Newcomer to this forum

[ukey]

Since it's winterr here, it starts getting dark early, so we take Lucky to another room in the house, cover her and turn off the light, at about 6:30. Then bring her back to the living room around 6:30 in the morning. Should we let her stay up later, or is it just a matter of whatever she gets used to?

[Hezz]

A good 12 hours is right, and of course different parts of the world have differing lengths of day and night as well as twilight. Plus it has to fit in with your routine. A regular routine is probably more important than the actual times and for a hen a slightly long night than day will help with keeping her from thinking Spring and breeding season.

[ukey]

Something I haven't mentioned before, Lucky has a ring on her leg. Does that mean she has been previously owned, or do pet stores put rings on all their birds? What does the ring signify, her age? It has writing on it, but I can't quite read it. Thanks in advance for any replies.

[ffiscool]

The rings are put on by breeders. As far as I am aware they aren't by pet shops. so the breeder could have sold her to a pet shop. there will probably be a number and letters. the colours also change I believe each year, so if you google it, you will be able to find out a bit more that way hopefully about her age etc

[ladybird]

The beginning letters on a closed band are the breeder's code, which is usually three letters. The first number following the letters is the bird's identification number. The next two-digit number is the year in which the bird hatched.

RED….2018
BLACK..2019
DARK GREEN 2020
VIOLET..2021

[ukey]

Thanks so much for that valuable information. Her ring is black so she's a two year old. It checks out what I was told earlier. It makes me wonder how she spent the two years before I bought her. It would explain why she is taking so long to settle down. It's hard to believe that Lucky spent all that time in the cage at the pet store! Anyway she's still our baby and we will persevere in calming her down.

[ladybird]

She is so Lucky! 😉 to have found a lovely Mummy like you and I am sure you will succeed in taming in time. You definitely picked the right name for her 👍🏻

[Hezz]

Just to clarify, rings can differ from breeder to breeder. If a breeder is part of a breeders’ society or for show purposes then the birds must be registered properly with the association. Many what I’ll call back yard breeders, not part of any society will still ring their birds for their own book keeping, and the colour, numbers and letters on the ring will not necessarily mean anything to anyone else but the breeder. Also the information given above is applicable to breeders in the UK, I very much doubt that the US uses the same coding including the colour of rings. I know they are different to what Australian Breeders Assoc use.

[ukey]

Thanks for that update. Regardless, we will continue to shower her with love and affection, with the hope that she will venture from her mirror and start to interact with us.

[ukey]

We bought a Vision cage and had a “fun”time assembling it. Before putting her in the cage we decorated it with various toys that we’d previously bought.
How to transfer her from her cage to the new one without causing any trauma was the problem. We decided to place the cages face to face with a spray millet in
the doorway of new cage to lure her in, but she wasn’t buying it, so I gave her cage a tap from behind to startle her into flying across to the,new cage,, but somehow she
managed to escape an flew into the house! When she landed on the floor I threw a small towel over her the gently picked her up and with a sigh of relief, placed her inside her new home! Of course that traumatized her after all, so we left her to settle.down. Later on we observed her eating and even hopping from one perch to another and seemed to be adjusting to her new environment. Unfortunately the situation has left her a step or two back in accepting me.
A couple of questions regarding the cage, with it being so large. Firstly, what does one do about paper for the floor of the cage and secondly, I used to carry the small one to another room at night and after covering the cage, partly closed the door. If I leave the new Vision in the lounge/dining area, with the TV on, will she be able to sleep if covered it with a large towel? Sorry for the questions, but this is all new to me, (and Lucky), so I want to do the right thing.
Bob

[ffiscool]

Well done on getting her in there, albeit stressy. I can’t help particularly and the floor of that cage, I think it has a grate? I put down paper towel, I know some use newspaper, think it can only be black and white, others will advise.

It just needs you to go back a step too, get her trust back, but you’ll get there. I have the same issue, Max’s cage is not light, but I do move him at night. I’m sure they do sleep through tv and all sorts though.

Could you put it on like a trolley/wheeled table and move it that way?

[Hezz]

Some sort of trolley makes moving the cage really easy; much better than having her in the lounge with someone watching some action thriller or their favourite football team lose yet again.

Any paper works for the floor of the cage bar shiny, glossy magazine paper or sand paper. Newspaper ink, even the coloured stuff, is safe if you live in the western world.

[ukey]

Thanks for the quick replies! I was putting paper towels own in the small cage, but it would take several in the new one. Newspapers had slipped my mind, thanks for reminding me. I'd like to put them on top of the grate to make it easier for her to walk on, I'm assuming that's OK?
On a totally different subject, Lucky has always been pretty quiet, except when she shouts. She hardly ever chatters like most budgies do. What makes budgies shout?
Bob

[Hezz]

She is a hen; hens yell, that’s just what hens do. The inane chatter to all and sundry usually comes from the boys.

[ukey]

That's OK, we still love her!