Elly

Welcome to the forum, we get forward to getting to know you and your flock.

They are adorable you should enter their photo in December Budgie of the Month under the contests. They are both males from what I can see.

yes that is correct, that is what I do daily.

I close the doors where Merlin is and he is fine. If your bird is in the mist of where the cleaning is being done put him in the bedroom for the day with the doors shuts. You can tell people over and over not to do stuff but they will anyway so just protect your birds and let the rest be

Welcome back , good to see you here again.

Don't just take him to any vet make sure you do take him to an Avian Vet (this is not a vet that says yes I see birds) it is one that is a certified Avian Vet. We have a link in our FAQ on how to find an avian vet and links to find one in your area. It could be a unbr of things including muscular issues in his neck so I would take him ASAP.

You won't get a grey green unless one of the parents is carrying the grey gene and it in most cases is dominant very rare to see the recessive grey gene. You may get cobalts or mauves but only if both parents are split to the blue gene.

I did a google and our experts that have a larger quanity of birds may know what your bird is doing. Toe Tapping from what I read could be related to nutrition (what do you feed your bird) or feeling threatened (so does he stop doing it if you back away from the cage)

It sounds like a combination of things. The first thing is that they are both going to start to go through a hormonal stage right around this time and then you can expect it usually around every molt (every 3-4 months) or around the time changes especially spring time. To help with the behavior issues I would cover their cage for at least 14 hours a day for the next week that will help calm the hormones down because it decrease the daylight hours and helps throw them out of wanting to breed. Try this first to see if this helps. Also everytime you put your hand in the cage have millet in your hand for them to eat it is a wonderful reward and they will learn your hand is good. As for them ignoring it will happen and get used to it. Species would rather be with their own species. The best way to introduce a 2nd bird is when you already have had your 1st bird for at least a year where you have worked and bonded with your bird. Then your existing bird and train your new bird that you are all good. Since you didn't go that route you will have to work with them together, being so young I would not seperate them because they will just stress and call for each other. I would work with the one that is most willing to pay attention to you and have millet. You may also consider and I did this with both my birds is a 1 x wing clip that will help keep them in 1 place while you are working with them and as they bond with you more you can let their wings grown out. Right now you are not a bird and you have to become part of their flock through patience, positive reinforncement like clicker training (you can google that it is a very neat process) and ignoring the bad behavior.

I advise since this post is so old and you have a question of your own to post your questions as a NEW TOPIC, (you may have done that already ) but if not you will get more replies this. way.

How large is your cage? Do you have a picture? As said many budgies do this to exercise their wings but I find that they may do it more if they are in a smaller cage where they can't fly from perch to perch. Merlin is in a larger cage and doesn't do this but when I had Pretty and he was in a small cage he did it quite often. Do you give your bird time out of his cage? Is he tame enough for that? If he is birds that get out of their cages more often don't tend to do this as much either. I am not saying he should do this but why he may be doing it a lot.

You said you have wooden perches are they all one size the dowel type or do you have branch like perches and are different sizes. To me it sounds like your bird is uncomfortable. I would look for sores, any joint swelling or redness that could indicate any illness. Can you post a picture of the inside of your cage please.

The chick is a dark green (1 dark factor) and the mother is an olive (2 dark factors). Olives have dark blue/purple cheek patches and black-blue tails.

This is my personal opinion letting a budgie out of its cage that doesn't know the room very well can be injured. They tend to panic fly into walls, mirrors (if not covered) windows if there is no blind to shut. You can start with a smaller room but I find that flighted budgie that are just new to the home will panic and fly to the highest spot and then you have to chase them down to get them back in their cage and they get scared. I would recommend doing a 1 time wing clip (make sure both wings are clipped evenly) and I would work on letting 1 out at a time. I would let the 1 out of the cage step up on your finger and you bring him out and then step up so you can put him back in. I would do this so your bird knows that you are the one that keeps him safe by going in and out. I have done this with Merlin. I was stupid and did it the other way with Pretty and I was lucky he didn't break his neck and I did end up clipping him 1x so I could tame him out of the cage and work with his stepping up and flying back to me. I would always have millet as a treat for a reward and the only time they get it is when they fly to you or step up not any other time. Millet = You = Good Things. I would work with the bird that is more trusting of you and work on him being out ONLY by himself for the first week and then you can reverse it and see how it goes with the other bird. Don't let them out together flighted the one will follow the other, they may freak out and one may get hurt. I know there are many that don't want a bird clipped...I believe it is owners choice and when they are pets it is about the safety of the bird when they are in large aviaries like many of our breeders have then it wouldn't make sense to clip them (either 1x for training or all the time). A flighted bird is not always a happy bird sometimes it can be a dead bird...especially if there are ceiling fans, no screens, doors that open all the time, other pets in the house etc... A clipped bird is not always a happy bird either because they can still gain flight to fly out the door, they can be clipped to far and break their breastbone (so when they are first clipped you do want to let them out in a room that has carpeting)...Common sense = a safe bird. Know the pros and cons. Both my birds were clipped 1x for training and bonding and then left flighted. If you have questions let me know.

