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Will baby budgie become more talkative?

2011 Views 5 Replies 6 Participants Last post by  StarlingWings, 
D
My mom just got a new pet budgie after her last one died unexpectedly. The last one was a 5-year-old male, very active and quite a talker, greeting us every morning, responding to our voices, and constantly chattering to his mirrors. The new one is still young, and much quieter. He (we think it’s a he) rarely moves or interacts with mirrors, and only sings occasionally when there is noise coming from the piano or the faucet. The one exception is when we play budgie sounds and videos. The sound makes him perk up and start chirping a lot, and seeing the videos sends him into a frenzy of trying to escape, biting bars on his cage, squeezing through tight spaces, and trying to topple a food dish.

My mother is thinking about taking him back to the store. I know he is young (less than four months?), but do you think he will grow more like the other bird in time? Or is personality pretty set at this age? He does seem to have gotten a little better over the two weeks we've had him.

And can anyone verify his age and gender based on the picture?

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Cody
Don't take him back, two weeks is a very short time and you cannot make a judgement on his personality in that short of a time, some birds take longer to become comfortable in their new surroundings, you have to be more patient with him. I would not play the budgie sounds for him, in hearing that he is getting excited that there are other birds around for him to socialize with when in fact there are no birds there. You need to quietly talk to him throughout the day and do not do any actions that would frighten him, such as trying to pet him or hold him, you have to gain his trust before you can expect him to be comfortable with you. Every bird is an individual and it is not realistic to expect that any bird will be exactly like any other. He looks very young, less than 3 months.
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C
You want to exchange your bird like it's a microwave with a broken clock?

It's a living breathing creature not an inanimate object
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NarutoLover
I can understand your frustration...I have a new budgie that is also quite young. Going on 4 weeks now and she (pretty sure it's a she) is still....antisocial. But as the days go by, she is making steps towards socialization. Much calmer with my hand in the cage, will eat from my palm (still have to remove the food bowl for a bit), and occasionally will pick up at my voice rather than sit idle. It's a patience game. Don't make the budgie do anything...just offer it the choice. It really does take time (especially the pet store babies). Earn trust, then worry about all the cool birdie things. This is not a domestic creature...it is wild and fearful. Arm yourself with knowledge and it will be a friend for years to come. Not because you made it so...it will be a matter of the budgie CHOOSING you, which is a great bond.
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FaeryBee
Hi, Welcome to Talk Budgies!

The purpose of this forum is to promote the BEST PRACTICES in the care of budgies for their optimal Health and Well-Being

Each and every budgie is a unique individual and should be treated as such.
When you adopt a pet, you should never plan to "return" it because it does not behave the way you want it to.
You have made a commitment to love, care for and provide everything for this budgie (including any necessary veterinary care) for as long as the bird lives.
It is your responsibility to ensure it's health and well-being.

This baby is extremely young and needs time to adjust to his environment. He is a MALE and has to learn to trust you (and your Mom) and feel safe.
What have you named him?

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

It is not recommended to have mirrors in your bird's cage as interacting with the mirror can contribute to your budgie becoming aggressive and/or territorial.
Additionally, some budgies will begin regurgitating to the mirror to the point where they actually become malnourished. You would be better off to give him shredding toys instead.

Do not play budgie sounds or videos. Instead play soft music for your budgie if you are not around reading, singing or talking to him.

Taming and Bonding is all about helping your budgie learn to trust you and it takes a great deal of time and patience on your part.
It is best that you not try to touch your budgie for the first two weeks.
He needs time to settle into his new environment and become comfortable with his new surroundings.
Budgies are often submissive for the first few days simply because they are terrified.
You should never grab your budgie or force him to be touched.

To bond with your budgie, you need to build his trust in you.
He will have to learn over time that you will not hurt him, grab him and try to force him to allow you to hold him.

To build your budgie’s trust, sit by his cage and read, talk or sing quietly to him for a period of at least 10-15 minutes, 3 or 4 times day. After the 2nd or 3rd day, rest your hand on the outside of the cage when you talk to him so he'll learn that your hand is safe and will not hurt him .

After a week, rest your hand inside the cage when you talk.
Don’t make sudden moves, don’t try to touch him .
Let him get used to the idea that the hand is now in his safe place and not harming him .

After 2 weeks, begin moving your hand slowly toward your budgie. If he becomes agitated, stop moving your hand and just hold very still until he calms down. When he's comfortable with your hand near him , you can offer him a bit of millet or a few seeds. In a few more days, you can begin your taming and bonding sessions.

Always work at your budgie's pace.
Move slowly and talk reassuringly and calmly whenever you interact with him .
Most budgies once they pass the "baby" stage, do not like to be petted or touched.

If your budgie does like to be petted, you should only ever pet his head, neck or chest area.
Stroking a budgie's back and/or tail stimulates its breeding instinct. Bonding means allowing them to choose to be with you.

A budgie learning to talk takes time and patience. It is a matter of repeating a word and phrase using the same tone and infection each time.
Start with something easy, like "Hello, (Name?"

Once the budgie learns that phrase then move to a new one, such as "Whatcha doin'"

Avian Association of Veterinarians

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

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.
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.
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
List of Stickies
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 forum members new and old
Tips For Discouraging Breeding
Before You Ever Consider Breeding Your Budgies
Guidance for Breeding Advice Threads
Cage sizes.
Essentials to a Great Cage
Dangers to Pet Birds
Resource Directory
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StarlingWings
Hello and welcome to the forums!


Cody and FaeryBee have given you excellent advice! It can take a long time for budgies to trust you, and for their personalities to come out. It was nearly six months before my girl decided to trust me, after sitting with her and talking to her daily. Now she’s nine and as closely bonded to me as any bird. It’s important to be realistic in terms of gaining an animals trust and affection.

Meanwhile, you’ve come to a great place to learn even more about the best of budgie care practices! Please be sure to have a look around the forums’ many budgie articles and “stickies”, included above, to ensure you’re up to date on everything. If you have questions after doing so, please be sure to ask as we’d love to help.

Best wishes!

Cheers! 👋
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