Post by criswell on Dec 30, 2020 0:00:18 GMT
I'd like a bit of advice. Dean Stockwell, the tiniest of my budgies, is making a bit of a nuisance of himself. There is some strife going on between him and Dexter.
Dexter and Dean Stockwell are not best friends but they generally get on well. Dexter is always very full of himself in the mornings and he does some beak bashing with Randolph Carter and tries to with Dean Stockwell but this usually means Dean Stockwell falls off the perch as he can't balance the best without a tail. Then Dexter comes out to fly about, visits his peacock then settles down and they get on with their day. Dean Stockwell usually spends much of his time talking to his bells but does also like to take his naps with Randolph Carter while Dexter sits nearby and sings. They did that this afternoon and it was very cute.
Sometimes Dean Stockwell is a total pest and he will chase Dexter around the cage, and occasionally he chases Dexter and Randolph Carter out of the cage but he hasn't done that recently. A week ago Dexter and Dean Stockwell had a bit of a fight. I didn't see exactly what happened but jumped up to see what was going on when they started screeching at each other. Dexter had Dean Stockwell cornered but they separated when I went over to the cage. They've all been getting on really well since then and singing and playing together nicely, especially Dexter and Randolph Carter. They've all seemed very contented and I was really pleased about how well they were getting on.
But something seems to have happened when we were out of the room this evening. We came back in to watch TV with them about 8.30pm and Dexter was looking quite dejected. He was sitting on a perch on the outside of the cage holding his wings up, one more than the other, and vibrating them, while Randolph Carter was sitting in the doorway nearest to him and singing. Dean Stockwell was very full of himself and singing his head off in the cage. Dexter climbed up on a taxi stick and we had a little chat and then he went back in the cage and Dean Stockwell started chasing him about. When Dexter went up on a swing Dean Stockwell even climbed up the bars and was trying to chase him off the swing. When Dexter came down off the swing Randolph Carter joined in with the chasing so Dexter came out again and then Randolph Carter came out into the doorway again. I kept a very close eye on them for the rest of the evening and Dexter relaxed a bit more but he was still holding his wings up now and then. It may be that Dexter isn't feeling well rather than them having had a disagreement but he seemed quite bright and alert apart from the odd behaviour and he was chirpy and happy all day, and I've not noticed anything to make me worry about him being unwell before tonight. But I will see how he is tomorrow and if he still isn't himself I will take him to the vets.
At bedtime Dean Stockwell was first up on to his swing and then Randolph Carter. Then Dexter jumped up on the perch next to Dean Stockwell's swing and they started squabbling and pecking at each other before Dexter went off to his own swing. They all settled down nicely to crunch their seeds and Dexter was very relaxed, not holding his wings up.
So I'm not really sure what is going on or what happened, or what I should do for the best.
Dean Stockwell is obsessed with bells and he has a liberty bell on the outside of the cage that he spends a lot of time talking to. It's helped with his feather growth as it distracts him from preening all the time. There is tube bell in the cage which he also talks to but he doesn't like that one so much. Before Christmas I put another liberty bell inside the cage, so maybe that has caused the trouble. I will take it out tomorrow.
I'm obviously worried about them not getting on well and don't know what I should do for the best. I don't want anyone to get hurt. Do you think it would be better to separate them?
I do plan to have a reshuffle of furniture in the lounge in the New Year. We're swapping one of the sofas for 2 armchairs and I'm hoping to make s little outside play area that is safe for Dean Stockwell who can't fly. It's hard to change anything in the cage as they are all so frightened of anything new.