What to do about jealous budgies

[robert]

PJ (male) won't let us give PoPo (female?) any love or attention. If PoPo crawls up on my shoulder PJ will fly over and start biting my ear. Maybe he wants me all to himself, her all to himself, or just showing the pecking order, I have no idea.

My questions are

1) Is this normal? (both are about 6 months old)
2) Is there anything to be done about it? (thought about locking PJ up at certains times if we can trick him in the cage)

[Hezz]

Is it normal? I would say yes, they are both teenagers, and we all know what teens can be like.

What to do? I would put him away as soon as he misbehaved. He will get the message that it is not accepted behaviour. Time out immediately and every single time he shows any sign of being jealous. Ask yourself the question, Robert: "who's the boss?"

[robert]

Mar 15, 2012 1:25:47 GMT Hezz said:

Ask yourself the question, Robert: "who's the boss?"

lol, the wife!

I guess I'll have to do a better job getting him in the cage.

[Hezz]

Mar 15, 2012 1:42:10 GMT robert said:

Mar 15, 2012 1:25:47 GMT Hezz said:

Ask yourself the question, Robert: "who's the boss?"

lol, the wife!

I guess I'll have to do a better job getting him in the cage.

Ha, ha, not quite the answer I was looking for, lol. But if you don't set the ground-rules now, you will be making a rod for your own back. PJ will rule the roost and poor Po-Po will miss out dreadfully.

What happens when your wife talks to Po-Po? Does Pj come over all jealous then? That may answer the question of whether PJ is jealous of Po-Po or of your attention. If it is you, you are going to have to be the meany putting him back in his cage for time out. I wish you luck.

[BudgiesBuddy]

Mar 15, 2012 1:25:47 GMT Hezz said:

Is it normal? I would say yes, they are both teenagers, and we all know what teens can be like.

What to do? I would put him away as soon as he misbehaved. He will get the message that it is not accepted behaviour. Time out immediately and every single time he shows any sign of being jealous. Ask yourself the question, Robert: "who's the boss?"

Good answer A little cage time for PJ when PoPo is out playing will teach PJ that why he has been put inside.

I have noticed this in my breeding pairs. When they are put in the breeding cage, "claim the authority" game starts and by the time they bond, there is one boss which is mostly female but there are males as well.

[stace]

Six months was when my budgie began to act up. It was his terrible biting phase. It's when you have to step up the training again until the antsy behaviour stops and they get the message that bad behaviour doesn't bring rewards.

Sometimes you think it will never stop. But work some budgie psychology on them, and it will eventually pass.

[Marianne Marlow]

Dumpling hasn't stopped biting us no matter what we have tried. But then he was 4 when he arrived here and had obviously got used to getting his own way!

[Hezz]

Dumpling is a "special" case, Marianne. Hopefully PJ will learn quick smart he will miss out and Po-Po will get all the attention if he doesn't smarten up his act!

[robert]

The wife is better at getting him in the cage, and we did that to him the other day and it worked out pretty well, just have to learn to do it on my own, he can read my mind and won't let me close to him when I want to put him in the cage.

[Bird Junky]

Hi Robert. Just wondering if you solved your

jealous budgie problem? Yours B.J.