Vonn

Thanks so much for the congrats. - so relieved the treatment is over! Yes, Lukie seems to be turning into a real little character. I was completely stunned, as he is normally such a sweet bird. I know that he must be in his budgie 'teens' now, so is probably being effected by hormones - just hope this wasn't a taste of things to come!! Luv Vonn Thanks for the advice, lovey. The thing is, he has never done that when other people come around to visit - even people he doesn't recognise. This is why we find it so puzzling and thought it might have something to do with the way they speak or something. I was really embarrassed, though. I have not trained him, as he was such a nervous bird. So now he tends to do as he pleases, unfortunately. He will not go into his cage so he can be taken out of the room, without having to chase him around and around until he is tired. I hate doing that so tend to give in to him. Wrong, I know. I need some basic training tips that will not upset Lukie and will help him become more obedient and controllable. At present Luke rules the roost. I think the problem is that I am overcompensating for Luke's bad start in life. We found him in a pet shop huddled in a corner looking absolutely terrified. It upset us terribly and we took him home. Luckily we instinctively did the right things by placing him in a quiet room with most of his cage covered, then reducing the cover very slowly until he was comfortable being uncovered. He was very quiet and not particularly happy so we tried letting him fly free. At first he was terrified but very quickly started to love being free. Today he uses his cage as a diningroom, but the door has to be kept open at all times. Amazingly he does not show any inclination to fly out of the livingroom, even when the door is wide open. He is quite content to stay there but does want us there too, as much as possible. I just wish I could tame him but he would get very depressed if he was locked in his cage again. I know I have done quite a few things wrong but it was with the best of intentions and much love. We just love him to bits. If you have any other advice/tips I would appreciate them very much. Luv Vonn

Hello everyone I have been away from the boards (after just joining) for many months, fighting cancer. Fortunately, I am now in remission and back on the computer! A quick update on Lukie. He is the budgie who is scared of the dark (not sure if anyone remembers?). He now spends the evenings in the livingroom with us and goes to sleep on his giant playgym where he spends his days. If you remember, he had a giant houseplant to play on before, but he killed it quite successfully and good ol hubby had to make him a huge playgym to replace it. Once Lukie is sleepy he is no longer afraid of the dark. He still won't have the light switched off if he is not sleepy enough, though. He gives a frightened little squeak if you switch it off too soon. He is so much better though and much less nervous. On to today's bad behaviour! :devil: We have some new Chinese neighbours who popped over to say hello. The ladies sat down in the livingroom with me and we started to chat away. Luke went beserk!! He squawked angrily and flew at them over and over again - I thought he was going to attack and bite them!! He has never done this before and I was stunned. What on earth is his problem. My husband and I discussed it and wondered if it was the fact that they speak differently with higher pitch voices? Or, perhaps he was defending his flock/space? It was very embarrassing, as he has never done this to other people before. Please help! I am scared to asked them over again. He has never ever been an aggressive budgie and has never bitten us, (although he would do if we grabbed him). He hates hands but he will let us come up to him and touch him but only if he is in the mood and feeling a little dozy as well. Otherwise, he just flies out of reach but he will never peck at us. He does buzz us. He does this whenever we read or watch the TV for too long and do not chat to him! But he doesn't squawk in a rage and try to attack us!!?? He is a bit spoilt (oh all right, he's dreadfully spoilt!) and I know I am going to have to plead for your help in unspoiling my little darling. Hope that you can help. I don't want my new neighbours to feel unwelcome! Its lovely been able to chat to you all about Lukie again. But if I rabbit on and on about how cute he is etc etc. just tell me to zip it!! Luv Vonn xxx

Hi Paulie's Babie I buy my toys on the internet from Smart Bird Toys in Alabama USA. I buy quite a few at a time and let him have a new on when I think he is tired of his other toys. It takes my little budgie months to get used to a new toy and then, all of a sudden, he is crazy about it! I buy the smaller toys so he is not intimidated by them too much. Lukie is a very nervous bird but is getting better as time goes on. He is loved so much and is very pampered! I find it hard to find good toys in the UK and they are very expensive if you do find a good one. I find it far cheaper to get his toys from America. There are other good sites that you can try as well. Google in 'budgie toys' and you will soon find a few really good sites in USA. The next thing I am planning to buy is a DVD especially for parrots which Lukie might like. They also have Bird Sitter DVD's which might be enjoyable for a bugie - I will have to try one of these DVD's out and then I will let everyone know what Lukie thought of them. ( I told you he is pampered!!) Hope I have helped you. Luv Vonn I would really like to buy Paulie some more toys, but I cannot seem to find them anywhere! Where do you get them?

