thk

I also vacuum a lot!! Max (female) is the messiest.. she is also moulting so seeds and feathers everywhere. Charlie is not quite as bad although he likes to sit in his dish while he eats then when he gets out of the dish.. brings a supply of seed out with him!! Good idea about putting it down lower, i will try that, currently the dish is hanging on the side.. Also hadnt thought about limiting the amount of seed in the bowl .. i tend to fill it up... will try to half fill. I tried the tube seed dispenser but they just dont even look at that for some reason. Just not as exciting for them as making a big mess I guess!

CHARLEY UPDATE:.. Came home this afternoon.. Charley no where to be found!! Not in his cage.. nothing is open.. looked around the bedroom, nope.. not there.. in the lounge room, there he is.. strutting his stuff on the lounge room floor, underneath Max's cage cleaning up any seeds Max may have turfed out to him. (Luckily he cant fly so couldnt get up to Max's cage which is on a stand). What a little devil!! how did he get out??? he MUST have opened one of the little doors!!! The cage was only a temporary, old plain one.. but as I didnt want the same scenario tomorrow, I hurried straight to the local pet shop and bought him the most beautiful new large cage (with opening top). This one is "modern" and is obviously catered for clever charleys!! the doors have kind of double latches so lets see what he comes up with next!! his next trick!! What beats me is that he is never nervous in new surroundings... immediately he is nosey and checks out all his toys, and begins to play. I must remind you that he has come from breeder on Sunday, to one old cage, then 48 hours later, yet another much larger cage.. he isnt phased at all.. He has got to be one in a million.. or are they always this much fun????

Boy.. am I happy to hear that Charley will be okay to keep as a pet. I was worried someone would say better have him put down!! I have had him for 24 hours and I love him dearly.. I wouldnt give him up now no matter what. He is a dear little fellow and does cute little things like sit completely in his seed dish while he's eating... (messy!!) he is so friendly and has a beautiful face. Yes, his wings are small and his tail is "missing" but the rest of him is so beautiful. He even looks cute and baby-ish when he stretches his little wings proudly. He will be nothing to me but a beautiful little pal. I havent taken him out of the cage yet, he's still a little unsure of me but watches me all the time and gets excited when I come to the cage. I talk to him constantly, saying his name and telling him how beautiful he is (in case he has any doubts!!) I presume its best to leave the actual taking him out until he's well and truly used to sitting on my hand IN the cage... do you agree? Oh.. and no I didnt clip his wings but I thought that must be why he had no flight feathers. I guess the fact that he cant fly is no big problem as long as he gets all the love he needs from me!!! Thank you again for saying its okay to keep him as a pet.. It was on my mind a lot today! He looks very healthy otherwise!!

I did think it strange that he has no tail feathers. I presumed he had been "clipped". If it is due to French moult, is it still possible to keep him as my pet in his cage, away from the other bird, since he's just that, a pet?? The rest of him is so beautifully covered! He has a wonderful personality and seems very happy and content. Can he survive okay as a pet without his tail feathers?

We all sympathise...and I think Missy said it well... Giny is in heaven in a beautiful aviary with many little friends. Be strong, we are all thinking of you.

oops.. i dont really know "pied" i always thought it just means that they had coloured bellies, white wings with perhaps markings on the wings. How old does he look about? would you say around 6 months??? As you all say, i am keeping him well away from Max, in another room and wont introduce them for at least the 30 days, perhaps longer if they are happy the way they are. at this stage they seem totally different.. He is so calm, not just because he is in a new environment, he was calm (but not sickly so of course, just kind of content!!) for the breeder also, not that he wasnt flying around!! he was in with about 5 other budgies at the time... I'm just used to seeing Max who is super shy and timid and goes crazy when anything moves. Charley was even quite happy on the passengers seat in his new (temporary) cage.. I didnt even have to cover him up as he was quite happily sitting looking around him. I only had a 5 minute drive home so that helped. Even now he's not looking at all distressed, just on his perch, nice and fluffed .. watching tv. Obviously used to family environments whereas Max came from a petshop where perhaps she had been frightened by children poking fingers into the cage... maybe. Or maybe they are just two different personalities!! Guess that happens!!

