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Is This Normal?


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Hi there!

I just brought home a new budgie, and put it in it's new home! I don't have a bunch of toys yet, but I do have three perches, seed, water, spray millet and a mirror in the cage. He's been in for a couple hours now, but still is breathing heavy and not moving. He's right next to millet but not eating it!

I've had cockteils before, but never a budgie and was wondering if this was normal, and maybe he'll be better in the morning? Also, I'm planning on buying some toys tomorrow. Is it okay to put them in with him?

Thanks so much!

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Hi, some budgies don't do very well when they have been moved. Cover the cage with a towel so it's in the dark, they feel safer that way and give it a few days to adjust. I wouldn't add anything to the cage until it is a bit more settled.

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Thank you! I put a blanket over the cage, but he's still freaking and his wings droop a little. I don't think he's eaten anything. Is there anything I can do?

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No there's nothing you can really do except give it some time and keep it covered. Don't worry about it not eating they sometimes do that, it will eat when it's hungry enough. Is it a young budgie?

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sorry I have a question regarding covering the cage when you bring a baby budgie to the new home.

What kind of towel it should be, bath towel ???? Should I leave the cage completely covered ??? All the time ?

thank you !!!

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KiwiBudgie you need to make the cage as dark as you can, so you just use what ever you have. Some birds don't need it and can handle going to their new home and some really don't, they go into a bit of shock and they feel safer being left alone in the dark. You will usually hear them when they are starting to feel better because they start to vocalise but it may take a few days.

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This happened to some of my birds when I brought them home. The advice you are getting is great and worked for me. Only one bird did not respond to this and I finally got him a little female that he liked. He had been rejected and attacked by other budgies though. The males can bite other males feet if they are very dominant. He was pretty bad I thought he would die but even he finally snapped out of it.

 

Just wanted to add that the reason the advice is so good is because by covering the cage your not only making it a calmer place but making it a bit warmer. I had used a heating lamp at the appropriate distance from the cage for a while. With a thermometer on the cage. It's good to know the body language of a budgie too. Like a bird that is overheated will slightly hold out his wings. I have seen some pretty good guides online. What you describe is pretty normal and consistent with my experience bring home my babies.

Edited by Phoebes
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I think it is a young budgie, it's eyes are competly dark, but it is all white so it has no bars on it's head. I think it was handled by the place I bought it from, so it is already partly tamed. Thank you so much for your advice!!!

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Now is the time where you can take full advantage to bond with your new budgie buy sitting and talking quietly to your bird by the cage uncovered. Mabe rest you hand just inside the cage with a little bit of food. If you can form a bond your bird now will be better for it as they are a flocking bird (wild flocks can run into the millions of individuals) and as such will bond with humans quite easily in the absence of other birds. The only time will cover a cage is when I have a sick or injured bird. They are a hardy little creature and they crave attention wheather it be avian or human.

paulie

 

Your bird could be a Dark-eyed clear or Df Spangle, if albino the eyes will be pink-red.

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Sounds like your little one is a bit stressed, which is quite normal. I agree with the others just leave him to sit quietly and get used to his new surroundings, as long as he has food and water, that is all he needs at this point. Once he has settled he will be more active and feed, just keep it calm and quiet around him until he decides to start chattering etc.

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When bringing home a new budgie, it is a good idea to cover the top and three sides of the cage for the first few days. That way the bird won't feel like it has to protect itself from every direction. It can just keep an eye out the front. Then every day I start to peel the cover back an inch or two, exposing more of the top of the cage, and the sides as well. By the time I have backed the cover up to where it is only hanging on the back of the cage, several days have gone by, and the bird has gradually gotten used to the extended view. It's normal for them to be afraid and go into statue mode for a couple of days. Keeping a spray of millet clipped near to where he sits will help him out when his hunger is battling his fear. Eventually he won't be as afraid, and he will explore the cage and find the other food and the water. Letting him get used to your presence and voice during this time is fine, but your main goal those first days is to get him to eat, and if you stress him out by trying to "train" him before he has eaten much of anything, you will scare him more, and delay his adjustment. Best to keep your hands out of the cage except to do necessary chores, and then just do them calmly and get it over with. There will be plenty of time for bonding with him after he starts to eat. For birds that don't get scared and adjust right away, then yeah, go ahead and start training whenever you want. But even for tame birds, remember, you have to let it have time to rest and eat enough to make up for all the calories you burn off by playing with him.

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