a good 12 months before she is manageable. I don't say cured, because in my opinion and experience, she will occasionally revert to type and dig in. If she is anything like my nipper she will then immediately fly off, knowing she has slipped up.