Thanks for the info. Luke is 5 and a half months old and when I first saw the vet he told me that Luke was beginning to get new feathers. I am not sure how long a moult takes but I often find little flulffy feathers everywhere so maybe he is still moulting. He hasn't had any 'moods' so he is going through adolescence with ease! Perhaps I am speaking too soon or maybe he is a late starter?! Luv Vonn xxx

Hi everyone I just wondered if you could tell me at what age a budgie normally starts adolescence and also when a budgie is considered adult. Thanks. Luv Vonn xxx

Yes, I have but Luke studiously ignores it! Luv Vonn xxx

Hi Rainbow Just thought I would let you know that Luke picks out the millet seeds I put in his seed bowl and throws them on the floor!! He must be a freak...(Laughing out loud) Luv Vonn xxx

Just what Luke does - although he isn't on his tippy toes really, just stretches his neck out forwards with his mouth wide open. He does it about 6 times (+-) and then he is fine again. It almost looks like something is stuck in his neck and he is trying to get it down. I wondered if it was anything to do with his crop. Anyway, as I said, he is doing it far less now. I won't forget to let you know what the vet has to say. Thanks again, Una. Love Vonn xxx

Hi Una Thanks so much for letting me know about this condition. I will get him checked over as soon as possible. Luke has been doing it far less of late so I was beginning not to worry about it any more. At the moment he seems very well. He is very active, chirpy and happy. Nevertheless you cannot take chances with these little birds. They can go downhill, healthwise, so quickly. Thanks again, I am really grateful for this information. Luv Vonn xxx

I will do that, Sailorwolf, thanks. My vet is away at the moment but I will be seeing him as soon as he returns. Meanwhile Luke has been chewing away at his cuttlefish bone (after totally ignoring it all the time I have had him) and has already reduced his overgrown beak! He just suddenly started to nibble it and then he hardly left it alone. He seems fine and very happy, chirpy, active and eating well, so I am not too worried. Nevertheless, as you say it doesn't hurt to be safe and I will get him checked over. Luv Vonn xxx

Hi Rainbow I gave him a small sprig of millet but so far he hasn't gone near it so perhaps the sprig was still too big and scary for him. I think I will take a few seeds off and put them with his Trill and see if he eats them then! I am so encouraged by what you said about Luke allowing me to get my face so close. I didn't realise that was an achievement. |He really enjoys it when I chat to him close up and settles himself down just like he does when he is getting ready for a nap, all cute and cuddly. I really feel my avian vet unwittingly caused the fear of hands and the dark as I mentioned in my post. I will just perserve with trying to get him to trust my hands. He is such a darling little bird and gives us so much pleasure. He has decided that rap music is the greatest - gets very excited when he hears it - and sings along happily whenever it is playing! Tried to reply earlier but the site was down. I will let you know if I succeed in getting him to like millet. Luv Vonn xxx

Thanks marsmk, I will definitely let you all know what happens. Just hope little PePi is okay. It such a worry with these little mites as they can go downhill so quickly, healthwise. Luv Vonn xxx

Ditto for mine, Julie. It's even gotten Skittles (who pretends to be deathly afraid of hands) to sit on my palm to eat it. All I have to do is ask them if they want a treat - they get all excited about it and know what a "treat" is. A few have started flying to me from halfway across the room when they see I've got millet in my hand. Vonn, it might just take awhile for your bird to get used to it. If you clip it to the side of the cage, or feed it from your hand, try cutting a small 1" - 2" section off and offering it that way. Some birds get rattled at eating something much bigger than they are. Hi Rainbow I think you have solved the problem for me! He probably IS scared of the size as he is such a nervous little bird. I will give him a small piece and see what happens. Thanks for that! I get so envious when I read about birds sitting on your hands - how I WISH Luke would learn to trust me quicker. He lets me get right up to him as long as it is only my face and no hand is in sight. It's so sweet, he will listen intently to whatever I am saying and answer back when I stop talking to him. And this is with my nose almost touching his beak. Yet he won't trust my hand near him. I know, I just have to be patient. Thanks again, Rainbow. Luv Vonn xxx

Thanks so much for the replies. I will definitely get him checked over by the vet. How awful for you, MegTheBudgie, to have lost your cockatiel in that way. It must have been very upsetting. So sorry to hear about it. Thanks for the warning of what can happen. Luke doesn't have noisy breathing or any other symptoms so am hoping it is something simple. Featheredpets, your suggestion that it may be fear is the one I feel is probably the cause. But I am taking no chances with my dear little bird so he will be off to the vet as soon as I can get an appointment. Thanks again, everyone. Luv Vonn xxx

Relieved to hear it can be treated should it be a liver problem. Thanks, too, for the good wishes. Luv Vonn xxx

