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I have a new budgie named Skye

1K views 25 replies 5 participants last post by  FaeryBee 
#1 ·
i accidentally grabbed my budgie twice because i didn’t know it was bad. and now it’s scared. i got him 2 days ago and i think i’m taking it too fast. i don’t really know what to do. i haven’t seen him eat either. anything that you think i need to do?
 
#2 ·
Yes you are taking it way too fast, never try to grab or hold your bird, birds are not like cats and dogs that you can cuddle and pet, and even a tame bird does not like to be held in your hand. Where in the house is the bird kept? Do you have other pets? You can cover the cage on 3 sides with a light cover, this may help to make the bird feel more secure, move slowly and talk softly to the bird and do not put your hand in the cage except to change the food and water and clean the bottom of the cage. It is common for the bird to be scared when it gets brought into a new home and it needs to learn you are not a threat to it. What are you feeding the bird?
 
#3 ·
hello i keep my skye in my bedroom and yes i have three cats… 😬. i’m feeding him healthy select bird food and also have millet for him. i keep the food and water in there all day and have haven’t changed it yet. i’ll clean it tomorrow because it is midnight almost here. but he runs away and won’t let my pick him up with my finger so i’m nervous to let him out. he escaped my cage once when i was away but my bed room door is closed and i got him back safely. i fully cover the cage at night because i sleep with a fan and i read to him. he keeps on biting himself under his wing and this is the first bird i’ve owned and i really don’t want him to lose any trust and i have no clue what to do every day for the first week or so
 
#4 ·
You do not have the best situation for a bird because of the cats, never, never let the cats in the room with the bird, not only will it terrify the bird but is very dangerous. Do not try to get the bird on your finger so soon, it is not necessary to do so when changing food and water. What made you get a bird when you already have 3 cats?
 
#5 ·
okay. i will do that and also how should i clean the cage without letting him out? and my sister had one and i really liked it but it died ☹. i’ve not let a cat in once and i plan to keep it that way. any advice to gain trust and things to do moving forward?

also, how should i cover the cage before bed
 
#6 ·
For the first 2 weeks at a minimum, you need to just talk quietly to the bird and do not make any sudden movements around it. If the bird is left alone for any length of time it would be helpful to leave a radio softly on in the room. What do you mean by how should you cover the bird? It would be best to have a small night light on in the room during the night so if the bird has a night fright it can recover more easily. You need to have a lot of patience and I get the impression that is not something you currently have. Please read these Cats (and Dogs) are Predators // Birds are Prey
 
#9 ·
yes. and about the light. is it okay if i do a very dimmed led light strip. it’s not too close to him but i have no idea what else to do that is dim. and if my fan is set up pointing away from him. is it okay if i have it on or should i cover that part of the cage
 
#10 ·
The dimmed LED is ok, you should never allow the cage to be in the pathway of the fan, you do not want to have the fan blowing directly on the bird. When you cover the cage at night cover it so that the cover comes down only about 1/3 of the way in the front and fully on the other 3 sides. Go slow when you slide the bottom tray out of the cage, it may frighten the bird, it is best to cover the bottom of the tray with paper towels so you can monitor the droppings.
 
#13 ·
You need to post a picture of Skye from the front so we can see the face, but I can see he is young and his wings are clipped so he cannot fly. Please post a picture of the cage and it would be best to remove that thing he is sitting on in the picture, budgies do not need huts and it can be dangerous for the bird if they ingest fibers from it which can get impacted in the crop and/or GI tract.
 
#14 ·
When I was a new owner, I bought mine one of those huts, they're actually a huge hassle. Not only is it dangerous if the birds nibble the fibres, they're also incredibly unhygienic because the poop will get stuck in the fibres. So either you have to keep washing them (hassle), or leave it with a bunch of dirty poop which is not healthy. Removing it is the best option.

As for your little nugget, he's a nug, he's not yet grown the 'get' part of nugget.
 
