Cage Aggression

[scrum53 0]

Hi everyone, I'm in need of your help. About 6 weeks ago we added a hand raised baby budgie to our family. Everything has been going along fine, he's been lovely, a very sweet little bird...... until now!

 

We get him out as much as possible, 2 or 3 times a day and he would stay out for around an hour or so each time. Getting him out of the cage was no problem, he would "step up" onto your finger (maybe jump back onto a perch once or twice) and then you could lift him out the door. He's happy to ride around on a shoulder, he will step off onto your finger and back to your shoulder and so on with no problem. He doesn't try to fly away from you, he's happy for you to carry him around the house whilst he entertains himself.

 

Over the last couple of days things have changed in the cage situation. Santa came and delivered a few new presents, but nothing he's overly attached to, a toy or 2 and a rope perch. Now when you put your hand in to get him out of the cage he carries on a treat. He bites... HARD, and screeches and keeps jumping off your hand. The harder you try to get him out the more upset he gets. Once out he's fine, gentle and happy to ride around on that shoulder again. My children are getting frightened of him and I don't blame them, because just quietly so am I.

 

I'll take the new things out of the cage and put it back the way it was, but I wouldn't have thought there was anything there that he liked enough to want to protect.

 

Any suggestions? Is this common? I'd love to know what the problem is and if we have done something wrong.

[Dean_NZ 0]

Sounds like the change of environment (cage) which is (was) his safe zone has upset him. He now feels like he is in a foreign place and reacts to your hand as a threat. Once he is outside he is familiar with the routine and settles from the sound of it. I would put my money on the fact that you changed his cage setup / toy setup and he is having security issues.

[Elly 0]

It could be the toys or it could be that he is going through a tempermental stage "hormonal" and will be going through a molt soon.

I would make sure his cage is covered for at least 10-12 hours every night and you can always increased ti to 12-14 hours for a week until the behavior settles down.

Also think back did he have just 1 bad experience trying to get him out of his cage (before the toys or even after?) just one experience can cause them to act this way and since you have forced him out now this is what he remember and will probably continue to act this way. I would work on having him come out on his own or on your hand in the cage and lure him with millet or his favorite veggie. Make your hand and coming out of his cage a positive experience again and don't force the situation. It may take a couple weeks if he jumps on your hand and eats the millet (treat) finish the training session like that and then slowly you can build back up to moving your hand around and taking him out. I would go back to square one.

[scrum53 0]

Thanks for that. I've put the cage back as it was before, although it hasn't made any difference, yet.

 

 

I make sure the kids don't take him out on their own, so nothing has happened to him exiting his cage to my knowledge.

 

We usually cover him when it gets dark and uncover him when we get up. So thats around12 hours. Should I try covering him a couple of hours earlier to extend it to 14 hours covered?

 

I'll take the Asian Greens (his favourite) out of the cage and try giving them to him by hand in the cage to start with.

 

 

When is the first moult and how long does it last? If it is hormonal how often does it happen or is it a "coming of age" type of thing?

[*Nerwen* 0]

the first moult is like a come of age for budgies and can start from anywhere from 4 months to 8months. Inside budgies tend to start later than outside ones. But after that it depends on the temp in your house (their environment) some can moult around every 3 months others a little longer.

 

I'm with Elly, take a step back (or two) with the training and bonding and get him back to the idea that you are his friend. Great idea with the greens, anything that will temp him to come towards your hand willing. When you try this make sure you have some time to spend sitting and waiting as it may take him a while to settle then be tempted forward.

[scrum53 0]

okay......... so I just offered him some greens. He stepped onto my hand so I took him out of the cage without any fuss. He jumped onto my shoulder (like usual) and there he sat, until...... out of the blue he bit me hard on the side of the face about an inch away from my eye. When I tried to then get him off my shoulder he started biting my hand.

 

Does this sound like it might be more hormonal/molt related? Do all nice little budgies go through this nasty stage? I'm trying not to take it personally!

 

Should I back off completely and leave him alone for a while or continue to try to win his affections?

[**KAZ** 0]

When you said he got a "toy or two" was any of those toys mirror related ? Do any have mirrors or shiny surfaces ?

A budgie can bond to a mirror or shiny surface and bite those that threaten its "new relationship"

[scrum53 0]

No Kaz, no mirror toys, just rings and bell configurations and things that spin.

 

I'm wondering though, something I just thought of.....

 

We are "Budgie Sitting" a friends bird whilst they are away on holidays. They haven't interacted or even seen each other, our bird is upstairs in the lounge room and their bird is in the study downstairs. I would hate have anything happen to either so I thought I'd keep them as far apart as possible. I know he can hear the other bird. (But he can hear the wild birds outside too.) I didn't think of it before because we had already been looking after the other bird for a couple of weeks before all this started.

 

Could this be related to his aggression? Would we be a threat to the birdie friend he can hear but not see?

[**KAZ** 0]

Bells are shiny and reflective. Most bells I see are shiny and budgies become attached to any reflections they see of "other budgies" in a bell or mirror

[scrum53 0]

I put the cage back the way it was before a couple of days ago. Maybe it will take some time for things to go back to normal. Any chance he is reacting to the bird we are "birdie sitting" or are the toys the more obvious answer?

[birdluv 0]

No Kaz, no mirror toys, just rings and bell configurations and things that spin.

 

I'm wondering though, something I just thought of.....

 

We are "Budgie Sitting" a friends bird whilst they are away on holidays. They haven't interacted or even seen each other, our bird is upstairs in the lounge room and their bird is in the study downstairs. I would hate have anything happen to either so I thought I'd keep them as far apart as possible. I know he can hear the other bird. (But he can hear the wild birds outside too.) I didn't think of it before because we had already been looking after the other bird for a couple of weeks before all this started.

 

Could this be related to his aggression? Would we be a threat to the birdie friend he can hear but not see?

Did you noticed that his behaivour changed before or after you started to bird sit ?

[scrum53 0]

Hi Birdluv,

 

It all changed after the other bird arrived, but not straight away, it was roughly 2 weeks after. Before he was a lovely little bird.

 

I'm still trying to take him out and spend time with him out of the cage. It's a struggle to get him out. He bites and screeches and carries on. Once out he's unpredictable....... he will be sitting on your shoulder happily (That's where he likes to be) and next he'll bite you hard on the side of the face. He's not selective he's got 3 of us so far. He bit my son so hard he had a massive welt on his cheek, now he won't go near him.