I will let you know once he has been to the vet. Luv Vonn xxx

Thanks for the replies, guys. At least Luke isn't that unusual in not liking millet. Lin, I am going to try Luke on some dandelion and thistle and see if he turns his little beak up at them! Luv Vonn xxx

Thanks for the replies, Phoebe and Sailorwolf. I hope he hasn't got an endocrine disorder - is this serious? When I saw his beak in profile yesterday I realised it is much longer than other budgies I have seen. I will be taking him to the avian vet next week. Just wish he would use his cuttlefish. I bought him some balsa wood toys which he does chew but, obviously, they are not sufficient. Oh I do hope he doen't have anything seriously wrong with him! Sailorwolf, he does open and shut his beak as you describe. What a relief to hear they all do this. Thanks so much for letting me know. Luv Vonn xxx

Hi Phoebe, Thanks for the reply. At least I know he is not the only budgie who sneezes a lot! Luv Vonn xxx

Just thought I would let you know - Luke opened his little mouth wide today, just for a second, and I was able to see his beak in profile and it is definitely too long. I am making an appointment with the avian vet next week to get him to clip it. Luv Vonn xxx

Hello everyone My little Luke has a habit of sneezing when his cage is moved. He doesn't sneeze much any other time. I am wondering if it is dust or allergies or is it simply because he feels vulnerable. I still don't understand why he would sneeze out of fear. He is as happy as ever and eating well so doesn't seem ill in any way. Any ideas? By the way, his sneezes are wet as I found out once! He has also done this for some time so this is why I was wondering if it could be allergies. Luv Vonn xxx

Hello Lin, Thanks for the reply. I suppose you are right about tastes - even birds probably have their likes and dislikes. I just wondered if Luke was the only budgie who wasn't that interested in millet. They always suggest using millet for taming but the only thing Luke won't be separated from is his Trill. Luv Vonn xxx

Hello everyone, My budgie, mostly, ignores millet and I am told that all budgies CRAVE millet! I just wondered if he is the only one? I first offered him English Millet. He turned his nose up to that so I er....... ordered some American Millet from Virginia (hands up, I spoil him rotten) which he deigned to sample. He ate a couple of the seeds and then left it. I am now feeding the wild birds some very expensive (postage was dreadfully expensive) Virginian Millet which they, at least, are eating. I have got to stop spoiling this bird. Luv Vonn xxxx

Thanks for the quick reply, Julie. Perhaps I could take him into the bathroom each morning for about 20 minutes or so? Won't he just sit as far away from me as possible and just look at me accusingly! Will it make him distrust me? Should I try and get a little closer to him each day or wait for him to come closer to me? I think I would like to give it a try for a while, but if he gets very upset I will just accept that he won't be a tame budgie. We love him to bits and so enjoy having him around - we hate it when it is time for him to go to sleep!! Hello Featheredpets - thanks very much for the welcome. That's such a good idea about leaving the camera in the room for him to get used to. I never thought of it for some reason. I do that with his toys. It takes weeks for him to get used to them, though. I will start putting the camera in the room with him tomorrow and hopefully I will soon be able to take pics.of him. I really do think his beak is a bit long and feel very tempted to take him to the vet. It is hard to see if it really is overgrown because the end of the beak seems to be amongst his feathers. It curves down into his feathers. He seems to manage to eat okay. Today he ate the whole broccilli sprig, stem and all!! Hope he won't have an upset tummy tomorrow. He has got a cuttlefish and a calcium block but he has never gone near either of them. His beak looks longer than the budgies pictured on this forum. He has always used his beak very delicately. When he plays with the string toy he likes, he seems to preen the string gently. He also eats his fresh food very gently and carefully. Perhaps he is just a gentle soul? Thanks again for the replies. Luv Vonn xxx

Hello Julie Thanks so much for the welcome and the advice. I will have a look at the topics on taming. Won't he get very depressed if I no longer allow him out of the cage to perch in his favourite position? He gets so excited when we get him up and open his cage. He seldom sings when in his cage and sits quietly doing virtually nothing, all day which is why I decided to let him out. He comes to life once he is out of his cage. He sings and chats away, plays with the string toy and tries acrobatics by hanging upside down etc. He loves watching the other birds in the garden. He squawks loudly at the pidgeons,magpies and blackbirds as he finds then too big and scary. He is very obedient about going back into his cage, which I find surprising. I hold out a perch (long bamboo cane) and at first he used to get on it but now when he sees me pick it up and show it to him, he realises what I want and goes to his cage immediately. I feel so torn as I love seeing him so happy but I really want him to be tame too. Thanks again Luv Vonn xxx