May 21, 2012 8:15:46 GMT
auntbessie
Brand New Budgie
Posts: 14
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Post by auntbessie on Jun 3, 2012 18:33:28 GMT
Peter and 'Zilla have been with me for a couple of weeks now, and I've noticed as well as not being able to fly (Peter just fluttered to the floor ... Then just sat there no knowing what to do), they don't preen each other, if I move the millet they no longer recognise it and don't see it until its moved back (then they pounce on it hungrily!), and the one time Peter came out of the cage was an accident as he didn't realise the door was open! They also tend to climb across to other perches and don't flutter across ... They're scared of the iodine block, and don't play with any toys including the mirror. I appreciate its going to take a lot of time and its still early days, but I'm starting to wonder whether it would be beneficial for them to maybe get another budgie to show them how to act like budgies? Teach them how to play ...? Or to leave them as a duo and they'll slowly learn themselves? I'd appreciate your thoughts ...
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Post by Moogie on Jun 3, 2012 19:37:10 GMT
HIYA....well im no budgie expert as Elfie is my first budgie ever but he did not know how to play ATALLwith his toy/toys...until One day i decided that i would touch his toy(s) by swinging them or lifting them up and down ect and say to him Elfies toy(s) and after a while of me showing him what to do with his toy(s) when i said Elfies toy he went over to them/it and copied how i played with it/them so maybe try this and see if they catch on....Hope this has made some sense xx
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Post by stace on Jun 4, 2012 0:46:08 GMT
I haven't been through anything like that before, but my feeling is that they haven't been with you for long, and they have spent many years locked up so their learning has been stunted. Poor babies. I'd give them much more time to acclimatise to their new home and surroundings.
It is true that they learn from other budgies, but they can also learn from you. Getting a new budgie is something you could think about later, if needs be. I guess what I'm saying is that it could be an idea, but just not yet.
Start thinking like a budgie. Attach a piece of millet to a bell, so when they eat the millet they might eventually explore the bell. Put one piece of millet in their 'known' spot, but fix another somewhere else as well so they may stumble upon it and start to think about their natural foraging instinct. If you move things in the cage, just move one thing at a time to begin with.
A light spray every now and again might help with their preening instinct too.
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Post by Hezz on Jun 4, 2012 1:52:23 GMT
None of my birds have been into preening anyone else but themselves. That usually only happens when they have bonded with each other. Two of mine were very close, but it was only at the end of one's life that they actually did any preening. My limited experience is that they would be feeding each other before they get to preening each other.
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Oct 28, 2011 8:16:54 GMT
Kath/Gaz
Normal Green
Well Hello There....~:-)
Posts: 256
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Post by Kath/Gaz on Jun 4, 2012 8:31:12 GMT
I would not get another budgie at this moment.....what I would do in your case is always leave back ground noise except at bedtime of course....like a radio on....even when you leave the house....I have found with our budgies that they tend to respond to having "white noise"....if there is no noise.....then mine will just sit around and do nothing much but eat, sleep, and preening.....but put on BBC radio and they turn active..... And if possible.....take them with you from room to room.....except when cooking in the kitchen.....and have chit chats with them.....but it will take time as they are adults and have been stunted in their learning like Stace said.....
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Post by samwiseg on Jun 4, 2012 9:58:17 GMT
Sounds like they just need introducing to toys, bearing in mind as you said it is early days they will either do that eventually themselves or if you show them what they are by touching the toys yourself (as Moogie said) but only if they are familiar enough with you (hand tame). Or as Stace advised, bribery with millet is always a good one! But best thing is patience as all budgies are different, but it will come. Best of luck and let us know your progress
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May 21, 2012 8:15:46 GMT
auntbessie
Brand New Budgie
Posts: 14
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Post by auntbessie on Jun 6, 2012 19:29:03 GMT
I guess I'm just worrying I'm not doing enough for them - is this new budgie parent syndrome? Lol! Thanks for the reassurance
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Post by Hezz on Jun 7, 2012 2:55:42 GMT
I guess I'm just worrying I'm not doing enough for them - is this new budgie parent syndrome? Lol! Thanks for the reassurance Yep!!!! ;D Happens to the best of us!
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Feb 9, 2012 0:20:38 GMT
Nani
Normal Green
Kisses to all my fids~
Posts: 272
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Post by Nani on Jun 7, 2012 4:51:42 GMT
Hi AuntBessie,
Everyone has given great answers and thought I'd put in my two cents. I've had experiences with budgies who had never been out of the cage and couldn't really fly as well with budgies who had never had any kind of toys and were so terrified of anything besides seed that it just broke my heart. Of the 34 budgies I currently have-26 were taken in from people who wanted them rehomed. I bought 4 at a pet shop in the beginning and 4 are from a clutch a pair had.
I took in a pair of approximately 4 year old budgies-male and female who had never been out of their cage, nor eaten anything but seeds. I showed them youtube videos of budgies playing and chirping and eating veggies. Worked wonders. You could also ring the toy bells or tug on the rope etc to get their attention. Everyone's method is different, do what you are comfortable with. I have a separate bird room so I took them out of the cage and put them on top of the cage. I moved away from them as they were not hand tame at all and just watched them. I preoccupied myself while watching from the corner of my eye and at first they didn't do anything. Just sat, kinda frozen. Then they freaked out and one of them was so obese she could barely fly and the other one bumped into things. Everday of letting them out they became accustomed. They learned to fly through trial and error and now whenever that cage door is open they zoom past it. Took a couple of weeks total.
Tiger, one of the budgies had an injury that affected him neurologically while out in the aviary and he couldn't fly, he would try and just spiral downwards. I placed him on my finger and moved my arm up and down. He lost his balance a few times, but he eventually relearned how to flap his wings and fly. If you do this, make sure it's on a soft surface and not from a high point. I did this over my bed, with a few pillows about a 1-2 feet high. Now he flyies with the others in the bird room.
At one time I acquired 13 adult budgies from a breeder who was moving and they had never been in a cage, never seen any kind of toys, or anything besides seeds. They stunk from cigarette smoke as well and never chirped-never. I had to have an aviary built and a bird room because that's what they were used to and I had so many by that time. They took longer to get used to things. In fact it took them months before they even looked at romaine leaves, and about 5 months before they started to touch the mirror. Honestly when one of them touched the mirror for the first time I jumped for joy. And from seeing videos and my other budgies playing they caught on, and now they play with the toys and eat veggies like no tomorrow. They started chirping happily in December and I remember thinking it was the most beautiful sound ever. Now they chirp and play and eat and dance for one another. It makes the heart swell with pride when the little guys are given another chance and they flourish. Be patient and give them so much love, these little guys really capture the heart. I'm sure yours will be so happy.
I blabbed on,sorry. I just love them all so much.
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Post by budgiefriend on Jun 7, 2012 4:57:41 GMT
Wonderful story, Nani.
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