Congrats to Kaz who submitted this cute picture of her kissy budgies Please leave your congrats here. Also don't forget to enter your photo for December if you have not won this year. The 12 winners for 2010 are then put into a contest on who will be Budgie of the Year.

There is a Taming Article that goes over a lot of good points and ideas in the FAQ section, please check it out. I am not sure if you have tamed 2 birds or 1 by it self before but it is a lot easier to tame 1 on it's own then 2 together since they tend to bond and mimic each other's behavior. You may want to try different taming tricks with both of them and use millet. Using positive techinques can go along way. You may want to even try clicker training it has been very successful in all types of animals including birds. Clicker Training you can google the website.

I would think if you buy them at separate times they should always be quarantined only if you bought them together from the same place. If I bought 1 budgie from a local pet shop and then another 1 from the same shop 2 weeks later I would quarantine them from each other.

Looks like a Yellow Face Type 1 Cobalt as suggested above possible boy.

very handsome

They both look like males to me.

Time to vote for your favorite budgie picture!! Remember we have only 1 more month to submit entries for December Budgie of the month and then there is the Budgie of the Year (this is taken from all the monthly 2010 winners). If you have won this year already you are not qualified to submit a picture, 1 win per member a year that makes it fair for all. Good luck to all if you have a question DO NOT leave it here just PM me. Please no comments just voting!

Put in your best entry for Budgie of the Month. Every one has until the end of each month (U.S. Time EST) to enter a picture. Members vote at the beginning of the month to chose who will be the winner. You can win only 1 time within the year so for example if you won March Budgie of the Month then your pictures can not be qualifed to win again. This prevents 1 member winning all the time and makes it fair since each and every one of us have different talents with our camera.. One picture per member per month. Please remember to keep to the board rules of maximum, pictures should not exceed 480x640 AND links will not be accepted ONLY images. If this is not met then you picture will not be accepted (notification of non acceptance is not guaranteed). Any post you make to this thread will not show up so please do not repost. Do not post questions on this thread if you have a question you can either PM me or post in the Competition Area, thank you. Good luck to all that enter. Winners are recognized for the whole month and a Budgie of the Month Picture (example below) is is added to their signature line and it is removed after the month is over and is added to the next winners signature line. Click HERE to see all the different emblems that are used. They have been created by our own BBC members and we appreciate their help. created by mysixbabies Also note that all monthly winning pictures will be automatically added to the Budgie of the Year fpr 2010. To check out "2008 Budgie of the Year" CLICK HERE OR "2009 Budgie of the Year" CLICK HERE (NOTE: you can only win 1 month per year to make it fair for all members, so example if you win Jan then you are not elibgible to win for the remaining months of that present year) Important Information: if you are the Budgie of the Month and are entered in the Budgie of the Year your original photo most stay up and not be moved, deleted, or link broken, this is the only way we can verifiy that that photo was the winner, if you decide to move, delete the photo your photo is disqualified from the Budgie of the Year Competition. Interested in our Monthly 2009 Winners? CLICK HERE and feel free to look, this is a readme only post, to congratulate the winner feel free to click on the CLICK HERE to Congratulate Link in this thread under the photo. Read here on how to post pictures within guide regulation Photo Regulations/How to Post TIPS on taking good pictures that WIN [*]Make sure you have good lighting, the best is in the daylight without a flash [*]Try and take your budgie's picture without the bar cages, many camera's will let you zoom in and you can put the lense between the space [*]If it is a close-up use your macro setting (symbolized on some camera's by a flower) and then press the shutter button 1/2 way and let it focus

Along with Kaz's advice keep the chick warm in a room if you can that is at least 80F warm does so much for them or you can put them under a light (there is more in the FAQ on what is safe), there is a link in there about what to do if your budgie is sick and what to look for etc.. Warmth again is so very important and it can pull many birds out of it along with medication (if needed) and an avian vet visit (if needed).

Vineger is a very good cleaner and it is known to be non toxic and kill bacteria and is used as a cleaner. When using any cleaner it is the fumes that can kill your bird not just the residue.

He is flirting with you and courting you that is what budgies too when they are single budgies. They see you as their mate so especially males will bob their heads, some may regurgate their seed, they will flirty with your fingers if you give them the chance because I think the nail to them represents another beak of a budgie, if you don't want him bitting I would remove him from you they get the point if you remove them from what they are doing but never physically punish and they get being removed more then they do the word NO. I have a male budgie who is a single boy who does the same thing. They get more flirty at certain time...I would say every 3 months they get pretty flirty but will flirt with you all the time if you let them. If you don't want a hair full of poop or anywhere else you remove and after a few times if you removing and being stern he will stay off.