#15 ·
The purpose of this forum is to promote the BEST PRACTICES in the care of budgies for their optimal Health and Well-Being
Locating an Avian Veterinarian

Why did you get a budgie when you have three cats?
Budgies are very delicate and fragile animals.
Your cats must NEVER be allowed in the same room as your bird's cage. This is extremely important.

Cats and Dogs are Predators - Birds are Prey
Dangers to Pet Birds

Where did you get the budgie-- from a pet store or a breeder?
Did you do any research about budgies before getting one?

Are you financially able to take care of this bird, including ensuring it gets Avian Veterinarian visits whenever needed?
If you are a child, are your parents involved in the care of the bird and committed to ensuring the bird gets medical care?

Any pet, no matter the cost or whether it was "free", is a living breathing creature.
When a person"adopts" a pet, that individual assumes the responsibility of caring for that animal.
The pet is totally dependent on the owner for everything, including receiving the medical care and attention it deserves if it becomes ill or injured.
Those who believe that the expense of having a pet ends should be only the cost of the pet plus food, housing and toys are leaving out the most important part of the equation.
Giving the animal adequate medical care is integral part of providing it with a safe and loving home.

If you believe you will unable to properly care for this budgie, then you need to think about what is best for the bird's well-being and whether or not now is really the time for you to have such a pet.

You need to remove the snuggle hut/ pumpkin looking thing Skye is sitting on in the picture.
Dangers of Rope, Snuggle Huts, Fabric and Tasseled Toys


Skye looks to be about 8-12 weeks old from the little I can see in that picture.
Please post a full-frontal picture of Skye taken in natural light so we can see the cere (the area above the beak) to determine for sure if Skye is male or female.


How large is the cage in which you have Skye?
Please provide Length, Width, and Height. Measure the cage if you don't know.
Additionally, please post a picture of the cage.

Diet is ALWAYS a huge part in the health of any animal as is the cleanliness of the animal's housing conditions.

A Healthy Diet for your Budgie
Quality Seed Mix
CuttleBones, Mineral Blocks and Manu Clay Roses
Safe Foods for Budgies
The Truth about GRIT

I recommend you remove the wooden dowel perches in the cage and replace them with natural wooden perches of varying diameters to help prevent pressure sores.

Pressure Sores
Bumblefoot
The information in this link will give examples of better options for perches:
Essentials for a Great Cage


Please take the time to read through the Site Guidelines, the FAQs, the Budgie Articles and all of the Stickies located at the top of each section of the forum.
Additionally, please be sure to read the thread "Posting on the Forums" which is linked below.

Truly, the very BEST advice anyone can offer you is to take the time to read ALL of the stickies throughout the various Talk Budgie forums as well as the Budgie Articles we have posted.

(Stickies are threads “stuck” at the top of each forum sub-section)
These are great resources for Talk Budgie members and have a wealth of reliable information which will assist you to learn the best practices in caring for your budgies for their optimal health and well-being.

SITE GUIDELINES
Posting on the Forums
Let's Talk Budgies!
FAQ
Articles
Be Prepared for Veterinary Care Expense
Avian First Aid
Quarantine IS Necessary!
A Heartfelt Plea to All Members
Tips For Discouraging Breeding
Before You Ever Consider Breeding Your Budgies
Guidance for Breeding Advice Threads
Cage sizes.
Essentials to a Great Cage
Resource Directory
 
#16 ·
Hello and welcome to the forums,

I can tell you love Skye already but I'll start off by saying that you have not brought your little one into an ideal situation for him to be healthy and happy :( You must be very, very careful with regards to the cats and be sure to read through the links above very thoroughly to ensure you're doing everything you can to provide him a happy and healthy life.

FaeryBee has provided some very important information above. Please be sure to read through it as soon as you can as well as answer her questions so that we can help you take the best care of Skye possible!

