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Post by Hezz on Sept 8, 2013 1:30:42 GMT
For someone very new to birds, nettles, I think you are very clear, and doing amazingly well. Any new progress with Madam Marge?
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Post by nettles on Sept 8, 2013 2:36:43 GMT
Aww thank you I'm chuffed that you think that! Not much change with the finger training but Madam Marge has been so well behaved for a full week now! She fell asleep earlier while my finger was on the perch beside her which I took as great trust on her part She has even let Melman sit beside her (but no touching!! lol) and now that he uses the other food bowl, she leaves him alone to eat in peace. If anything, he seems to be teasing her now! I think he misses the "chase" I have no idea why, but she's been a completely different birdie since her first little walk about in the bathroom. She still won't fly, and it doesn't look like she has any intention of trying either. She's just quite happy walking up and down the edge of the bath talking to herself
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Post by OP on Sept 8, 2013 6:17:53 GMT
I'm sure Marge will fly when the need arises. It must be energy consuming that flying thing A bit like us really, it's nice and easy to walk (for some of us), but it is energy expending to run.
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Post by nettles on Sept 8, 2013 9:36:16 GMT
I never thought of it that way OP It's been a looooong time since I last ran anywhere! I like to conserve my energy for important things like opening packets of biscuits or reaching for the remote control lol. On a serious note, I am beginning to worry about her a wee bit. She doesn't fly in the cage either.. She hops from perch to perch whereas Melman will fly from one side to the other. She also climbs the bars rather than fly from the bottom of the cage up to her perch like Melman does. It's also not that she attempts it and fails, she just doesn't even try!
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Post by Hezz on Sept 8, 2013 9:52:17 GMT
Has she ever tried, to your knowledge? She may be one who just can't for whatever reason. The biggest problem with a non-flyer is over-weight, which means restricting her access to seed sticks or anything like it, and building her diet more towards fresh veggies and less seed. From your avatar she doesn't look fat, but ..... it is still a good thing to restrict her access to fatty things. Once you and Marge get to have a goodly amount of trust happening, you can try to get her flying ...... you will probably spend a good deal of your time picking her up off the floor, though. She may have problems or it may simply be that her muscles need strengthening to keep her in the air.
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Post by ffiscool on Sept 8, 2013 11:04:07 GMT
I am sure Marge will fly in her own time. Maybe now she has changed, and discovered how nice to be out, she is thinking about it all
Bailey never flies in the cage and occasionally in the lounge. The rest of he climbs up the cage.
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Post by starrymist on Sept 8, 2013 18:25:54 GMT
My brain doesn't always work so well & I get muddled about who's who & where they're at with their birdies (for some reason I find the whole username thing harder! I'm Amy btw!). As for flying, maybe it's a confidence thing too? Or maybe she's just lazy & chooses not to? Misty wasn't keen on flying although I made him do a lap or 2 of the room every day, he learnt the command to fly although if he *really* didn't want to & i still made him, he'd dive bomb me squawking loudly just so I got the message, I didn't mind as at least it meant he was flying!
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Post by OP on Sept 8, 2013 18:37:07 GMT
I now have pictures of budgies dive bombing their respective owners. Not a pretty sight one might say, Blimey Nettles is already afraid she might get bitten, now she might get dive bombed as well. Amy; my brain just doesn't work too well. There's no more to say on that.
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Post by ffiscool on Sept 8, 2013 18:59:14 GMT
Bailey would like to be dive bombing, I reckon. Would mean he could aim when he flew, lol
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Post by starrymist on Sept 8, 2013 19:11:24 GMT
Dive bombing budgies are a bit startling even if you're expecting it! Lets just say, Misty was definitely not a bird who would help anyone get over a phobia of birds!
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Post by nettles on Sept 9, 2013 0:21:53 GMT
Hezz, when we first got them for my mum, she escaped in our kitchen during the transfer from travel box to cage. She could certainly fly then.. and quite well in fact! But that was 9 months ago! I remember it very clearly coz while my OH was trying to get her back to the cage, I was lying flat on the kitchen floor, terrified, with a tea towel over my head lol Oh how times have changed! I don't think she's fat.. compared to pics of other buds on here, I was actually thinking they both look at bit scrawny? Maybe she's just forgotten
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Post by nettles on Sept 9, 2013 0:24:45 GMT
ffiscool You could be right! She's maybe just pondering the whole thing.. I feel better though that B can still fly.. but just chooses to to not do it very often! Maybe Marge feels the same
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Post by nettles on Sept 9, 2013 0:34:10 GMT
starrymist I have the same brain problem I'm Annette btw! It could be both confidence and laziness with Marge.. I still feel like I'm getting to know them both (we've only had them with us for 8weeks) so anything is a possibility. How did you get Misty to do laps? Apart from flapping my arms while moving round the room, I'm out of ideas don't get me wrong, I'd do that if I had to lol Now, more importantly.. THEY.. CAN.. DIVE.. BOMB.. Yikes!!!
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Post by nettles on Sept 9, 2013 0:35:52 GMT
OP You are so right!!!! Dive bombing, biting budgies! What have I let myself in for lol.
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Post by Hezz on Sept 9, 2013 0:37:13 GMT
Sorry, Nettles, just had to laugh out loud at the image of you on the floor, like something out of a B-grade war movie, with a kamikaze budgie diving at you!!! Marge may have lost the urge to fly, but I doubt she would have forgotten in 9 months. She may need to work on her muscles though. I do the same as Amy did with her Misty, and launch Smudge off into the world of flight if the others are zooming around and she has only done a couple of laps. She used to scream and protest the whole way, as though to make sure everyone knew that she was exercising! She seems a bit better at it now. Sparky is the one in my house who parts your hair on the way past - not because he is clumsy; in fact just the opposite. I am sure he is working on getting his margin for error down to zilch!
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