Post by tweetiepiesmom on Jul 30, 2022 16:58:35 GMT
First let me remind you of Tweetie Pie and Buddy's history. Both boys are about 3 years old. I got Tweetie Pie when he was around 4 months old from a large pet store chain. I'm convinced he was from a large aviary that just bred birds to be sold. He was so frightened of everything! A large truck would drive by and I'd find him clutching to the cage bars in terror - he didn't understand that loud noise. Very slowly he started getting used to his new home and started to sing and play with his toys but he wouldn't eat anything except seeds. He would still get scared of anything new. After having him for four months, I decided that he was a bird who needed another bird.
I then heard about Buddy who needed a forever home. He was part of a clutch along with his mom and dad who were abandoned by the owner. A woman came along and adopted them. She separated the hen and her mate and the eggs because the hen was in very poor condition. She incubated the eggs and raised the chicks. When Buddy was old enough, she looked for a home for him. I was thrilled because he was so tame and ate everything. I brought him home.
At the end of quarantine, I put Buddy and Tweetie Pie together. They were best friends immediately – preening each other, kissing, eating from the same bowl and perching side by side. Where one went, the other followed. They pretty much ignored me although I continued to try to interact with them.
At the end of the honeymoon period, Buddy began to pay more attention to me. They stopped eating together from the same bowl. Tweetie Pie would go the bowl and nip at Buddy if he came, so I started putting in two bowls. Tweetie Pie became the more dominant of the two and demanded that Buddy preen him but he didn’t preen him back. When I put a treat in the cage, Tweetie Pie would eat first, chasing Buddy away and then he’d let Buddy have some. It was about that time that I noticed Tweetie Pie vomiting. I took him to the vet who said Tweetie Pie had AGY. During the 30 days that he needed medicine, I kept him in the hospital cage and left Buddy in the big cage. The two cages were next to each other. Tweetie Pie spent all day climbing the bags, plucking them and trying to get to Buddy. However, Buddy was his normal self – chirping and playing, although he’d watch Tweetie Pie. When I put them back together, they were inseparable for a day before they went back to the way they were.
Tweetie Pie has continued to vomit but his weight has been rock solid at 30 gms.
I have trained them when they come out, they must get on my arm to be carried over to the food dish which is large enough that they both can stand on it. Both do it but Tweetie Pie lets Buddy go first and he mostly does a ‘touch and go’ but he knows I won’t let him bypass my arm.
Tweetie Pie is less active, napping a lot throughout the day and he doesn’t play or chirp much. In Feb, both boys went to a new vet. The new vet said Tweetie Pie doesn’t have AGY but most likely over stuffs his crop and then vomits. She said both boys have good musculature and were healthy weights. In the meantime, Buddy has been coming out, perching on my arm and kissing my thumbnail. Tweetie Pie only comes and sits a few seconds on my head if he wants food. Before Buddy comes to me, he looks at Tweetie Pie and comes if Tweetie Pie doesn’t react.
Tweetie Pie continues to nap a lot, not chirp much and vomit. This week’s webinar was “Ask the Vet” so I gave him some information and asked if Tweetie Pie was sick. He thinks it is a behavioral issue!
So here (finally!) is what I want your opinion on. Someone has a female budgie that she wants to rehome, optimally to someone who has owned budgies before. The little hen is about 3 yrs old and has been the lone budgie in the household. She got the hen when she was very young and she says the hen is tame. If I bring her in to add to my flock, do you think it will work? What issues might arise? If they pair up, should I put 2 in one cage and the third in another cage nearby? Should I take the hen in or forget it?
All opinions needed and thanks for reading this.
I then heard about Buddy who needed a forever home. He was part of a clutch along with his mom and dad who were abandoned by the owner. A woman came along and adopted them. She separated the hen and her mate and the eggs because the hen was in very poor condition. She incubated the eggs and raised the chicks. When Buddy was old enough, she looked for a home for him. I was thrilled because he was so tame and ate everything. I brought him home.
At the end of quarantine, I put Buddy and Tweetie Pie together. They were best friends immediately – preening each other, kissing, eating from the same bowl and perching side by side. Where one went, the other followed. They pretty much ignored me although I continued to try to interact with them.
At the end of the honeymoon period, Buddy began to pay more attention to me. They stopped eating together from the same bowl. Tweetie Pie would go the bowl and nip at Buddy if he came, so I started putting in two bowls. Tweetie Pie became the more dominant of the two and demanded that Buddy preen him but he didn’t preen him back. When I put a treat in the cage, Tweetie Pie would eat first, chasing Buddy away and then he’d let Buddy have some. It was about that time that I noticed Tweetie Pie vomiting. I took him to the vet who said Tweetie Pie had AGY. During the 30 days that he needed medicine, I kept him in the hospital cage and left Buddy in the big cage. The two cages were next to each other. Tweetie Pie spent all day climbing the bags, plucking them and trying to get to Buddy. However, Buddy was his normal self – chirping and playing, although he’d watch Tweetie Pie. When I put them back together, they were inseparable for a day before they went back to the way they were.
Tweetie Pie has continued to vomit but his weight has been rock solid at 30 gms.
I have trained them when they come out, they must get on my arm to be carried over to the food dish which is large enough that they both can stand on it. Both do it but Tweetie Pie lets Buddy go first and he mostly does a ‘touch and go’ but he knows I won’t let him bypass my arm.
Tweetie Pie is less active, napping a lot throughout the day and he doesn’t play or chirp much. In Feb, both boys went to a new vet. The new vet said Tweetie Pie doesn’t have AGY but most likely over stuffs his crop and then vomits. She said both boys have good musculature and were healthy weights. In the meantime, Buddy has been coming out, perching on my arm and kissing my thumbnail. Tweetie Pie only comes and sits a few seconds on my head if he wants food. Before Buddy comes to me, he looks at Tweetie Pie and comes if Tweetie Pie doesn’t react.
Tweetie Pie continues to nap a lot, not chirp much and vomit. This week’s webinar was “Ask the Vet” so I gave him some information and asked if Tweetie Pie was sick. He thinks it is a behavioral issue!
So here (finally!) is what I want your opinion on. Someone has a female budgie that she wants to rehome, optimally to someone who has owned budgies before. The little hen is about 3 yrs old and has been the lone budgie in the household. She got the hen when she was very young and she says the hen is tame. If I bring her in to add to my flock, do you think it will work? What issues might arise? If they pair up, should I put 2 in one cage and the third in another cage nearby? Should I take the hen in or forget it?
All opinions needed and thanks for reading this.