okay .. here is Charley, I have gone through "photobucket" .. and what type is he do you think? I realise he is a pied but I know there are different types, he is grey... hopefully the photos are okay, a bit difficult in the bright light and I've only had him about an hour or two so he's just sitting there at the moment and no doubt will take a day or so to get used to his new surroundings.. but he's so gorgeous i just want to kiss him!!! i am giving him some alone time though and not hurrying it but when i put my hand in the cage a short while ago (couldnt resist!) he stepped onto my finger nicely. If these links dont work i'll try again but i think it should work... http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x112/tmkoroi/Charley1.jpg http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x112/tmkoroi/charley2.jpg

After all my to-ing and fro-ing re getting a second budgie.. my daughter rang me from a breeder where she was buying lovebirds and said there was a boy budgie I would just fall in love with. I went and there he was, Charley (I think I'll call him that though not sure yet). I will try to attach photo soon. He is GORGEOUS. The breeder had him in his hand and gave him to me to hold. He is so tame, he steps onto my finger and is not at all afraid. I fell in love with him instantly. So quickly bought a second cage, a temporary one, till i get a bigger one.. I have him in the bedroom with me at the moment where I can get him used to me. How can one fall so instantly in love with a budgie!!!???? I will now try to send some photos of him....He hasnt had his first moult yet aparently so i dont know how old that makes him but I presume a few months??

Started yoga classes last week... "One Legged King Pigeon Pose".. ouch.. how do I get that one leg down again!!?? where's that book..!

Thanks Missy.. I guess some birds take longer than others and I will keep persevering. She is still entertaining to watch as she somersaults through the rungs of her ladder and plays with her toys. She took absolutely ages to warm to her little swing as well, wouldnt go near it for months.. then suddenly one morning there she was, sitting on it and now she loves it. I had even contemplated taking it out of the cage. Perhaps one day she will also magically warm to me, when least expected!! SHe seems to know my voice as when i speak.. e.g from the other side of the room I say "hello Maxie!!!!!" she always looks over at me, so perhaps there's still hope!!

....There are different levels of tame...what do you want out of a tamed bird? Thanks Elly. All I really want in regards to "tame" is that she wont freak out when I put my hand in the cage and that i can get her to step up and just move her around the cage a little. Would be nice to get her to a stage of taking her out but initially would be happy if the step up onto my hand could be achieved. Most important is that it is a little frustrating (as in "hurts') that she is so frightened of me when I try so hard to show her that I love her. I have been reading the other comments on the site however and perhaps think I am giving up too soon. I have had her since mother's day (May) and thought that after 4 months I could expect her to at least not balk at my hand (and she flies around the cage like a crazy bird, getting as far away from the hand as possible!!).. I notice however that 4 months is not THAT unheard of. She was about 6-8 weeks when I got her so would now be around 6 months although i am not sure of her age..... is just going through her first moult (I presume.. by all the feathers flying around!!). I stop at the cage and talk to her, whistle to her, get close to the cage, every time I walk past and make a point of chatting to her as much as possible. She SEEMS to like me as when i come home she fluffs up, stretches, chirps and has that "happy to see you" look if you know what I mean. I then always go straight to her cage and have a little chat, saying "hello Max" and have a little conversation with her. She seems to enjoy this.. but if i put my hand anywhere near the cage.. end of friendship!! I often put my hand in and leave it there, calmly, while talking to her, or sort of "stir" the seed bowl gently with my finger to show her I mean no harm.. however, she goes very thin and keeps a nervous eye on the hand, flying around madly if i move too close to her. I have tried sticking a small stick through the cage and getting her to step up on that (keeping my hand out of it).. she balks at that too (it moves).. sometimes she will accidentally step up onto it if I am persistent enough in "following" her around with it (gently and slowly).. then I tell her calmly what a good girl she is and what a lot of fun that is!! sometimes she'll sit there for awhile but generally not for long. She still cowers when I put either the stick or my hand in the cage. However, having said all of the above.... I will persevere now that I have read that sometimes it CAN take months, especially with a female... Oh and I've decided not to go for a second budgie just yet. I will wait and see, if she really doesnt want to get close to me in a few months I will consider perhaps getting her a little friend then (in the same cage.. together) and I can just be content with watching their antics and accept the fact that I dont have a "close" relationship with them, but at least can enjoy watching them being close to each other. I presume it would be best then to get a male?.. are two females more likely to fight? or does it depend on the actual character of the birds???? Long story.. but I really appreciate this site and the advice it offers!!!!

