Zazu the budgie eats from the floor

[bobinyou3000]

I have had my budgie Zazu for a day and he is getting calmer but I noticed he is only eating from the floor and not from his food box thingy. His wing feathers aren't fully grown yet so I've had to lower things in his cage in order for him to reach but I can't lower his food feeder so I know he will have to stretch for it. Basically I was wondering if anyone could give me some tips on teaching him to feed from his food thing rather than the floor. Thanks!

[ffiscool]

Bailey initially only would eat from the floor... I then ordered

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/130773983776?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649#ht_990wt_976

you can put them where you want and he loves them.. now he is never on the floor even if he drops something he wanted, llike carrots etc

[OP]

J have found that my budgie will find and get to his seed wherever it is, even if it means climbing. I know yours is a lot younger so have patience,

[birdguhl]

I think I have read that eating from the floor is a characteristic of very young budgies. From your avatar it looks like he is still a proper barhead. It is good that he is moving around and seeming more relaxed. For day 2 in his new home, he is doing fine!

[starrymist]

I think when they're babies they've never actually seen a seed pot thing & it takes them a while to learn what it is. I put seed in a dish on the cage floor for several weeks, gradually as he settled & began to explore his home he discovered what the pot was & I was able to remove the dish. I did the same with water, it took him some time to get the hang of using his water bottle. Everything's new to them, they need time to learn.

[skysmum]

Zazu, what a lovely name. I just had to google its meaning and it means, movement, very appropriate for a budgie .
Yes he is just a baby and still used to eating from the floor where the breeders always supply the youngsters food until they can fly around well enough to find it themselves. As the others have said he will find it but just carry on with it on the floor for a while longer.
Welcome to the forum by the way .

[bobinyou3000]

Thanks! But I just named him after the bird from the lion king

[Deleted]

Can I just ask, is that sand a sheet in the bottom of his cage in your avatar picture? If so I would recommend you change it for newspaper, especially as he is spending a lot of time down there. The sand will irritate and scratch his feet and can cause bumble foot.

[skysmum]

Aug 30, 2013 17:17:15 GMT bobinyou3000 said:

Thanks! But I just named him after the bird from the lion king

Lovely, probably why he was called it then, a very busy bird always on the move .

[bobinyou3000]

Aug 30, 2013 17:18:18 GMT starlingqueen said:

Can I just ask, is that sand a sheet in the bottom of his cage in your avatar picture? If so I would recommend you change it for newspaper, especially as he is spending a lot of time down there. The sand will irritate and scratch his feet and can cause bumble foot.

It is sand sheets but news paper has ink in it and I was advised not to use that. Thanks anyway. 

[mizloco]

I use cheap value printing paper. Though I have to say the newspaper ink is completely safe it has changed over they years and is now ok.
Sandsheets will damage your budgies feet.

[Deleted]

Aug 30, 2013 19:00:40 GMT mizloco said:

I use cheap value printing paper. Though I have to say the newspaper ink is completely safe it has changed over they years and is now ok.
Sandsheets will damage your budgies feet.

Absolutely right, newspaper no longer has toxic ink so is perfectly safe as pet bedding, I use it in all my cages and for my guinea pigs and chickens. My parrots chew it and tear it up as do the guinea pigs. Who advised you not to use newspaper?