Post by vacanteyes on Apr 26, 2013 19:07:32 GMT
Hi all 
I'm sure you've heard similar a thousand times, and I've read through a lot of threads on here but can't seem to answer every single one of my questions. Basically, I was working at a wildlife sanctuary near me, and in the bird shed (he gets a lot of large parrots surrendered) was a tiny little budgie looking quite unimpressed in his cage. Someone found him (I THINK it's a him, more on that later) in a local park, and no one claimed him (he doesn't have a ring on his leg either). I'm not a bird person, I have ducks and have had love birds... but I'm into reptiles mainly, and have a partner who's against keeping anything caged, so I've never even considered getting a bird. ANYWAY, this budgie was tugging at my heart strings all week and I ended up taking him home. I've since worked out that he's around 4 months as his eyes are completely black and the bars on his head were right next to his beak.
The first week I left him alone, only changing food and water... but slight movements in the direction of the cage resulted in him freaking out big time. I've had his wing clipped on the advice of someone I know who keeps them, (was this a good idea?) After that week was over though I started using millet as a bribe, and on the first day he was eating from my fingers and hopping onto my hand. He makes a lot of noise now and joins in with the TV and preens himself, whereas initially he was frozen still pretty much constantly. I'm currently taking his cage to the bathroom, where he can't injure himself and won't be difficult to catch, and I've had the doors open getting him to come over and get millet from me. After half an hour of this, and having him hop onto my hand for food, I was able to stroke his tummy and push against him to get him to step up. I started bringing him out of the cage but he generally jumped back in when he was about 12 inches from the door. Today though he fluttered past me and around the room, but I managed to lure him back onto my hand with the millet and take him back to the door.
Sorry this is quite long, I just want to cover everything before the questions! Is the above good progress? Or is he just really greedy for the millet? After I've been interacting with him with the millet for a while I can touch him and get him onto my finger without a millet bribe... but if it's the first session of the day he won't step up or let me stroke him without the millet, does that mean I'm not actually making real progress? Also, today I was trying to say "step up" as he did so, and "step down" when I put him back on a perch, but he only steps up from one perch, if he's on a different one he flies over to that perch first before he'll step up... is this just a pattern he's picked up from me, or is he not really as keen on perching as he seems? What should I be aiming for next? I'm hoping to get the little guy hand tame and then perhaps introduce a friend (as recommended by the guy I know who keeps them), is this recommended? necessary for his happiness? or will it ruin the "progress" I've made so far?
And one last thing. Little "Thunderwing Doomslayer" is a beautiful blue budgie, who had a blue cere when first home, which then went flaky and browny purple... a week later and it's blue again. When does the colour become consistent so I know the sex? I really did think male but the colour change has thrown me.
Feel free to tell me where to go if this is boring old beginner talk, I'd just quite like the little guy to become friendly so he can enjoy his life more with me. Thank you
I'm sure you've heard similar a thousand times, and I've read through a lot of threads on here but can't seem to answer every single one of my questions. Basically, I was working at a wildlife sanctuary near me, and in the bird shed (he gets a lot of large parrots surrendered) was a tiny little budgie looking quite unimpressed in his cage. Someone found him (I THINK it's a him, more on that later) in a local park, and no one claimed him (he doesn't have a ring on his leg either). I'm not a bird person, I have ducks and have had love birds... but I'm into reptiles mainly, and have a partner who's against keeping anything caged, so I've never even considered getting a bird. ANYWAY, this budgie was tugging at my heart strings all week and I ended up taking him home. I've since worked out that he's around 4 months as his eyes are completely black and the bars on his head were right next to his beak.The first week I left him alone, only changing food and water... but slight movements in the direction of the cage resulted in him freaking out big time. I've had his wing clipped on the advice of someone I know who keeps them, (was this a good idea?) After that week was over though I started using millet as a bribe, and on the first day he was eating from my fingers and hopping onto my hand. He makes a lot of noise now and joins in with the TV and preens himself, whereas initially he was frozen still pretty much constantly. I'm currently taking his cage to the bathroom, where he can't injure himself and won't be difficult to catch, and I've had the doors open getting him to come over and get millet from me. After half an hour of this, and having him hop onto my hand for food, I was able to stroke his tummy and push against him to get him to step up. I started bringing him out of the cage but he generally jumped back in when he was about 12 inches from the door. Today though he fluttered past me and around the room, but I managed to lure him back onto my hand with the millet and take him back to the door.
Sorry this is quite long, I just want to cover everything before the questions! Is the above good progress? Or is he just really greedy for the millet? After I've been interacting with him with the millet for a while I can touch him and get him onto my finger without a millet bribe... but if it's the first session of the day he won't step up or let me stroke him without the millet, does that mean I'm not actually making real progress? Also, today I was trying to say "step up" as he did so, and "step down" when I put him back on a perch, but he only steps up from one perch, if he's on a different one he flies over to that perch first before he'll step up... is this just a pattern he's picked up from me, or is he not really as keen on perching as he seems? What should I be aiming for next? I'm hoping to get the little guy hand tame and then perhaps introduce a friend (as recommended by the guy I know who keeps them), is this recommended? necessary for his happiness? or will it ruin the "progress" I've made so far?
And one last thing. Little "Thunderwing Doomslayer" is a beautiful blue budgie, who had a blue cere when first home, which then went flaky and browny purple... a week later and it's blue again. When does the colour become consistent so I know the sex? I really did think male but the colour change has thrown me.
Feel free to tell me where to go if this is boring old beginner talk, I'd just quite like the little guy to become friendly so he can enjoy his life more with me. Thank you
