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Post by ffiscool on Aug 23, 2013 14:40:10 GMT
my bathroom would worry me more. If Bailey was in there, he wouldnt even virutally get off the ground before he hit a wall, or the sink, etc..
suppose it depends on sizes of rooms too
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Post by nettles on Aug 23, 2013 19:11:58 GMT
I think our bathroom would be a good size for training. Plenty of places for her to fly to and land on but not too big that she'll gather speed and crash into things.
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Post by Hezz on Aug 24, 2013 0:57:50 GMT
That's settled then. Marge in the smaller, more maneuverable cage and Melman left where he is - a holiday away from Marge's overbearing ways. Just a point to think of: bathrooms usually have mirrors, so cover these as well as possible, but doesn't need to be completely ...... just so she doesn't think she can fly right through, and any windows without dressings - blinds, curtains etc - should be covered over as well, again so she doesn't see the window as a place to fly through. And toilet seat down if the loo is there too.
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Post by nettles on Aug 24, 2013 3:15:38 GMT
Aha!! The mirrors!! I'd thought about the window and the clear glass shower screen but completely forgot about the mirrors!
Hmmm... I think Marge may have overheard me talking about separating them lol. She has been on her best behaviour all day! She let Melman sing to her for ages and even sang back a few times. I noticed him at the food bowl at least twice without being chased away and before bed they were sleeping side by side (very rare sight!)
Seems like the pair of them have been to marriage councelling while were out this morning! I'll give it a few more days and see how long this happy family routine lasts for..
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Post by nettles on Aug 24, 2013 3:20:43 GMT
Actually.. no.. I think I'll still separate them for a while! It'll be a lot easier to train Marge from the smaller cage and Melman is bound to still be nervous of her no matter how nice she was today.
Jeeez 4:15am and I'm awake worrying about the little beggars!!!
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Post by Hezz on Aug 25, 2013 1:18:19 GMT
A separation period may do them both some good. Re the mirrors, if you aren't able to put something up over them, you can blutak sheets of paper up, they don't have to cover the whole area, you can leave gaps, but not big ones that Marge might think she can fly through. I have huge glass sliding doors front and back of my lounge/dining where the birds live and this is what I do went a new bird is being introduced to the flock. I leave them up for a few weeks, gradually taking down the sheets and expanding the amount of glass that is uncovered until I am satisfied that the bird knows the room and the boundaries well enough not to smash into the glass. They don't make for the prettiest curtains, but so what? I am not aiming for Home Beautiful.
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Post by nettles on Aug 25, 2013 1:34:07 GMT
Iit's only four small mirrors so A4 pages will cover each of them. I'd planned the bluetac and paper idea for the shower screen too I haven't plucked up the courage to move Marge yet.. Mostly because I have absolutely no idea how I'm ever going to get her out of one cage and into the other. Especially when the doors are so small?!? Then there's also the fact that she's being so blooming good the last few days. I didn't feel bad at all moving her when she was being naughty but shes being an angel and I feel guilty lol.
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Post by Hezz on Aug 25, 2013 1:48:09 GMT
I'd say she has got your measure!!! Small doors are a right pain for getting birds in and out. The best you can do is either line up the doors on both cages and try bribing/prodding/shooing her into the smaller one, or gently catch hold of her, wings contained and bring her through the door that way. Re the shower screens, what I have done with mine is throw a sheet over the top, if it doesn't go right to the ceiling ...... it is a lot easier to pull down and fold up than taking all the paper down in case it gets wet - I have teenage boys; water goes everywhere.
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Post by nettles on Aug 25, 2013 7:58:20 GMT
They both definately have me wrapped found their little toes Ok.. This might sound daft.. I was thinking she'd probably use the top of the shower screen as a perch. If I hung a sheet over it, would her claws get caught in the material? When we first got them, they were in aviaries. The breeder used a small towel to catch them and I remember him saying her claw had got stuck on the towel and he had trouble getting her in the transport box. When we got them home, she was missing two claws and had little dots of blood on her toes. The two claws never grew back! A sheet would be so much easier to use on the shower screen than lots of paper and bluetac but if she was likely to use it as a perch, should I avoid using a sheet? Also, no amount of shooing, prodding, bribing is ever going to get her through the door into a different cage so I'll have to catch her If I use a glove, is there a chance she might not realise it was my hand that caught her? Lol! I really don't want to undo all the hard work so far and her to be scared of my hand again.
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Post by Hezz on Aug 26, 2013 0:33:34 GMT
Ewwww, bad breeder!!! He/she should have been more careful! But a towel is much more likely to trap claws than a cotton sheet (I say cotton, not flannelette) and I have used a sheet on a number of occasions. For the top of my screen, the sheet works really well and gives them more purchase as it isn't as slippery. Too bad about having to catch her, but I feel a glove may not give you enough feeling; you may be better using a scrap of material (notice I didn't say small towel ). The best I can suggest is get yourself as organised as possible before you go to catch her, so everything is in place, and she is being held for the shortest amount of time. And them straight away bribe her with millet or her fav food, with lots of good vibes, and hopefully she won't sulk too much.
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Post by nettles on Aug 26, 2013 1:15:44 GMT
Technically we got them from a "breeder" because the guy breeds budgies.. but to be honest that's about as far as it goes. The place wasn't very well kept in my opinion! As for moving Marge, I no longer feel guilty! She was REALLY horrid today She trapped Melman in a corner, grabbed his wing in her beak and wouldn't let go. I couldn't quite reach them through the door so I shouted and blew sharply at her through the cage and she eventually let go and he flew off to the far corner looking terrified and really panting I don't know if blowing on her like that was cruel or not but I panicked and didn't know what else to do.. She's being evicted tomorrow! She's sulking with me now anyway so I may as well give her a reason to huff lol.
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Post by ffiscool on Aug 26, 2013 1:18:30 GMT
Poor Melman. I often blow on Bailey when he's hot. So no, I don't think that was cruel or could harm her. Shame she isike that though. Hopefully both will be happier sep
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Post by nettles on Aug 26, 2013 8:31:14 GMT
I really hope she misses Melman and treats him better when she goes back in the big cage. I might give him little budgie dumbells while she's away and get him to work on his muscles
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Post by Hezz on Aug 27, 2013 1:00:02 GMT
Sounds like Marge really does need to be moved - she may do damage from the sounds of it. You know, she may not improve until she is older. My hen Smudge used to be a bully, but nothing like Marge is. She would just hunt the other birds away from whatever it was she wanted, she didn't actually attack. She did love nipping tail feathers though. I had about six months when the others all had the tip of their tail feathers going off at an angle. Anyway, she did eventually mellow; probably at about 2 and a half, maybe three years old. She is around three and a half now. Honestly though, I don't know why these males don't stand up for themselves! Give back a bit of what they get.
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Post by nettles on Aug 28, 2013 0:13:02 GMT
Hezz, you really are my budgie guru I'm so glad I'm not the only one that has had a mean hen! I might have to get Smudge to teach Marge some anger management coz I'm having bother trying to get her out of the blooming cage and into the other one!
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