We hope to hear updates in this thread~
 
#18 ·
You started off wrong, but that's how learning works! Now, if you want to take care of Skye properly, you have to follow the advice given. Don't try to push Skye to love you by grabbing him or forcing him before he's ready, or you'll scare him even more. Love builds naturally with trust and time. So if you really care about Skye, you will have to work very hard to do what's best for HIM and not get frustrated if he's still scared after a while.

My budgie and I are best friends, but do you know what? It took almost a year for us to become friends. I had to be very careful and slow with how I treated her for a long time until SHE took the first step and came to me. I never tried to grab her or rush her. You have a good heart and good intentions for Skye, so from now on just try to learn as much as you can about budgies on the forums and slowly and over time Skye will learn to trust you!

Of course he is scared now. And you scared him at first. But now if you treat him calmly and softly, and don't try to touch or grab him, he will slowly get used to you. If you wake up every morning and sit by his cage and read to him or talk to him, and play soft music for him, he will feel much better soon.

Best wishes!
 
#21 ·
Do you mean "squawking" loudly, like an "ACK-ACK-ACK" sound? Does he run away when you approach the cage?

Most likely he is still very scared of you , especially knowing his background. A week is a very short time to have a budgie. You should always approach him slowly, quietly, and if sitting directly next to him is making too nervous, then sit in the room slightly farther away so he can still see you but feels less under threat.

Always talk to him softly and try not to make any sudden movements. It's a good sign that he's starting to vocalize more. Remember, it can take months for a budgie to be comfortable around you. It has only been a week.
 
#23 ·
If you get a chance, could you record a video of what you are hearing and then upload the link here (either via youtube, etc)? It's hard to know which type of chirp you mean as budgies have many different sounds.

Eventually you will learn what each of your budgie's chirps mean, these are learned from experience. At the moment it's most important to look at his body language and always respect his boundaries and level of comfort with what you are doing near him.
 
#25 ·
You may also be rushing him.
If you’ve only had him a week, having him in a space where he can see you is totally fine; but you may want to keep your distance if it seem to agitate him.

Once you can get close to the cage without provoking a drastic response, you can “slowly” work on taming.


If your bird(s) come from a breeder that worked well at socializing their animals, then the process below is the same but it may go much quicker for you. You should move at the pace that your animal is comfortable with.
If you place your hand in their cage and they hop right onto you, then you can start building from there with treats, training and out-of-cage time.

If you got your bird(s) from a pet store, or a breeder who doesn’t socialize their animals; your bird(s) is going to need a couple of quiet weeks to settle in. They can seem “tame” at first, but this is likely just because they are frightened and submissive.

Start by resting your hand on the outside of the cage for 5-10 minutes a few times a day. Talk to them as you do this, in a quiet and steady voice. Read something to them if you like ;)

After a week or two of this, you can move to just placing your hand "in" the cage. You can use their behavior as a judge on this one. If they actively retreat from your hand, even when it’s on the outside of the cage; they aren’t ready for you to go to the next step. Once they start to essentially “ignore” your hand, then you can move on.

The next step is to put your hand in the cage. Don't touch them, go near them or even move. Just rest it there for the same 5-10 minutes a few times a day and continue with the quiet, steady speech.

Your bird(s) will eventually begin to acclimate to you and slowly move up to investigating your hand. Then you can work on treat placement in the hand to see if you can then lure them to step on it to eat from it (again without moving).

And then you go from there!
:)

This could take weeks, or even months, of work and is entirely up to the bird. You may get lucky and have a very outgoing animal that tames in a short period of time, or you may have a more timid creature on your hand that requires a lot more from you.

Birds require far more patience with training than dogs and cats do. They all know instinctively that they are "prey items" and we are basically asking them to ignore that natural response when confronted by a larger predator (you).
Grey Wood Font Twig Electric blue

Grey Wood Font Twig Electric blue
 
#26 ·
I have merged your two threads. You've asked about Skye's behavior in both. In the future, please keep all your questions regarding sky in this one thread, please.

Additionally, please answer the questions posed in my previous post. We can not give you adequate advice and guidance unless you work with us.
 
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