Mirror`s

[moonkira *Julie *]

When I bought Alfie and Sunny their breeder told me not to put any mirrors in thier cage as budgies hate them and people make the mistake of putting them in cages with them. I have not put any mirrors in. But its made me think has anyone else heard this ?
He also said don`t put too many toys in but I have got a few in there and I must say they love thier toys

[missbrazilianxx]

I am not a budgie expert but.... I actually heard opposite. I have done a lot of reading in regards
to Budgies and of course each expert has their own theories but... It has been 'stated' that budgies do in fact love mirrors, But it makes it harder for them to bond with their owner as they will want to bond with the mirror. If for example, you have One budgie you would first bond with him/her and then you could place a mirror that way he is already bonded with you first... (again that is what I have read, more than once)..

In regards to the toys you should have toys in there because of how easily they can get bored, but its important to move the toys around every 3-4 weeks that way it looks like a new item.. also, if you have a lot of toys you can put them into rotation and have them in every 3 weeks or so...

Again, I apologize if someone else has a different opinion;

But I don't have a mirror in my cage as my budgies are already hard to bond with (for a different situation) but I do have plenty of toys that they love and I wouldn't take it out...


xoxo
-Ash

[Deleted]

i have to say im no expert eather ...
but iv had house budgies ......and they had a mirror ...
and was ok with it...
but i did used to take it out... every few days to clean it...
but would hang a different toy there for a few days .........

because.....

iv herd from alot of people ....that they can fixate on them ...
and start to regurgitate food on the them ...

ie ...feeding the budgie in the mirror .....

this is a bad thing .. .

it really is up to you ...
whether or not to put one in ....

all budgies just like us are different.. .

[Rachael Kellett]

Budgies don't hate mirrors, the complete opposite in fact! However I think the point your breeder may have been trying to make was that mirrors would affect you bonding with your budgie. There are plenty of other toys out there anyways so no need for a mirror toy

[stace]

Some, or maybe many, budgies get too attached to their mirrors. It can become an unhealthy obsession. This is particularly true of single budgies, and it can hinder them from bonding with their owners, as they prefer the budgie in the mirror to you. If you never put a mirror in, they won't miss it.

With the toys, the reason why you don't put too many in the cage is so that the place doesn't become too cluttered to inhibit a bit of flight. How many you put in is dependent upon the size of the cage. The bigger the cage, the more room for toys. But they need a bit of room to leap or flutter about.

As missbrazilian says, it's good to rotate them too.

Make sure the toys are budgie safe too. Not long bits of rope or chain that could strangle them. No happy fabric huts that they could eat or get caught up in. Nothing rusty at all either.

Also, remember that foraging through different types of food keeps them occupied too. Fresh seeding grass (washed and sourced from unpolluted areas) is good to eat and good for their skills. Same with hanging millets, especially if you can get different varieties.

[moonkira *Julie *]

Would that only apply to keeping a single budgie though And would it still apply (the bounding thing ) if you have a pair of budgies .
Dont know if anyone elses budgies are the same, but both mine seem to copy what the other does and they seemed to be joined at the hip so to speak . They are constantly together like Jedward ;D

[sweetie]

I've heard especially that single ones can get fixated too but where you have a pair I'm not sure, they would prob be less likely to become obsessed over it. Sweetie has one with a bell hanging off it in the shape of a flower but I can't honestly say I have seen her bother with it, like others have said, every budgie is different

[Rachael Kellett]

Aug 22, 2012 12:10:28 GMT moonkira *Julie * said:

Would that only apply to keeping a single budgie though And would it still apply (the bounding thing ) if you have a pair of budgies .
Dont know if anyone elses budgies are the same, but both mine seem to copy what the other does and they seemed to be joined at the hip so to speak . They are constantly together like Jedward ;D

I don't think it would apply AS much with two or more budgies but I still advise you to leave mirrors out until you have tamed and bonded with them

[Deleted]

Munchy obsesses over mirrors, and sometimes even bells unless they are on his tree outside of his cage. I had the same mirror as you, Sweetie, and put it in too soon. When he was staying at my bf's he regurgitated on the bell so much (the mirror no longer has the glass in it because he broke the plastic halves apart) that it became filthy and disgusting.

With multiple birds I wouldn't be so fussed about putting mirrors in, unless one was obsessing over them, as they have each other and would bond with each other anyway. However, I struggle to find toys for the cage that don't have mirrors or bells on them :/

They should be fine, but like Rachael has said, try to establish a good bond with them first

[Rachael Kellett]

Aug 22, 2012 16:22:49 GMT Ira said:

Munchy obsesses over mirrors, and sometimes even bells unless they are on his tree outside of his cage. I had the same mirror as you, Sweetie, and put it in too soon. When he was staying at my bf's he regurgitated on the bell so much (the mirror no longer has the glass in it because he broke the plastic halves apart) that it became filthy and disgusting.

With multiple birds I wouldn't be so fussed about putting mirrors in, unless one was obsessing over them, as they have each other and would bond with each other anyway. However, I struggle to find toys for the cage that don't have mirrors or bells on them :/

They should be fine, but like Rachael has said, try to establish a good bond with them first

You should see the toys that I make Ira No mirrors in them

[Hezz]

Aug 22, 2012 12:10:28 GMT moonkira *Julie * said:

Would that only apply to keeping a single budgie though And would it still apply (the bounding thing ) if you have a pair of budgies .
Dont know if anyone elses budgies are the same, but both mine seem to copy what the other does and they seemed to be joined at the hip so to speak . They are constantly together like Jedward ;D

Single budgies are much more likely to obsess over a mirror than a pair. The single budgie gets attached to the mirror because of the "other budgie" it can see. And this budgie seems to like being around the real budgie - never runs away when the real budgie approaches or flies off, so that is the reason the real budgie becomes fixated on the mirror, the real budgie bonds with the mirror budgie. It doesn't know that the other budgie isn't real, just like a toddler doesn't know that the child in the mirror can't play with them.

Once you have two or more budgies together, they are more inclined to bond with the real birds of course. And also because of this less inclined to bond so firmly with you. They don't need you for companionship, they have each other. The flock mentality means that where one goes the other will follow, otherwise they are not a flock. Hence seemingly joined at the hip.

Too many toys hinders their movement around the cage. It is great for the birds to have toys - they need the stimulation the toys give them, but they need exercise just as much, if not more. If the birds spend a lot of time out of the cage and being active, this isn't such a big deal. It is good too to have a place that is theirs outside the cage whether it be a playgym on top of the cage or a tree-stand somewhere else, with some toys and foraging things for them to enjoy. This way you can have lots of toys for them to play with, but a) you don't have to clog up the cage with all their favourites, and b) they don't have to be in the cage to enjoy their toys. And an added bonus is you get to watch them more easily having fun if they are outside the cage.