* Pet Bird Chat * NEW

[Cygnetta]

Does anyone who has budgies have tips on how to interact with them? I have two that interact with each other really well, but ever since I got them I've been talking to them; however they don't really interact with me. I researched on the internet, and it said to put the food in your hand when it's feeding time and they will come. Doesn't that actually work? Is it even possible to get them to interact with you if you have to spend a lot of time outside of home?

Also, they don't really play with their toys. They peck at them occasionally, but mostly they sit in the exact same spot facing each other even though it's a large cage. They seem relatively happy, but their activities are just really limited.

[Luzien]

Does anyone who has budgies have tips on how to interact with them? I have two that interact with each other really well, but ever since I got them I've been talking to them; however they don't really interact with me. I researched on the internet, and it said to put the food in your hand when it's feeding time and they will come. Doesn't that actually work? Is it even possible to get them to interact with you if you have to spend a lot of time outside of home?

Also, they don't really play with their toys. They peck at them occasionally, but mostly they sit in the exact same spot facing each other even though it's a large cage. They seem relatively happy, but their activities are just really limited.

First of...great you got two birds, i always hate when people keep birds lonely
But to how to get them to interact with you....dont know as no budgie...but i know from my birds, that not every bird
likes to interact with human...and one needs to accep this even when not easy but watching them have fun is great too^^ ! they are no pets to play with like cats, and sometimes one has to accept that one just has to be happy to watch them sit and fly around

you can try long thin spoon and food they really like as some dont like hands...with time you can maybe target and clicker train them and maybe even get them to stay calm when hand is near an maybe even take food...

Maybe they just dont like he toys....i always try to use three to four different ones, also different ice perche and natural wool rope, and you can give twigs and branches with leaves every now and then. Nice swings are fun too or this rope rings, also soft wood like from fruit trees and cork and so on...also bird friendly plants go well...i got me a small staying cherry tree^^

also foraging toys are great and when you make your own with bamboo or wood/coconut half, with holes put into it for some food to put into each day or as food bowl:)

One can make large flight/indoor aviary big Cages really fun for birds.. just look online like on pinterest or into aviary and natural toys for budgies, some are really nice and fun.... good luck^^

@ Kaizoku
great that things worked out then and that cloud seems to like the new oher girl and she i more happy and lively^_^


@ Tatum
Sounds cute^^
i always think it good when one keeps them with an other bird or a group^^ so yes i would look for one soon,....not sure was your bird health tested? then you can get an also tested bird and try it out for some weeks if they work out and can atleast get along with each other. Your bird is still young so it should be not to much problems to find friend^^ but you have to look, that your cage indoor aviary or birdroom is big enough and enough perches and toys^^

[Eyulf]

I've been hand raising 5 little budgie chicks.
They're of varying ages, so 2 have gone back to the aviary, 2 are starting to wean as of today.

One of them is a cute big pudgie boy and comes to me all the time, he's struggling to fly but he tries to be as independent as he can, so I've adopted him, he's been named Pudding 🤗😆😀 well it is December and the holiday season.
He's a big fluff ball, and loves a cuddle, his colors are simple grey with a hint of blue, with a pale yellow/cream face the usual black stripes on the head and black on the wings.
My cute lil Pudding Pie 🤗

EDIT: Sadly lil Pudding had to be put to sleep, the lil guy, had started to poop blood overnight, not a fun thing to find on Christmas morning. He was very much loved by me and everybirdy. He did manage to fly a little, enough to get to his favorite spot, the perch on my window sill where he'd sit and look out over the garden and watch the lorikeets.

[Eyulf]

Back on the 7th of June, my budgie boy Sky sadly passed away in my arms. He got sick suddenly, I don't know how, or what it was.
He was such a gentle good natured boy. That morning he did his routine, then spent the day with me, just cuddling, until he went over the rainbow bridge late afternoon. Blue my female looked sad and hung her head as I showed her he'd passed and she watched as I wrapped him in a soft cloth and put him in a nice box, his favorite toy with him. Sky's resting place is with Misty my cat, which I sadly had to put to sleep November last year, he adored her, loved preening her long fur.
R.I.P Sky, 28th (or 29th) Feb 2020 - 7th June 2022.

I have another Male budgie, it's white and blue, named him Teal. He's a rescue, his siblings passed, his parents abandoned the nest box, so he climbed out and fell to the aviary floor and got attacked by other budgies, he had a bite wound on his face and was bruised. He thrived on formula, and is now about 4 months old. When Teal and Blue aren't arguing they're playing and giving each other kisses.
He did get to meet Sky, and for the few months he had Sky for a big brother, every morning they'd hop onto my hand, one on each, I'd say good morning and give kisses, then they'd take of for a few flight laps of the room. A month on from Sky's passing, and Teal has kept that routine going. He marches at the cage door waiting for me to open it, hops onto my hand, then sets out the toys with me before flight laps of the room, then returns to me for a cuddle, I'm trying to teach him to talk. Blue joins us or she'll sit on the window swing, Blue also loves being on the phone... meaning I'm trying to do something while she's perched on it she'll also "accidentally" poop on it when she wants me to turn it off she likes looking at her reflection on the screen when it's off, front facing camera vision scares her and so does her reflection in a mirror, she'll chirp away at herself in the phone screen reflection

[Arcanine Luver]

Username: Arcanine Luver
How many birds do you own? ( if applicable ): 1! Her name is Toast and shes a cinnamon pied cockatiel!
How long have you had them?: about 3 years now i actually bottle raised her from a few weeks old
What brings you to the bird chat?: I dont know anyone else personally who has a bird! I was looking for a little advice. Recently my cockatiel laid her first egg. I felt horrible as i had been doing everything i could to avoid it. I went ahead and removed a toy she seemed a little overly attached to and i rearranged the layout of her cage. She loves to hangout on me but she doesnt really like to be pet, so i dont think any human contact caused this.
Have any of you guys been through this/ have any tips?