In short, I live in an apartment. I have one budgie (girl) in a cage, happy little thing (about 6 months old) but totally untamable. Loves me while I keep my distance and seems to enjoy living solo. Got her from a petshop, dont think she was ever handled. My intention was to tame her and get her to love me but this has not happened and doesnt look like it ever will. She's terrified of my hand or anything I poke into the cage (I tried getting her to hop onto a stick but she still cowers). I've tried everything. I am thinking seriously of getting another cage so that I can get a new baby (preferably boy) budgie who has perhaps been handled by a reputable breeder. My questions.. where to place the cages (they're a nice size and on stands). Are budgies quite happy to be in separate cages where they can see/hear each other, or will this drive them mad trying to get to each other? Would it be better to put the cages close together where they COULD see each other, or in separate rooms so they could only hear the other budgie. Do you think two budgies could live quite happily in separate cages (I give them a lot of attention naturally)...or would that be kind of cruel??? I prefer not to put them together as then there is little chance of taming the new baby when I get him. I would value some opinions before I go ahead.

Lucky i've been calling "her" Maxie so Maxine will still be recognisable to her!! She's a real little character (arent they all?), so entertaining to watch when she's playing with her toys. She loves somersaulting through the rungs of her ladder and running up and down them. i will persevere with the taming. Story is...I live in a flat and of course "no pets allowed", I pleaded with the owners to please just let me have a little feathered friend to love me when I come home, they said "why not"!! They agree she's beautiful I love her dearly. thank you all for your advice. I am pleased I found your site (googled) and will no doubt keep learning as I go!!

i see, so i take it that the "recessive pied" male's cere does not turn out a deep blue such as other male budgies? I didnt realise they stay a kind of pinky/blue. So "max" may yet be "maxine"... no problem of course. but interesting.

thanks Phoebe. I'm glad the photo attachments worked, I wasnt sure how to work it. I have also attempted to produce my avatar.. hopefully that will be successful too. I look forward to learning more about my budgie and even if he doesnt "perform" i know he will be good company for me and fun to watch. He loves his ladder and does somersaults through the rungs, i love the way he plays with his toys, even after only two weeks. A great little friend!

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x112/tmkoroi/MaxAv.jpg http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x112/tmkoroi/max2.jpg not sure if this will work. trying to attach photo of max (as per instructions re photobucket). we THINK he is a boy... if the photo comes out.. what do you think? Probably too early to tell? also what age would you gauge him at? he was from a petshop who werent exactly sure how old he was....

Thank you for the advice. I have checked out the suggested site "Taming your Budgie", how interesting!! I will persevere and take note of the hints. I think there is hope for me as Max does seem interested in me when i put my face close to his cage, he doesnt balk then and even chirps at me sometimes. Just "hand shy". I hadnt thought of tempting him with food.. will try that. He has a millet "bar" hanging in his cage which is almost bare so i will take it out, leave it out for a day or so and then introduce a new one "manually", perhaps only letting him nibble at it while i hold it. Maybe that will encourage him to like (and trust) my hand a little more. Thanks again. I am learning a lot from your article on training.

new to the budgie forum. I am a grandmother, living alone and needed a little pal, my kids gratefully gave me a much wanted budgie for mothers day. Huge cage which opens at the top and the front. Problem is.. Max is so frightened of my hand. He is young (we think he's a he) and is just adorable. I love him!! He is happy with me near his cage, doesnt mind my face close but is scared when my hand goes in the cage and he tries to get in the furthest corner of the cage. I have persevered for two weeks, spending lots of time with him and talking to him everytime i walk past. He seems friendly otherwise. Am I being too impatient expecting him to adjust to my hand after two weeks of my tender loving care? ANy hints on how i can get him used to the hand? he sees me put the seed etc in, but keeps an eagle eye on my hand while keeping his distance. I make sure i dont make any sudden movements and talk to him calmly, has no effect. any advice would be appreciated.