[Xireh]

@Eyulf - I'm so sorry to hear about your losses! I know Sky and Misty had a great life with you. And it's so exciting to hear you rescued Teal! I'm glad he seems to be thriving and happy with Blue! I always love hearing updates about your flock.

@Arcanine Luver - Welcome! I don't have any particular advice, but if she still seems broody, you can always try fake eggs to prevent her laying real ones.

I have quite a few updates myself. Since my last update, I have unforunately lost both Toto and Gemini. Toto died suddenly; I have no idea what happened. I just woke up one morning to him being gone - this was probably 10 months ago now. Around the same time, Gemini developed an abcess on her face, which we realised quite late. We took her to the vet, who successfully drained it, but unfortunately she passed in the vets care 20 minutes after surgery. It was really hard - she was with me for 7 years, and died two weeks before my birthday. Toto had only passed 2-3 months before this as well. They are buried together in the garden under a rock that I painted Toto on after he passed. I will add a painting of Gemini there one day, but it will take me some time as it will be very hard for me.

However, around a week after Gem had passed, I needed some cheering up and decided to visit a place that had baby cockatiels. And, in my grief, I very impulsively adopted one! I adopted Lunar on November 1st of last year. Here's a photo of her getting some sun!

I originally thought she was a male but after owning her for 8 months now, I realise she doesn't sing or do any male cockatiel behaviours. I believe she just lacks tail-banding because of her colour mutation. She is a very sweet girl! She was my best friend 2 days after adopting her! She can speak, not very well, but loves playing peekaboo with her toys. Even though she's not a fan of hands, she loves cuddling. She took to a pellet diet instantly, but is a little shy with vegetables and fruits, which will hopefully get better as she gets older.

After what I went through, I honestly couldn't have asked for a sweeter girl. She filled the hole in my heart almost instantly. <3

Edit: here's another image of her being a menace on my desk lol

[Larkspur1678]

Username: Arcanine Luver
How many birds do you own? ( if applicable ): 1! Her name is Toast and shes a cinnamon pied cockatiel!
How long have you had them?: about 3 years now :) i actually bottle raised her from a few weeks old
What brings you to the bird chat?: I dont know anyone else personally who has a bird! I was looking for a little advice. Recently my cockatiel laid her first egg. I felt horrible as i had been doing everything i could to avoid it. I went ahead and removed a toy she seemed a little overly attached to and i rearranged the layout of her cage. She loves to hangout on me but she doesnt really like to be pet, so i dont think any human contact caused this.
Have any of you guys been through this/ have any tips?

My sister's indian ringneck has laid eggs the past 2 years despite our best efforts as well. I know yours doesn't like to be pet, but decreasing how much time she's allowed on you might help. Since my sister is her birds 'mate' she limits petting to an absolute minimum and immediately ignores her if she starts doing any mating rituals. Rearranging things/introducing new things is a good step, our vet also suggested setting a feeding schedule instead of having food available 24/7 and waking her up later/putting her to bed earlier to mimic winter daylight hours. We also got fake dove eggs for her to replace the real ones so she thought she still had them when we really just threw them out(dumb bird brain laid them from the top perch and they broke lmao). She would sometimes lay on or move the fake ones around, and when the season ended she ignored them.

Even with this she still laid eggs the next year and she might lay again this year. Its so ingrained into them that its hard to stop it completely. An easy way to help them though is to make sure they're eating a proper diet so that if they do lay, they have enough nutrients to do so. I know parrots love their seeds, but make sure she's eating some good quality pellets and fresh veggies as well. My sister's bird needs to have her pellets warmed up with a little bit of 100% apple juice to eat them, and to have them given first with her feeding schedule. Also if you don't already have some, get some cuttlebone or other calcium supplement. If she'll nibble on it on her own, great! If not, my sister grated some of it on her food. We tried some of my calcium powder I had for my late beardie, but even mixed in applesauce she wouldn't eat it.

I just want to end this with the obligatory go see your vet if you have further concerns. Its never a bad idea, we saw ours after her first clutch(5 eggs, one misshapen) and got some useful advice along with a thankfully clean bill of health. I know that they can be hard to find, booked up, or just flat out expensive and this is far from an emergency, but it's always something to think about.

[Yibeullin]

Username: Yibeullin
How many birds do you own? ( if applicable ): lots! i have soon to be over 20 parakeets. we're expecting more babies soon. :)
do plan on finding homes for most, though. i usually only have about 16 of my own now lol. i foster them as well, and rescue!
i also have other birds as well!
How long have you had them?: 10+ years
What brings you to the bird chat?: just thought it'd be a fun place to join and see/talk to others who have birds!! ♡

[Xireh]

Welcome Yibeullin! You must have your hands full with all those parakeets, but I bet there's always something fun going on!

[Yibeullin]

definitely! hands full but heart fuller lol. i really do love them!
they love cuddles and singing, and hanging out in the kitchen with me or even sitting with us while we watch TV lol.
they have their own big room and an outdoor area they chill in a lot of the time.